Our Responsibility to Respond to the Gospel

OPEN: What is it that drives you as an individual? What is it that gets you up in the morning? What is your motivation for life?

Transition: Some people are energized by the thought of gaining wealth and they get up with the thought of increasing their bottom line. Some are burdened by social justice issues and they get up with the hope of helping others. Others would want to think about the question before giving an answer, and sadly, there are many who don’t have a clue - they get up and go to jobs (or not in this crazy world) and just move through life without a genuine understanding of what’s going on.

If you asked Paul that question, his answer would be immediate and focused: he lived to tell others about the Gospel. Paul had a passion to see others saved for the glory of God

This morning’s text focuses on how individuals are made right with a Holy God, so let’s read and meditate on these truths together.

READ the TEXT: Romans 10:1-13

Righteousness with God is NOT achieved by passion alone (Rom 10:2-3)

Explanation: As he has previously written in earlier sections of this letter (Rom 3:21-25; 4:5-8; 5:1-2) Paul informs his readers that all people require help in being made right with God. He begins this section by discussing the ways in which people ARE NOT made righteous with God. He begins by pointing out that having an understanding of God and even having a passion for God is insufficient.

Paul rightly affirms that the Jews were very passionate about their service to God. He states that they “have a zeal for God,” a statement that sounds positive, but is not. Paul says that their passion lacks knowledge and that they are “ignorant” of who God is in His fullness.

Illustrate: 700 million Buddhists can’t be wrong, can they? This is a statement made in an attempt to include all people who are sincere about their belief system.

Argument: As John Stott declares, “Sincerity is not enough, for we may be sincerely mistaken. The proper word for zeal without knowledge, commitment without reflection, or enthusiasm without understanding is fanaticism. And fanaticism is a horrid and dangerous state to be in.” (Romans, God’s Good News for the World, John Stott, p. 280)

Application: Absolute truth does exist, and it is found in God’s Revelation to humanity. You CAN know the truth, and the Truth will set you free (cf., John 8:36)

Righteousness with God is NOT achieved by works (Romans 10:5)

Explanation: Paul covers another mistake his fellow Jews were committing, that of attempting to substitute their own righteousness for God’s righteousness. The Jews were not accepting of their Messiah and instead were trying to work their way into favor with God by attempts to keep the law. The word attempt is emphasized because no one (outside of Jesus) was able to keep the law perfectly.

Example: Though the Bible clearly demonstrates the impossibility of being made righteous with God through good deeds or self-effort, people continue to try. I have talked with some who believe that as long as the “good outweighs the bad” God will let them in. This reveals an inadequate understanding of God’s holiness and our wickedness. The prophet Isaiah shares the truth that our best efforts fall short when he declares, “but we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” (Isa 64:6)

Application: You CANNOT work your way into favor with God. You can’t give enough money to the church, You CANNOT have good enough attendance in worship, and you CANNOT be nice enough to others to earn your way to heaven.

Righteousness with God IS achieved by understanding that Christ is the fulfillment of the law and responding to the Gospel through faith (Romans 10:4)

Explanation: Paul informs his readers as to how people are made right with God, and he declares the answer is found through faith in the person of Jesus. Paul reveals that Jesus is the END of the law and this word means He is the purpose of the law or the fulfillment of the law. Paul is stating that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the very ONE that the entirety of the Mosaic Law had been pointing to the entire time. As Jesus stated, “I am not come to destroy (the law), but to fulfil” (Matt 5:17)

Argument: Paul is declaring to his readers that the only path to righteousness with God is through faith in Christ. If one rejects the only path to God (cf., John 14:6) then that individual will never experience peace with God, and will never enter the gates of glory.

What is involved in Responding to the Gospel?

Given that Jesus is the only acceptable means of becoming right with God, we should strive to understand what is involved in a person being saved.

It is not difficult (Romans 10:6-7)

Those who are saved should not make the message of salvation difficult for lost people to understand. When Paul begins to expand on what is involved in the faith response to the Gospel he begins by stating what IS NOT required. In verse 6 and 7 he declares that no one needs to attempt to scale the highest heavens or search the deep places of the earth in order to discover Jesus. What this phrasing means that salvation is not reserved for those who go to extraordinary lengths in pilgrimage or study; in fact, the Gospel is easily accessible to all.

It involves a faith response (Romans 10:8)

Paul affirms that salvation is close to all sinners in that the message is proclaimed and available. It is, however, accessed through faith. No one is ever reasoned into the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead, it is entered by the avenue of the “word of faith.” This means a total trust of the message, not just an intellectual assent. The heart CAN believe and trust the message of Jesus

Salvation involves agreeing with God about what we are (sinners) and who we need (a Savior) (Romans 10:9-11)

While the response is of faith, it is an informed faith. Verses 9 and 10 are part of the Roman road to salvation and are great summaries of what is involved in personal faith. To confess means to agree with God concerning your need for the Lord Jesus. It also involves an understanding of what is involved. Remember that Paul stated that the Jews had a “zeal of God, but not according to knowledge” (v. 2) which leads to knowledge being part of salvation. I like what John Stott says about this when he states, “Implicit in the good news are the truths that Jesus Christ died, and was raised, was exalted, and now reigns as Lord and bestows salvation on those who believe. This is not salvation by slogan but by faith, that is, by an intelligent faith which lays hold of Christ as the crucified and resurrected Lord and Saviour.” (Stott, p. 283)

Salvation is given to those who call upon the Name of the Lord (Romans 10:12-13)

Simply put, salvation is readily available to “whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord” (Rom 10:13). Whenever a lost sinner is convicted by the Holy Spirit of his or her lostness and realizes that Jesus is the only hope, that person is guaranteed salvation when he or she cries out to Jesus for deliverance.