Jesus is God's Standard (Romans 10:1–13)

Introduction

Happy Father's Day! If you're a father here today, we are so appreciative for you. Our church and our communities in our world needs more men who will be the father that God has called them to be. And we are grateful for you.

Growing up watching television, the standard for a father wasn't so good. You know, television gives you a picture of what society thinks a father is. Growing up when I was a kid, it wasn't bad. We had Cliff Huxtable on TV, the Cosby show, a father who was a doctor and loved his family. But as I got older and I was a teenager. the examples of a father on television were Al Bundy and Homer Simpson. So if I were young teenager looking for a standard of a father, and I looked for it on TV, I would be in real trouble. And I'm thankful for my dad, who set a good standard for me.

But thank God for us as Christians that we don't need to look at television to define for us our standard. Jesus is God's standard. As Christians, we look to Christ. He is the standard that teaches us how to live as fathers, how to live as mothers, how to live as Christians in our community and in our homes. Thank God for Jesus.

Since Jesus is God's standard, how should that play out in our life? What should be the result of that? We're going to take a look at that as we discuss God's righteousness in Romans 10 1-13. So if you have your Bibles, open to Romans 10.

Scripture Reading

Romans 10:1–13 CSB

1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation. 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 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. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Pray

There is a resounding word that keeps ringing in our ears as we read through this text, and it is the word righteousness. So if we are going to understand this text, we need to understand the word righteousness.

Righteousness

Righteousness has to do with adherence to what is required according to a standard. In other words, If you are a righteous person, through the words and actions of your life, you adhere to the requirements of a standard. Now we're not yet talking about biblical righteousness. We're simply saying that there is a standard set forth by an authority. that you make every attempt in your life to adhere to that standard.

For instance, you may be someone who is observed to have a right way of living according to the government because you adhere to the standards of the laws of California and of San Diego, as well as to the federal laws of the of the United States. You pay your taxes, don't break any criminal laws, drive according to the speed limit, and in essence, in the eyes of the government, you are a good citizen, a righteous citizen.

God’s Righteousness vs. Our Righteousness

Paul makes an effort in this text to separate for us God's standard for righteousness versus our standard for righteousness. He says this specifically in reference to the people of Israel who have not yet believed in Jesus, their own Messiah.

He says this in verses 2-3.

Romans 10:2–3 CSB

2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.

See a standard is something that needs to be submitted to. You can have all of the zeal and passion and purpose in your life that you want, but if. that zeal and passion and purpose is not submitted to God's standard, you're wasting your time.

He separates this out by speaking of God's righteousness and our own righteousness.

Attempting Our Own Righteousness: Built on "Being a Good Person”

Many of us attempt to establish our own righteousness, and we categorize that today as being a good person. Now this is not anything new. People have been setting up their own standards in rebellion against God for thousands of years.

Now, for the Israelite, this was particularly tricky. God had given them a standard, but the purpose of that standard went over their heads. Now, in speaking about the righteousness that is from the law, Paul quotes from Leviticus 18. And so I'm going to read for you Leviticus 18:4-5.

Leviticus 18:4–5 CSB

4 You are to practice my ordinances and you are to keep my statutes by following them; I am the Lord your God. 5 Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord.

Though in the rest of Leviticus 18 God gives warnings against sexual sin and against idolatry. Then in Leviticus 19, he sums it up by saying in Leviticus 19:1-2:

Leviticus 19:1–2 CSB

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

In other words, God is saying to Israel, “If you are going to be someone who completely lives up to my standard, you must be someone who is free from sin. You must live a life that is completely and utterly holy and sinless, free from sin. Israel, that is my standard.” A person will live if he is holy, according to God's standard. In other words, be holy, like God.

Now, for the man or woman in this body of flesh corrupted by sin, this is an impossible standard. Yeah, since to be holy like God is impossible, instead of coming to God according to his terms, people attempt to create their own righteousness.

Now, the reasoning for this, of course, is that God will understand that I am just a man or just a woman, that I make mistakes, God understands that. And so what God will do, this is what they tell themselves, is he will weigh the good from the bad, and my good will outweigh the bad, and therefore everything will be OK.

Now, did God say that? Was that God's standard? No, it was not! God said in Leviticus 19:2 “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” But man twists things to create their own standard and justify themselves according to a standard that only exists in their mind. The only people that we are justified before are ourselves. But you're not justified before God.

Now, as Christians, we may hear this and think this is basic. But we live in the middle of a culture that is seeking more and more to feel justified according to their own standards. The message that we are sinful people in need of a holy Savior is a message that needs to be repeated over and over.

According to research done by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, they "found that 48 percent of U.S. adults affirm the statement that 'a person who is generally good, or does enough good things for others, will earn a place in heaven.’” (1) Sixty-three percent of adults believe “having faith matters more than which faith you have.” (2) In other words, it doesn't matter what you believe or what God you believe in, as long as you believe in something. But worse than this, the same study shows that over half of people who call themselves Christian believe in some sort of works-based salvation, that generally being a good person gets you to heaven. (3)

Now you wonder why there is no urgency for the gospel. There's no urgency, because even Christians are making up their own standard. And you wonder why there is confusion in this world.

We live in a confused society. People are confused about the gospel. People are confused about their identity. We're confused about politics. We're confused about morality. We're confused about sexuality. We're confused about gender. We're confused about almost everything. In a world where information is available at an instant, we are the most confused that we have ever been.

But where the world brings confusion, God brings clarity. His standard is clear. Be holy, as I am holy.

But here's where it gets interesting. Look at Romans 10:3 again: “Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.”

Submitting to God’s Righteousness: Built on Faith

God's righteousness is not something you do. Why is that? Because to be holy as God is holy is impossible for man. Rather, God's righteousness is something you submit to.

You don't create your own standard. You submit to the standard that God has brought. You submit to God's righteousness through belief, through faith. The righteousness of God is always available to you through faith.

Now, Paul proves this to us by quoting to us from the book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Moses speaking to the Israelites says,

Deuteronomy 30:11–14 CSB

11 “This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. 12 It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ 13 And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ 14 But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.

In other words, the core of the message of God is to believe what he has said. We don't have to look in the sky and try to travel to heaven to reach him. We don't have to dig deep or go to deep waters to try to find him.

His message is not far away. God has brought his message to us. And the message of God has been brought near to us in our mouth and in our heart by believing it through faith.

And the ultimate message that God has brought to us has been delivered to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Christ as the Fulfillment of Righteousness for All Believers

Christ is described for us in Romans 10:4 as the end of the goal of the law. He says,

Romans 10:4 CSB

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes,

In other words, Christ is the fulfillment of the holiness and the purity of God. He is the only one who could be holy as I am holy because in him, God in the flesh, the Son of God has lived a perfect life and fulfilled the righteous standard of his law.

The Lord said this in his own words when he said in Matthew 5:17,

Matthew 5:17 CSB

17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Christ is the fulfillment of the law. He is the goal of the law and the end of the law. Christ fulfilled the law that we could not fulfill. God's righteousness is fulfilled in Christ.

Not only that, but the purpose of the law is to lead us to Christ. Take a look at Galatians 3:24-25.

Galatians 3:24–25 CSB

24 The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. 25 But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

Justification by faith came not through the law, but through Christ. Since Christ is the fulfillment of the law, we can therefore be justified through him, through him, and only him. Jesus is God's standard.

Since Jesus says God standard, I believe there are three things that we can learn from this text that should show in the Christian.

Since Jesus is God's standard, a Christian should.

1. Develop a Heart for the Lost

The first verse of Romans 10 gives us a glimpse into Paul's heart as he thinks about his fellow community members, his family members, his friends who are living without Christ. Look at what he says in verse one.

Romans 10:1 CSB

1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.

The spiritual condition of his community breaks his heart. We saw this back in Romans 9:3 where he said, “3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood.” Their failure to believe in Jesus tears him apart.

Notice that the spiritual condition of his community affects both the desires within him and his prayer life. We also see his brokenness over the lost in Philippians 3:18. He writes there,

Philippians 3:18 CSB

18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, when you have a clarity about you, about the only path available for life, the only path available to know God and to be in his presence for today and forever. When there is a resolve within you and a clear focus on the fact that we are lost without Christ, how could you not develop a heart for the lost?

The things you believe in affect your passions.

We're blessed to have a number of teachers in our congregation. Teachers do what they do because they believe in the power of education. It certainly is not because it's the most financially rewarding thing. No, they believe that education can change a life. And so they are passionate about education, and they are working with kids every day so that they can learn more and grow, because they believe ultimately that education will impact and change their career their potential for the future.

And as good as education is, it is nothing compared to being born again. Do you remember when you were born again? Do you remember when Jesus changed your life? Do you remember how hopeless things were before Christ, and how hopeful life is in Christ?

Since Jesus is God's standard, a Christian should develop a heart for the lost.

Second, since Jesus is God's standard, a Christian should...

2. Rely on Christ’s Righteousness

Now our understanding of the source of our righteousness is key to the development of our faith. Look at how Paul describes the process of salvation in Romans 10:9. He says,

Romans 10:9 CSB

9 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.

Now these two things are not like a two step process. The conjunction there in this sentence hold these two things with equal weight. But it's not going to be like, you have belief in your heart, now let's just wait for the words of your mouth!

In fact, the Lord says in Matthew 12:34 “For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” What's happening in your heart affects what's happening within your soul. And what's happening on the inside comes out in the things you say. A person filled with anxiety will say anxious things. A person filled with fear will say fearful things. And a person filled by the Holy Spirit will proclaim Christ and say spiritual things.

And what does relying on Christ's righteousness have to do with Romans 10:9? See when you understand that your salvation is built not on the things you do, but on who Jesus is, you can stop being anxious about every mistake you make. Your faith is solely built on the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

And so when I fall, when I miss up, I don't have to be filled with anxiety or dread that God has turned his back on me, because my salvation was never built on the good things I did in the first place. My salvation is built on a faith that God has implanted in my soul, a faith in the righteousness of Jesus to cover all my sins through the cross.

Faith is only as good as who you rely or depend on.

I took a flight this past week. In order for the flight to be successful, the airline had to have everything in order. The scheduling had to be correct. Sometimes, that's an issue, but this time everything went well. The structure of the plane had to be in tact. The wing had to be connected to the plane. All of the engines, the mechanics of the plane had to be maintained. Air traffic control needed to be doing their job to make sure our plane didn't hit another plane. The pilot needed to be skilled so he could make sure that the plane got through any weather conditions. There were lots and lots of things that had to be working and in order.

Yet the whole time. I expected everything to work well because I had faith the plane would get me there. The whole time I wasn't worried about all the parts involved. The airline had gotten me somewhere before and it would get me there this time. Faith is only as good as who you rely or depend on.

Now, faith in an airline is important. At best, if the plane was late, I may not have made my meeting, but at worst, if the plane is not in good shape, it could mean life or death. While faith in an airplane is physical life or death, faith in salvation is eternal life or death. If salvation is built on the things we do and our ability to be good, we are in trouble. But faith is built on Christ, the only one who was holy as he is holy. The only one who fulfilled God's standard, and the only one with the power to set you free.

Since Jesus is God’s standard, we should...

Develop a Heart for the Lost

Rely on Christ’s Righteousness

and last, since Jesus is God’s standard, we should...

3. Embrace the Gospel Mission

As Paul has been preaching the gospel for us through the Old Testament, he ends these 13 verses by quoting the prophet Joel in verse 13 when he says in Romans 10:13,

Romans 10:13 CSB

13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord: Jesus is God's standard. When we have clarity on the power of the gospel, and we have clarity on the availability of the gospel, It should cause us to embrace the gospel mission the Lord has for us.

We don't preach the gospel because we are trying to fulfill some religious duty in order to check off a box. We preach the gospel because it is the only hope for mankind. There is no hope anywhere else, no matter how hard you try. Only Jesus can save a life, and everyone's life needs saving.

Did you know that you have a mission? Do you know that you are a missionary? When Jesus gave gave the great commission in Matthew 28:18–20, this wasn't a great commission for the professional Christians. It was a great Commission for his believers to, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” The power of the Holy Spirit in your life is not just for you, but that you would proclaim the work of Jesus in you to others.

When I think of the work of the church, I remember Ephesians 4:11-12, where it says,

Ephesians 4:11–12 CSB

11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,

Brothers and sisters, when we gather together on Sundays. our primary goal is not to evangelize and make converts, although by God's grace, people come to faith through a worship service, and we are grateful and thankful for that. But I would not say that's the primary goal.

We meet together for a number of reasons. One, to worship God together as a body of believers. That's corporate worship. Two, to encourage one another and to pray for each other and lift each other up through this community of believers that God has brought together.

But worship and encouragement is all part of discipleship. We are equipping you and helping you grow so that the church would go out into the world and be the missionaries that God has called you to be. Brothers and sisters. God has a great calling on your life, and we need you embrace the gospel mission. Not only us, but your family needs you to embrace the gospel mission. Your children need you to embrace the gospel mission.

The gospel is good news because everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

This past week in Indianapolis at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual meeting, Dr Jeff Iorg, a California guy, gave his address. He is the new chairman of the Executive Committee, and he was the former president of Gateway Seminary, which is right here in Ontario, CA.

And I was looking forward to his address. He is taking over an important position in the SBC, a position that has been vacant for a couple years. And I've appreciated his leadership.

He spoke of our ability to get sidetracked, how we can get sidetracked in ministry. How some of us can get in our theological corners and start arguing over important issues. Some of us can get into our political corners, or we get into our social justice corners.

And all of these things are good and important to talk about, but they cannot be issues that get us sidetracked off the main thing. The main thing is the mission. The main thing is the mission to see more people come to Christ. and to make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, like we will do today, and teaching them to obey everything that he has commanded.

Many of you know today that Jesus is God's standard. I'm preaching to the choir. I don't preach it to you because you don't know it. I preach it to you. to remind you, that God has set a standard for us. His name is Jesus Christ. and that salvation is only found in him.

And I know there are people in your family. There are people in your workplaces in your community that need Jesus. And I want to encourage you. Don't stop praying for them. Let your heart's desire and your prayer be for them. And I want to encourage you that God has given you a mission to share the good news of Jesus with them.

Conclusion

And he has equipped you and is continuing to equip you to do the work of ministry. God has a great plan for your life. and he wants to use you to bring people into his kingdom.

Since Jesus is God’s standard, let us

Develop a heart for the lost

Rely on Christ’s righteousness

Embrace the gospel mission

Amen.

Conclusion

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!

https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/michael-foust/wakeup-call-for-the-church-half-of-americans-say-good-deeds-get-you-to-heaven-poll-shows.html

Ibid

https://www.christianpost.com/news/over-half-of-us-christians-believe-good-works-will-get-them-into-heaven-study.html