Those who Have Ears to Hear (Romans 10)

Have you ever felt frustrated because you have been misunderstood and your attempts to reach someone have not been received despite the copious expressions through spoken word, written text, and actions?  I have.  Sometimes, I think that if I could just communicate an idea differently, my friend, family member, or acquaintance would understand and then we could be in agreement.   But that assumes, they don’t understand what I’m saying.  What if I’m understood, but the message is just not accepted? 

How about this scenario?  Have you ever known that you were going to be rejected because of something you needed to say?  Did you try your best to deliver the message in a way that limited their negative response? Or, even omit some information because the interaction was just going to be difficult?

In reading Romans 10, I’m amazed at the great love of the Father and Son who knowingly subjected themselves to such scorn and ridicule to reach some.  How many centuries did the Godhead endure with fallen humanity?  How long do we endure with those we claim to love?

Well, the LORD is still patiently waiting for all who will have ears to hear. 

And as far as the physical children of Israel (as the entire nation), Jesus has been waiting for their acceptance for almost 2000 years.  And that’s where we are in Romans 10:  the children of Israel’s current situation.

Please grab your Bible and search out what is written for yourself.  That’s one of the things I admire about truth seekers.  They are delighted to hear good news, AND they confirm what they hear with the valid, reliable, and invariable Logos by Rhema!

A Prayer for Countryman to Know Christ (Romans 10:1-4)

Paul wrote about God’s election (in Romans 9) which includes Him being merciful and His hardening (or confirming agreement) with those who desire to go their own way despite the revelation of God.  And, knowing that God has complete foreknowledge and the complete freedom to choose what He wants, Paul continued to pray for his countryman (refer to verse 1 in chapter 10).  He knew that many had rejected Jesus; at one point in his past, Paul was one of them.  Paul understood their misdirected zeal (verse 2) because before his conversion he shared their “works-based” enthusiasm for (1) knowing God and (2) making oneself righteous.  He admits this in the letter to the Philippians; thank God that he was saved by the revelation of the risen Jesus Christ!  He wrote:

• “though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:4-11)

You see, we had all rejected God and His Messiah until we accepted Them.  If someone hasn’t accepted Jesus as the way to have a righteous standing before God, they have rejected His message.

This is how the Apostle John explained it:

• “All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.” (1 John 5:10 NLT)

Although Paul was sent as an Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul continued to plead for the nation of Israel. Isn’t that like God to select an intercessor to pray with passion for people?  I think of Moses standing in the gap for his countrymen (Exodus 32:10-15) or Abraham for his family and others (Genesis 18:17-33).  What great examples of how God caused people (through His conversation with them) to intercede for those who would be lost!  

Do we not have some advanced knowledge of what God has said He will do to judge unrighteousness?  His Word has laid out the plan.  What is our response?

In verse 3, Paul explained that seeking to be righteous (or accepted by God) based on their performance is entirely unfruitful to God because it demonstrates a refusal to accept God’s righteous and benevolent plan of reconciliation.  It’s For it is written:

• “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)

For it is written:

• “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)
• “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)
• “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11)
• “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10:38)

 Let’s take a closer look at verse 4.  What does “the end of the law for righteousness” mean?  Jesus said:

• “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.” (Romans 10:4 NLT)
• “For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior].” (Romans 10:4 AMP)

These translations are consistent with Christ’s words and with Paul’s letter to the Galatians.  As it is written:

• “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)
• “to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:5)

Jesus continued in the gospel of Matthew saying:

• “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

The only way to have this greater righteousness is to have it assigned by God! And He offers it to all who put their trust in Christ. Amazing grace!

So, we can conclude that Paul prayed that the covenant nation of Israel would understand that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the Law knowing that God has a remnant in every generation.  When I consider this in conjunction with God’s election and His foreknowledge and then reflect on Christ’s high priestly prayer in John 17 (specifically verses 9, 15-16, and 20-21), it becomes clear that there is no contradiction between God’s election and praying for the lost.  Here are some points to consider:

• Jesus did not pray for the world but He prayed for His disciples and those who would become believers in the future.
• The future believers were lost at the time Christ prayed for them.
• God not only elects who He will have mercy on, but God also chooses how and when individuals come to the knowledge of the truth.
• Jesus explains that the believer’s witness is the means (or the method) that the Godhead will use to reach the lost (John 17:20-21). 
• In this age, God’s plan is to use the preaching of His Word by followers of Christ to bring people to salvation.
• In our obedience to Christ’s command to make disciples, we are further sanctified.
• God has chosen not to reveal to individuals whom He has foreordained within His election for salvation. God has chosen to reveal His election about certain people within Scripture (i.e. Pharaoh in Exodus 4:21; Exodus 14:17) to instruct believers.

To understand God’s election, you can read Romans 9 and refer to Dare to Understand Romans 9 – Part 1 Lite.

Jesus said:

• “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

The Profession of Faith in Christ that Comes from the Heart Results in Imputed Righteousness (Romans 10:5-13)

At this point in Paul’s letter, he refers the reader back to what Moses stated in the law (verse 5) by quoting Leviticus 18:5 which states:

• “‘You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.”

Before God gave His only begotten Son as the final atonement for sin (John 3:16), the laws that God gave Moses provided a way for those who wanted to live under God’s provision and protection to be temporarily spared from the wrath of God (Leviticus 26:1).   Paul explained that the unbelieving Jews self-righteous efforts were now futile since the goal (or purpose) of the Law had been revealed and fulfilled in Christ. 

In one sense, one could understand how many Jews continued their practice of ceremonial worship since they did not grasp the concept of the incarnated Lamb of God putting an end to these things.   After all, the Law was and is holy as Paul confirmed earlier in the same letter (Romans 7:12) although it could never remove sin and inpute righteousness.  As it is written:

• “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come, In the volume of the book it is written of Me, To do Your will, O God.‘ ” Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:1-10)
• “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

Jesus had told large crowds of Israelites (anyone who would listen):

• “”For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”” (John 6:38-40)

But it was difficult for many to receive, digest and believe.   The devout Jews would have understood that their prophets (who quoted the “if a man does, he shall live by them” from Leviticus) also relayed messages from God that included being called stiff-necked, unwilling to hear (Nehemiah 9:29) and warnings of God’s wrath because of disobedience to the Mosaic Laws (Ezekiel 20:11, 13, 21). 

There is an example of where Jesus confirmed the law to a “self-righteous” man in the Gospel of Luke.  Let’s read that account:

• “And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.‘ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. “Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. “Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. “So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. “On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”” (Luke 10:25-37)

Notice Christ’s response was to explain that truly good and selfless deeds come from the heart of the person who loves God. 

The lawyer had technical knowledge about the law and felt righteous in his performance. He expected Jesus to confirm his righteousness. But Jesus, using a parable, explained to the lawyer that a person’s actions stem from the position of their heart. In His parable, the first people (a priest and a Levite) who passed the wounded man certainly kept the law as best they could, but there was not enough love in their hearts to interrupt their schedules for this individual. The one who demonstrated love reacted righteously and willfully chose to follow through in a committed way (perhaps with self-sacrifice).

Friends, we sometimes react properly and sometimes not.  Hopefully, love would be our initial response; but when we fall short, the Holy Spirit is there to convict our hearts so that we give thought to our actions and repent (not just be remorseful). 

A person who gives thought to the LORD’s desires (because they love Him) and then decisively follows what God would want regardless of the cost, demonstrates fruit that comes from the imputed righteousness of God through faith in Christ.

There was another time when the chief priests and the elders challenged Jesus’s authority to teach and Jesus responded with questions and then another parable.    Let’s consider this one:

• “”But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ “He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. “Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.” (Matthew 21:28-32)

In this exchange, Jesus explained that John the Baptist was the prophesied forerunner who would point out the promised Messiah (the Messiah would restore the relationship between God and man in the Kingdom of God). The point was that those who justified themselves through their adherence to the Law rejected the message of the Gospel, but those who were poorly esteemed accepted John’s witness about Jesus.

• “As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’ ” John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” (Mark 1:2-5)

Regardless of the time era, since the fall (Genesis 4:7), God has called people to turn their hearts and minds towards Him in a committed way.  The fruit of that change would result in righteousness because God would pardon and instruct them.   

Please read Romans 10:6-8. Paul again used the familiar Scripture from the Torah to explain that righteousness can only come through faith in what God has said to us. It is not merely faith in the existence of God that brings about righteousness (because the demons believe in God and tremble over their fate). Paul quoted from Deuteronomy; I have included the broader context.  

• “”if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ “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?‘ “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, … “But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, … “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; “that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”” (Deuteronomy 30:10-15, 17, 19-20)

It is written:

• “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”?” (Hebrews 1:1-5)

When John the forerunner of the Messiah baptized Jesus:

• “… immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”” (Mark 1:10-11)

The fulfillment and purpose of the Scriptures is in Jesus Christ; and, there are no other signs needed. 

Everything we need for life and Godliness, God has already provided by (1) sending His Son who told us the way to be reconciled with the Father; (2) proving Christ’s authenticity and authority over demons, disease, and death through Christ’s miracles; (3) fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies; (4) resurrecting from the dead as seen by hundreds of eyewitnesses; (5) sending us the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer; (6) creating the church to be His witnesses and to strengthen believers; and (7) giving us His written Word containing the concealed and revealed testimony of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

These next two verses are key!  We don’t need someone to go to Heaven and retrieve more evidence! We need to simply do what is written.  The Word of God says:

The Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) has already taken care of the rest.  They will work with you through His Holy Spirit to grow you up into a fruitful branch (John 15:1-8)

Let’s take a close look at some words from the original Greek.

The Amplified Bible expands on Romans 10:9-10 by including the meaning of the Greek Words as follows:

• because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous–being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.

Paul then explained in Romans 10:11 that the Scripture in Isaiah 28:16 stands.

• “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.” (Isaiah 28:16 NASB95)

This is repeated by in the New Testament:

• “Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?” (Matthew 21:42 NASB95)
• “”This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” (Acts 4:11-12)
• “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11)

Verse 12 confirms that salvation is offered to every person, every people group. And verse 13 confirms that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved which is a quote from Joel:

• “And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.” (Joel 2:32)

In the context of Romans 10, when Paul said there was no distinction between Jew and Gentile, he was referring to “the way of salvation” through faith alone from the time of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. 

There is one Gospel and one new man in Christ (Ephesians 2:15). 

That said, there are distinctions to be made Scripturally that the Lord has purposed (i.e. Romans 3:1-2 ; Romans 11:7- 8, 25;  2 Corinthians 3:14-16; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:8; Hebrews 8:10; Revelation 7:2-14; Revelation 14:1-3). 

The redeemed children of God do not replace the angelic sons of God; nor does the church replace the Jews.  Rather, the Lord regenerates both Jews and Gentiles through His Holy Spirit to indwell the believer so that they become a new creation all in Christ who is the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Romans 5:12-14).  This, of course, is a topic for a different study but Paul referenced the thought in Romans 10:12.

Hopefully, you are following along in your Bible.  If you are, you might notice a few keywords repeated throughout this segment (and others more broadly throughout the chapter).  Depending on the version you are reading:

• the word “righteousness” (or its meaning) is repeated 5 times (verses 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10)
• the word “believe” or “faith” is repeated 5 times (verses 4, 6, 9,10, 11 and will be repeated again in verses 14 and 16)
• the focus on Jesus being both the ”Christ” (or Anointed Messiah) and “Lord” is repeated 12 times throughout the chapter (“Christ” in verses 4, 6, 7, and 16; “Lord” in verses 9  (2 times), 11, 12 (2 times), 13, and 14 (2 times))
• “word” (Strong’s  G4487 – with the meaning of uttered speech, spoken report) is repeated 4 times throughout the chapter (verses 8 (2 times), 17 and 18)

The Message Must be Heard to be Received (Romans 10:14-15)

In verses 14 and 15, the focus returns to the unsaved Jews.  Up to this point in chapter 10, Paul had explained to the Christian Jews and Gentiles how the unsaved Jews were pursuing God without submitting themselves to God’s Messiah (verses 3-4).  Historically, Christ had ascended, the Temple was Jerusalem still standing, and many Jews were steeped in tradition supported by the Jewish leaders.  This was the period when Paul, burdened for his fellow Jews, challenged the regenerated believers to evangelism.  How would Jews come to faith in Christ without a preacher (verse 14)?

In verse 15, Paul quoted from Isaiah 52:7 which states:

• “How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”” (Isaiah 52:7)

The verse that precedes reads:

• “Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.‘ “” (Isaiah 52:6)

• “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”” (Revelation 1:7-8)
• ” “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Revelation 1:12-18)
• “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” (Revelation 19:6)
• “”I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

The verses that follow “How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news” in Isaiah are about the sin-bearing Servant:

• “Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)
• ” For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:2-6)

Because Jesus Christ humbled himself to the obedience of His Father, Father God exalter Him very high as written in Isaiah 52 along with the New Testament’s account of His humiliation.

• “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

After John, the prophesied forerunner to the Messiah accomplished his role, Jesus proclaimed the good news, the gospel of the kingdom of God.  He announced the fulfillment of the Law and ushered in the age of grace. (Mark 1:14-15)  He has left His followers with the great commission to co-labour with Him until the day He calls us home.  

• “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Holy Spirit used Paul to cause the reader of his letter to reflect on the familiar quotes from the Old Testament Prophets.  At first glance, the statements are true without further investigation.  And for those who are investing more study time, God’s Word will be even further rooted in all that God has revealed in His Word so that (1) we can know Him more; (2) be more confident about what He foretold and accomplished; and, (3) be well equipped to share the truth and respond to the questions.

The motivation to study is not for adherence to some rules to gain righteousness. The thief on the cross did not study and He was accepted.

For me, it is because He changed my heart so that I want His Kingdom of goodness and love; because I love Him and want what He wants; because I want others to enjoy the liberty found in being able to say no to sin; because I want others to join me in eternity with Him in a regenerated universe where all that causes pain, sorrow, death, and shame have been put away.  It brings me joy to boast about my God’s goodness, love, and awesome holiness!

The Message of Christ Requires a Response (Romans 10:16-17)

Next Paul (in verse 16) directs the reader back to Isaiah:

• “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1)

As quoted above, Isaiah 52:13-15 reveals the sin-bearing Servant of God who reveals the gospel to the nations or gentiles.  Isaiah 53 reveals to the entire world (Jews and Gentiles) the sin-bearing Messiah; who was promised to the Jews specifically.  Let’s look at a specific verse:

• “He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.” (Isaiah 53:8)

Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah was echoed by the prophet Daniel:

• “”And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:26)

The Apostle John who was an eyewitness of the Lord’s life, death, resurrection and ascension wrote:

• “But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, … “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. … “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him–the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” “”For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. “And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”” (John 12:37, 40-45, 48-50)

Later, when Christ was being tried, certain Jews said: “… We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”” (John 19:7)

This was to fulfill prophecy of course but there was choice involved and a hardening of those who refused to hear with faith in what Father God had been revealing from the beginning.  God spoke through Angels, pictures or types, earthly vessels, Prophets, pre-incarnation appearances of the Lord (i.e. Genesis 18), and through Jesus, the incarnated Son of God. 

To be saved, there must be a willful response in faith to the message of Christ, the promise God gave concerning redemption.  The response from the heart assures salvation; it is agreeing with God, with His goodness, His ways, His holiness, His omniscience, and eternality. 

Failing to respond to God’s Word is a response of unbelief; it accuses God of lying or failing to keep His promises.

Jesus explained that if one does not believe what God has said through the Law and Prophets, then this same person will be unwilling to believe the miraculous including the resurrection from the dead.  Consider this telling of the beggar named Lazarus and a certain rich man.

• “”There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. “But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, “desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.‘ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.‘ “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.‘ “” (Luke 16:19-31)

All of Scripture points to Christ. The only way to have saving faith is by believing what God has done through Christ (the final Messenger of God) for redemption and imputed righteousness.

• “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10: 17)
• “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NLT)
• “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NIV)
• “So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.” (Romans 10:17 AMP)
• “so then the faith is by a report, and the report through a saying of God,” (Romans 10:17 YLT)

On the mountain where Christ was transfigured before Peter and John:

• “… a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!“” (Mark 9:7)

There is No Excuse for Unbelief with the Evidence of Nature and Scripture Containing History and Prophecy (Romans 10:18-21)

Please read the remaining verses (18-21).  This last segment teaches me that Israel and ALL PEOPLE are without excuse for failure to respond to God.

In verse 18, Paul states that “ends of the world” have heard (in some way or another) about the glory of God.  As it is written:

Here are the cross-references for verse 19 – Deuteronomy 32:21 and verse 20 – Isaiah 65:1. 

Although our Sovereign Creator, Lord, and Redeemer has manifested Himself through His creation and prophecy, the Father also purposed to use the Jewish nation to:

• preserve Holy Scripture,
• act as a light to the Gentiles, and
• from the unbelieving, demonstrate what impenitence brings so that more people could come to know Him. 

Defiant unrepentance yields a hardened blindness from which emanates eternal destruction.

We need to learn from the history the Lord has provided in His Word.  Because it is written:

• “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Paul ends the chapter with this quote:

• “I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts;” (Isaiah 65:2)

Thank God, this is not the end for the children of Israel.   And there is still hope for other unbelieving people.  Chapter 11 will reveal the prophetic reason for this temporary blindness which will be fulfilled in the future. 

Closing Thoughts

As cultures descend into moral decay, crime grows and people’s hearts grow callous, some people are asking how long Lord? I wonder about that especially as I see so much that’s just wrong! My heart longs for kindness and goodness to prevail.

Here’s the thing:  God’s timing is perfect!  He doesn’t want to leave anyone who would come to the knowledge of Christ to the conquest of evil. 

It is written:

• “So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.” (Joel 2:13).
• “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. … Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:8-9, 14-18)

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All Scripture in this blog is from the New King James Version unless otherwise specified.