August 17, 2018
True Confessions About Romans 10
Romans 10
Brittney Mickunas
Central Truth
The message of salvation is for all people, at all times, and in all places.
Romans 10
1 Brothers, 1 10:1 Or Brothers and sisters my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 2 10:4 Or end of the law, that everyone who believes may be justified
The Message of Salvation to All
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on 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 abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? 3 10:14 Or him whom they have never heard And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Dive Deeper | Romans 10
Welcome to the review day of Romans 10! This chapter is a rich display of God’s grace and sovereignty teaching us that the message of salvation is for all people. Paul desperately wanted the Romans to be united in the gospel that he had been preaching, but many of God’s chosen people, the Israelites, were still rejecting Jesus as the Messiah.
That brings us to the central subject of Romans 10: Israel’s present rejection of God. Israel rejected Jesus because they trusted in the law along with their own good works, and it became a stumbling block for them (Romans 10:2-3). The consequence of their unbelief was hardened hearts, but God presents a solution for their rejection (Romans 10:9-10). Unfortunately, many Israelites remain in their disobedience and continued unbelief, but God remains graceful and faithful to them (Romans 10:21).
God does not merely want our zeal and religiosity, because those things do not lead to our salvation; He wants our whole hearts. Friends, we need to get this one right. Our being made right with God is based on faith alone. And there isn’t a single person in time who has called on the name of the Lord and been turned away. Do you see? For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13, emphasis added) Not everyone who memorizes the Ten Commandments and knows the order of the books in the Bible. A genuine, saving faith is not mere intellectual agreement, but deep inward trust in Christ.
Eight years ago, God called me back to walking obediently in a life with Him. As I cried out, He embraced me in my mess. Praise the Lord that the good news of the gospel is for everyone! My response to God's grace since then has been to toil and struggle with all His energy (Colossians 1:28-29) for others to believe the same thing. I, like Paul, desperately want my family, my friends, and others whom God puts in my path to live in the true joy and freedom that come from salvation.
This month's memory verse
Future Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
– Romans 8:18
Discussion Questions
1. What is one big idea or theme God taught you through reading Romans 10? How can you specifically apply this to your life?
2. Do you ever struggle to believe that the message of salvation is for all people, at all times, in all places? Do you struggle to believe that this message is for you? If so, why do you think that is?
3. In what ways do you fall into the ditch of basing your relationship with God on zeal and religiosity? Are there any fears or past experiences driving you here? What verses can you pick out to remind yourself of the truth and help you steer clear of this ditch?
4. What two or three characteristics have you learned about God in Romans 10? How does knowing these things about God change or grow your perspective of Him?