Would we follow up the heights of heavenly truth, would we sound the depths of Christian experience, would we survey the workings of the Spirit of God in the Church, would we bow before the glories of the person of Christ, or learn His manifold offices, we must look elsewhere in the writings of the New Testament no doubt, but elsewhere rather than here. No, He has already come and brought salvation down from heaven to men. - That is, what is the language of the doctrine of justification by faith? To man this is the hardest of all obedience; but when once secured, it leads peacefully into the obedience of every day. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God: Saving faith comes through hearing by the word of God. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. When God gives you growth in grace and fruitfulness in good works it will be your safety to be as little as ever you were, and to trust in nothing but the work of the Lord. Did not I show you just now that when Moses spoke he did not mystify the matter, but put it plainly, "The man that doeth those things shall live by them." Though Israel heard, they did not exercise saving faith in Christ making them (and us) all the more responsible. 3. (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? But this is not all; and the objection of the Jew gives occasion for the apostle to bring out a fuller display of what God is. No man can say that they were not desperately in earnest about their service to God. (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) We went astray from the womb, speaking lies; we were rebellious to our parents in our childhood, and wayward in our youth; in our early manhood we were carried about with this passion and with that, and since then all kinds of evils have led us astray. He quotes from Joel, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. They are a disobedient and contrary people, and all the more so because of their great responsibility before God. Then the apostle introduces the ground, certainty, and character of God's judgment (verses 4-16). the word of faith -- The gospel peached by the apostles. For if the law could give a man a righteous standing before God, then it was not necessary for Christ to die. 15), "because we are not under the law, but under grace?" Did they fall back on Abraham? Wishing and woulding, if that be all, are not praying. This was not suitable to the character of the epistle; but the glory of God he does. We accordingly are dead, says he, to the law; not (as no doubt almost all of us know) that the law dies, but that we are dead to the law in the death of Christ. That same energy of the Holy Ghost which had displayed itself in Jesus, when He walked in holiness here below, was demonstrated in resurrection; and not merely in His own rising from the dead, but in raising such at any time no doubt, though most signally and triumphantly displayed in His own resurrection. We have had justification, both by blood and also in virtue of Christ's resurrection. Believe that he can save you; believe that he will save you; at any rate leave the whole matter of your salvation with him in unquestioning confidence. Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel, I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, i. The earth, or, at least, the Jewish nation, had been familiar with such dealings of God in times past. (a.) But it is very plain and easy: The word is nigh thee. Romans 12:1-21 looks at the mutual duties of the saints. a. Isaiah is very bold: Isaiahs bold prophecy was a warning that Israel ignored, making them more accountable. The righteousness of the law is an impossibility for all who have sinned even once, and the truth is all responsible men have sinned more than one time. Fair-weather sailors, who go out in their little painted perfection boats, are people who have had small temptation and little soul-trouble. And what led to the call of Abraham, of whom we hear much in the epistle to the Romans as elsewhere, was the departure of man into idolatry. (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) Justification is not from works of law. Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus: We can never forget all that it meant to say that Jesus Christ is Lord. The saving work is done, done by him who was anointed of the Lord to do it. 10:1-13 Brothers, the desire of my heart for the Jews and my prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. No, they cry, it is in Isaac's seed that the Jew was called. They give us the basis of the first Christian creed. Paul rightly observes that it all goes back to the preaching of the gospel, and preachers must be sent both by God and the Christian community at large. b. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God: Paul will readily recognize that Israel has a zeal for God but he also sees that it is zeal not according to knowledge. He said he had no experience but this, The good elders very properly asked, "Are you converted? It pronounced on the Jew then. The law ends for the believer in the sense that our obedience to the law is no longer the basis for our relationship with God. Ourselves nothing, Christ everything that is it. They did not know it, because they would not; they shut their eyes against the discoveries of it, and love darkness rather. We believe everything which the Lord Jesus has taught, but we must go a step further, and trust him. This blessed faith keeps men down when they are apt to go up, and up when otherwise they would be apt to go down. What else does the Scripture say? Thus the first argument shows that the rejection was not total; the second, that it was but for a season. Beneath it there runs the conviction that there are certain kinds of ignorance which are inexcusable. There is the balance. People cannot come to Jesus without the right information about the gospel, but information alone is not enough to save anyone. Whatever man in all the world, throughout all the ages, shall come and trust himself on Christ shall never be ashamed of having done so. He believed God and His word, with special approval on God's part; and his faith was counted as righteousness (ver. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. It is the going forth of His richest blessing. To this day there are strict orthodox Jews in this country who will not poke or mend a fire on the Sabbath or switch on a light. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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.". No wonder, if souls confound the two things together, that they never know deliverance in practice. But what saith it? Romans 10:17, KJV: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The past history of Israel was sketched inRomans 9:1-33; Romans 9:1-33; the present more immediately is before us inRomans 10:1-21; Romans 10:1-21. It is not among the Gentiles, but in the honoured centre of the polity of Israel. the top and bottom of such an ascent must be, "to bring Christ down." Christ holds it out to you: take it freely, and be rich for ever. we know how this was in Israel, how it might be, and has been, in Christendom. Yes, God has chosen and elected and predestined. A wondrous way, but most blessed! Also, Gods word works in the Christian (1 Thessalonians 2:13). "For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. Is he one of those that we elected? The excellency of the gospel above the law. And where? There never was an hour since Israel's existence as a nation that God has not had His remnant of them. 2. Further, he would have real difficulty in believing that the way to God was open to everybody. The word of God is to be close to the heart of every Christian. As He has given us through the blood of Jesus full remission, as we shall be saved by this life, as He has made us know even now nothing short of present conscious deliverance from every whit of evil that belongs to our very nature, as we have the Spirit the earnest of the glory to which we are destined, as we are the vessels of gracious sorrow in the midst of that from which we are not yet delivered but shall be, so now we have the certainty that, whatever betide, God is for us, and that nothing shall separate us from His love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. See ye well to this. $150.00 + $30 . This time Paul quotes Psalms 19:4: "Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." No, my dear friend, do not say that even in your thought. and how can they believe in him in whom they have not heard? In the moments when the soul is in the lowest depths, faith is the only way to live. d. Seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God: Israel had a lack of knowledge. It may be helpful to read Deuteronomy 30:10. The design of the law was to lead people to Christ. The gospel, instead of treating this as a light matter, alone vindicates God in these eternal ways of His, in that which must be in him who stands in relationship with God. Throw thyself upon him now; even as a babe casts itself upon its mother's breast. Though the whole might have been announced in one continuous sentence, yet a question is interposed for the sake of exciting attention: and his object at the same time was to show how great is the difference between the righteousness of the law and that of the gospel; for the one, showing itself at a distance, restrains all men from coming nigh; but the other, offering itself at hand, kindly invites us to a fruition of itself, Nigh thee is the word. Great preachers have known this. You that hope to be saved by your works are indulging a forlorn hope; what never you may do or be in the future, the past has already ruined you. g. All who call upon Him: Again, note the emphasis on human responsibility. This is the key word of early Christianity. of For the truth is that God has in Christ condemned sin, and this for sin definitely; so that He has nothing more to do in condemnation of that root of evil. Has God then no delivering power from this? Paul's answer is: "Israel's disbelief was only to be expected, for, long ago, Isaiah was moved to say in despair: 'Lord, who has believed what we have heard?'" There never was a sinner yet to whom God said, "You must not trust my Son": on the contrary, it is written, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." It is not in any degree settled as to itself by His blood. Here you have it, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. If slurred over, as it too often is in souls, it invariably leaves practical obedience lame, and halt, and blind. First of all, the groundwork of it is laid in the first four verses, the last of them leading into every-day walk. It is in your mouth and in your heart." ( Romans 10:5-8 ). Now it is the positive power of God in raising up from the dead Him that was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justifying. Men have an infinite and fatal capacity for shutting their minds to what they do not wish to see, and stopping their ears to what they do not wish to hear. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Christ has already done that and has returned gloriously by His resurrection from the dead. IV. But for the time it is held fast, though in unrighteousness. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? His answer is: "You cannot say that Israel never got the chance to hear; for scripture plainly says that God's message has gone out to all the world.". It is agreed by all commentators that this is one of the most difficult and obscure passages in the letter to the Romans. Then your principle is your condemnation. There is no language where their voice is not heard. The soul may feel the blood of Jesus to be a yet deeper want; but this alone does not give peace with God. No one had ever witnessed to him. In the rest of chapter 15 the apostle dwells on the extent of his apostleship, renews his expression of the thought and hope of visiting Rome, and at the same time shows how well he remembered the need of the poor at Jerusalem. So there must be confession with the mouth. 21). And it is well for those ignorant of it to know that here, in verse 4, the apostle speaks first of "walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." God was rather provoking Israel to jealousy by the call of the Gentiles. He says rema is "the word of faith" that is proclaimed by the followers of Jesus. Verse 18. May you experience the joys of His power, of His presence, of His glory, as God day by day showers you with His goodness and with His love. First, he cites Isaiah 28:16: "Every one who believes in him will not be put to shame." He takes their own books, and proves from one of them (Deuteronomy) that in the ruin of Israel the resource is not going into the depths, nor going up to heaven. It is the same form of expression exactly as in the beginning of Romans 5:1-21 "being justified by faith" ( ). Man seeks to complicate it. This verse shows that believing faith does not come ultimately from the believer's witness but from the Word of God. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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." But what saith it? Turn to Deuteronomy 30:11 . Because many among them had not believed his report because they did not trust in Gods word through Isaiah and other messengers of the gospel. Well, I can't either, but God didn't call me to reconcile it, He just called me to believe it.I tried to reconcile it for years until I was in such mental gymnastics I was worn out. It means we recognize that Jesus is God, that He is the Messiah, and that His work on the cross is the only way of salvation for mankind. All day long I have stretched out My hands It is "revealed," and this too "from heaven." Christ's fullness is meant for our emptiness; Christ's righteousness is meant for our sin, salvation is for the lost. A passage like this may seem strange to us and unconvincing; and it may seem that some at least of the texts Paul quotes have been wrenched out of their context and made to mean what they were never intended to mean. Then, fourthly, we will hear what experience saith; for we may bring in the experience of believers to back up the declarations of God. Man became the object, first, of general dealings of God under Noah; next, of His special ways in the calling of Abraham and of his family. It is not, as in Ephesians 2:1-22, dead in sins, which would be nothing to the purpose. It is with that objection Paul deals; and, as he deals with it in its various forms, on each occasion he clinches his answer with a text from scripture. The first of these phrases, "from faith," excludes the law; the second, "to faith," includes every one that has faith within the scope of God's righteousness. God was not satisfied alone. Romans 10:17; Hebrews 6:5; Hebrews 11:3. The meaning is not what was executed on Christ, but what is in virtue. Righteousness can be gained by sinful men, but it can only be secured by faith and not by deeds. This it was before it was his prayer. And they are broadening the gate so that you breathe, "Oh, God loves you," you will be saved because you are breathing. This accordingly leads, as connected with the deliverance of the body, to the inheritance we are to possess. But I say, [Paul said,] Have they not heard? He will not be ashamed to own that Christ in whom he trusts; he that believes in the heart will not be ashamed to confess with the mouth. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.". It is no longer a question of man's guilt, but of his nature. He shall come, says one Testament, out of Zion. This is what that word of faith says, even the gospel which we preach. Instead, we gain it by confessing and believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And, of course, the way we build up ourselves in the most holy faith is through the Word. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Confess Jesus Christ as Lord. He never said a word more than he felt; yet that was the style of man. Pauls intent here is to use the same words to express the same idea about the gospel instead of the law. ii. . This were indeed to deny the value of His death, and of that newness of life we have in Him risen, and a return to bondage of the worst description. Sin is our operating outside of God's grace. Perhaps thou wouldst be ashamed to say it with thy lips; but do not say it at all; do not say that the way to heaven is hard, or mysterious, or in any degree apart from the simple act of believing. If God had absolutely cast away His people, would there be such mercy? which we preach; being sent, commissioned, qualified, and assisted by Christ thereunto; which shows the agreement between Moses and the apostles of Christ; for the word which he spoke of, they preached, and indeed said no other things than what the prophets and Moses said should come, that Christ should suffer in the stead of his people, and rise again for their justification; the sum of which is delivered in Romans 10:9. The condition of the Roman saints called for a setting forth of the gospel of God; but this object, in order to be rightly understood and appreciated, leads the apostle into a display of the condition of man. Difficulty there is none: only believe and thou art saved. Not so, says the apostle; it is because of the evil of the nature, not of the law. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. What does experience say about believing in Christ! All Israel shall be saved. It say's this. So that we have here a brief summary of the terms of salvation, and they are very reasonable; in short this, that we must devote, dedicate, and give up, to God, our souls and our bodies--our souls in believing with the heart, and our bodies in confessing with the mouth. It is not God seeking, or man bringing righteousness. Everything Paul touches in this letter he relates to God. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." For this (Romans 10:11; Romans 10:11) he quotes Isaiah 28:16, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed; ou kataischynthesetai. Now it is clear that that obedience could be given only by a man who was desperately in earnest about his religion. The gospel is called the Word of faith, the Word of God, as being what was spoken, or communicated by God to man. He brings out the peculiar glories of Israel according to the depth of the gospel as he knew and preached it; at least, of His person who is the object of faith now revealed. He would not therefore have them ignorant how they had lain on his heart for a visit (ver. Did this seem to treat the law that condemned as an evil thing? But by now the gospel had been carried to most parts of the Mediterranean area where Jews were to be found; and that is all the argument requires. (Bruce), b. Who bring glad tidings of good things!. Lectionary Calendar. III. How shall they hear without a preacher? The direction is "unto all;" the application is, of course, only to "them that believe;" but it is to all them that believe. It was not merely, that he had better light. At the same time he connects, in a singularly interesting manner, this disclosure of the principles of the eternal judgment of God with what he calls "my gospel." And mark the force of it whosoever." I appeared plainly to those who did not enquire after me." It can mean many things such as: 1. What glory so rich as that of the Christ Himself duly appreciated? How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times, 4 Ways the Parable of the Sower Encourages Spiritual Growth. Just say it, "Jesus is my Lord," and believe in your heart that God did raise Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. The believing and the confession of that believing in God's own way are never to be separated, for "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." But Paul's answer is: "Israel may have failed to understand; but the Gentiles did not. The information in this verse is a rather loose quotation from Deuteronomy 30:12-14 (it would be best to read these verses). I hear him say so at this moment; and I answer him, "Dear brother, we will be with you speedily.". Whoever will in the whole world believe in Christ may do so; he is neither too old or too young, or too rich, or too poor, or too wicked, or too moral; if he will but trust Christ he shall be saved, and he is fully allowed and permitted, yea, commanded to believe and live. Here we pass out of the introduction of the epistle. Ah, then the heart foolishly cries, "I must know a great deal; as much as if I had been to heaven and seen for myself, or as if I had dived into the depths and made discoveries there." "To all that be at Rome, beloved of God, called saints" (ver. The righteousness of faith, on the other hand, is easily available to all men upon the conditions mentioned in the next phrases. If one may so say, He thus holds the man, instead of letting the man presume that he is holding fast the truth. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; But the righteousness which is of faith: In contrast to the righteousness that is based on the law is the righteousness that results from faith. To prove this point Paul quotes two passages. In the next chapter (Romans 10:1-21) he carries on the subject, showing in the most touching manner his affection for the people. It seems incredible that a man should die like that for a law like that. Faith was counted as righteousness ( ver making them ( and us ) all the more so of..., note the emphasis on human responsibility dealings of God is to use the same idea the. Their great responsibility before God ascent must be, `` believe in him in whom they have submitted... Perfection boats, are not praying but I say, [ Paul,... By a man should die like that for a law like that for a season our Policy!, done by him who was anointed of the Gentiles did not may feel the blood Jesus... 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