Rom 10:1-21
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that
they may be saved. |
my heart's desire. Prayer is more effective when you
pray your heart’s desire. It is God’s will for all to be saved. |
| 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for
God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. |
zeal is not based on knowledge. Sincerity is not
enough. Accurate knowledge is essential. Christians have often been guilty
of lack of knowledge just as the Jews were in Paul’s day. |
| 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from
God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's
righteousness. |
establish their own. Work’s oriented salvation is the
bases of all religions, and thus makes them wrong. Again, Christians have
often been guilty of the same error. |
| 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be
righteousness for everyone who believes. |
end of the law . Why was it essential for the Law to
end in order to make righteousness available to all? Because the Law
excluded Gentiles unless they were willing to submit to Israel’s law, which
included submission to the High Priest, sacrifices of the lambs, tithe to
the Levitical priesthood, etc. The Law would have completely alienated the
Gentiles from becoming Christians. |
| 5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by
the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." |
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| 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say
in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ
down) |
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| 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring
Christ up from the dead). |
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| 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your
mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: |
word of faith we are proclaiming. There is no gospel
but the word of faith. The word of faith is not a movement, but the way God
works in man's behalf. |
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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Paul then explains in a practical way how a person becomes
righteous. He must believe the Word! He must also confess the Word. |
| 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. |
Notice the correlation between believing with one’s heart
and confessing with one’s mouth. There is no secrete service Christians.
Confession is made unto salvation. Salvation is the Greek word soteria—it
means deliverance, health, protection, prosperity, and to do well. It is the
totality that God brings to a person who is made righteous in his site.
Dictionary definition means: to be delivered from sin and its results.
Righteousness enables God to legally save you. Salvation is not
righteousness but the results of righteousness.
Christianity has focused on the state of trying to become righteous
instead of knowing one is righteous and then proceeding to experience
salvation which is the results of righteousness. I am confessing from
righteousness toward salvation. In the Hebrew scriptures, salvation was
never understood to mean righteousness. It was always the practical way that
God demonstrated his love toward a righteous Jew.
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| 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will
never be put to shame." |
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| 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-- the
same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, |
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| 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved." |
Everyone who. Everyone is now on equal footing. |
| 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not
believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not
heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? |
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| 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is
written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" |
The is the progression for salvation:
- Sender
- Preacher
- Hear
- Believe
- Call
Don’t ever discount your importance. Salvation begins not with the
preacher but with the sender. |
| 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For
Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" |
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17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and
the message is heard through the word of Christ.
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It is clear that there is more to hearing than simply
hearing the voice of the preacher. Not everyone gets faith by hearing the
preacher. The word for "hear" means to "take into one's heart." That will
produce faith. |
| 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their
voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the
world." |
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| 19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses
says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make
you angry by a nation that has no understanding." |
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| 20 And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not
seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." |
I revealed myself. The key to receiving faith is
revelation knowledge. |
| 21 But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held
out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." |
Pride is the main thing that keeps people from growing in
faith--they think they already know the truth. |
Romans 
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