This chapter is a gospel in itself; it very clearly points out the plan of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Paul had a tender heart towards all unconverted men and women, and he longed and pleaded with God that they might be saved. Have all of us this unselfish compassionate feeling? I am afraid that there are some Christians who are very deficient in it; yet, in the dread of an immortality to be spent in woe unutterable by all unbelievers, our hearts' desire and perpetual prayer should be, as Paul's prayer for Israel was, «that they might be saved.» And if there is one class among the ungodly which should touch our hearts more than all the rest, it is those who are earnestly seeking salvation, but who are seeking it where they will never find it, namely, by the works of the law.
Romans 10:2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
It is not sufficient for a man to be sincere in his zeal for God; sincerity must be according to knowledge if it is to be of any value. If a man travels to the North, his sincere belief that he is on the right road will not bring him to his destination in the South. If a man, in all sincerity, drinks poison under the belief that it is a cheering cordial, it will kill him, notwithstanding his sincerity; and if a man sincerely believes a lie, it will turn out to be a lie notwithstanding his sincerity. So that it is not enough to be sincerely zealous for God, or sincerely anxious to be saved; but you must seek salvation in God's revealed way if your search is to be a successful one.
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.
This is not an error on the part of the Jews alone; it is to be found also among many Gentiles. Such people must have a righteousness of their own; and Paul says they are continually «going about» to establish it. To do this, they will undertake any labour, endure any suffering, or perform any self-denial; but, all the while, they despise God's righteousness, despise it by the very act of preferring their own, or seeking another way of salvation instead of walking in the one which God has provided. How sad it is that so many, in all sincerity of blind zeal, should be dishonouring God, and virtually dethroning him by the attempt to set up a righteousness of their own, when he has already provided a perfect one which they will not accept.
Romans 10:4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.
Even the law itself has this for its main drift and purpose, that it may introduce Christ. Its end, its intent, is to show to us our need of Christ, to point us to Christ, and to make us willing to have Christ as our Saviour; and as even the law aims at this object, much more clearly does the gospel. Oh, that none of us might miss the aim and object of this blessed design of God, that we might find righteousness through believing in Christ.
Romans 10:5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law,
And he does it in very brief, concise, and satisfactory terms:
Romans 10:5. That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
That is the beginning and end of the law, «Do and live.»
Romans 10:6-8. 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,--
The saving, life-giving word is not to be sought above, nor below, nor afar off; it is «nigh thee.»
Romans 10:8. Even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:
It is not a matter of doing with the hand, but of believing with the heart, and of confession with the mouth.
Romans 10:8-9. 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.
The gospel's command, «Believe and live,» is quite as clear and plain and positive as the law's command, «Do and live.»
Romans 10:10-11. 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.
He shall never be ashamed of having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. If he really believes on him, he shall never be ashamed of the result of so believing, for that result will be eternal salvation to him, there is no doubt about that.
Romans 10:12. 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.
If there be great numbers to be saved at one time, Christ will not have to do as we do when we have too many guests at a feast, namely, cut the portion of each one smaller. Oh, no! for «the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him,» whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
Romans 10:13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Let us read that blessed verse again.
Romans 10:13-14. 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?
When I hear anyone say, «I cannot believe in Christ, but I will pray to him for faith; I say, surely the prayer is more difficult than the believing: «How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?»
Romans 10:14-15. 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!
We, dear friends, have had this whole process carried out in our midst. The gospel has been preached, preached, I trust, by one who can prove, by the many seals to his ministry, that he has been «sent» by God, who has given him these confirmations of his commission in the constant conversion of those to whom he has preached. Then, many of you have heard the preaching, and have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; and, therefore, you are «saved» to all eternity. But, alas! there are some of you who have not believed in Jesus; yet you must be saved by this process, or you can never be saved at all, for God will never try any other plan. His way of saving men is to send the preacher whom he has called and qualified to preach. The preacher preaches; the people hear; by hearing, they believe; and by believing they are saved. This is God's way of saving sinners, and he will not depart from it; so let us walk in it. May his gracious Spirit take away from us all our proud, foolish and wicked objections to his simple plan, and may we all believe and live!
Romans 10:16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
So you see that even the prophet Isaiah had the idea that salvation comes to sinners by believing. He mourned and cried to his God because men did not believe the «report» which he had been sent to deliver to them concerning that Man who was «despised and rejected of men,» that Man of whom the prophet truly said, «Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:.... He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.»
Romans 10:17. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
With what solemnity this invests our hearing! I often hear people say, «We go to such-and-such a place of worship, to hear so-and-so preach.» That is well if the preacher is, like John the Baptist, «a man sent from God;» for «faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God;» only let us all so hear the Word of God that, hearing it, we believe on Jesus Christ whom God hath sent; believing on him, we confess our faith in the divinely-appointed way, devoutly worship and adore the ever-blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and do all we can to make the Saviour known to others.
Romans 10:18-19. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know?
These Jews for whom Paul prayed, these people who were so zealous in seeking to establish their own righteousness, did not they know God's way of salvation? Did not they know Jesus of Nazareth, the divinely-appointed Saviour? Yes, they did; but they refused to believe on him, they would not walk in God's way of salvation.
Romans 10:19-21. 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 out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
Oh, that God would soon bring these «disobedient and gainsaying people» whether Jews or Gentiles, to submit themselves unto his righteousness, and so to be saved! May he graciously grant it, for Jesus Christ's sake! Amen.