Rom 10:1-21, Salvation requires a choice to believe

Wiersbe Outline
1. Introduction (1:1-17)
1. Salutation (1:1-7)
2. Explanation (1:8-17)
2. Sin (1:18-3:20 - Righteousness Needed)
1. The Gentiles under sin (1:18-32)
2. The Jews under sin (2:1-3:8)
3. The whole world under sin (3:9-20)
3. Salvation (3:21-5:21 - Righteousness Imputed)
1. Justification explained (3:21-31)
2. Justification expressed: the example of Abraham (4)
3. Justification experienced (5)
4. Sanctification (6-8 - Righteousness Imparted)
1. Our new position in Christ (6)
2. Our new problem in the flesh (7)
3. Our new power in the Spirit (8)
5. Sovereignty (9-11 - Righteousness Rejected)
1. Israel's past election (9)
2. Israel's present rejection (10)
3. Israel's future redemption (11)
6. Service (12:1-15:13 - Righteousness Practiced)
1. Consecration to God (12)
2. Subjection to authority (13)


Rom 10:1-4 (NIV) Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.   3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.


• This passage starts out in a similar manner to chapter 9, how so and why?
• Paul reaffirms his love and care for the Jewish nation
• The negative mention of the law and the emphasis on God's mercy to the Gentiles is not meant as an exclusion of God's people (reformed theology does take the view that the church replaces Israel)
• What does Paul say was Israel's failure, and how might he know that personally?
• It was their zealousness
• It was their lack of knowledge
• Fascinating, because they had the truth
• The memorized the first five books of the law
• But, somehow, head knowledge never translated to heart knowledge
• Zeal was based on incorrect knowledge (becomes stubbornness and pride)
• It was their desire to establish righteousness on their own, and consequently an unwillingness to submit to God
• Verse 4 is a key verse in understanding the relationship of the law to the believer
• The key is to understand the Greek word, telos, which means, a definite point or goal, the conclusion of an act or state, the result
• The law does not pass away, rather it is fulfilled, brought to a conclusion by Christ.  In this way it still exists still, but fulfilled and without the demands any longer. 
• Jesus says in Matt 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."  In this case the Greek word for "fulfill," pleeroosai, can be translated as, to finish, complete, end, fill up
• He is not saying that the law remains valid, rather that Jesus completes the law and its requirements on our life
• The law was against us, but our new life of grace is for us.  We are under a new law completely, it is called the law of Christ, and the law of grace, and the law of righteousness.  It measures the heart and not obedience to a set of rules
• APPLICATION: Why do some Christians insist on laying a burden upon themselves that Jesus and Paul said, even their fore-fathers found overwhelming?  Why can we not choose peace and grace?


Rom 10:5-13 (NIV) Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."  6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."  12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."


• Verse 5 is confusing to me.  There are two ways of taking it
• One. It is true that if you obey the law in every respect you will live (in essence be justified), but that is impossible
• Two. You cannot be justified by the law, but the quality of the OT believer's life was directly tied to their obedience to the law
• But he contrasts faith to the law starting in verse 6.  You do not have to be good enough to go to Heaven to bring the Messiah back to earth or to raise the Messiah up from the grave.  In fact God has done all these things for us
• Instead of either obeying the whole law or rescuing the Messiah by effort, what does Paul say is the correct path?
• Confess with your mouth -- meaning to say the same thing about Jesus as other believers do
• Believe in your heart -- both phrases interpret each other, so this is not an intellectual assent, but a decision of the heart
• Acknowledging that Jesus is Lord submits a person to his authority and recognizes that Jesus is God in every sense of the word
• Belief in the resurrection does not save a person, but a disbelief in the resurrection would essentially mean two things
• Jesus is not really God
• Jesus death accomplish no purpose
• (Verse 10) Belief in Jesus Christ positionally justifies us
• Confession saves us in this sense
• First of all, the use of the term salvation is not always eternal salvation from hell
• Second, what is the most common form of confesson? Baptism.  A person who is unwilling to obey a direct command of God or to publicly identify with Christ risks loss of reward.  So confession would save you that loss when you stand before Christ
• There is a rich blessing (spiritual) to all who publicly identify with Christ as opposed to being ashamed of him


Rom 10:14-15 (NIV) How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"


• If in fact chapter 9 was saying that God elects who he chooses independent of their response, chapter 10 clearly refutes that claim.  Why?
• Because the responsibility for salvation is for the person to hear
• There is a responsibility for a person to preach
• There is a responsibility for the body to send (support)
• God chooses to exercise mercy, but God does not choose who is saved.  We must respond to his mercy
• The example of Pharaoh actually makes this point.  God's statement to Pharaoh was after six plagues.  Pharaoh had a choice.  He was the one who initially hardened his heart in rebellion to God's command.  God's hardening only occurred after his initial hardening (although God did know Pharaoh would act that way)


Rom 10:16-21 (NIV) But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"  17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:


"Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."


19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,


"I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."


20 And Isaiah boldly says,


"I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."


21 But concerning Israel he says,


"All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people."


• For the Israelites, did they get a chance to hear? Yes
• Did Israel understand? No
• Was it because Israel did not seek God and the Gentiles did seek him? No
• Then why did Israel fail?
• They were disobedient
• They were obstinate.  They thought they knew it all.  They saw themselves as better than the nations around them.  Their pride became their blindness
• APPLICATION: We have the fully revealed truth.  We know who the promised Messiah is.  We have the HS living within us.  But we also can allow pride to cause us to stumble in our walk with God and emphasize things that are not important over the things which really are important
• Not important: works, activities, busyness for God
• Important: meeting with God,  humility, repentance, love for others