Romans Lesson 19

Introduction

Very pleasant good day to you, and welcome to Let the Bible Speak. May I encourage you to get your New Testaments and be opening with me to the reading in the book of Romans, where we’re going to be talking today about Romans chapter 10. Actually, our study, a verse by verse study through the book of Romans. We plan to talk about the whole chapter of Romans 10, so it’ll certainly be of help to you if you get that passage open in front of you. I believe in our world today where we have so much religious division, that this is a chapter that is so very appropriate and so very needed in our own time. Although it was written really to the Jews of the first century, who had rejected Jesus as the Christ, and yet who were religious, but who were wrong in their religion.

You know, uh Romans chapters 9, 10, and 11 really go together as we’ve already discussed in our last study, and we’re raising some questions, or the apostle was answering questions they might anticipate or what they might raise concerning God and his fairness in dealing with the Jews. The Apostle Paul, however, is quick to say to them that his concern is for them. In fact, in Romans chapter 9, he started off by saying that he would wish himself accursed if it would mean that the Jews could be saved. As we begin Romans chapter 10, you may see how in verses 1 through 3, again he talks about his heart’s desire and prayer to God for them. If you have your Bibles open, let’s read Romans chapter 10, verses 1 through 3.

1. Religious but Not Righteous

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel, is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. In Romans chapter 10, we’re going to see at least three different righteousnesses. As he talks about God’s righteousness. There’s the righteousness of the law, and there is the righteousness of men. And he says to them, My prayer and my desire is that Israel can be saved. Paul would wish that every Jew would be saved. In Romans chapter 9, we had already studied how back in verse 27 he had said that, in quoting from Isaiah, only a remnant would be saved.

But it wasn’t that God just consigned most of Israel to be lost and without any choice of their own. In fact, the whole chapter through here, or context through here, is really saying that God has elected the plan of salvation, but man makes a choice of whether to accept God’s way or not. It’s only by faith that men can be saved, and men who reject are lost. But now in chapter 10, he is saying that Israel has a righteousness. But it’s not according to God. It’s according to man’s righteousness. What the scripture really says is that Israel was lost. And it says also that one can be religious but not righteous. There are people today who are religious, all right, and like the Jews, they have a zeal for God, but they fail to really subject themselves to what God says, doing God’s will in God’s way.

In Matthew chapter 15, verses 7 through 9, Jesus even there quoted from Isaiah, and he said, Well, did I, Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it’s written, this people honor me with their lips and draw nigh with their mouth, but their hearts are far from me. For in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines, the commandments of men. Whenever we follow what we like rather than what God has said in his word, we may be religious. You hear today often said, Well, it really doesn’t matter what you believe. It’s as though to say, hey, all churches and all doctrines are going to be accepted by God. The point is, you can be religious but not righteous. These Jews had a zeal for God, but they were lost.

And the reason they were lost is because they were following their own traditions. They were not following the will of God. Man’s traditions will not save. Man’s opinions and man’s commandments that he’s formed, you may have councils and synods and conventions and people gather together, and by majority vote they decide what they think is right or wrong. We have today churches who have decided that homosexuality ought to be accepted, and even in some pulpits they are accepted. Or that women have leadership roles, and there are many who are preaching today. But that’s not God’s will. You read the word of God and he commands that women should be silent. They’re not to be in a position of authority over man. 1 Timothy chapter 2. You see, traditions of men and voting of men doesn’t change what God’s word says.

2. Christ Is the End of the Law

In Proverbs 14 and verse 12, there’s a way which seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. As the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 10 and verse 23 said, O Lord, the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps. What’s happened to Israel? Why is it that the Jews are lost? Well, they were religious. They failed to follow God’s will. Isn’t that a message needed today as well? But read with maybe verses 4 through 8 in Romans chapter 10, where he said, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise. Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down from above, or who shall descend into the deep, that is to bring up Christ again from the dead. But what saith it?

That is the word of faith which we preach. He is here saying that first of all in verse 4, Christ is the end of the law. Now, while it is true, no longer do we serve God by keeping the law of Moses. That law was nailed to the cross, the scripture uses that language figuratively, being nailed to the cross, Colossians chapter 2, verses 14 through 17. We’re no longer under the Old Testament law is what he’s saying. But that’s really not the meaning in Romans 10 and verse 4. He’s really saying there that the aim or the purpose of the law pointed to Jesus Christ. That if the Jew really was following the law of Moses, he would have accepted Jesus as the Messiah. You see, even in Galatians chapter 3, in verses 23 through 25, there he speaks how that the law was given for a purpose.

He says, Before faith came we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come, we’re no longer under a schoolmaster. For you’re all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Or as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. You see, the law pointed to Christ. And now we become children of God, not because we are born in the flesh of a certain nationality, but rather because we’re born again by faith in Christ, baptized into Christ. And then what do we become? We become even the Israel of God, those who are spiritually the children of God.

Listen, Romans Galatians 3, 28 and 29, when he says, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. That is, he makes no fleshly distinctions if you’re born again. But in verse 29, if ye be Christ, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the to the promise. We become the real children of God, the Israel of God, Galatians 6 and verse 16. Those who have accepted the Christ, believed him, and obeyed the gospel. You see what he’s saying here in Romans 10, even that Moses, who described the righteousnesses, uh righteousness of the law, he said, the law of Moses demanded perfect obedience. The man which doeth those things shall live by them.

That is, you had to perfectly keep it, or else you stood condemned by it. Even Galatians chapter 3 and verse 10 brought out that same point. But in Christ Jesus, we now have grace and truth. John 1 and verse 17. And Jesus said in John 8 32, you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. We don’t need to ascend up into heaven. Christ is already come from heaven and lived on the earth. And he brought us grace and truth. We don’t need to go again and say, Well, what more truth is there, Lord? Or he said, We don’t need to descend down into the deep or Hades, that is to bring Christ up again from the dead. He’s already risen from the grave.

3. The Word of God Can Be Understood

What he’s really saying is here that the word of God can be understood. What more do we need than what is here? In verse 8, even quoting from the Old Testament, the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, in thy heart. That is the word of faith which we preach. Let every man who today says, Well, the Bible really cannot be understood, needs to look again at this particular verse. What he is saying, even in quoting Moses, Moses said about the law. It’s near, it’s available. Man can understand it. The Jew who fell to keep the law or the word, the righteousness which is of the law, the man who fell to keep the words that were delivered through Moses, stood to be punished by God because it was available.

He couldn’t say, Well, Lord, we didn’t know better. The man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath day was stoned to death because he was taught better. It was wrong to violate the Sabbath. They were taught to bring the best of the sheep and the oxen for sacrifice, and those who brought the second best, those who were lame and sickened, they were rejected by God. They knew better. God demanded the very best. So man can know the will of God. Even now, we can know the will of God. The Bible can be understood. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2 in verse 12, in fact, these things are revealed by the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Why is it revealed? That we might know God’s will. Don’t come along and say, Well, we cannot know better. The reason there is so much religious division today is not because the Bible cannot be understood. It is rather because there are men who have closed their Bible, they’ve quit studying it, they’ve quit saying, hey, give me book, chapter, and verse. And then we begun to say, well, you know, men have gotten together, and we think, our opinion is the majority is voted. Instead, there needs to be the idea, as in Ephesians chapter 3, verses 3 through 5, where the apostle said, Have it by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in a few words, whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge and the mystery of Christ.

4. Confess and Believe: A Faith That Obeys

We can understand the will of God if we will apply our hearts to it. He gave it so that we may know. And so the thrust and gist of this particular context is that God wants Jews to be saved. The Apostle Paul said, My desire is that they might be saved. How is it going to be possible? By coming to the Word of God, putting aside their own righteousness, turning to the righteousness which is clearly revealed in his word. But look at Romans 10, verses 9 through 12. When he says, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with a heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with a mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord overall is rich unto all that call upon him. Now you notice in verses 11 and 12, particularly, we’ve been stressing through this context, whosoever believeth on him, that’s the one who shall be saved. Whether it be Jew or Gentile, God puts no difference. He is not a respecter of persons. Who is it that’s saved? Particularly in verses 9 and 10, he says, here’s how if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, shall believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Now there are those who turn to this passage often and they sort of isolate verses and they want to cut out verse 9 and really forget about what else the Bible says, and as though this is all that’s involved in salvation.

Well, it’s a truth. But you know, Romans chapter 10 and verse 9 doesn’t say everything there is about saving faith. It says nothing about repenting. Can we really say that a man who is a liar can keep right on lying just so long as he says Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart, he’s the Son of God? Is that all it takes to be saved? Surely we all know better than that. The person who’s really saved is the person who believes unto righteousness. It’s not faith only, it’s a faith that obeys. A faith that obeys is the faith that saves. In John chapter 12, verses 42 and 3, there were rulers of the synagogue, the scripture says who believed on Jesus, but they would not confess him.

They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. They were fearful that if they confess Jesus, they’d be thrown out of the synagogue. There are people today who may say in their heart they believe, but they refuse to obey. Romans chapter 6, verses 17 and 18 teaches that God betank that ye were the servants of sin of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart. That form of doctrine delivered you. Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness. When men obey the gospel, that we can read, we can understand, putting aside human opinions and traditions, except what God’s will is. That’s the means of salvation. Even confessing. Confessing, yes, confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Believing with a heart unto righteousness, confessing with a mouth unto salvation.

But again, confession is not lip only. It isn’t just saying, Oh Lord, I believe. It isn’t just saying a sinner’s prayer, as we often hear today. You know what Jesus said in Luke 6, 46? Why call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say. You may call on him, Lord, if you’re not willing to obey. You’re not going to have God’s favor. Back to Matthew 7, verses 21 through 23, Jesus said, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. The difference between the saved and the lost is faith. But it’s the kind of faith that is willing to obey. We may call on him Lord.

5. Calling on the Name of the Lord

We may believe in our heart that he’s Lord, but if we’re not willing to obey him as Lord, there is no salvation. We’re going to pause for a moment. When we come back, we’re going to talk about what it really means to call on the name of the Lord in order to be saved. Such an important passage, Romans chapter 10 and verse 13. You stay with us. We’ll be back in just one moment. Romans chapter 10, verses 13 through 17 is one of the most important sections of the Bible, where it talks about who shall be saved and how they shall be saved. Romans 10, verse 13 says, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 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 should they hear without a preacher? How should they preach except they be sent, as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. First of all, in verse 13, he quotes from Joel chapter 2 and verse 32, a passage really that was quoted by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts chapter 2 and in verse 21. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But then you notice there’s a series of questions. How is it possible to call? There are those today who would teach that really it wouldn’t matter what you do just so long as you believe in your heart and say a sinner’s prayer. But that’s not at all what calling on the name of the Lord really involves. In verse 17, we’ve just read where he says, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. That means there’s going to be some hearing of God’s word and then responding to what we hear. That’s what faith in action really is. Faith that saves is a faith that obeys. Even in Acts chapter 2, when Peter quoted, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, and you read further the sermon that he preaches about the Christ who was crucified but arose the third day and is now at the right hand of God.

That audience, being pricked in their hearts, are made believers, asked, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2 and verse 37. Peter answered and said unto them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Surely they were taught how to call in the name of the Lord. As believers, what should they do? Hearing God’s word, what were they told to do? Repent and be baptized. Many preachers today failed to preach what Peter preached on that first gospel sermon. Why is that? If we really want to teach men what to do to be saved, then let the word of God be the message we preach, not man’s opinions.

Don’t be like the Jews, as Paul describes here in Romans chapter 10, of being religious but not righteous, of following man’s righteousness rather than what God says. They were told to call. What is calling? Calling is actually a response of believing. Believing what is heard. You see, here’s the series of questions. How should they call whom they have not believed? Well, that’s impossible, isn’t it? But then he goes through the next line how can they believe if they’ve not heard? Again, there has to be something heard. In the first century, they did not have the New Testament like you and I have. So he says, Well, how should they hear without a preacher? And he’s not talking about an uninspired man like myself or other men who may feel pulpits today.

He’s rather talking about an inspired man, one who has been sent by God. The inspired word of God is revealed so that men might know, and they might speak the word. So then, really the point is in verse 17, when he says, Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. You hear the word of God and walk by faith. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 7 says, We walk by faith and not by sight. There’s a difference between walking by what our opinions are and walking by the word of God. How do we call on the name of the Lord? One of the clearest examples is not only that on the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached this same message to call on the name of the Lord to be saved, but is the very writer of this Roman letter.

The Apostle Paul. You remember the story of his own conversion recorded in the book of Acts. Three different chapters in Acts tell us really what was occurring with his conversion to Christ. In Acts chapter 9, he saw a vision on the road to Damascus. And he was told to go into that city. Three days he was there praying and fasting. Now, if there were ever a man who was saying a sinner’s prayer, you’d have to say Saul of Tarsus was. He had been persecuting the way of Christ, and for the first time he understands Jesus is the Son of God. Here was a man who was praying for three days, a believer, for he obeyed the vision. No doubt a repentant believer, for he was fasting and praying.

But in his own words, recorded in Acts chapter 22, when he’s telling about his own conversion, in Acts 22 and verse 16, he says that when Ananias, a preacher sent by God, the inspired man sent by God, when Ananias came to him, he said, And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. He’s been praying. And if all there is to calling on the Lord is lip service, then he’s done enough. But as we said earlier in our study, Jesus said in Luke 6 46, why call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Or Matthew 7 21, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

So even Saul of Tarsus. When he heard the word of the Lord, the scripture says that he was baptized. Why is that not preached today? Is it that men want to come along and change the will of God and develop a righteousness that is by human tradition and human opinion? On the day of Pentecost, they were told to be baptized. Saul of Tarsus was told to be baptized. But notice the language again. Here was a man who’s been praying and fasting, who’s had a vision, and yet he’s told to be baptized to wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord. You see what’s involved in calling. Calling really means to invoke Jesus Christ as Lord. He says he has come to seek and to save the lost.

He died for us. He arose on the third day. Do you really believe in Him as Lord? Then to invoke Him as Lord is to say, Lord, what you’ve promised to believers, as I obey the will. Will you keep your promise? Hebrews chapter 5, verses 8 and 9, the scripture says, Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered, and became the author, and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him. You see, it’s more than just a mental agreement. It isn’t faith only, but it is a faith that obeys to them that obey him. He is the author of salvation.

6. A Disobedient and Gainsaying People

Have you called on the name of the Lord by doing what God says and the way God says it? Well, look again at Romans chapter 10. In verses 18 through 21, some sad verses. When he says, But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily. Their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, did not Israel know? First, Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Isaiah is very bold and saith, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel, he saith, all day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

I say sad verses because the last verse, 21, what has been God’s will? I’ve stretched forth my hands unto Israel. What have they been like? A disobedient and an obstinate or gainsaying people. They refuse God’s way of salvation. Are they lost because they had no opportunity to be saved? That’s not the reason. In fact, in verse 16, he says, They’ve not all obeyed the gospel. But whose fault is it? God’s? No. The fault lies with Israel. And in fact, he says, their sound of the words of the gospel has gone into all the earth. Men can hear the word. Jesus gave the great commission when he said, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

He that believeth not shall be damned. And then he raises the question, verse 19, did Israel know? Yes. But what happened to Israel? He quotes from Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 32, who even prophesied how that when the Gentiles, he called them simply a nation that they didn’t know, but when the Gentiles obeyed the gospel, it angered the Jews, and they turned again. They turned against the Lord. Even Isaiah said, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. Though the Gentiles had not been God’s chosen people, yet they were the ones who received the gospel. Isn’t that a sad condition today that many, even who have heard the gospel? Some people have been raised in homes where their parents believed in the Lord, but the children have turned aside.

Conclusion

You see, salvation cannot be inherited. God has no grandchildren. Only those who converted through the hearing of the word of God, whose hearts are melted by the word of God to obey. Those who call on the name of the Lord by responding in simple, trusting faith, doing what God said in the way God said, do it. Are you a believer in the Christ? Have you heard the gospel with a heart that says, Lord, speak, and I’ll obey? Believing Christ to be the Son of God, have you repented of sins? Confessing your faith that He is the Son of God? Have you been immersed or baptized in the death of Christ? Why not do that? Really, by that means calling on the name of the Lord, invoking him as Lord.

He’s promised to bless you, and he will do so. Until our