Romans 10:1-15: Good News for All
Paul writes in his letter to the Romans: “My dear brothers and sisters, what I pray for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” (Röm 10,1).
But there was a problem: “For they are not lacking in zeal for God’s cause; I can testify to that. What they lack is knowledge. They have not understood the nature of God’s righteousness and try to prove themselves before God by their own righteousness. In doing so, they rebel against God’s righteousness instead of submitting to it.” (Röm 10,2-3).
The Israelites Paul knew wanted to be righteous before God with their own works (by keeping the law).
"For with Christ the goal of the law is achieved: that everyone who believes in him is declared righteous. The way to righteousness is the same for Jews and Gentiles." (Röm 10,4)You cannot attain God's righteousness by improving yourself. God bestows righteousness upon you.
We all lived under laws at times. When I was a boy, I lived under the laws of my mother. One of her rules was, after playing in the yard, taking off my shoes before I entered the apartment. I had to clean heavily soiled shoes with water on the porch.
Jesus cleanses the dirt
God is no different. He does not want the filth of our sins to be spread all over his house. The problem is, we have no way to clean ourselves and we can not come in until we are clean. God lets only those who are holy, sinless and pure into his dwelling. No one can achieve this purity by themselves.
That's why Jesus had to come out of his house to cleanse us. Only he could clean us up. If you are busy freeing yourself from your own filth, you can clean yourself until the last day, it will not be enough to enter the house. However, if you believe what Jesus says because he has already made you clean, you can enter God's house and sit at his table to eat.
Verses 5-15 in Römer 10 They address the following fact: It is impossible to know God as long as sin is not removed. Knowing God cannot remove our sin.
To address this point in Römer 10,5-8 to support, Paul quotes 5. Mose 30,11-12“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’—as if you were trying to bring Christ down from there.” It says that as human beings we can seek and find God. But the fact is, God comes to us and finds us.
The eternal Word of God has come to us as God and man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ of flesh and blood. We could not find him in heaven. He decided in his divine freedom to come down to us. Jesus saved us humans by washing away the filth of sin and opening the way for us to come into God's house.
This begs the question: Do you believe what God says? Do you think that Jesus found you and washed away your filth so you can now enter his house? If you do not believe that, you are outside of God's house and can not enter.
Paul speaks in Römer 10,9-13“Therefore, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, but it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As it is written: ‘Everyone who believes in him will be saved from destruction.’” (Jes 28,16)Whether someone is Jewish or Gentile makes no difference: all have the same Lord, and he shares his bounty with all who call upon him in prayer. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 3,5).
This is the reality: God redeemed his creation through Jesus Christ. He washed away our sins and made us clean through his sacrifice, without our help and request. If we believe in Jesus and confess that he is the Lord, we are already living in this reality.
Example of slavery
Am 1In January 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This executive order declared all slaves in all states in revolt against the U.S. government to be free. News of this freedom did not reach the slaves of Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865. For two and a half years, these slaves were unaware of their freedom and only experienced its reality when U.S. Army soldiers informed them.
Jesus is our Savior
Our confession of faith does not save us; Jesus is our Savior. We cannot compel God to do anything for us. Our good works cannot make us sinless. It doesn't matter what kind of activity it is. Whether it's obeying a rule—like keeping a day holy or abstaining from alcohol—or whether it's the activity of saying, "I believe." Paul states it unequivocally: "Once again, it is by the grace of God that you have been saved, through faith. This is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." (Eph 2,8)Even faith is a gift from God!
God does not expect a confession
It helps to understand the difference between a contract and a confession. A contract is a legal agreement in which an exchange takes place. Each party is obliged to trade something for something else. If we have a contract with God, our commitment to Jesus will save us. But we can not commit God to act on our behalf. Grace is Christ, who decides in his divine freedom to come down to us.
In an open court, by confessing, a person admits that the facts exist. A criminal might say, "I admit to stealing the goods. He accepted the reality of his life. Likewise, a follower of Jesus says: “I admit I must be saved or Jesus saved me.
Called to freedom
What slaves 1865 needed in Texas was not a contract to buy their freedom. They had to know and confess that they were already free. Their freedom was already established. President Lincoln was able to free her, and he released her by his order. God had the right to save us and he saved us through the life of his son. What the slaves needed in Texas was to hear of their freedom to believe that it was true and to live accordingly. Slaves need someone to come and tell them that they are free.
This is Paul's message in Römer 10:14“But it is like this: You can only call on the Lord if you believe in him. You can only believe in him if you have heard of him. You can only hear of him if there is someone who proclaims his message.”
Can you imagine what it was like for these slaves to chop cotton in the 40-degree heat of Texas on that June day and hear the good news of their freedom? They were experiencing the best day of their lives! Römer 10,15 Paul quotes Isaiah: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Jes 52,7).
What is our role?
What is our role in God's plan of salvation? We are his messengers of joy and we carry the good news of freedom to those who have not yet heard of their freedom. We cannot save a single person. We are the messengers, the announcers of the good news and bring the good news: "Jesus has accomplished everything, you are free"!
The Israelites Paul knew heard the good news. They did not believe the words that Paul brought them. Do you believe in the liberation from your slavery and live in the new freedom?
by Jonathan Stepp
