“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”Romans 10:14 NKJV
I think context is important. I want to share the whole story because I think there’s power, although this verse does stand up by itself.
Paul begins the chapter by saying this:
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”Romans 10:1 NKJV
Here, he is referring to people who know the Law and who have knowledge of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the critical piece they are missing is believing that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He came in the flesh to die for their sins and for the sins of all, and that He rose again from the dead, as shared further, in these verses:
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
Although there are a lot of great and wonderful verses in the Bible, there aren’t as many that preach what is super-essential for salvation, and knowledge and understanding thereof. Along with John 3:16 and Romans 1:17, Romans 10:9-10 explicitly and clearly states the essential foundational truth for salvation.
Just because I like to be super-explicitly clear, here are all three references:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”John 3:16-17 NKJV
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.””Romans 1:16-17 NKJV
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
As for the verse of the day, here is a fuller context:
“For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.””Romans 10:11-13 NKJV
I’m repeating myself, but it is worth repeating: call on the name of Jesus, and so do honestly and sincerely, with all your heart, and you will be saved. But many people don’t know that salvation is this simple. That’s why Paul immediately went on:
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”Romans 10:14-17 NKJV
They need to know. And, if I am to draw any kind of parallels to today, it’s not only the Jewish people who really need to hear the gospel (although they certainly do), and it’s not only the atheists, Muslims, Hindus, or anyone else trapped in a culture of oppressive darkness who needs to hear it (although they certainly do); surprisingly, it’s a lot of church-attenders who need to hear it as well. They hear about Jesus, but they don’t receive Him as Savior, let alone as Lord. They are aware that He died on a cross and rose from the dead on the third day, but to them these events are as good as fairy tales; or in some churches where they do huge musical numbers to commemorate His birth, death, or resurrection, it might as well be a mere concert with ensembles and pretty sounds. Deception is everywhere and takes all forms. As such, really knowing the Word and clearly understanding what salvation actually is and requires, that’s the message that needs to be told and heard.
It’s one reason why, as an ex-Episcopalian, I try to break away from setting the same old texts to music. Yes, Lord have mercy, Holy Holy Holy is the God of heaven and earth, and Lamb of God please take away my sins, but if the message being preached and/or sung isn’t treated with the utmost seriousness and respect, then it’s mere words, mere music, mere decoration. I love music, I write music a lot, and I value good music. But once any of these things begin to take the place of the core Gospel and of God Himself, then we’ve got a problem. Similarly, sharing our stories are awesome (I also do that a lot on this blog). But again, if God isn’t the center of the story, then it’s just noise, talking just because I like to hear myself talk. Telling my story by itself isn’t inherently wrong. And writing good music by itself isn’t inherently wrong. But what’s the goal? If Jesus isn’t the prize, and a relationship with Him not the goal, then the person on the receiving end hasn’t received the true Gospel. I’ll close this section with one final verse, after which I’ll proceed to the devotional:
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV
There's Power in Sharing Your Story
In a letter to the Roman church, the apostle Paul asks a series of simple but powerful questions—which are highlighted in Romans 10:14:
“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”
Paul wanted to help them understand how the message of Jesus spreads—almost always, it’s spoken from one person to another. People seldom come to faith in isolation. It begins with hearing the Good News.
And for many, that moment didn’t come through a sermon spoken from a stage. It came through a one-on-one conversation. A friend shared what God had done in their life. A family member spoke about finding hope in a hard season through Jesus’s care. Somehow, some way, a story was told—and a life began to transform.
Sharing the Good News of Jesus doesn’t require having every answer or presenting a perfect, exemplary life. Throughout Scripture, God often works through ordinary, flawed people who are willing to speak honestly about what God has done. Neither the message nor the invitation of Jesus are about having a trouble-free life. Jesus Himself said there would be trouble. But He also promised something even bigger—to be with us through it all.
You may be thinking about a person right now—a friend, a family member, or someone going through a difficult time. Could it be that they simply need to hear an authentic, honest story of hope?
Consider taking this small step today: Share something true about what God has done. Your story can open the door to something eternal.
Share your faith: How can you proactively share the life-changing message of Jesus today?
Prayer: God, thank You for revealing Yourself through the stories and voices of others. Give me courage to speak honestly about who You are and what You’ve done for me. I want others to discover how good You are. Guide me with Your love to share the Good News. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
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