For thier very salvation - Pt. II

Israels heart

We did not get very far last week, we mainly looked at the passage and answered questions. So, today, lets start with a couple of questions, then the scripture and on from there.

Does accepting or rejecting something oftentimes display what is in your heart?

You can see Paul’s heart, Paul’s desire, where do you, personally line up with his?

Do you think that is important, and why?

Just a comment to think about: God is an equal opportunity Savior through the blood of Jesus Christ. He brought salvation to the Gentiles and the Jews alike, the same opportunity the same way.

Heart of the matter picture here

After in chapter-9 Paul addressed the sovereignty of God and Israel’s past. Now is coming to speak of God’s equity in the present dealing with Israel through chapter-10.

It was not just Paul’s heart for them, it was his prayer for them too.

Paul knew they had a zeal for God

Zeal (n): great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.

Can we have a zeal for something and it not be right or be good for you?

Jews today still have a zeal for God in keeping the law, but have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Courson says: You can be sincere in your crusading or your critiquing, your sin-sniffing or your fault-finding—but you’ll be sincerely wrong.

Remember the Jews were judging other Jews by how they lived and the Gentiles as unable to be saved. But they were sincerely and entirely wrong.

Paul knew he had a zeal but was sincerely wrong before (Php3:6)

Philippians 3:6 NASB95

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Our passage

Romans 10:1–2 NLT

1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

Romans 10:3–4 NLT

3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Romans 10:5–6 NLT

5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth).

Romans 10:7–8 NLT

7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:

Romans 10:9–10 NLT

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Romans 10:11–12 NLT

11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.

Romans 10:13–14 NLT

13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

Romans 10:15 NLT

15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Anything stick out to you in this version this time?

Do you need to be a preacher to bring the good news (v.15)?

Man’s responsibility

Responsibility (N): the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. The state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something. (Oxford Dictionary)

What are some things that you are responsible for?

Does man have any responsibility when it comes to the gospel?

Romans 10:4 NLT

4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Christ fulfilled the law, every jot or tittle (ref. Mt5:18)

Romans 10:5 NLT

5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.

If someone chooses to live by the law, then they must keep it all.

Ponder this:

One day the law came down (Exo32:28); 3,000 died

One day the Spirit descended; 3,000 were born again and saved (Act2:41)

Legalism does not work, you cannot live up to it. Christ said on the cross “it is finished” and He meant it. He finished the work so that we may be saved!

God’s righteousness received through faith.

Jesus is not known through theology or even philosophy, but through simplicity of the gospel message.

The simplicity of hearing the gospel (10:14)

The simplicity of believing the gospel (10:9)

The simplicity of confessing Jesus as Lord. (10:9)

The simplicity of doing it with your heart (10:9)

Righteousness comes from ones heart that believes (10:10)

Confession is made unto salvation

Now, hold on, you maybe thinking James has lost his mind. Its not that simple. But it is. It requires your participation, your agreement with Jesus and his way, His instructions. This is only a part of it, but this is what is before us right now.

Not everywhere in the scripture does it give you everything. This part of scripture has no mention of repentance, baptism, being born again, walking in faithfulness does it?

See the word is near you in your mouth, in your heart and in your obedience of faith with your mouth and with your heart.

If God has your heart, he will have all of you (Mk12:30)

Mark 12:30 NASB95

30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

If you have something in your heart, truly in your heart you will not be swayed from it. You will not change your mind on this.

By belief you will not be put to shame (10:11; re:Isa28:16)

Isaiah 28:16 NLT

16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.

Jesus is a non-distinctive Savior (10:12)

Jew Greek, He is the Lord of all, and accepts all those who call on Him by obedient faith.

All who believe are qualified for the kingdom (Col1:12-14)

Let me just summarize this one:

COl1:12-14 “12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord (10:13)?

May you consider (Act22:16)?

Acts 22:16 NASB95

16 ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’

So, again what does it mean to call on the name of the Lord?

Human responsibility is that we have to accept God’s way through Jesus Christ and His commands. We have a part to play, not works but acceptance of Jesus Christ and His way.

Necessity of preaching the gospel

How does faith come?

Now look at the rest of our passage since we now agree on where faith comes from.

Romans 10:14–15 NKJV

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Preach the gospel picture here

If you don’t know you can’t believe (v.14)

How can you believe if you have not heard (v.14)

Hearing something specific the word of God not the opinion of man (Rom10:17)

A preacher is to be sent, by God and Christian community (v.15)

God could have done anything

Saved man just by the word of His mouth

Saved man by their works

But he chose to save man by the gospel message the Good News that comes after you understand the bad news.

If you look at your feet do you think they are beautiful?

How about if this has nothing to do with physically but everything to do with spiritually?

Happy feet, beautiful feet bring the gospel, the Good News of peace, peace with God (Rom5:1) and the peace of God (Php4:7)

Do you think you can have beautiful feet?

You can be actively sharing the Good News with others, in all the world (see Mt28:19) as commanded, first to the apostles and given to us for application too.

Preachers proclaim the word to help to bring salvation that is available to all who believe, confess, repent, are baptized and then learn to walk faithfully. - we are talking about the very souls of man.

That is what Paul is addressing in this passage, the very souls of his brethren the Jews who had not accepted the Good News, the gospel of reconciliation and peace.

Let’s go together and have beautiful feet!

(prayer)