In commenting once more upon this familiar chapter, I cannot help repeating a remark which I have made to you before that it is very significant that this tenth chapter should immediately follow the subject dealt with in the ninth chapter. In the ninth chapter, we have the doctrine of absolute predestination proclaimed in the sternest and boldest manner, the doctrine that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and will have compassion on whom he will have compassion. Now, it is commonly thought, by those who do not rightly understand Calvinism, that that doctrine has a tendency to burden the heart and dry up the springs of compassion. That it was not so in Paul's case, is very clear, for this chapter is a most affectionate one, and in it the apostle manifests a most loving spirit towards his fellow-countrymen, the Jews, and the chapter also contains the widest conceivable declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the fact being that the grand doctrine of divine predestination is by no means inconsistent with the fullest and freest preaching of the gospel of Christ.
Romans 10:1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Paul is writing concerning: the Jews the very people who had driven him from city to city, and who had again and again sought to take his life. Yet he could not forget that these men were his own countrymen; and, consequently, with a consecrated patriotism, he desired beyond everything else that they might be saved.
Romans 10:2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
The Jews of Paul's day were zealous, but they were zealous in ignorance. And that is just what we may say, at the present time, concerning a large number of our fellow-countrymen, those who are ordinarily called Ritualists. «They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.» None can be more zealous than they are, but a grave error is at the root of their whole system, a fatal ignorance concerning the truth of the gospel.
Romans 10:3. 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.
Man must have a righteousness of one kind or another; and if he has not a God-given righteousness, he seeks to have one of his own making. As the spider spinneth her web out of her own bowels, so do sinful men try to manufacture a righteousness out of that which is within them; but this they can never do. The only righteousness which will stand the test of the day of judgment is that which God bestows upon believers in his Son Jesus Christ. Oh, that all men were willing to submit themselves to the righteousness of God!
Romans 10:4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
«The end of the law» is to make a man righteous, and Christ does make righteous everyone who believes in him. The act of faith in Christ accomplishes what all the good works in the world never can accomplish.
Romans 10:5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth these things shall live by them.
That is the message of the law: «Do, and live.» But the message of the gospel is, «Live, and do;» a very different thing. The law says, «Work to obtain life.» The gospel says, «You have life freely given to you in Christ Jesus; now work for him because you live by him.»
Romans 10:6-9. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into 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, 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 shall be saved.
How simple is the divine plan of salvation, confess Jesus Christ believing in him; or, in the other order, believe in Jesus Christ, and then acknowledge your faith for so it is written, «He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,» baptism being the way of confessing the faith which you already possess.
Romans 10:10-13. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
What precious promises these are, and how wide they are! «Whosoever whosoever.» That must include you, dear friend, if you believe in Jesus, and call upon the name of the Lord.
Romans 10:14-15. 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!
Here you have the whole plan of salvation. Christ is preached, sinners hear the message of the gospel, they believe it, and so they are saved. What a mass of rubbish men have interjected into this blessed simple plan! What counterfeits of so-called sacraments, and what a mass of human doings and external paraphernalia of all sorts they have interjected! God requires none of their fripperies, and fineries, and ornate performances, but simply say, «Believe, and live.» How different is this from the cumbrous, complicated plan by which men would destroy our souls! Cling to the old-fashioned gospel, beloved, and never turn away from it. There is nothing that can take the place of the simplicity of divine truth. God grant that throughout England, and from one end of the world to the other, salvation by believing, the result of hearing the gospel, may be proclaimed.
Romans 10:16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
That is the pity of it, that so many have heard the gospel, but have not obeyed it. This shows that the gospel comes to us as a command, because we cannot disobey where there is no order or rule. O sinner, listen to this! When you hear the gospel, it is not left to your own choice to have it or leave it, so that you are as free to do the one as the other; so if you reject it, you are disobedient to it.
Romans 10:16-18. 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?
Ah, that is the important question! If they had not heard it, they could not be condemned for disobeying it, for the sin lies in hearing and yet not believing. «Have they not heard?»
Romans 10:18-19. Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and the words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know?
Did not the Jews hear the gospel? Certainly they did, and they rejected it. Moses foretold it would be so:
Romans 10:19. First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
So the poor outcast Gentiles have received Christ although Israel rejected him.
Romans 10:20-21. 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 disobedient and gainsaying as Israel was but that we may all accept Christ at once as our only and all-sufficient Saviour!