Romans 9:30 - 10:13

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Romans (Acts)

Rusty's Notes

Last week…

• The emphasis as we’ve seen is on God’s initiative, His sovereignty in determining those within the broader group of Israel who would actually become His own true people.[1]
• We are moving from God’s sovereignty in Romans 9 to human responsibility in Romans 10.

 
Romans 9:30-33
ISRAEL’S PRESENT STATE
30 What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

• “The Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness” – they hadn’t received the Law and did not even try to line their behavior up with the Law.
• The Gentiles received and were made righteous simply because of their belief.
• They didn’t have to do anything but believe.
• This is the same way Abraham was “credited” righteousness in Genesis 15.

31 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law.

• Romans 3:20 - For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the Law.[2]

32 Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

• “Faith” is not a “work”
• Jesus Christ is the stumbling stone.
• So why was the Law even given? As a snare?
• No! It was given for people to realize they can’t attain the Law in their own strength.
• They need a Savior who it will do it for them.
• The Savior’s blood was poured out as a sacrifice for our sinful nature.
• He becomes the Lord of Life when we rest and allow Him to be the “boss” of our life.
• No one will deny that there are many mysteries connected with divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
• Nowhere does God ask us to choose between these two truths, because they both come from God and are a part of God’s plan.
• They do not compete; they cooperate.
• The fact that we cannot fully understand how they work together does not deny the fact that they do.[3]

33 As it is written,
Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over
and a rock to trip over,
and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame.

• Quoting Isaiah 8 & 28.
• The Jews have been running a race where Christ is the finish line.
• But they have been looking at the Law that was pointing them to the finish line.
• They are so focused on the Law/the track that they never realized they already crossed the finish line.
• They are still running the race.
• That “stumbling block” is the “cornerstone” which is Jesus.
• What God provided as a foundational stone became a stumbling stone.
• We need to remember this truth during seasons when it “seems” as though God has forsaken us.  Yes, those seasons will come.
• They will bear tremendous fruit in the end, however, allowing us to view life from God’s perspective to an ever-increasing degree.[4]

 
RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH ALONE
Romans 10
1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.

• They didn’t have a need for salvation because they had the Law and could manage it on their own.

2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

• The knowledge is based upon “knowing about God” vs “knowing God”
• Since their Babylonian captivity, they had given up on idolatry.
• They had the temple.
• They even doubled down on the Law with their own laws (Mishna).
• It’s not much different today.

3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.

• The Jews thought that the Gentiles had to come up to Israel’s level to be saved; when actually the Jews had to go down to the level of the Gentiles to be saved.
• “For there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:22–23).[5]

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. (Leviticus 18:5)

• This is the product or outward living.
• It’s backwards from what God intended.

6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” (Deuteronomy 30:12-14) that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

• Paul is using OT passages to say, you can’t physically bring salvation from heaven or below.
• Christ has already done that.

8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.

• Paul is more concerned about the inward.
• What is in your heart.

This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

• We’ve been taught that we actually have to something similar to this phrase to receive salvation.
• It is our belief alone that saves us and the byproduct is that “Jesus is Lord” comes out of your mouth.

10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

• Outward confession stems from a profound inward conviction.[6]

11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, (Isaiah 28:16) 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him.

• John 3:16 – For God so love the world…

13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:32)[7]
 
Law of Righteousness                     Faith Righteousness
Only for the Jew                                  For “whosoever”
Based on works                                  Comes by faith alone
Self-righteousness                              God’s righteousness
Cannot save                                        Brings salvation
Obey the Lord                                     Call on the Lord
Leads to pride                                     Glorifies God[8]
 
[1] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 3:19–20). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 546). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 545). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[6] Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 209). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 9:30–10:13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 548). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.