March 6, 2024
Romans 10
What is your heart’s desire? I remember growing up my heart’s desire was for a minibike. My dad would instruct me to “write down this goal so I could see them all the time.”, but no real instruction on how to achieve this. Paul’s desire was for the salvation of his people, mentioning twice in a short span of writing. In Romans 9:3 he metaphorically said that he wished he would be “cursed from Christ” for the benefit of his Jewish people. We know it to be metaphorically because he just said in chapter 8 that “nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul opens up chapter 10 with, “my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.”
Now Paul was trained under Gamaliel who was the son of Rabbi Hillel and the grandson of Israels great teacher, Hillel the Elder who was know for his love and compassion toward God and towards men’s behaviors to each other. Paul was instructed and taught the law of Moses and, presumably, compassion for his fellow man. Certain political times can encourage the most humble of us to have “zeal” for what we absolutely know to be right and the will of God (sarcasm). Being in his “prime”, youth, Paul, who was Saul, was just such a man as he points out in verse 2, “I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Back to my minibike goal, without knowledge of how to successfully obtain my minibike I had a wish. Without knowledge to obtain salvation a lost person can remain lost, without knowledge a lost person wont know they are lost, and zeal for anything without knowledge can lead you down dangerous paths. But zeal can be the spark for revival: Psalms 69:9, “Because zeal for Your house has consumed me,” and that is what Jesus had for His Father’s house in cleaning the temple. So, not only does a saved person have knowledge obtained, but they also received this knowledge because someone obeyed Jesus’ commandment to preach the gospel to all nations. Proverbs 2:1-5, “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listen closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.”
The danger in not having the knowledge of God’s righteousness can lead some to set up their own set of rules for righteousness, verse 3. Other than Christianity, religions give man laws to follow. It seems a checklist of things to do is easier to follow than to submit to God’s righteousness of faith, verse 3. God’s righteousness comes through Christ who put an end to the law and gave us new garments to wear. In other words, Jesus did not come to patch the old law system, He said you do not put new wine into old wine skins, Mark 2:22. Jesus put an end to the law with His fulfillment of the law and gave us new garments to put on, Matthew 9:16. Wont you put your faith in Jesus and put on your righteous garments in Christ?
If it were possible to achieve righteousness by the law it would still be considered your own righteousness because it would be a righteousness of works, verse 5. So, it is not possible to achieve saving righteousness by following the law to the “T”. Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:11-14 which states in summary “the command I give is not too difficult or beyond your reach. The message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” Paul than sums up the command, “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.”, verse 9.
Paul has made some controversical statements in this letter and verse 12 will just add fuel to those zealous Jews of his time, “since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on Him.” This makes the field of salvation level, at and by the work on the cross by Jesus, for all nations of people. There is no superior race of people! Israel possessed religion and failed to be saved by that religion. They rebelled against God’s righteousness, Jesus by way of the cross, to be saved. Since Israel was lacking in knowledge they perished and are perishing, Hosea 4:6 and Isaiah 5:13 and their zeal for their traditions and way of life brought violence upon the early church. Paul quotes to them, who has believed our report?” Isaiah 53:1, the knowledge was given to them about Christ. Our eyes were once closed to the things of God. Our ears heard the things of God, but we could not comprehend. The Word describes the Word like fire and the Word describes the Word like a hammer, Jeremiah 23:29. The Word describes the Word sharper than a 2-edge sword, Hebrews 4:12. So if it is knowledge you seek from the Word of God, test your studies! Does it bring a purifying flame across your spirit, does it crush all the worldly thoughts and traditions, will it cut out and separate you as a disciple of Christ? If it doesn’t may I suggest the Word is not being preached. Tears of sorrow come to my eyes because of the sin that is being exposed in my heart. Tears of sadness come because of the rejection of Christ many have for Jesus who is the Christ, tears of joy for the wondrous ways our God, most high, works around the will of man and His sovereign plan for each one of us. Joyfulness with appreciation for His salvation for me and for you. Now we go to work to preach the gospel because those He has called His own have been given the command to preach so those who can hear can believe and call upon Him, verses 13-15.
We are told to preach the gospel to everyone, Acts 1. We all have been sent to preach the gospel of Christ so that our sphere of influence will hear about Jesus and to believe on Jesus that He is the way to salvation. We do not need to be in charge of a large flock, although we may be part of a large flock. We have been instructed to present the gospel of Christ so present it as you go, be an evangelist! “You received God’s mercy you present God’s mercy. Contend for the faith that all will hear! Keep studying the Bible to have a good grasp of it. Always examine your life, that disobedience will be known and addressed. (Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Philippians 2:12)”, Pastor Dean Bouzeos, One Chapter Wonders in the Bible, Sunday morning Bible class.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, forgive us our sins. Lead our thoughts and desires to be that of obeying you I all our aspects of life. Create in us a passion to be concerned for the lost soul and thereby our paths are such that we preach the message as we go. Give us knowledge, which You said You would freely give if we ask. In that knowledge help us to remain humble as we walk by your side, by the Spirit. We love Your Word, we love you Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
Amen
-David Mroz
