Y CHRISTIAN
Romans 10.1-13
George Barna, a market researcher on Christianity, recently revealed that 51%, or 1 out of 2 people, believed ‘good people’ went to heaven. Sophie Loren, some of you are old enough to know who that is, said this when asked if she was going to heaven: “I should to heaven, otherwise it is not nice. I haven’t done anything wrong. My conscience is very clean. My soul is as white as those orchids over there and I should go straight to heaven.” You know the sad thing about those two comments – many people, even some in here this morning, actually agree with them. This morning I want to answer the question ‘Why Christian?’ If good people go to heaven then how much good is good enough to get there? If a clean conscience is the necessary requirement then how do we clean our conscience? I want to say neither of those are the means of salvation and heaven. Turn with me to Romans 10 and let us hear what the Word of God says concerning being a Christian.
Romans – context of the letter – it is generally accepted that Romans is the greatest of all Paul’s letters. He wrote Romans somewhere between 51-57AD. Romans is the great exposition of the doctrine of salvation set out in logical fashion. Paul states the doctrine and then the application of that doctrine to daily living of the Christian. Salvation is the main theme of Romans and it comes from the righteousness of God – which the passage before us this morning addresses.
Romans 10.1-13
In verses 1-4 Paul speaks of his loving concern for the nation of Israel. Paul speaks from personal experience of their condition before God. Paul knew their condition as it was his own before he met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. In verse 1 he addresses them as ‘brothers’ – but please remember this letter is going to the Christians in Rome. He is referring here to those who are ‘brothers in Christ.’ He wants to state again, as he had shown in his actions of going to the Jews, first with the gospel, that his desire is for them to be saved. This is Paul’s heartfelt desire and purpose in preaching the gospel that the Jews, but not only they, would come to the saving knowledge of Christ.
Verse 2 – Paul bears testimony to the zeal of the people of Israel for God. However this zeal is based on ignorance and not true knowledge of God. But please note their ignorance is not excused. They may have been sincere, as Paul once was, in their zeal, persecuting the church, as he once did (1 Tim 1.13), but they were sincerely wrong and therefore stand condemned before God. Zeal is good but without knowledge it will lead to disaster. Augustine once said “It is better to limp in the right way than to run with all your might out of the way.” Please here those words of Paul. If the nation of Israel were without excuse, even though they acted out of ignorance of the revelation of God in Christ, then how much more do you and I stand condemned when we do have the knowledge of Christ. It was not out of evil minds that they acted but ignorance and yet they are still not saved. Please hear that this morning.
Verse 3 ‘Since’ introduces the reason for their zeal, their actions. They were ignorant of the righteousness which comes from God. Ignorant of that they sought their own righteousness through human effort in keeping the Law. But in so doing Paul says they were in fact refusing to submit to God’s righteousness. Listen to me this morning: If this morning you are seeking to be right with God through anything other than Christ then you stand condemned this morning – according to these verses. It is in fact a rebellious act to seek righteousness other than that which comes from God in Christ. The Jews did not understand that they could not establish a righteousness of their own before God. No matter how hard they tried or how sincere they were they were doomed to failure. Listen to these words of Paul in Romans 1.17 – read. This righteousness from God is revealed in Christ and it is this alone, received by faith, which Paul says brings salvation. It was of this that the nation of Israel was ignorant of and so attempted to establish their righteousness through observance of the Law.
Verse 4 – but look what Paul says here about the Law. ‘For’ at the beginning of verse 4 moves the argument along and establishes the basis for Paul’s teaching on this matter. In Christ the Law not only found its fulfilment but also its end. Paul speaks here of the decisiveness and finality of the work of Christ. The Law pointed to Christ and in Christ it came to completion. But all that the Law did was to establish their sinfulness before God and their need for the righteousness which comes from God. The life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ had brought to an end any attempt to be righteousness before God by observation of the Law. Look at the last sentence of this verse – righteousness for those who believe. Paul now brings his readers back to what he had stated in 1.17 – it is by faith the righteous live.
Verse 5 once again Paul begins with the word ‘For.’ Once again he is moving the argument on a stage further. Now he states how Moses taught that observance of all the Law was required. The emphasis in the Law was obedience but the dark side was the curse and condemnation which came from infringing, breaking and failing to keep the Law. The Law required 100% observance 100% of the time. All that the Law ended in doing was revealing the need for a Saviour.
Verses 6-8 ‘But…’ – don’t you just love the word ‘but’ in Scripture. Where there could be despair – Paul says ‘but’ there is a righteousness that is not about works and not about you at all but all of God. Read again verses 6 and 7.
Paul says there is no need to ascend to heaven to seek to gain spiritual knowledge because Christ has already come from heaven to reveal God to us – the Incarnation. He goes further to say that there is no need to go down to the depths to seek such knowledge as Christ has already gone down to the depths and rose again to bring us such knowledge. You see they had had no part in the Incarnation and no part in the resurrection – it was all of God. Paul is using the absurdity of man reaching heaven and bringing Christ down or descending to the dead and raising Christ from the dead to show how futile their understanding actually is. It is all of God and not of them. Paul says the assurance of salvation lies on two foundations;
1. Our realisation that life has been gained for us.
2. Our realisation that death has been conquered for us.
Our part is to believe, just as their part was to believe. This righteousness is not something which is distant from them says Paul. No it is right there in front of them in the gospel message which Paul had proclaimed (preached) before them and is now writing to them. There is nothing hidden in the depths of the earth – it is the message of Christ crucified and risen from the dead. There is nothing distant about it locked away in the mysteries of heaven – it is there before them in the message of the gospel which they had believed.
Verses 9-10 - Paul now outlines for them the simple step of believing and confessing this righteousness that comes from God and saves them from their sins. He begins verse 9 with the word ‘That’ or ‘Because’ pointing to the content of what he had proclaimed before them, namely Christ. He then connects both the outward and the inward reality of the gospel in personal experience. No one is saved merely by outward observance - the state of their heart is a key element. But Paul does not contemplate an inward state that has no corresponding outward reality. The heart is reflected in the conduct. Belief is seen in life. The outward reflects the inward belief. In verse 10 where Paul speaks of confessing with your lips he is speaking of a public declaration of commitment to Christ Jesus. Please note will you that faith has content – it is belief in Christ as Lord and in his resurrection from the dead. It is not just belief – but belief in the teaching of the gospel as revealed in the Word of God.
Verses 11-13 Paul finishes this section with a reminder to his readers that salvation is not limited to the nation of Israel but is open to all who call on the name of Christ. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile when it comes to the need for the righteousness which comes from God. Both need salvation which can be found in Christ alone through faith alone by grace alone. He assures them that when they do call on him in repentance and faith then Christ will not let them be put to shame (Isaiah 28.16) – that is He will not let them be lost eternally.
Application
Paul’s chief concern in the verses before us this morning is that the people of Israel would have their eyes opened to the fact that they cannot establish righteousness before God by merely observing the Law. In fact their failure to observe the Law 100% at all times reveals to them, and the world, their need of a Saviour. All of their attempts at righteousness end in failure. They may have acted in the past out of ignorance, being unaware of the righteousness which comes from God in Christ, but now they are without excuse because Paul in the proclamation of the gospel has made it known before them.
This morning you and I stand in that same place. We have tried to establish before God our own righteousness. We have tried to establish it through religious observance, through personal effort, through good works and generous gestures. We have tried to establish it through living a good life. Many of us have thought, or are thinking, the exact words of Sophie Loren. Paul says here, even if we have done so out of ignorance, we are still condemned this morning. Without Christ and his righteousness we stand condemned this morning to a lost eternity. Friends listen to me this morning – there is no salvation outside of Christ Jesus. Y Christian? Because without Christ I am lost. Without Christ I am doomed to eternity in hell. No matter my good works, my religious observance, no matter even my ignorance this morning – without Christ I am lost BUT – says Paul to all who call on Christ he saves them.
Explain how to call on Christ for salvation
End with prayer of commitment
Amen.
