Romans

Romans Chapter 10

• Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 
• 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 
• 3 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. 

All of Paul's writings must be taken in context and taken along with all other scriptures so that proper understanding is found. 

Paul here is laboring in agony over Israel. He prays for them to be saved. The nation of Israel at that time was like other religions, they thought they were right. They had a zeal for of God but that zeal was in the assumption that they were righteous because they had the law of God or were given the law. They didn't realize that if they broke any law in one point they would be guilty of all. This makes their attempt to establish their own righteousness, in vain. 

To truly believe in Christ, we confess our sins and acknowledge that we have no righteous works to boast of that could possibly be good enough to save our souls. We then believe in what Christ did for us in that He paid for our sins at His death on the cross. 

When we believe in Him and receive what He did, it counts on our behalf. Our sins are then forgiven and we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus which was shed for our sins. 

By doing this, we are submitting to the righteousness of Christ. He was righteous in every point, keeping all the law perfectly. When we believe in Him and forsake our sins, His righteousness covers us and we are clothed with His righteousness and become partakers of His holiness. This holiness is the holiness Hebrews talks about when it says without holiness no man shall see the Lord. 

This holiness is not legalistic attempts for us to live a good enough life to please God. This holiness is to be so complete in Christ that His spirit comes into us and we live righteous by walking in the Spirit. As we obey and yield to the Holy Spirit, we can be holy as He is holy. 

This definitely means that we are not to return to sin. How can we sin and be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ at the same time?

Paul never once preaches that one can continue in willful sin and be saved or that one can be covered by grace while living in sin. He continually preaches that a believer is to be dead to sin and should live and walk in the spirit. We must remember these things when we read Paul's writings or else we will misinterpret them and teach grace as a license to sin. It is never meant to be that. 

Paul states many times that we are to live holy covered by the righteousness of Christ and sin is not to dwell in us but we are to mortify the deeds of the flesh. Over and over again he makes this abundantly clear. Holiness is part of a Christian's life if he or she is to see the Lord. 

• Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 
• 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 
• 6 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:) 
• 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 
• 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 
• 9 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. 
• 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 
• 11 For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

This is the gospel. We believe in the fact that Jesus died for sins, was buried and was raised from the dead and is ascended back to God. It takes saving faith to believe this. When we simply believe and turn away from our sin by desiring to "not sin" but be clothed with the righteousness of Christ we will be clothed by His righteousness and have the Holy Spirit to help us with all weaknesses in the flesh. We are not alone and we don't have to constantly worry about sin but walk in the Spirit so that we now have the power to overcome the desire to sin. 

The old way could not give us victory over sin. Even now going back under the law or having a religion where one has to constantly do certain works to make themselves righteous doesn't work. We submit and receive the righteousness of Christ instead. It is a much better way to just trust Him to make us righteous and replace our own supposed righteousness with His true righteousness. 

It's like having on an old filthy garment and allowing Christ to give us a new garment that is white as snow. There is no place we could possibly find this garment on our own. No store, no amount of money or no place on the earth could we find this garment but by just asking Jesus Christ for this garment by faith, we can receive this for ourselves. 

Salvation is a free gift. We cannot receive this gift by animal sacrifices required under the law, we cannot receive this gift by rituals, ceremonies, baptisms, sacraments, good deeds, or making New Years resolutions to be good. We receive this by submitting to the righteousness of God and allowing Him into our lives completely. 

When I say completely I'm remembering the Lord's word: "Not every man that says Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of God but He that does the will of my Father which is in heaven."

The first will of the Father is that we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ for our salvation. To believe means to believe what He stands for, what He teaches and receive the Holy Spirit He has provided for us. 

I can't say I believe in Jesus and then do not the things He says. 

• Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 
• 47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: 
• 48 He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 
• 49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. 

This is why its very important that we don't take one or two verses out of context in the writings of Paul and use them to teach doctrine without considering all the other scriptures on salvation, righteousness, the law and holiness. Paul never teaches a license to sin. He teaches the very opposite. 

• Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 
• 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

If we take verse 13 and quote it without taking all the other verses on salvation we could get the idea that one could call on the name of the Lord and be saved even if he remained in sin, committed murder and did not repent. We know that it is not the case. 

It is understood that whoever: Jew, Gentile, Greek, child, woman, man, etc shall call upon Him will be saved, not just the Jews, not just men but all. That is what the verse teaches. Those who call on the Lord will also have to repent and turn away from sin according to other scriptures. One point I could make that most people will not call upon the name of the Lord unless they do want to live for Him. 

• Romans 10:14 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? 

Here comes the responsibility of those that are called to spread the gospel into all the world. No one can believe if we do not tell them. 

• Romans 10:15 And how shall 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! 

One who decides to forsake all things and follow the Lord into the ministry of preaching the gospel is beautiful in my book. We should be as kind to them as we possibly can. Notice I said be kind not idolize. Giving them a cup of cold water brings a reward. 

• Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 

Sadly we have a world full of people who still have not believed that report but Isaiah is prophesying plainly about the rejection of Jesus by His own people, the Jews. Like I said in notes on chapter nine though, Paul would rejoice to see our day and age when many Jews are already coming to Christ by the thousands.  

• Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

This is why studying the word is important as well as receiving the word in a worship assembly. It builds our faith. Faith comes to us when we hear the word of God. Without faith we can't possibly receive anything from God. Faith is what saves our souls from sin when we come to Christ in the first place so we need to maintain this faith as we walk for the Lord daily. 

• Romans 10:18 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.
• 19 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. 

The gospel was given to the Gentiles. This is supposed to provoke the Jews to jealousy. By a foolish nation means the nations of the Gentiles which were not originally given the laws and the prophets. They were without hope at one time until the gospel was preached to them. 

• Romans 10:20 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. 

This describes the Gentiles who did not seek God but God gave them the gospel as He once promised to Abraham in saying that through his seed all the nations would be blessed. 

• Romans 10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. 

This was Israel who first heard the gospel but as a nation, but they rejected it. 

The same message and warning to Israel can apply to the church. We need to take heed and not boast against the branches that were cut off for a season until the fullness of the Gentiles is completed. When Israel returns to the Lord and this has already started with many Messianic fellowships appearing all over the country, we as Gentile believers should rejoice.

• Romans 11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 

A true believer and one who is walking in the spirit of God will rejoice to see Israel find salvation. Anti-Semitism is never anything that should be in a Christian's life. Never.

• Jude1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 

Let us not boast against the natural branches but watch and pray that we also do not enter into unbelief and lose our first love for the Lord.   DC