Tag Archives: salvation

Seeking a Right Standing With God, Romans 10:1-17

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Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be a righteousness for everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:1-4

This section echoes Romans 9:1-5 as Paul longs for the salvation of his Jewish people. Paul, who knew firsthand of the Jews’ zeal (Galatians 1:13-14), was pained that they lacked knowledge of Jesus’ identity and mission. Instead of accepting that Jesus fulfilled the Law and opened a way for right standing before God through faith in Him (Romans 3:21; Galatians 3:19-4:7), they sought righteousness through their traditions and through Law keeping. They failed to recognize God’s plan of redemption through Christ.

How is Christ the fulfillment and end of the Law?

The NIV Life Application Study Bible observes: “Christ is the end of the Law in two ways. He fulfills the purpose and goal of the Law (Matthew 5:17) in that He perfectly exemplified God’s desires on earth. But He is also the termination of the Law because in comparison to Christ, the Law is powerless to save. In order to be saved by the Law, a person would have to live a perfect life, not sinning once. Why did God give the Law when He knew people couldn’t keep it? According to Paul, one reason the Law was given was to show people how guilty they are (Galatians 3:19). The Law was a shadow of Christ—that is, the sacrificial system educated the people so that when the true sacrifice came they would be able to understand His work (Hebrews 10:1-4). The Law points to Christ, the reason for all those animal sacrifices.”

Paul ends this section by emphasizing belief: c294fe65b0c2395c94e96512b22b0ae5“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (vs. 17).

Shepherd’s Notes comments: “Nowhere in Scripture is the universal scope of salvation presented with greater clarity. Although God’s redemptive plan was worked out in history through one particular race, it was meant from the beginning for the benefit of all people. Romans 10:9-10 has long served as one of the most helpful portions of Scripture for pointing out the way of salvation: confession that Jesus is Lord and belief in one’s heart that God has raised Him from death. This belief is not merely verbal assent, but staking one’s entire being on this truth.”

A Disobedient People, Romans 10:18-21

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God, having placed good and evil in our power, has given us full freedom of choice; He does not keep back the unwilling, but embraces the willing.”  John Chrysostom

As I listened to family speeches at my 94 year-old Grandma’s funeral service last week, we all felt the same: Each of us was Grandma’s favorite. Her decision to follow God resulted in her being a channel of His love. Inside her worn Bible was a list of all her children, their spouses, grandchildren, and great grandchildren whom she prayed for daily. Her decision to trust, love, and faithfully follow God not only has provided a wonderful example to my family and me, but has also been a ripple effect of tremendous blessing upon our families.

Choices

In this last section of chapter 10, Paul talks with an imaginary supporter of Israel. Three questions are presented by this supporter, aimed to prove Israel faultless in their relationship with God. But Paul cites Old Testament passages to prove that Israel’s choice—rejecting Christ as Messiah—is without excuse: But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people” (vs. 21).

Israel’s decision to pursue personal virtue based on works instead of following God’s requirement for righteousness by faith had nothing to do with their inability or chances to understand. For they had been given Old Testament Scripture. Paul clarifies: They were solely responsible for their rejection of God and His Word.

So What?
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." - Proverbs 14:12.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” – Proverbs 14:12.

In chapter 10, Paul describes two ways of trying to obtain a right standing before God: 1) Following the Law, 2) placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ.

What is God’s way of salvation? Why did the Law fail?

What if we are busy serving God by doing good things, but we neglect His way of attaining right standing before Him through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ?

In a land where Bibles are abundant, like Israel, we will not be excused for lack of knowledge and/or opportunity to follow God’s way.

Engrafted Branches, Romans 11:11-24

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Again I ask: ‘Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?’ – Romans 11:11

Paul’s description of the unbelieving, hardened Israel in the last section prompted him to ask this question. In other words: Was Israel’s fall a permanent ruin? Again, Paul replies: “By no means!”

Paul summarizes his discussion’s main points for the rest of the chapter in verses 11-12, (Shepherd’s Notes):

  • Through the trespass of Israel, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
  • Through the salvation of the Gentiles, Paul hoped Israel would be provoked to jealousy and turn to Christ for salvation.
  • Through the inclusion of Israel, great blessings will come to all. Not only was the rejection of Israel partial; it was also temporary.
The Ideal Church

Paul had a vision of Jew and Gentile uniting under God’s love where faith and obedience to Christ would matter most, not a person’s social status and/or ethnic background.

"The LORD called your name, 'A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form': With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless" (Jeremiah 11:16, NASB).

“The LORD called your name, ‘A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form’: With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless” (Jeremiah 11:16, NASB).

This ideal church would look to Christ alone for salvation while still respecting the Law.

Paul’s vision has yet to be realized. While many Jews rejected the gospel, and instead relied on their heritage for salvation, many Gentiles began rejecting the Jews. Sadly, persecution has been a recurring practice throughout the centuries.

In verses 17-24, Paul uses the allegory of an olive tree to warn Gentiles from feeling superior because God rejected some Jews.

The olive tree symbolized true Israel: The natural branches broken off symbolized the unbelieving Jews, while the Gentiles were the wild olive branches grafted in.

3 Reasons Why Gentiles Shouldn’t Boast

Shepherd’s Notes observes Paul’s admonition to Gentiles for not boasting over the Jews:

  1. They should remember that they are wild olive shoots who have been engrafted (vs. 17-18).
  2. They should understand that the natural branches were broken off because of their unbelief, taking heed not to presume on God (vs. 19-22).
  3. They should realize that God has the power to graft the natural branches back into the olive tree, provided that they do not persist in their unbelief (vs. 23-24).
So What?

Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect and thank God for all His blessings. Thankfully, God has extended His invitation of salvation to everyone.

May we remember God’s words to Abraham: “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). Jesus—descendant of Israel’s father, Abraham—fulfills this promise. Micah 4:2 and Zechariah 8:22 says that many nations will come to know Him. And when Jesus returns, He will reign in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21).

Doxology, Romans 16:25-27

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Paul’s final verses to the Roman church ring with praise. For God not only used him to help spread the gospel, but also share His plan for the Gentiles: God’s inclusion of them/us into His church.

Major Themes

Paul weaved major themes from Romans into these last three verses:

  • God alone establishes and strengthens the believer.
  • God alone has given direct revelation of the gospel through Jesus Christ through His life, death, and resurrection.
  • God has purposed His plan of salvation to everyone who chooses to receive it.
So What?

We should never write someone off as impossible for God to save. Paul was a prime example. From a zealous Christian persecutor to a zealous gospel preacher, God moved mightily in his life: saving, transforming, and strengthening his faith.

We too can trust God to work powerfully in our lives. He’s not limited by our backgrounds, weaknesses, and/or failures.

God used Paul to reach the ends of his world through the cosmopolitan power house of Rome. We would do well to heed God’s inspired words from Paul in Romans as we also take the gospel to the ends of our world through words, prayer, technology, and missionary support.

Have you received God’s gift of salvation?

How has God strengthened your faith?

I love the following scripture/song. It’s a great reminder that God is not only able to work for the good in our  circumstances, but also work for the good in our hearts’ invisible arena.

Four Factors in Evangelism (Part 1)

Posted on by under Salvation

Jesus’ final instructions to His disciples after His resurrection, before returning to His Father in heaven, was to go and make more disciples, “teaching them to obey everything I [Jesus] have commanded,” (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18).

With this same authority, Jesus still commands us to tell others the Good News and make disciples for His kingdom. This is His Great Commission.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”                     Luke 19:10

Leslie Flynn, author of 19 Gifts of the Spirit, defines evangelism as the following:

The gift of proclaiming the Good News of salvation effectively so that people respond to the claims of Christ in conversion and in discipleship.”

Four Factors in Evangelism
  1. Proclamation . . . . In addition to Christian witness through works, evangelism requires words: explanation of how a sinner becomes right with God; Christ’s historical, redemptive death and resurrection. The gift communicates the gospel with power so people are brought into the experience of salvation with knowledge of spiritual life and death. Hearers may or may not be emotionally moved, but the intellect must not be bypassed. How we proclaim is extremely important. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
  2. Good News . . . . The word gospel comes from the Greek words, well and announcement, which means “good announcement” or “Good News”.
  3. Effectively Resulting in Conversion . . . . Campus Crusade for Christ defines witnessing success as: “sharing Christ in the power of the Spirit and leaving the results to Him.” Only God can bring spiritual understanding and conversion. There will not be a response every time we witness, but the hearer should understand that a decision must be made: Accept or reject Christ.
  4. Discipleship . . . . Dedicated evangelists and organizations have systematic follow-up plans to help new converts grow in their faith and connect with the local church.

Evangelism is not reserved just for the pastor or professional. Campus Crusade estimates it takes 1,000 laymen and six pastors one year to win one convert to Christ. Philip, the only person called an evangelist in the Bible, was a deacon. And interestingly, the early church grew in numbers by a lay movement (Acts 8).

Teaching and Evangelism are Closely Related

Evangelism is referred to teaching several places in Acts. Hearers wanted to know much about Jesus before putting their faith in Him, (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Mich.). Church historians observe that evangelistic surges throughout the centuries result from sound theological advances.

Even if we do not possess the gift of evangelism, we are told to do the work of an evangelist (Mark 1:17). Some people are more effective in personal evangelism. Others may be most effective in group evangelism—such as Billy Graham—or cross cultural evangelism.

What is your experience with evangelism? Have you shared the Good News with anyone lately? Who shared the Good News with you? How has that impacted you?

*Next few posts: The message and methods in evangelism . . . . Have a great week!