Romans 10

Romans 10:1

After talking about God’s sovereignty in His past dealings with Israel, Paul goes on to speak of God’s equity in His present dealing with Israel. Truly, God is an equal opportunity Savior, for He still gives Gentiles an invitation to salvation, while giving the Jews the same opportunity. In this chapter, we will see Christ revealed as Savior to all of Israel (verses Rom_10:2-4), Christ received as Savior by some of Israel (verses Rom_10:5-15), and Christ rejected as Savior by most of Israel (verses Rom_10:16-21).

Romans 10:2

To this day, the Jews are zealous for God. You can be sincere in your crusading or your critiquing, your sin-sniffing or your fault-findingbut you’ll be sincerely wrong. Ask Paul. With great zeal, he persecuted the church, going about to establish his own righteousness (Php_3:6). Like the majority of Israel, He was sincere, but he was sincerely wrong.

Romans 10:4

Concerning the law, Jesus said, “Not one jot or tittle shall pass away until all be fulfilled” (see Mat_5:18). Yet the law ended when Christ came. Why? Because it was fulfilled in Him.

Romans 10:5

If you want to keep the law, you must live in the law. In other words, you must keep working. On the day the law came down from Mount Sinai, three thousand died (Exo_32:28). On the day the Spirit descended, three thousand were saved (Act_2:41). Legalism in your life, in our churches, or in our communities will always lead to death because no one can fulfill its righteousness. The Spirit in your life, in our churches, in our communities, on the other hand, will always lead to life because of the finished work of the Cross.

Romans 10:6

There are those who say, “If I go to Mount Shasta and get a solar hut, change my name, and drink herb tree, perhaps I can transcend and go up into the heavens and bring down the Christ consciousness.” Others say, “I’ll plumb the depths of theology, and if I get deep enough, perhaps I can bring Christ up from the dead and make Him real.” Some float on clouds of philosophy, trying to bring Christ down. Others dig in studiously, trying to bring Christ up. But in reality, Paul says neither is necessary.

Romans 10:8

Jesus is known not through theology, not through philosophy, but through childlike simplicity. That is, you believe in your heart that He is risen, that He died for your sins and is alive. And you make a simple confession with your mouth: “Jesus is my Lord. I’m going on record verbally. I believe in my heart internally that He died for my sins; He’s risen; and He’s my Lord.” You don’t have to float off into space or dig deep into thought. The word is near youeven in your mouth. It’s so very simple: Just believe and confess.

Romans 10:10

Why believe in your heart? Why didn’t Paul say believe in your mind? I suggest it is because the Lord is after our heart first. “You shall love the Lord with all your heart and mind and strength and soul” (see Mar_12:30). You see, my mind can be swayed very easily. I’m convinced about somethinguntil I get a new set of facts and change my mind. Or I have an opinion one day and then I flip-flop the next. But if something is in my heart, I don’t change my mind about it daily. For example, at one time in your life, a boyfriend or girlfriend may have turned his or her back on you. Yet your heart was still drawn toward him or her because it’s difficult to change your heart. Your mind changes easily, constantly, with every new bit of data. But the heart? It doesn’t change so easily. It breaks, but it doesn’t change. And so the Lord says, “I want you to believe in Me with your heartnot simply rationally, but emotionally and intimately.”

Romans 10:11

I love preaching, teaching, and sharing the gospel. Why? Because it works. I get to see lives changed, families put back together, and people doing better than they were previously. It works. So, too, when you share with people, you never have to think, I hope it takes. I hope it works for him, her, or them. It will. Whoever submits to Jesus’ lordship will not be ashamed. His Word guarantees it.

Romans 10:12

Jesus is Lord of all, and He is Lord for all. Jew and Gentile can both be rescued, and they can be brought together into His kingdom, the church.

Romans 10:13

I like preaching! I get to bring glad tidings of good things. You do too. You get to share with people over coffee, on your job, or at school, the Good News that the penalty for every sin they have ever committed has been paid. A lot of people are unnecessarily depressed and discouraged. The reason? They’re not sharing the gospel. Thus, they end up self-absorbed and self-focused. Another translation renders this verse, “How lively are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace.” If you want to have beautiful feet, lively feet, happy feet, share the glorious Good News of the gospel.

Romans 10:16

Isaiah correctly prophesied that all those who would hear would not believe (Isa_53:1).

Romans 10:17

“In the past, I chose you sovereignly,” said the Lord to the nation Israel. “Presently, I’ve made Myself known to you, but you have rejected Me. So I’m going to provoke you by bringing the Gentiles into the family in order that you might see what you missed when you neglected the opportunity to be saved.” Whether you’re talking to Jews or Jehovah’s Witnesses, provoke them to jealousy by sharing your freedom with them. You see, because the work of the Cross is complete, all that is left for us to do is to respond and enjoy the Lord. So when you talk to the Jehovah’s Witness with his black book, knocking on his quota of doors, say, “Hey, I’m just enjoying the Lord today. How about you?” Or say to the Mormon who is pedaling down the street, “I’m so glad we don’t have to wear ties or badges and ride bikes.” Truly, when you talk about the finished work of the Cross and your liberty in the Lord, it’s like putting a glass of cold water before someone who just ran back-to-back marathons. “A foolish nation"that’s you and me!

Romans 10:20

We weren’t walking in the covenants. We weren’t studying the Torah. We weren’t aware of the adoption. We didn’t find God. He found us. “All day long, I have stretched forth My hands,” says the Lord to Israel. “I stretched them out for you on the Cross, and to you even now.”