Romans 10

Romans 10:11

Charlie Garrett Daily Writing, Epistles (written), Romans, Romans 10, Writings 0 Comment

130919_hannah

Thursday, 19 September 2013

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 10:11

Paul again quotes Isaiah 28:16 as he did in Romans 9:33. His citation is using the Greek translation of this verse and adding the term “whoever.”  Along with Isaiah 28 though, Isaiah 49:23 carries a similar thought –

“Then you will know that I am the Lord, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”

In this verse, it is Lord (Jehovah) speaking. Paul’s use of verses in this manner, as with the other apostles, is to show that Jesus is, in fact, Jehovah. He is the physical incarnation of Jehovah of the Old Testament. How so many people miss this is hard to understand, but miss it they do and they fail to accept God at His word.

Also, in citing the Old Testament in this manner, it demonstrates, quite clearly, that salvation by faith was anticipated even under the law. Paul has just gotten done with explaining “how” to be saved and then he cites this verse from under the time of the law to say that this “how” will not lead to disappointment. The reciprocal is also true – failing to seek justification by faith alone will lead to being “put to shame.”

Life application: Go back, read, and memorize Romans 10:9, 10. Then trust that what it says is true. In so doing, you also will not be put to shame. Then, go share this simple message of hope with others.

Lord, today I confess that I have spent too much of my time in the vain pursuits of life and haven’t spent enough time thinking about You, talking to You, reading Your word, and conversing with others about You. Lord, give Your servant the heart and desire to do these  things as I should. Help me to bring to You the glory that You are due. This is my prayer. Amen.

Romans 10:10

Charlie Garrett Daily Writing, Epistles (written), Romans, Romans 10, Writings 0 Comment

130918_buffalo-on-a_hill

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10

Paul connects 10:9 to 10:10 with his common conjunction “for.” In 10:9 he explained what was required to be saved – 1) confession with the mouth and 2) belief in the heart. Now he explains why this is so –

1) With the heart one believes unto righteousness – Belief is what justifies. This is a consistent and common teaching of Paul. Faith in God’s provision results in the declaration of righteousness; one is found “not guilty” before the law. This occurs the moment one believes and no further act “fulfills” this standing before God (as is supposed in the teaching of N.T. Wright). Paul speaks of this justification as immediate, complete, and assured in Ephesians 1:13, 14 –

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

It is immediate because faith results in sealing; no delay can be inferred. It is complete because God has sealed the believer with His Spirit. Nothing could be more comprehensive than this. And it is assured because this sealing is referred to as a “guarantee.” As this is God’s plan to reconcile men to Himself, it would make no sense to justify a sinner through pardoning of sin just to turn around and later “un-justify” him for a later failing.

God doesn’t make mistakes and His sealing is eternal. Likewise, the plan has been given and it is one which is fully satisfactory. Because it is, no other method is necessary or provided. Justification comes through Christ and Christ alone. God will not deviate from this avenue, nor will He make exceptions along the way.

2) With the mouth confession is made unto salvation – Belief results in righteousness and it precedes confession. As noted in the commentary on 10:9, the audible confession stands because of the inward profession. Anyone can confess a matter without believing it. We see this in our politicians daily. However, when the heart believes, the confession will be sincere. For God “who searches the hearts and minds” knowing the difference is not a difficult task. Morison states it this way, “Confession is just faith turned from its obverse side to its reverse … When faith comes forth from its silence to announce itself, and to proclaim the glory and the grace of the Lord, its voice is confession.”

Life application: No city on a hill can be hid and no true faith will be silent. Belief will naturally result in confession. Let your words be overflowing with gratitude to the Lord who saved you despite yourself, and do not quench the Spirit with whom God has sealed you. Be bold and proclaim the Lord Jesus every chance you get.

Precious Lord Jesus – I have heard of You, I have read about You, and I have fellowshipped with you through faith. I have seen and tasted Your goodness and it has consumed my soul with delight. Be near, O God and guide my steps and my words that my life may be a testament to the wondrous change which has taken hold because of You. Praises belong to You! Amen.

Romans 10:9

Charlie Garrett Daily Writing, Epistles (written), Romans, Romans 10, Writings 0 Comment

130917_welcome_to_colorado

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

From time to time, this devotional recommends committing a verse to memory. There are a couple specific verses in chapter 10; this is one of them. By memorizing, contemplating, and understanding Romans 10:9, one can keep from muddying the waters of one’s theology. It is simple, concise, and speaks to the heart of the good news of Jesus Christ.

“That” is a conjunction being used to tie together with the thought in the preceding verse, “the word of faith.” This “word of faith” is explained by Paul and is what he preached. It is the means of obtaining “the righteousness of faith” mentioned in verse 6.

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus…” Confession is more than the audible words which occur with the mouth. To “confess” is synonymous with to “profess.” One can confess a lie; one only professes the truth. The word is homologēsēs and the concept of agreement is to be found within it. The audible confession stands because of the inward profession. This is why Paul says that “the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” It is as close to us as the air which enters and exits our mouth and fills our lungs, and it is both audible in tone and truthful to the heart.

The reason for the audible profession is obvious. No one would hide their true belief in the Lordship of Jesus. If He is in fact Lord, then He is alive. If He is alive, then He triumphed over the cross. If He did this, then He was without sin because “the wages of sin is death.” If He is without sin, then He is God because “all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God.”

As you can see by logically thinking this through, the incarnation of Jesus Christ – being the God/Man – is inextricably tied up in the confession of “the Lord Jesus.” One cannot deny His lordship, meaning His deity, and be saved. This is the heart of what God has done in the stream of time for the redemption of mankind.

Therefore, confession “with your mouth” is the making of an open-profession that Jesus is God, thus denying all other gods. This would have been particularly of note in Roman times when people within the empire were required to affirm the lordship of Caesar. For many, it was a life and death decision to call Jesus “Lord.” Most translations, rather than stating “the Lord Jesus” will say “Jesus is Lord.” This is to avoid confusion and to emphasize His Lordship.

Either way, one must make the confession which is a true profession as is seen in the words “and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead.” Paul directly ties the resurrection to Jesus’ lordship. One cannot honestly call on a dead savior and so acknowledging His resurrection returns us to the thought that He was sinless in His life and death. Peter explains this in his great discourse at Pentecost in Acts 2 –

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” (22-24)

It was “not possible” that death should hold Jesus because He was without sin, and death is the penalty for sin. To ensure we don’t miss the point, immediately before and after stating this, Peter turned to Scripture and spoke of the Lord (Jehovah) in a way which implied that Jesus is Jehovah. Therefore, calling on Jesus is calling on Jehovah, but the reciprocal is not necessarily true. If one accepts the premise that Jehovah of the Old Testament is realized in Jesus of the New, then they have rightly called on the name of the Lord. But if they stubbornly refuse to see what God has done through Jesus, fulfilling the Old Testament pictures related to Jehovah which pointed to Him, then they have not called on the Lord Jesus. It is an important point which should not be missed.

And so, this belief in God’s raising Jesus from the dead is the crucial key to understanding His Personhood. It is a volitional act of the free-will, which itself is a gift of God. Faith isn’t something which can be earned; it is something which is received from God and then exercised by man. This doesn’t mean God grants us the faith to believe and we will believe. It means that God grants us the faith to believe and we may believe.

This is no different than God granting us the ability to accomplish mathematical skills. We may choose to use this ability or not. Maybe a better example would be the ability to swim. Swimming is possible for any normally constructed person, but it does take a step of faith to actually exercise the ability. The ability is given by God, but it doesn’t mean that the choice will be exercised. Faith is not earned, it is received, and then it must be put into practice. Once the faith is properly applied, “you will be saved.”

This final thought, being saved, implies that there is something to be “saved” from. Jesus explains this in John 3:18 –

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Salvation is necessary to be kept from condemnation. Condemnation is the result of inherited (and later committed) sin. Sin is what separates us from God; faith in Jesus’ work is what reconciles us. This is why Jesus could rightly claim that “No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the only avenue to be reconciled to our heavenly Father.

Life application: We are given a choice, believe in Jesus and be saved, or be condemned. There is no other avenue. Believe and be saved.

O God, in Your great love and mercy for the people You created, You have given us Your Son. And You have also given us the faith to believe and the ability to exercise that faith. It has all been granted by You, and then You leave that choice up to us – believe and be saved, or face You on our own merits. Me, I may not be the brightest bulb which shines along life’s boardwalk, but I choose Jesus. Amen.

Romans 10:8

Charlie Garrett Epistles (written), Romans, Romans 10 0 Comment

130916_late_evening_sunset

Monday, 16 September 2013

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 preach): Romans 10:8

Paul has been speaking of the righteousness of the law and how that is bestowed upon believers in Christ. To show that it is an easily accessible path, he has cited Moses from Deuteronomy 30. It isn’t far away in heaven, nor is it to be found in the great abyss. Rather, the words of Moses show us that “The word is near you.” It is something which is right here, right now, discernible, and readily accessible.

This is how Moses said it – “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” Deuteronomy 30:14

To show how near it is, he says it is “in your mouth.” The sense of this is that just as we speak our language without difficulty, so are we aware of the message. If we sit at breakfast with an old friend and talk about the weather, we don’t pull out a dictionary and a thesaurus in order to engage in conversation. Instead, what we speak is as natural as breathing. In the same manner, the righteousness of faith is this clear and this natural.

And he continues by saying, it is “in your heart.” The heart from a biblical standpoint is often thought of as the seat of understanding rather than emotions as we speak of it in modern times. One of many examples would be Proverbs 2:1, 2 –

“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;”

The sense of it is that the righteousness of faith is ingrained in the doctrine of Christ – His death, burial, and resurrection. If one has this knowledge, then they don’t need to ascend to the heavens to find it; He has already come down from there. And they don’t need to descend into the pit to find it; He has already risen from there. If one knows this, then they have the understanding in their heart. The mental knowledge should merely turn into the exercise of their faith. It is a step into God’s revealed light. And thus the final purpose, for which the law was given, is found in His work; He is the end of the law. This isn’t difficult to grasp, but is quite often ignored by those who continuously attempt to reinsert pet-favorite portions of the law into New Testament faith while ignoring countless other precepts found in the same law.

Paul then says, “that is…” He is not saying that what Moses spoke to the people at Horeb was the same message that was now available, but it has the same force and effect in the message. They had the law, it was spoken to them, lived by them, and available to them. They merely had to demonstrate faith in God’s provision through the law. When Christ came as the fulfillment of the law, it became the provision of God for the people.

This nearness and understanding concerning Christ is “the word of faith which we preach.” In essence, the message of the prophets and apostles concerning the work of Christ – His death, burial, and resurrection in fulfillment of the law – is the word of faith. This is what God asks us to believe and what restores us to Him, just as the law was God’s provision of the past.

The term “word of faith” is used only here and could have one of the following possible intents. The first is that it is speaking of the foundation and the object of our faith. In other words, Jesus (His person and His work) is the reason for and the object of our faith. The second possibility is that it is speaking of the force behind, and the movement of, our faith. Stated plainly, “I have heard the message about Jesus and my faith-based response is to accept that message as true, calling on Him as Lord.” The third is that both concepts are combined into one; it is an all-encompassing word of faith. No matter which, it is Jesus.

Unfortunately, in recent years the term “Word of Faith” has become synonymous with an aberrant form of doctrine. It teaches that by exercising faith, one can become wealthy, healthy, and prosperous. It is a distorted teaching of the gospel which certainly enriches the Word of Faith leaders, but which only waters down the message of Christ. Sound doctrine is abandoned in the pursuit of earthly gain. Be careful to not get caught up in this misdirected form of teaching.

Life application: Christ has come and His work is complete. The message is readily available to anyone who hears and believes. It is a message of faith, not works. Stand fast on the gospel message. What Jesus has done is fully sufficient to reconcile us to God the Father.

Glorious God! I have heard the good news! You sent Jesus to fulfill the law for me. Through Him, the demands have been met and peace with You has been restored. This is the word of faith which I accept. He is all-sufficient to reconcile us and bring me into Your family. I accept the premise, I receive the Gift. Yes, Jesus is Lord. Amen.

Romans 10:7

Charlie Garrett Epistles (written), Romans, Romans 10 0 Comment

130915_mountain_panorama

Sunday, 15 September 2013

…or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). Romans 10:7

“Or” is tying this question to the previous one – “Who will ascend into heaven?” The corresponding verse in Deuteronomy 30 is verse 13. However, that says, “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’” Paul wasn’t changing Scripture by changing the thought from going over the sea to descending into the abyss. The intent is the same, but the point of reference is different.

The Hebrew people were at Horeb in the dry wilderness and they did not have the knowledge of the risen Lord. Moses was using an example which they could clearly understand in order to speak the language of faith. Paul is using the resurrection in the same way. The sea to the Hebrews was a great, impassable body; the death of man is being spoken of in this same manner.

However, as a connecting point between the two, the Greek word abysson is used for “abyss” by Paul. The same word is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament when referring to the sea. For example, Job 41:31 uses abysson for “deep” when speaking about the great sea creature Leviathan. There it says this –

“He makes the deep boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.”

The sea was perceived as the great deep in this way even at Moses’ time. At the giving of the Law, the third commandment says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;…” Ex 20:4

The “water under the earth” is the sea. Passing over the sea then is comparable to descending into the abyss for all intents and purposes. And so Paul grasps this Old Testament similarity and uses the imagery to  connect it with the work of Christ in the New when speaking of the seemingly impassible void of death. Searching for the commandment by a descent “into the abyss” then is explained “to bring Christ up from the dead.”

We don’t need to conduct such a search to find the knowledge God provides; it is obtainable in the work of Christ. He has descended into the abyss. To search for our faith-righteousness there, after His prevailing over it, would then be a denial of what has been fulfilled in Him. He has triumphed over it for us. As a resounding note of victory in this matter, Paul states this in 1 Corinthians 15:54-56 –

“‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
‘O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?’
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Life application: Who needs to die in order to find out what is on the other side? Not the faithful Christian! Christ has already gone there and the word tells us of our final outcome. Stand fast in your faith and trust in the work of Christ. In Him, death is swallowed up in victory.

Glorious almighty God. I don’t need to question what lies on the other side of death. Christ has already gone there in my stead. Because of His work, there is no fear here. Your word tells where I am headed, what it will be like, and the glorious eternal nature of it. Such is the wondrous power of the resurrection of Christ. I have absolute assurance of the glory which lies ahead. Hallelujah and Amen.