Resources
- Romans overview (video): Part 1, Part 2
- Romans is structured as follows:
- Books 1-4: Revealing God’s Righteousness
- Books 5-8: Creating a New Humanity
- Books 9-11: Fulfilling God’s Promise to Israel (Past/Present/Future)
- Books 12-16: Unifying the Church
Romans 10: Fulfilling God’s Promise to Israel (Past)
Context
- Romans 10 emphasizes salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, available to all, contrasted with the limitations of seeking righteousness through the Law.
- Understanding Romans 10 provides a richer understanding of the key message of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
- Important verses in Romans 10:
- Romans 10:4: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (NIV)
- Romans 10:9: “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.” (NIV)
- Romans 10:13: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (NIV)
- Verse review:
- v1-4: Paul’s Anguish for Israel (1-4)
- Paul expresses deep sorrow for the Jewish people’s spiritual condition.
- He desires their salvation and recognizes their zeal for God, but they are misguided in their pursuit.
- v4-13: Righteousness Through Faith, Not Works
- Paul clarifies that true righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not by following the Law perfectly.
- He contrasts the Law’s demands with the simplicity of believing in Jesus’ sacrifice for sin.
- v9-13: Salvation Through Confession and Belief
- Salvation is accessible to everyone who believes in their heart that Jesus rose from the dead and confesses Jesus as Lord.
- This belief and confession are necessary for salvation
- Romans 10:9 is often considered the key verse of Romans 10, summarizing the core message of salvation by faith:
- “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.” (NIV)
- This verse highlights two key aspects of receiving salvation:
- Publicly declaring Jesus as Lord.
- Having faith in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
- The entire chapter builds upon this concept, contrasting it with the limitations of seeking righteousness through following the Law perfectly.
- v11-18: Universality of the Gospel
- The Gospel message is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike.
- Passages from the Old Testament are used to support the universality of God’s offer of salvation.
- v14-17: The Need for Hearing the Gospel
- People cannot believe in something they haven’t heard.
- The importance of preaching the Gospel is emphasized.
- v18-21: Israel’s Rejection and God’s Faithfulness
- Despite Israel’s rejection of the Gospel, God remains faithful to his promises.
- v19-21: God’s Righteous Anger Towards Israel
- Paul, quoting Isaiah, highlights God’s anger towards Israel’s disobedience but also suggests the possibility of their future acceptance.
- v1-4: Paul’s Anguish for Israel (1-4)
Notes from the video
- Romans 9-11 are about the Israelites.
- Paul is a Roman citizen but also an Israelite.
- Romans 9 looked at Israel’s past election (historically chosen by God)
- Romans 10 looks at Israel’s present rejection of Jesus as messiah
- Romans 11 looks at Israel’s future restoration by the coming messiah
- God put it all in place but man says “no thanks”
- They’ve been waiting on the messiah but when He came they denied Him
- Reasons for their rejection:
- v1: Paul prays for their salvation but they don’t see a need for it.
- Many atheists believe they same – they don’t see a need
- Don’t give up praying for these people. This is the least you can do for them.
- v2: they have zeal for God but not for knowledge
- Galations 3:24: their pride prevents them.
- “Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.”- Galatians 3:24 NLT
- v3: they don’t submit to God’s righteousness
- prideful and self-righteous
- v4-v13: Christ is the end of the law for everyone that believes
- “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” – Matthew 5:17
- The Jews were rejecting the messiah because they didn’t see a need for Him.
- But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. – John 12:37
- The remedy for their rejection is v15-v17 (the beautiful feet spreading the news about the peace that can only come from Christ):
- And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
- But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
- So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
- So the remedy for rejecting the gospel is to actually hear the good news about Christ.
- v1: Paul prays for their salvation but they don’t see a need for it.
- What are the results of their rejection?
- v18: But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”
- v19: But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”
- Paul says he will also bring the good news about Christ to the gentiles because the Jews are rejecting it.
- Despite their rejection God still yearns for acceptance by His people.
- This recalls Isaiah 65 v1-2:
- The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
- I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.
- All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.
- v20: But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
- v21: But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
- There are four reasons why the church needs to share the gospel:
- Command from above
- And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” – Mark 16:15
- Share the gospel with everyone, not just the Jews.
- Request from below
- “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. – Luke 16:27
- The rich man was in hell and pleading for his family to hear the gospel to prevent his family from also landing in hell.
- Call from without
- That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” – Acts 16:9
- Gentiles also needed to hear the gospel.
- Call from within
- Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. – 2 Corinthians 5:14
- Christ died for all, not just the Jews.
- Command from above
Group Discussion
- Brief chat about reasons to share the gospel
- The law was never meant to make you righteous – Jesus fulfilled the law. We are not able to do so on our own, but we can do so by acceptomg Jesus as our savior.
- None of our works matter per Matthew 7:21-23 – keeping the law and our relationship with Christ are far more important than any works we will ever do.
- Galatians 5:22-23 explains this clearly:
- “But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
- I believe my relationship with Christ makes me want to uphold and follow the law because if I don’t follow the law I am breaking my relationship with Christ.
- Christ stated there was a new covenant – all that was the old laws is wrapped up in loving God and loving others.
- “In this life and this world we won’t be sinless, but we should sin less” – Charles Stanley, pastor
- Review of prayer requests for each other.
