seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Romans 10:1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[a] 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[b] (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[c] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e] 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, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[f]
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? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[g]
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[h] 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 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.”[i]
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.”[j]
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.”[k]
21 But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people.”[l]
a. Romans 10:5 Lev. 18:5
b. Romans 10:6 Deut. 30:12
c. Romans 10:7 Deut. 30:13
d. Romans 10:8 Deut. 30:14
e. Romans 10:11 Isaiah 28:16 (see Septuagint)
f. Romans 10:13 Joel 2:32
g. Romans 10:15 Isaiah 52:7
h. Romans 10:16 Isaiah 53:1
i. Romans 10:18 Psalm 19:4
j. Romans 10:19 Deut. 32:21
k.Romans 10:20 Isaiah 65:1
l. Romans 10:21 Isaiah 65:2
This is from bible-studys.org.
There were literally hundreds of the Levitical laws that had to be kept to be righteous in the law. There was absolutely no way that a person could even keep up with them, much less keep them. Jesus came and fulfilled them for us that we might live by the grace of God.
To hope for a righteousness based on obedience to the law requires perfect conformity in every detail, which is an utter impossibility.
This verse does not mean a simple acknowledgment that He is God and the Lord of the universe, since even demons acknowledge that to be true.
This is the deep personal conviction, without reservation, that Jesus is that person’s own master or sovereign. This phrase includes repenting from sin, trusting in Jesus for salvation and submitting to Him as Lord.
This is the volitional element of faith.
Believeth: To trust, rely on, or have faith in. When used of salvation, this word usually occurs in the present tense “is believing” which stresses that faith is not simply a one-time event, but an ongoing condition. True saving faith is supernatural, a gracious gift of God that He produces in the heart and is the only means by which a person can appropriate true righteousness.
Saving faith consists of 3 elements.
1. Mental: the mind understands the gospel and the truth about Christ
2. Emotional: one embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joy over God’s mercy and grace
3. Volitional: the sinner submits his will to Christ and trust in Him alone as the only hope of salvation.
Genuine faith always produces authentic obedience.
“God hath raised Him from the dead”: Christ’s resurrection was the supreme validation of His ministry. Belief in it is necessary for salvation because it proved that Christ is who He claimed to be and that the Father had accepted His sacrifice in the place of sinners. Without the resurrection, there is no salvation.
This leaves absolutely no doubt at all what we must do to be saved.
Confession is made unto salvation: One is not saved by his mouth’s conversation, (meaning many, who by their head knowledge say they are saved, but really are not), but rather, the mouth testifies readily of the grace of God in Christ which has been received by faith (for those who have been truly saved and their words are coming from their heart).
Confession is the Greek word basically means to say the same thing, or to agree with someone. The person who confesses Jesus as Lord, agrees with the Father’s declaration that Jesus is Savior and Lord.
“Saved” is speaking of salvation which is the most common biblical expression used to identify the subjective changes in people’s lives, when by faith they have received the benefit of the Christ’s death and resurrection. The term implies deliverance, safety, preservation, healing and soundness. It occurs in three phases. First, the Christian has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin. Second, the Christian is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin in this life. Finally, when the Lord returns, the Christian will be saved from all the physical results of sin and of God’s curse on the world.
This is from the easy English site.The Jews were trying to please God. But they did not know how to please God. The Jews thought that they must obey all their laws. Then they would be in a right relationship with God. But this is not correct. Nobody can earn a right relationship with God by means of that person’s own efforts. A person has a right relationship with God if he or she believes in Christ. The purpose of God’s law is to show people that they need faith in Christ. Christ showed more completely what the law meant (Matthew 5:17). His death was the perfect Sacrifice for sin. And he gives the Holy Spirit. With the help of the Holy Spirit, people can live in a manner that pleases God.
I am reminded of Lot's wife this morning. She was living a "live and let live" life in Sodom. Her husband was a good man, a descendant of Jacob living in a horribly rough neighborhood. The people in charge didn't follow the laws laid down in the 10 commandments.... they were more interested in the golden calf part of the story. The majority of the people in her town were sure they were right.... that God was a figment of the imagination of someone who wanted to control them. The majority of the people in her town of Sodom were of the opinion that the descendants of Jacob were uppity...... who claimed to know it all.... who claimed to know God.... claimed to be better than everyone else. She would have heard.... "who do they think they are telling us what to do..... we are just fine..... the world is a fabulous place..... we'd like to buy the world a coke". Of course they didn't have coke... but it serves to show the live and let live philosophy.When God decided to take out Sodom and Gomorrah, He warned Lot to run and "Don't look back".
What a horrible noise it most have been that night in Sodom...... they had to run..... with just the clothes on their backs and what they could grab on the go and carry while running...... the noise.... screaming humans..... burning buildings..... a meteor storm of Biblical proportions. Lot had to realize that only way to live through this was running out of the reaches of the meteor storm...... leaving everything else behind......
I've never been in a meteor storm..... but I have been evacuated from a hurricane.... and let me say.... I was a child when it happened and as I recall, I thought the whole world was having a hurricane...... I wonder.... did Lot's wife think the whole world was going to be destroyed when she decided to look back. Did she see no hope? For her.... because she didn't believe running was the best thing to do.... she froze.... like stone.... preserved in the salt of the meteor shower..... She was worried about her friends.... her neighbors.... her.....
The descendants of Jacob [Israel] were sure that they had the inside track to God.... and no Gentile could claim that God performed surgery on their penis..... no one had that special relationship with God.... because God chose them... they were better than anyone.... even though they were conquered over and over and over again.... they were better than anybody anywhere.... they had to the inside track to God.... after all God gave them the tablets with the 10 Commandments to guard.... God trusted them to take care of the laws..... They were the people who were in charge of the law.... They were the people who were in charge of the order.... even tho they were slaves to whoever happened to be in power.... they were sure..... they had the inside track to God.... after all they were circumcised.... God was going to send them a great ruler who would run those Gentiles right out of Canaan...... a Messiah....
But.... Paul was saying... that's not enough..... Paul was telling them that Jesus was the Messiah..... The carpenter's son out of Nazareth was the Messiah.... Paul was showing them that this guy Jesus met all the criteria laid out in the Old Testament...... a guy who let Himself be arrested [don't mention the miracle about the ear.... must have been fake news].... and beaten.... and hung on a cross..... and died..... [don't mention the fish dinner He cooked or the hundreds of reports of people seeing Him after He was reported dead and buried... must have been fake news]..... so who's feeding who a tall tale? Paul said "it's all true".... here's the plain and simple truth.....
The 10 Commandments didn't save the descendants of Jacob [Israel] from death..... they only made it more civil to live until Jesus could get here with the antidote...... now.... all they have to do is to believe what Jesus told them..... that He was here to help......
