Romans 10:1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
No curse falls from his lips, though they had persecuted him without mercy, hunted him from city to city, and gnashed their teeth at the very mention of his name. Yet he has no desire for them but their salvation; he utters no malediction against them, but the prayer goes up from his very heart, «that they might be saved.» Let that be your worst wish for any living man. Whatever he may do to you, let this be your heart's desire and prayer for him, that he may be saved.
Romans 10:2-3. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
There are many, in these days also, who are exactly in this condition. They are very zealous; they are full of piety of a certain kind, but it is with the view of setting up a righteousness of their own. Oh! that God would save them from this false way! For there is no acceptable righteousness but the righteousness which is of God in Christ Jesus; and the more intensely they labour after the false righteousness, the more bitter will be their disappointment at the last. Man can only be truly righteous in God's way; he will never be so in his own.
Romans 10:4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
He has put the law away so far as his own people are concerned; and, by that act, he has removed the possibility of self-righteousness, since we are no longer under the law. Though there can come no condemnation to us by it, there certainly can come no righteousness by it. Even Christ's own people can never have any righteousness which cometh by the law; they must look to Christ, and find in him alone all that can be demanded by the law, «for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.»
Romans 10:5. For Moses
The Holy Spirit wisely directed the apostle to quote from Moses, for he was the lawgiver, and was looked upon by the Jews as the great representative of the law.
Romans 10:5-8. Describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend late heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee,
Not up yonder, nor down there; neither in the heights nor in the abyss: «The word is nigh thee,»
Romans 10:8-10. Even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
To trust the risen Saviour, to put your soul into his hands, and then to confess your faith by publicly declaring that you are on his side, these are the things which he demands of us in order to our salvation, and these he enables us to render. Are there any believers here who have never confessed Christ? Let them question themselves how far they can be said to be true disciples of him who demands that, where there is faith, confession of it should be made. If thou believest in Jesus, look at this Scripture, and feel ashamed of thyself if thou hast been ashamed to own him as thy Saviour; for is not the promise this that, «if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved»?
Romans 10:11. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Shall not be ashamed of having done so, and shall not be ashamed of having missed the blessing which was promised, for he shall surely receive what God says shall follow his faith and confession.
Romans 10:12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:
In this matter of salvation there is no difference between them.
Romans 10:12. For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Jews or Gentiles, they must come to Christ, and come to him by the same simple way of trusting him; and if they do so, they shall be saved.
Romans 10:13-15. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
See, then, what an honour God has put upon the testimony of his Word; and be not slow, my dear friends, to tell abroad his glorious gospel. The apostle does not merely mean preaching from the pulpit, but preaching anyhow, making known the gospel by any means. It is in that way that hearing comes; from hearing comes faith; and from faith comes salvation. Who then, would not tell out the glad news which God uses to the salvation of immortal souls?
Romans 10:16-18. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard?
Is that the reason why many do not believe, because they have not heard the gospel? Well, it is not the reason in the case of anybody here present, for I suppose all of you have heard the gospel, probably have often heard it.
Romans 10:18-19. Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know?
Ah! that they did; the gospel was sounded in their ears in a hundred ways, yet they rejected it.
Romans 10:19 ; Romans 10:21. First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
God grant that we may not be like them! Amen.