The Only Way To Salvation Series

Paul discusses the problem of Jewish unbelief from Romans 9-11.

• He started off in chapter 9 telling us of God’s sovereignty and His purpose in election.

• God has not failed when He chose Israel to serve His purpose in salvation, even though many would reject Christ. He would save a remnant.

• In Romans 9b Paul defended the Lord’s absolute sovereignty, His merciful nature, and His good will in saving a remnant of Israel and the believing Gentiles.

Paul turns his attention in Romans 10 to address their responsibility.

• God has done all that was necessary for their salvation through Christ. Man is given the freedom and responsibility to respond to Him.

We will learn in this text that divine election and human responsibility go hand-in-hand. They do not contradict. They are friends and not foes.

• God’s sovereignty does not negate man’s free choice. Paul hopes that his kinsmen would understand the Gospel and believe in Christ. Why are they still resisting Him?

We will look at four areas that Paul touches on: How not to believe, what not to believe, who to believe and who can believe?

Romans 10:1-4

1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

In his plea for them to believe the Gospel, Paul highlighted 3 mistakes they have made. These serve as cautions for us today.

• One is having a zeal for God but not according to knowledge (v.2).

Mistake 1: HAVING ZEAL WITHOUT THE TRUTH (How Not to Believe)

We see again Paul’s concern for the Romans.

• Earlier in 9:2 we read that he has “great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart” and now, we see “his heart’s desire and prayer to God” for their salvation.

• He believes in God’s election and yet at the same time, longing and prays for them.

• Knowing God’s sovereignty, which he established in Romans 9, did not stop him from desiring and praying for his kinsmen. They don’t contradict each other.

• God has His will and we have our responsibility. God sovereignly acts and we preach the Gospel and pray for the lost. Both are right and necessary.

Far from criticising or condemning them, Paul hopes they would understand the Gospel.

• They have a zeal for God, Paul recognises, but “not according to knowledge”, that is, without the correct understanding of the Gospel.

• They were zealous but ignorant, passionate but mistaken, religious but without the knowledge of the truth.

Just like Paul was before he met Christ. Paul was also very zealous for God and was fervently obeying the Law.

• He rejected Christ, persecuted the Christians, and was determined to destroy the church. His great zeal led him to kill Stephen (Acts 7).

• Zeal without knowledge is dangerous. Zeal without knowledge is terrorism. Zeal without the truth kills.

An elderly lady was admitted to the hospital because she listened to her cell group members and took ivermectin [iver-mectin] to prevent Covid.

• She rejected vaccination because the group says it is the sign of the beast, it’s the tool of the devil. They say, “Don’t give in to it, don’t give in to the devil’s ploy.”

• I wonder who is the real devil here? Full of passion but little knowledge.

Mistake 2: HAVING FAITH IN THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS (What Not to Believe)

10:3 “3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

• The righteousness of God has already been revealed in Christ but they would rather trust their own righteousness.

• With the privilege of the Law and the prophets, they ought to know better. The Messiah has come. Jesus died and rose again for their salvation.

• But they insisted on establishing their own righteousness and chose NOT to “submit to God’s righteousness” (10:3).

Many are in such a state today. It feels good to know that you are a morally good and upright person by your own efforts. It’s an achievement.

• But the truth is, we are still sinners in the eyes of God. We failed under God’s standard of righteousness, no matter how good we think we are.

Paul urges them to trust Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness. He is the fulfilment, the completion, the goal of the Law.

• Only Christ met the requirements of the Law perfectly. The Law cannot save us; Christ saved us.