“Romans 10:1-13”

Saturday, March 03, 2018

“Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

“For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: ‘DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, “WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?” (that is, to bring Christ down), or “WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).’ But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’ — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul could rightly “testify” that the Jewish people, for the most part, had great zeal for the Lord, but they did not seek Him according to “knowledge”. Paul himself, then known as Saul, once zealously persecuted the church of Jesus Christ while convinced that he was doing the will of God the whole time (Acts 22:3; Galatians 1:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:13).

Friends, this verse (and many others in the Bible) teaches us clearly that we can sincerely believe in God, and love Him (emotionally) with all our hearts, and (attempt to) serve Him with great passion and enthusiasm, and still be lost. Just like the majority of the Jewish people were. They were sincere, but sincerely wrong.

Just like Saul was, before he was humbled by Christ and brought to a good knowledge and acceptance of the truth, and obeyed the truth from the heart. Once again, ignorance is not a good excuse (1 Timothy 1:13). The truth has always been available, we just have to choose to learn it, accept it and obey it.

Furthermore, the truth about God’s saving grace is not complicated at all. It is not only readily available to all, but it can be easily understood by anyone who is willing to apply his or her mind to it. You don’t have to “ascend to heaven” to bring Christ down (verse 6), or “descend into the Abyss” to bring Christ up (verse 7). Christ did all the hard work for us. He came down to earth for us, lived and died for us, arose from the grave for us and defeated sin and its mastery over us for us.

So what do we have to do? We have to accept the word (the truth) that is “near” to us, that is readily available to all of us (verse 8). We have to “believe” in Jesus and that He defeated death for us with His almighty power, and confess our belief in Him as the Christ (verse 9). And we must “call on the name of the Lord” to be saved (verse 13).

Please understand that calling on the Lord’s name is not merely a matter of invoking the name of Jesus verbally. To call on the “name” of Jesus is to appeal to His absolute authority (Matthew 28:18-20). That’s really the essence of what Paul is talking about here. God wants us, unlike the majority of the Jewish people in Paul’s day, to pursue Him with “knowledge”. To learn and understand what it is that God requires of us to be saved. To learn what He commands by His authority, and then to obey it. It is not difficult but it does require an honest heart and willing effort.

And please understand also that being baptized for the forgiveness of sins is a part of “calling on the name of the Lord.” The very same Apostle Paul (then known as Saul) was told this very thing right before he became a Christian, and he was not disobedient. Let’s read the account as Paul himself relates it from Acts 22:12-16:

"A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him. And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’”

Please read Romans 10:14-21 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

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