The righteousness of faith defined!
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Israel had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Imagine to be filled with zeal for God and miss the purpose, intent, and the heart of God. Divine order is so important; Israel missed the message the just shall live by faith.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."
The dominion of the law can only be ended when the object of one’s faith is in Jesus Christ alone. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes! There is the righteousness of the law which has its focus upon the performance of man. Righteousness derived from the performance of man will leave man deficient of God’s righteousness.
Romans 10:6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
However there is the righteousness of faith. Notice faith speaks; put it in your mouth. The word of faith is the word that needs preached. It is not in man ascending to the heights or descending to the depths; it is the object of ones faith being exclusively in Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Some have stressed the confession and have set up a whole new system of legalism. They preach the doctrine of confession all by itself. This is unbalanced. Some have only stressed believe in your heart. However, what is in your heart will come from your mouth. Altar services centered around men making a confession of faith without a the heart believing in Jesus, is meaningless. There is the finished work of the cross!
Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
When the heart believes in the finished work of the cross there will be a confession unto salvation. Whoever believes on Him… Salvation is God doing a work in the heart. Without a change of the heart there is no salvation. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation the old things are passed away and behold all thing become new.
Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
God’s divine influence took out any racial divide; the Lord is rich to all who call upon Him. It not mere words of men, the living word of God declares “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Salvation is exclusively in Jesus Christ alone!
Romans 10:14 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?
God chose preachers to declare the good news of the gospel. Jesus Christ needs preached; His loving kindness is better than life! Hearing the Word preached is part of God’s divine order for our lives.
Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
Preach the gospel of peace; preach the glad tidings of the good things. Preaching outside the gospel of peace is to be like the opening verses of Romans 10. Preaching with a zeal for God but not according to knowledge results in men trusting in their own performance. It will have men trusting in their doings instead of a steadfast confidence in Jesus Christ’ obedient act.
Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Here is one of the God defined ways to have your faith strengthened. It is come by the hearing of the word of God. It is time for the church to turn to the preacher who is under the divine order of preaching the good news of the gospel
Not all will respond to this gospel; who will believe the report of the Lord?
Romans 10:18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world." 19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
Those who had no God became the people of God; those who had God became estranged from God, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes through faith.
Romans 10:20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me." 21 But to Israel he says:
"All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people."
It is the day of grace so we can know the favor of God. God reached out and called us by name and blessed us. He took us in with the Spirit of adoption; abba Father is our cry. The Father made us accepted in the beloved. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. The Father Himself has qualified us through the blood of His Son. Even now by the blood of the everlasting covenant, He is doing a perfecting work in us. He allows the voice of the blood of Jesus to speak contrary to our judgment and bring us peace. In the blood of His Son we are brought near to God; all hostility being put to death at the cross. God the Father is seeking you to worship Him. Jesus says COME!
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