ROMANS 10- "THE WORD OF FAITH"

ROMANS 10 “THE WORD OF FAITH”

Preached by:  Pastor Carolyn Sissom

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Paul’s passion for Israel is so great that he never ceases to pray for her salvation; nor should we as Christians ever cease to pray for the Jews.  In This chapter Paul again emphasizes the gospel of faith-righteousness is not something to strive and strain after with superhuman efforts, but it is near at hand, ready for a man to take in his mouth and into his heart.

The Word of Faith in here introduced into the gospel in Verses 8 & 9.  “But what does it say?  The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the Word of Faith which we preach:  that if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and will believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Believe and Receive, then close the deal with God by confession with the mouth.   If belief alone were sufficient, the demons would be saved.  (James 2:19) “You believe there is one God, you do well; the devils also believe, and tremble.    Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  Ideas that are not translated into words remain as beliefs.  I believe that we are to not only confess him before men, but we must confess this belief directly to God.  The Jews had no spiritual acquaintance with God.  They knew about Him, but they did not know him personally.

9:2-4:  “for I bear them record that they have 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.”

Zeal which is not guided by correct knowledge is always dangerous.  Knowledge is like the gun that aims the bullet with zeal being the gunpowder.  Knowledge with zeal doesn’t please God either.  “Knowledge puff up” Zeal according to knowledge as revealed by the Holy Spirit, and not the intellect, is necessary to make up God’s program.

Those of us who go back a few years remember the “early Zeal” of the Charismatic renewal.  We went around quoting scriptures to every thing that was standing still long enough to hear us.  The Lord dealt with us with the Grace of great longsuffering and patience.  Then as many were emboldened with the “Gifts of the Holy Spirit”, their zeal often became presumptuous.  However, in spite of all our growing pains, the Lord’s Grace continues to prevail as we grow in wisdom and maturity.

Our maturity will be measured by how we handle the immaturity of others.  (Romans 14:1) “As for the man who is weak in the faith, receive him, but not to criticize him for his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussion.”

This plainly means that as Ministers, we are not to argue, invade another’s space without an invitation, and hold our opinions until we are inquired of.  We are to accept weak believers into the fellowship.  They may try to argue with us or even cause trouble. In such case, then it is to be handled by the Elders.  We are to be mature enough to not take offense at those who are “weak in faith”.  Nor or we to be persuaded by those of “weak faith”. 

10:4-5:  “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes,   for Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law.  That the man who does those things shall live by them. 

You may well imagine that this scripture is the subject of a lot of heated discussion among scholars of the Word.  The controversy being, “What does Paul mean by saying, “Christ put an end to the law”?  The law is still in force because it is eternal, but the Jewish program has ended. 

Since Jesus lived a perfect life under the law, it means he fulfilled the Law with His life.  The law required more than perfect lives.  It also requires the death of sinners. (Stoning of Christ’s body).  When we receive Jesus as Savior, we also receive His death.  We fulfill the death requirement.  The law cannot touch a dead man.  When a man receives Christ, he is regarded as legally dead to the old man.

If it were possible for anyone to live a sinless life in the flesh, then it would not have been necessary for Jesus to die.

10: 6-8:  ‘But the righteousness which is of faith speaks on this wise, say not in your 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 does it say?  The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart, that is the Word of Faith, which we preach.”

Paul is quoting Moses in Deut.  30:11-14: “For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not hidden from you, neither is it far off.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?  Neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?  But the word is very near unto you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.”

The Jewish readers at Rome were very familiar with this passage in Deut.  Paul has cleverly substituted “Christ” for the “Law” and “from the dead” for “Beyond the sea”.

10: 10-13: “For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture says, whosoever believes in 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. 

These words are still too broad for narrow minds of self-made men and women, who believe in themselves and not in the power of Jesus.  Morality and uprightness without acceptance of Jesus Christ is still an unsaved life.  It is also pride.  There are many really “good” people who have made a success out of their lives through hard-work and perseverance, but they have never called upon the Lord to be saved.

Paul’s use of the name of the Lord here is Jehovah (Yahweh).  Jesus is the God of all peoples, both Jew and Greek.  The Lord’s richness of his great love, salvation, and redemption is to all who will receive him as Lord.

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 are 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.”

Note the “sending”.  If one is sent, then they are equipped.  Each of the members of His Body must personally experience a revolutionary work of the Spirit, inwardly in vision and understanding and outwardly in life style that we preach the gospel of peace.

God’s method for his offer is men.  This is the Great Commission.  The printed page along with technology has blanketed the earth with the gospel.  Unless the Spirit sends a man, his words are empty.  With the anointing, his words are Life.  An anointed messenger is really speaking as the One in whose name the messenger speaks.    

“Paul is here quoting from Isaiah 52:7.  The prophet wrote, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him.…” Paul purposely changes it to “How beautiful are the feet of them…”   By New Covenant expansion and Holy Ghost illumination, the apostle Paul declares that the feet of “Him” become the feet of “them”---Christ in the fullness of His Church (Eph. 1:23)!  The gospel proclaims that Jesus has come to bring forgiveness, life and peace to all.  This good news centers in His glorious Person, in “Him”.  Through the power of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Jesus Christ now resides in “them”---His glorious Body.

Ezek 21:27: “…until He comes whose right it is; and I will give it to Him.

Jn. 1:12: “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

“Whose right it is”---it belongs first to Jesus, then to the Spirit of the Son in His body---first Him, then them!  It becomes Him; He becomes them, those who believe in His name.  The divine covenantal right is His, then ours!

This foundational truth is based on King Jesus having been given all authority in heaven and earth (Mt. 28:18).  God is omnipotent; He has no enemies.  They all lay defeated under His mighty feet. The warfare is accomplished.  The devil is not God’s adversary---he is ours.” (Whose Right It Is by:  Kelly Varner)

10: 16-17:  ‘But they have not all obeyed the gospel.  For Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report?  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

The tragedy of the gospel is that sinful men simply don’t want it.  In full view, through our television screens, it is clear that the world system will only believe the spirit of the anti-christ.  We hear the pundits scorn and mock Christians and our beliefs.  Even this past week, Keith Olberman, did a parody where he mocked the voice of God speaking to Glenn Beck.

John 5:41-47:  Jesus speaking to the Jews:  “I do not receive honor from men.  I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in my Father’s name, and you have not received me.  If another shall come in his own name, you will receive him.  How can you believe which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?  Do not think what I will accuse you to the Father; there is one that accuses you, even Moses in whom you trust.  Had you believed Moses, you would have believed me; for he wrote of me.  But if you believe not his writing’s how shall you believe my words?

Matt. 7:13:  “The gate is wide” said Jesus, “and the way is broad that leads to destruction and many are those who enter by it.”

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”?  First Moses said,’ I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.”

The Holy Bible is our best commentary.  Paul is again quoting from the Old Testament, Deut. 32:21:  “They have moved Me to jealousy with what is not God; they have angered Me with their idols.  So I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people.  I will anger them with a foolish nation.”

10:20-21:  “Isaiah is very bold, and said, I was found of them that sought me not:  I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.  But to Israel he said, All day long I have stretched forth my hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.”

Notice that God still calls the Jews a “people”.  Paul is going to develop that for us in chapter eleven.  This chapter ends with two great apostolic doctrines set fort:

1. The Jews are no longer the exclusive people of God.
2. The privilege of coming to God on an individual basis has been thrown open to all men through belief in His Son, Jesus Christ.

In chapter eleven, Paul makes it clear that God is not through using Israel as a nation.  Paul says, having said all of that, your read to ask, “Has God disowned His people completely?”  NO WAY!!!  After all, Paul says, I’m a full blooded Israelite myself, having descended from Abraham through the tribe of Benjamin.

It is impossible for God to discard His own people after choosing them on the basis of his foreknowledge! 

Next week we have Ras and Bev Robinson as our guest ministers at both the a.m. and p.m. services.  Then the following week we have Barbie Breathitt.  So that means it will be September 26, 2010 before we continue with Chapter Eleven and the Lord’s program for the Jews.

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

www.eastgateminsitries.com

We video our a.m. services and audio all other services.

Scripture from K.J.V., Bibliography:  Lovett’s Lights on Romans by:  C. S. Lovett; Matthew Henry’s Commentary; Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible; F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary; Whose Right It Is by: Kelly Varner; Carolyn Sissom Bible Study Notes from 1987.  Comments and conclusions are my own as revealed by the Holy Spirit and not meant to express the views of those from whom I have gleaned.