It was not an easy thing; it must often have been made extremely inconvenient; and it must often have made life very uncomfortable. The answer is, that this will not do one whit better; for when we come down to the next generation, it is apparent that the two sons of Isaac were sons of the same mother; nay, they were twins. Do you mean to tell me that because my father does not believe that Jesus is the Messiah that he is lost?" 2. But this great work of Christ was not and could not be a mere vindication of God; and we may find it otherwise developed in various parts of Scripture, which I here mention by the way to show the point at which we are arrived. It seems incredible that a man should die like that for a law like that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. . Nevertheless the apostle does not expressly mention heaven here. Christ is come down from heaven; we need not go to fetch him. Here is an instance of what is so reprehensible. They would have us proclaim salvation by the works of the law. i. But when Paul emphasizes the need to believe that God has raised him from the dead, it is not that we believe the resurrection as opposed to the cross, but encompassing the work of Jesus on the cross. Accordingly he tells them now what reason he had to speak thus strongly, not of the more advanced truths, but of the good news. The apostle shows them with astonishing force at the starting-point that he was far from slighting their privileges. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (ver. For instance, if a man signs a contract without having read the conditions, he cannot complain if afterwards he finds out that the conditions are very different from what he thought they were. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. The rest of the chapter (7-25) is an instructive episode, in which the impotence and the misery of the renewed mind which attempts practice under law are fully argued out, till deliverance (not pardon) is found in Christ. III. Not only is God's righteousness revealed, but also His wrath. In this chapter are contained an account of the two righteousnesses of faith and works, a summary of the Gospel of Christ, a description of the grace of faith, in the nature, use, and means of it, and several testimonies concerning the calling of the Gentiles; and whereas the apostle knew that this, as well as what he had said in the latter part of the preceding chapter, that the Jews had not attained to the law of righteousness, but stumbled at the stumbling stone, would be offensive to his countrymen the Jews; wherefore that it might appear that he said this not out of disaffection and ill will to them, he declares his sincere regard unto them, and the great respect he had for them, by calling them "brethren", by expressing his good will to them, by praying for the salvation of them, Ro 10:1, by bearing testimony of their zeal for God, Ro 10:2, though he faithfully observes to them, that it was an ignorant zeal, of which ignorance he gives an instance, Ro 10:3, particularly in the attribute of God's righteousness; from which ignorance arose all their misconduct in religious things, especially in the article of justification; hence they sought to be justified by their own righteousness, and rejected the righteousness of Christ, and then points out to them the true end of the law, for righteousness which is Christ, Ro 10:4, which if they had known would have set them right, and which is another instance of their ignorant and misguided zeal: this leads him on to what he had in view, which was to give an account of the two righteousnesses he had suggested in the latter part of the former chapter, the righteousness of the law, which the Jews sought for and found not, and the righteousness of faith, which the Gentiles without seeking for enjoyed; and this account he gives in the words of Moses, for whom they had the greatest regard: the description of the former is given in his words, in Ro 10:5, which suggest the impossibility of keeping the law, and obtaining life by it, and therefore it is a vain thing to seek for righteousness by the works of it; the latter is described, Ro 10:6,7, by the certainty of it, being wrought out by Christ, who came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead; and by the plainness and evidence of it, as revealed in the Gospel, Ro 10:8, the sum of which Gospel is, that whoever believes in Christ and confesses him shall be saved, Ro 10:9, which faith and confession, when genuine, are with the heart and mouth agreeing together; the consequences of which are righteousness and salvation, comfortably apprehended and enjoyed, Ro 10:10, and that the above is the sum of the Gospel, and that there is such a connection between faith and righteousness, and between confession and salvation, is confirmed, Ro 10:11, by a testimony from the prophet, Isa 28:16, which being expressed in such a general manner, as to extend to every believer, whether Jew or Gentile, reasons are given, Ro 10:12, in support of such an explanation of that passage, taken from the equal condition of all, there being no difference between them naturally, from the universal dominion of God over them, and from his liberal communication of grace and goodness to all that call upon him; which last reason is confirmed, Ro 10:13, by a passage of Scripture in Joe 2:32, on occasion of which, the apostle proceeds to treat of the calling of the Gentiles, and of the means of it, the preaching of the Gospel, which was necessary to it, which is made out by a train of reasoning after this manner; that seeing salvation is only of such that call upon the name of the Lord, and there could be no calling upon him without believing in him, and no believing without hearing, and no hearing without preaching, and no preaching without mission, which is proved by a citation out of Isa 52:7, and no success in preaching, when sent, without the exertions of efficacious grace, as appears from the case of the Jews, who had the ministration of the Gospel to them by Isaiah, and yet all did not believe it; as is evident from Isa 53:1, and seeing the conclusion of which is, that faith comes by preaching, and preaching by the order and command of God, Ro 10:14-17, it follows, that it was proper that ministers should be sent, and the Gospel preached to the Gentiles, and that attended with power, in order that they should believe in the Lord, and call upon his name and be saved; and which method God had taken, and which he had foretold he would take, in the prophecies of the Old Testament, and which were now fulfilling: that the Gospel was preached to them, and they heard it, were matters of fact, and were no other than what should be, or might be concluded, from Ps 19:4, cited, Ro 10:18, and that the Jews could not be ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles is clear, first from the words of Moses, De 32:21, which the apostle produces, Ro 10:19, and from a passage in the prophecy of Isa 65:1. Jesus has come down: years ago be left the glories of his Father. Unbelief is a non-submission to the righteousness of God, standing it out against the gospel proclamation of indemnity. Where lies the value of belonging to the circumcised people of God? Now, was it not extreme folly in the Jews to adhere so closely to this way of justification and salvation, which was in itself so hard, and by the corruption of nature now become impossible, when there was a new and a living way opened? All then that believe, though uncircumcised, might claim him as father, assured that righteousness will be reckoned to them too. Christianity is belief plus confession; it involves witness before men. What about the doctrine of election? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? So one of the first works of the gospel is silencing the questions of our unbelief. Jesus has already come to the earth and brought us the information we need to serve God and find heaven. ( Isaiah 53:1.) Therefore I cast about me, and I considered what subject he would wish me to preach from if he were sitting behind me this morning as he was last Lord's-day. To profess this doctrine was, therefore, virtually to profess all the truths of the Christian religion. The use of the law was to direct people for righteousness to Christ. If it was the Lord's will that I should die in the street at this moment, I would cheerfully go." Not, of course, that the Roman saints were in this condition; but that God, writing by the apostle to them, seizes the opportunity to lay bare man's state as well as His own grace. He here shows the folly of that mistake, and what an unreasonable thing it was for them to be seeking justification by the works of the law, now that Christ had come, and had brought in an everlasting righteousness; considering. (i) The first objection is: "You cannot call on God unless you believe in him. Accordingly, in the end of the chapter, he shows that this is most true as applied to the moral judgment of the Jew; that uone so much dishonoured God as wicked Jews, their own Scripture attesting it; that position went for nothing in such, while the lack of it would not annul the Gentile's righteousness, which would indeed condemn the more unfaithful Israel; in short, that one must be a Jew inwardly to avail, and circumcision be of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, whose praise is of God, and not of men. The profession of faith with the mouth, if there be not the power of it in the heart, is but a mockery; the root of it must be laid in an unfeigned assent to the revelation of the gospel concerning Christ, especially concerning his resurrection, which is the fundamental article of the Christian faith, for thereby he was declared to be the Son of God with power, and full evidence was given that God accepted his satisfaction. If ever we are to bring men to the Christian faith, our attitude must be the same. The information in verse 8 makes the point even more forcefully. No, you see, this opens the door to every man no matter who you are, predestined or not, elected or not, chosen or not. It is just as clear as ever the law was, and quite as sharply distinct. Choose a chapter and verse from 'Romans' to begin your 'Verse-by-Verse' study of God's Word using the more than 100 commentaries available on StudyLight.org. No topic is treated with anything like the frequency of God. He can meet the sinner, but He justifies the believer; and in this, instead of trenching on His glory, there is a deeper revelation and maintenance of it than if there never had been sin or a sinner. He selects this language because it expresses his meaning in familiar terminology that is at once suitable and proverbial. how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! This were indeed to deny the value of His death, and of that newness of life we have in Him risen, and a return to bondage of the worst description. How far? When they see the way God has blessed the Christian believer and their love for God and for the Lord Jesus Christ, that they'll be provoked to jealousy, when they see the Gentiles receive the covenant and the grace and the blessings and the glory of God.As we were studying the book of Romans recently I sought to illustrate this by this beautiful, sharp, darling, little granddaughter of mine, who I love so greatly, as I do all my grandchildren. And there (for such was the point) it was the complete condemnation of this evil thing, the nature in its present state, so as, nevertheless, to set the believer as before God's judgment free from itself as well as its consequences. How blessed it is when a child of God has actually fallen into sin, God keep us so that we never may, but if guilt is on the soul, what is a poor creature to do? 2. It is not among the Gentiles, but in the honoured centre of the polity of Israel. They become angry and envious when they see their supposedly ignorant Gentile neighbours accepting the gospel, but they themselves will not listen to it (19-21). Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . Tonight whoever you might be salvation is so close to you, all you have to do is call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved. It is not only a blessing in its own direct character, or in indirect though real effects, but the Giver Himself is our joy, and boast, and glory. This he shows further, Romans 10:3; Romans 10:3, where we may observe. There is no need to bring Christ down to find out what God wants. No, they cry, it is in Isaac's seed that the Jew was called. In the most solemn way he appeals to man with the demand, whether he thinks that God will look complacently on that which barely judges another, but which allows the practice of evil in the man himself (Romans 2:1-3). It was his heart's desire; it was not a formal compliment, as good wishes are with many from the teeth outward, but a real desire. b. I was found by those who did not seek Me: It is strange that Israel, for the most part, rejected their own Messiah. , , The word, that is, the word of faith is nigh thee. It was for this then that Paul describes himself as apostle. A Monument for the Dead, and a Voice to the Living, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------, Delivered on Lord's-Day Morning, January 7th, 1883, by, At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. God is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27) because His will is right at our fingertips. Includes cross references, questions, verse by verse commentary, outline, and applications on Romans 10. This, he says, was his heart's desire and prayer, which intimates, (1.) Verse Romans 10:8. "The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? The word for Lord is kurios ( G2962) . One said somewhat roughly to him a fortnight before, "Don't be downhearted; you may got better yet." You will get the foreboding of this world with all of its problems. No. But what saith it? This is applied in the two chapters that follow. Who bring glad tidings of good things!. No man among us doubts that if he had performed the law of God the Lord would give him life; but it is equally certain that if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ we have eternal lire. In vain will you preach Romans 3:1-31, or even 4 alone, for souls to know themselves consciously and holily set free. He was debtor both to the Greeks and the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise; he was ready, as far as he was concerned, to preach the gospel to those that were at Rome also (ver. It is sinful shame that makes people deny Christ, Mark 8:38. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I now plunge into my text. "But unto Israel he saith, All day long have I stretched out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.". Did Gentiles believe? You can check these in your browser security settings. 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. No man could believe this who did not also believe all the truths dependent on it. b. Jewish religion was based on meticulous obedience to the law. i. But this does not content the apostle, or rather the Spirit of God; for he goes on to point out that Isaiah "is very bold" in a similar way; that is, there is no concealing the truth of the matter. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Hence the action of the Spirit of God in a double point of view comes before us. At the close of that period he rose into the air, ascending high. Listen, angels, you will not weary while I tell the story over again he went into Gethsemane where he put on the crimson garment of his own bloody sweat; and then to Pilate's hall, where they did falsely accuse him, and spit on him, and scourge him, and make a jest of him; and then to that cross whereon they nailed him in his nakedness, so that he hung in agony, to die in fever and in thirst, till he cried, "It is finished." There are some that find a difficulty here, because the expression "to hold" means holding firmly. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.. He bade them read that chapter, "Let not your hearts be troubled"; and, as they read it, he did not take the verses, and apply them to himself. In light of what Moses said, Pauls teaching (justification by faith) was not a new concept. It is "revealed," and this too "from heaven." He was God over all blessed for ever, as well as their Messiah. We cannot speak of the state of things before the flood as a dispensation. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. There is the type of confession described in Matthew 10:32. a. But he meets their proud exclusiveness in another way. Mark you, Moses does not tone down the law to suit our fallen state, or talk of our doing our best and God's being satisfied with our imperfect obedience. You may now believe in Christ and live eternally. Thither He shall come, and thence, go forth. Yes, they did hear. But I am also at the top, and I cannot get higher than that, can I?" . As Moses explains in v. 11, "What I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach." Free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies romans 10:8 17 commentary get a better experience a like... Period he rose into the air, ascending high, Mark 8:38 romans 10:8 17 commentary, his! What God wants ( 1. holding firmly from slighting their privileges will that I die. What Moses said, Pauls teaching ( justification by faith ) was a... His wrath the value of belonging to the law can not call on unless. Speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall descend into the deep `` righteousness! Describes himself as apostle ascend into heaven believe this Who did not believe... Is come down from heaven., and I can not get higher than that can. 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