Jun. 04, 2023

“DOING THE RIGHT THING”

“GOD’S PLAN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”

(SALVATION TO ALL) 

ROMANS 10:1-21

• Israel’s Rejection:

1.   The Reasons For Their Rejection- Romans 10:1-13

You would think that Israel as a nation would have been eagerly expecting the arrival of their Messiah and been repaired to receive Him.

John 1:11 “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”

How do we explain this tragic event?

*They Didn’t Feel They Needed The Gospel.

Romans 10:1 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” 

Israel would have been happy for political salvation from Rome, but she did not feel she needed spiritual salvation from her sin. They had religion but not righteousness. The gospel-salvation is for everyone.

*They Were Zealous For God.

Romans 10:2 “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”

Paul himself had been zealous for the Law and the traditions. (Acts 26:1-11)

Galatians 1:13-14 “For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.”

But their zeal was not based on knowledge, it was heat without light.

Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

*They Were Proud and Self-Righteous.

Romans 10:3 “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”

They would not submit to God. Paul had made the same mistake before he met the Lord: (Philippians 3:1-11)

Philippians 3:9 “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”

*They Misunderstood Their Own Law- Romans 10:4-13

Their Law told them they were sinners in need of a Savior. But instead of letting the Law bring them to Christ:

Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

They worshipped their Law instead of Jesus Christ their Savior. 

Christ is the end of the Law:

Romans 10:4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

The righteousness of the Law is being fulfilled in the life of the believer through the power of the Spirit:

Romans 8:4 “That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 6:14 “For you are not under the law, but under grace.”

Paul now quotes from the Old Testament:

Romans 10:5 “For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”

Leviticus 18:4-5 “You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. 5You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Romans 10:6-7 “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)” 7or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

Moses urged them to receive the Word in their hearts.

Deuteronomy 13:3 “You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

*The Gospel is Available; Therefore Those Who Hear Are Accountable- 

Romans 10:8-10 “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): 9that 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. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

The very Law that they read and recited pointed to Christ.

*The Gospel Is Universal; Therefore No One Is Exempt-

Romans 10:11-13 “For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Paul quotes Isaiah:

Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.”

Acts 15:9 “And made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”

Paul also quotes Joel:

Joel 2:32 “And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.”

Salvation is open to everyone “for whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The entire section emphasizes the difference between Law righteousness and faith righteousness.

Law Righteousness                           Faith Righteousness

Only for the Jew                                For “whosoever”

Based on works                                Comes by faith alone

Self-righteousness                            God’s righteousness

Cannot save                                      Brings salvation

Tries to obey the Lord                       Calls on the Lord

Leads to pride                                   Glorifies God

2.   The Remedy For Their Rejection- Romans 10:14-17

*The Responsibility of the Believer

Romans 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? 15And 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!”

For a person to believe, they must hear the Word, so someone has to take it to the unbeliever.

Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Titus 1:3 “But has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior.”

*Faith Comes By Hearing God’s Word.

Romans 10:16-17 “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Note, that trusting Christ is not only a matter of believing, but also obeying. Not to believe on Christ is to disobey God. 

Acts 17:30 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.”

God has called us all to take the gospel to a lost world.

Galatians 3:5 “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Until a person hears the Word of God they cannot be saved.

3.   The Results Of Their Rejection- Romans 10:18-21

There are three results, and each of them is supported by a quotation from the Old Testament.

*Israel Is Guilty

Romans 10:18 “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.”

But how do we really know that Israel has heard?

Psalm 19:4 “Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.” 

God reveals Himself in creation: Psalm 19:1-6

vs.1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.”

God reveals Himself in His Word: 

Psalm 19:7-11

*The Message Goes Out to the Gentiles.

Romans 10:19-20 “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.” 20But 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.”

Deuteronomy 32:21 “They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols.
But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.”

Isaiah 65:1 “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by My name.”

*God Still Yearns Over His People.

Romans 10:21 “But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”

Isaiah 65:2 “I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good,
According to their own thoughts.”

We are to share the Gospel with both Jews and Gentiles.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”