"Was It All for Nought"
Romans 10:1-11

“1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 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. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 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:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 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; 9 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Ro 10:1-11)

We have two very important historical events referenced in this passage concerning the righteousness of faith that is the subject of this text. The first event is God becoming a man; the second is His resurrection from the dead. Sandwiched between these two book-end events is the very important event of His death on the cross. Because this is Easter and because these events cannot be understood in isolation, I want to take a look at them today.

Paul says that Israel has a problem. Their problem is that they are desirous of being accepted of God, but they want to be accepted on their own terms. They have not submitted to the righteousness of God: instead they want to establish their own righteousness. We will look at these two contrary mindsets, illustration the mindset of faith from the law of Moses, and see the perfection of faith in the Gospel.

A. Vs. 5. The mindset of the law; that God can be satisfied because I have kept His commandments. “The man that does those things shall live by them.”

1. This is theoretically true, but not historically possible.

a) To affirm this is to affirm that Adam’s fall did not take place and must begin by a denial of God’ account concerning the history of the world.
b) Because I am born in sin, I cannot fully obey any of God’s commandments.

2. This was from no defect in the law, but from a defect in me.

B. Vs. 3. They had not submitted to the righteousness of faith. This was the problem and involved the hardness of their hearts. They could not and would not see that all their good works were of no avail, but were, on the contrary, a real hindrance to being approved of God. The different mindsets are clearly contrasted by the great apostle and there is no possibility of reconciling the two, though many attempts have been made over the centuries.

C. Isaiah had highlighted the difference in Isaiah 55: “6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa 55:6-9)

II. Paul then cites the book of the law, Deut. 30, in order to show that Israel was without excuse, because the righteousness of faith had been contained the law of Moses. He cites it, with a commentary. We will look at the citation first, and then at Paul’s commentary and explanation.

A. The citation is Deut 30; do not turn to it, but keep your Bible open to Paul’s words, so you can see the difference and understand the New Testament Commentary: “11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. 15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;” (De 30:11-15)

B. Israel was without excuse; the way of salvation was set before them clearly.

1. It was not hidden in heaven. They did not need any superhuman spiritual person to climb up Jacob’s ladder into heaven to pluck the secrets of God from Him. No: God had come down on Sinai and had told them everything they needed to know. The rest of the Old Testament is simply and unpacking of what was in the books of Moses.

a) The origin of the heavens and the earth

b) The origin of man

c) The fall of man and the promise of the redeemer.

d) The call of Abraham and the election of God—the specialness of Israel.

e) God’s provision for them; historical parables.

f) It was all there for those who believed, and many of them did.

2. It was not hidden over the sea; hidden in some dark and mysterious land of shadows and ghosts. Not in Egypt; not in Tibet; not in the North Pole; not in deep jungles;

3. It is plain: Moses said: I have given it to you. Theword is very near to you, in thy mouth, and in thy heart.

4. It was not equally plain to everyone, although the OT Scriptures were carried by the Jews into all the lands of the ancient world, and the nations knew of the, but their minds were blinded.

III. Now, the New Testament Commentary: Everything revealed about God has reference to Jesus Christ.

A. Faith doesn’t say that the word is hidden in heaven. This Gospel is NOT a secret. The will and plan of God is even more clear for us than it was for Israel. Jesus is God; that He did come to tell us everything we need to know about God’s redemption.

1. What was necessary for Israel and sufficient for them to be blessed, was revealed by Moses in his five books; in addition, these were explained by the holy prophets.

2. To say that we need someone to bring us news from heaven is to deny the provision that is made for us in Jesus Christ. Israel was to read the law and hear the prophets and submit to the way that God had made for them to escape temptation.

3. For us to seek new revelation now is in effect to deny that Jesus Christ is the fullness of redemption; and involves in the blasphemy of placing another along side of Him. Do not look for someone else from Heaven. He has already come and given us all things for our life and salvation.

4. 2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

B. Faith doesn’t say that the word is hidden in some deep hole in some far land or place. Jesus our Lord explored all the darkness of death and hell, plucked their terror from them, and we don’t need any of that stuff.

1. A longing for the occult, to seek the dead, to long for the mysteries of darkness is to deny Christ and to flirt with the fires of hell.

2. Faith accepts that all the mysteries of heaven and hell are revealed to us and we need to know nothing more about them that what is revealed. “14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col 2:14-15)

C. So what is clearly left for us. What is the simple and clear message that Paul says is in our mouths and in our hearts: Two things:

1. Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. Confess and Profess are the translations of this term: it means to repeat after: To witness to the reality.

a) Illustration: Lawyer, were you in Portland, Maine, on the night of…..? Answer; Sir, you are right, I do think that Mr. Jones would be a good candidate for the position of county clerk. You are definitely right.

b) A confession or profession is to affirm the proposition, not to affirm another one.

c) To confess the Lord Jesus is to accept the record that God has given of His son, as we read in 1John5: “5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1Jo 5:5-12)

2. Believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead: You confession, your heart, the record all must agree. It is as simple as that. If you do that, you will be saved; if you do not, you will not be saved.

a) The resurrection is the attestation of the Father as to the divinity and sinlessness of His son; it is the affirmation that He is the mediator with power to save His people from their sins.

b) The faith in your heart, and your agreement with the Scriptures is the work of the Holy Spirit: that Jesus is the Son of God, the Bible is the word of God, and you agree with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

c) The word on your tongue completes the work of the Trinity, for Jesus said that if you confess Him—affirm that what He said about His mission and His work are true.

You have the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It isn’t hard, except your unbelief will keep you from the blessing just as Israel’s unbelief kept them from the blessing.

Amen and Amen
God bless you.