November 19, 2023
Evening Service

Paul, the lawyer at heart, continues to make his case for salvation through faith and not of works as we work through his letter to the Romans.  Today we will see the wisdom of God in calling Paul for “such a time as this.”  Paul was the best of the best of the elite Pharisees who studied the scriptures intently searching for God through them.  God chose Paul for this reason and through the Holy Spirit, opened his eyes that the scriptures all pointed to the time of the Messiah and that Jesus was the Messiah.  In chapter 9, he spoke on the sovereignty of God giving Him the power to make choices and being accountable to no one for it.  He put this way in verse 20-21:

Rom. 9:20-21 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"  (21)  Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

            God is sovereign and who are we to question Him?  He used that to explain why He has chosen to include the Gentiles into His plan of salvation ending the exclusivity of the nation of Israel as the only ones who could find salvation.  He now chooses those who seek Him by faith rather than through works.  That is where he begins chapter 10:

 

Rom 10:1-4 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.  (2)  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  (3)  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  (4)  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

·       Paul as a Jew himself longed for Israel to embrace Jesus as the Messiah, but realized that this was not God’s will.  He wanted to extend that invitation to “whosoever will” meaning Israel was in essence left behind.

·       He explains further that Israel had a zeal for God we could define it as “religion.”  They were very “religious” in following the rules and regulations of the Law, but missed the whole point behind it.  They went through the motions of obedience, but only with their actions not their heart.  They sought to “earn” their righteousness, but the law was actually implemented to help them realize they were unable to fulfill the Law and to point them to the reality that they needed a Savior.

·       Their ignorance was seeking their own righteousness rather than submitting to God’s righteousness.  The Law was put in place to open our eyes that we can’t live that life of perfection needed to deserve acceptance and rebuild the broken relationship from God through our sin.  It was there to bring us to a point of brokenness and come to God asking for help.  “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes!”  He is our righteousness through faith that we cannot attain through works.  We need Jesus to be our Savior!  Paul drives that nail down in the next four verses by quoting part of Moses’ final charge to Israel.  I want to read that entire passage he quotes from to help us grasp Paul’s point here.  This is “good Word!”

 

Deu. 30:11-20 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.  (12)  It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  (13)  Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  (14)  But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.  (15)  "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, (16) in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.  (17)  But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, (18) I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.  (19)  I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before your life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; (20) that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

·       Paul quotes verses 11-14 as he explains the path to salvation through faith.  Listen closely to his point here:

 

Rom 10:5-8For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "THE MAN WHO DOES THOSE THINGS SHALL LIVE BY THEM."  (6)  But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) (7) or, " 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  (8)  But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

            What is he telling us? Israel attempted to attain salvation through the law through their works and efforts.  But faith speaks as Moses prophesied that salvation is not to be earned not is it a mystery to us nor is it far away from us; it is very close and easy to attain.  “The Word is near you, in your mouth and your heart.”  This opens the door for Paul to reveal to us the path to salvation is through those two avenues; the mouth and the heart.  (Fulfilling Moses prophecy!) (reread verse 8)

 

Rom 10:9-13 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.  (10)  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (11)  For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME."  (12)  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  (13)  For "WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." (Joel 2:32)

·       Just as Moses prophesied salvation is near, in “your mouth and in your heart.”  It is not a great journey to get there, or a life time of commitment needed, but as close as a word and believing in what you say.

·       The simple path to being saved and receiving salvation has two parts

o   Confess with your mouth-you must say it

o   Believe in your heart-you must believe it by faith (without faith it is impossible to please God because he who comes must believe that He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him) Heb. 11:6

 

o   The result is YOU WILL BE SAVED!  “Whosoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”  No one who comes is turned away, all are accepted. (including me!)

o   There is no genealogy requirement, not righteousness requirement, no amount of time on probation but salvation comes in a word of faith and a heart that believes!

o   But isn’t that too easy?  Absolutely!  Salvation is a gift from God that we need only accept as our own to receive it.  All the work is done by Him for us.  This is the revelation that changed Martin Luther’s view of God and began the age of the Protestant Christians.

o   Paul now cries out to us to get busy fulfilling the Great Commission.

 

Rom. 10:14-15 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?  (15)  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!"

·       If we don’t proclaim this salvation to the world, how will they find it?

·       Beautiful are our feet when we share this message with a world dying in its sins.

·       We have the greatest gift of all time to give to others, yet we are hesitant to share it.  God empower us with boldness to share this life changing message to a world that is hungry to receive it!

·       Not all will believe as Paul continues and again quotes scripture from Isaiah.

 

Rom. 10:16-21But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"  (17)  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (18)  But I say, have they not heard? Yes, indeed: "THEIR SOUND HAS GONE OUT TO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD."  (19)  But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I WILL PROVOKE YOU TO JEALOUSY BY THOSE WHO ARE NOT A NATION, I WILL MOVE YOU TO ANGER BY A FOOLISH NATION."  (20)  But Isaiah is very bold and says: "I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME; I WAS MADE MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME."  (21)  But to Israel he says: "ALL DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND CONTRARY PEOPLE."

·       Paul here uses his expertise of the knowledge of the OT scriptures as evidence of what he is saying is truth.  He quotes passages from Isaiah, Psalms and Deuteronomy here in making his point.

·       He also reveals to us a truth that we can use in verse 17; “faith comes through hearing and hearing through the word of God.”  By reading the Word we build our faith.  Paul uses the Word here to build the faith of the readers that it has been His plan all along to offer salvation to not only Israel, but to all who seek Him.

·       His point is, and he will continue this idea in the next chapter, as he begins it asking; “Has God cast away His people?”