This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Confessing Christ in a Confused World (WATCH HERE)
Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
Every once in a while, someone receives a phone call that changes everything.
It may be the call offering a dream job, the news that a child has been born, or the words every waiting family longs to hear: “Your adoption has been approved.” In a single conversation, life takes an entirely new direction. Yet the call itself is only powerful because of the one who is calling and the message being delivered.
The greatest call you have ever received did not come through a telephone. It came through the Gospel.
We often speak about “finding God” as though Christianity began with our search. The Scriptures tell a different story. God came searching for us. We were the lost sheep. We were the wandering prodigal. We were dead in our sins. Left to ourselves, we would never have sought Him. As Luther reminds us in his explanation to the Third Article, “I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.”
What we could never accomplish, the Holy Spirit did for us.
On the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood before a crowd in Jerusalem and preached the simple message of Jesus’ death and resurrection. There were no dramatic stage effects, no carefully crafted marketing campaign, and no emotional manipulation. Peter simply proclaimed Christ crucified and risen. Yet when he finished, about three thousand people believed and were baptized that very day.
What happened?
The Holy Spirit happened.
Peter later told the crowd, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38–39).
Notice who is doing the calling.
The Lord calls.
The Holy Spirit works.
Faith is created.
That same miracle continues every time the Gospel is proclaimed.
Sometimes Christians worry that they are not persuasive enough to share their faith. We fear we will not have the right words or answer every difficult question. While it is wise to grow in our understanding of God’s Word, our confidence has never rested in our ability to convince people. Faith is not produced by clever arguments or compelling personalities. Faith comes through the Word of Christ as the Holy Spirit works through that Word.
Think about Lydia in the city of Philippi. As Paul spoke, Luke records, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14). Paul preached. Lydia listened. But it was the Lord who opened her heart. That is always the pattern.
This truth is wonderfully comforting.
It means that your salvation does not depend upon the strength of your decision but upon the faithfulness of God’s promise. It means that when parents bring a child to Baptism, they are trusting God’s promise that the Holy Spirit works through water and the Word. It means that every Sunday, as God’s Word is read and preached, the Holy Spirit is actively calling people to repentance, strengthening weary believers, comforting troubled consciences, and creating faith where there was unbelief.
The Holy Spirit has not stopped calling.
He called you by name in your Baptism.
He continues to call you through His Word each time you hear the Gospel.
And one day He will call you home to be with Christ forever.
What a gracious God we have. He did not wait for us to find Him. He lovingly called us through the saving message of Jesus, and He continues to keep us in that same faith by His powerful Gospel.
Reflect: How does knowing that God sought and called you change the way you think about your own salvation? Who in your life needs to hear the Gospel, trusting that the Holy Spirit is the One who creates faith?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for calling me by the Gospel and bringing me to faith in Jesus Christ. Continue to strengthen my faith through Your Word and remind me daily that my salvation rests entirely in Your gracious work. Give me confidence to share the Gospel with others, trusting that You alone can open hearts and create faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.