Nothing of this is intended in the class that is here brought before us. Or what is to be done according to that doctrine? Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 10:12-17 There is not one God to the Jews, more kind, and another to the Gentiles, who is less kind; the Lord is a Father to all men. God was not satisfied alone. He spent the whole night in trying to cheer and comfort others: he had no trembling thought about himself. These dear ones at this hour look back upon me and say, "Go on: preach the same gospel to others; for we found it blessed truth to die upon." If you get out on the extreme and, unfortunately, some people do. Now that God has revealed Himself in the gospel, it is not what will suit man on earth, but what is worthy of the presence of the glory of God. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Romans 8:1-39 displays this comforting truth in its fulness. I am not sure, for I know little about it." In heaven it will fill us perfectly; but there is no more perfect joy there, nor anything. It was the boast of the Jews that the law spoke about them; that the Gentiles had no right to it, and were but presuming on what belonged to God's chosen people. His answer is: "You cannot say that Israel never got the chance to hear; for scripture plainly says that God's message has gone out to all the world.". A person cannot believe unless they hear. 22). If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Their zeal was not according to knowledge. Those that were under the law were to do all themselves, Do this, and live; but the gospel discovers the greatest part of the work done already, and what remains cut short in righteousness, salvation offered upon very plain and easy terms, brought to our door, as it were, in the word which is nigh us. But if it were so, He had not done with them. From verse 14 there is an advance. There is nothing like the grace of God for producing the truest humility, the humility that not only descends to the lowest level of sinners to do them good, but which is itself the fruit of deliverance from that self-love which puffs itself or lowers others. Moses spoke a word that had to be obeyed, but Paul proclaims a word that must be believed. There is nothing now to be done, but a work in us; this must be our care, to look to our heart and mouth. The language of faith says, Do nothing. It must be further observed, that lest the minds of men, being led away by crafts, should wander from the way of salvation, the limits of the word are prescribed to them, within which they are to keep themselves: for it is the same as though he had bidden them to be satisfied with the word only, and reminded them, that in this mirror those secrets of heaven are to be seen, which would otherwise by their brightness dazzle their eyes, and would also stun their ears and overpower the mind itself. Here, then, it is a comparison of the two great heads Adam and Christ, and the immeasurable superiority of the second man is shown. It is not in any degree settled as to itself by His blood. Once it was far otherwise. , , The word, that is, the word of faith is nigh thee. 1. John MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Book of Romans 2 Volume Set. So also the gospel by no means involves itself in obscurity, but says, Believe and live, quite as distinctly as Moses said, "Do and live." And he gives his reason: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith." Your name is not on the list." So Paul concludes his argument by citing two Old Testament texts to prove his case. I can say no less. If what Christ has done will not save a sinner I am damned; for I have nothing else to depend upon; but if it will save, and sure I am that it will, I am saved as surely as Christ has risen from the dead. To this he refers likewise, Galatians 3:12, The man that doeth them, shall live in them. They tried him with their various attainments, depressions, anxieties, quibbles, and questions; but still the huckster would not budge. (4-8) The contrast between Gods righteousness and our attempts at righteousness. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, alone is capable of performing the mighty works of salvation required by humanitys sinfulness, and He has already done them. He was Emmanuel, yea, the Jehovah, God of Israel. The man who does those things shall live by them: The Law of Moses makes the path to righteousness through the law plain. is the double prophecy. If you were to descend there, what would you do without him whom God has anointed to save? 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. In the rest of chapter 15 the apostle dwells on the extent of his apostleship, renews his expression of the thought and hope of visiting Rome, and at the same time shows how well he remembered the need of the poor at Jerusalem. It was already among them by the preaching of the apostles, and was a subject of conversation and of thought. That same energy of the Holy Ghost which had displayed itself in Jesus, when He walked in holiness here below, was demonstrated in resurrection; and not merely in His own rising from the dead, but in raising such at any time no doubt, though most signally and triumphantly displayed in His own resurrection. Verse 20. Paul didnt just care, he prayed. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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." I have never been down-hearted at anything my life; certainly not at the thought of dying. The way to heaven up the steep sides of Sinai is inaccessible to trembling feet like ours. The righteousness of faith lies not in dreams and visions, delusions or depressions: it lies only in reliance upon the work of Jesus finished for you. The day hastens when the Redeemer shall come to Zion. Just as the sun in the heavens is not for one people or land alone, no more is the gospel. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Ed. Judge ye whether any one of us has fulfilled the whole law. Here, again, the apostle takes up what he had but announced in chapter 1 the righteousness of God. Along with this he gathers testimonies from more than one prophet. Here is your answer. Some of those zealous ones beat up the mayor in Jerusalem just a day or so ago because of some of his rulings that they felt did not coincide with their desires. There were those who were good, whose balance was on the right side; there were those who were bad, whose balance was on the debit side; there were those who were in between, who, by doing one more good work, could become good. i. On the contrary, he says Gods word is as close to a person as his own mouth and heart. A great present-day preacher called preaching "pleading with men." Now I take this opportunity of pressing on all that are here to beware of contracted views of "salvation." It was a message that went out from God to sinners as such. Not thus does God deal with souls. Then call upon the Lord, and you shall be saved. What, then, is its voice? The law which was given upon Mount Sinai, though it was not a pure covenant of works (for who then could be saved under that dispensation?) He brings out the peculiar glories of Israel according to the depth of the gospel as he knew and preached it; at least, of His person who is the object of faith now revealed. The downfall of man, when he thus abandoned God, was most rapid and profound; and the Holy Spirit traces this solemnly to the end ofRomans 1:1-32; Romans 1:1-32 with no needless words, in a few energetic strokes summing up that which is abundantly confirmed (but in how different a manner!) They also had a moral problem: they have not submitted to the righteousness of God. But we have had it fully in Romans 3:1-31. In doing so, he personifies righteousness based on faith. Observe, the gospel is not simply remission of sins, nor is it only peace with God, but "the power of God unto salvation." "Doubts," he said, "what do you mean? He heard a poor woman sing somewhere, He remembered the words, and what was better, he felt their sense; and he kept on humming them to himself till God's good Spirit engraved them on his heart. We have the tenour of it, Romans 10:9; Romans 10:10, the sum of the gospel, which is plain and easy enough. No man can tell. When God gives you growth in grace and fruitfulness in good works it will be your safety to be as little as ever you were, and to trust in nothing but the work of the Lord. and how can they hear without a preacher? If you want to live by the law (find life through the law), you must do the law and do it completely and perfectly. Even the saints there would have been all the better for the gospel. A person cannot save himself. 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: We do not gain God's righteousness by works. Undoubtedly there are fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, and God values them I will not say from man, but from His saints; but here it is what, according to the apostle, God has for man. Christ is the end of the moral law in that he did what the law could not do (Romans 8:3; Romans 8:3), and secured the great end of it. But what saith it? The man who does those things shall live by them, ascend into heaven or descend into the abyss, But what does it say? It is not a question of His mercy merely; for this weakens the truth immensely, and perverts its character wholly. But I say, did not Israel know? Jesus had come and died; Jesus had been a propitiatory sacrifice; Jesus had borne the judgment of God because of the sins He bore. A passage like this may seem strange to us and unconvincing; and it may seem that some at least of the texts Paul quotes have been wrenched out of their context and made to mean what they were never intended to mean. "What shall we then say that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? The Jews built on a false foundation, and refused to come to Christ for free salvation by faith, and numbers in every age do the same in various ways. Thus the deliverance is not merely for the joy of the soul, but also for strength in our walking after the Spirit, who has given and found a nature in which He delights, communicating withal His own delight in Christ, and making obedience to be the joyful service of the believer. The offering up of this desire to God. No man among us doubts that if he had performed the law of God the Lord would give him life; but it is equally certain that if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ we have eternal lire. But how, argues he, could this stand, seeing that Abraham had another son, just as much his child as Isaac? Instead, we gain it by confessing and believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ. (325) It is the word which requires faith, and is received by faith; or it is the word entitled to faith, worthy of being believed; or it is the word which generates and supports faith. (a) It is the normal title of respect like the English sir, the French monsieur, the German herr. It was a very great thing, especially, when the profession of Christ or Christianity hazarded estate, honour, preferment, liberty, life, and all that is dear in this world, which was the case in the primitive times. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Did Gentiles believe? Observe again, it is not victory here; for that would give place to human pride. What saith the gospel? It seems incredible that a man should die like that for a law like that. Romans 13:1-14; Romans 13:1-14 urges their duties towards what was outside them, more particularly to the powers that be, but also to men in general. If slurred over, as it too often is in souls, it invariably leaves practical obedience lame, and halt, and blind. But they are not even doing the works that God requires in the offering of a sacrifice. ROMANS 10:8-17 INTRODUCTION: It is amazing how little people know about the Word of God, especially here in America where virtually everyone has access to the Bible. The way of the law was not easy. Last of all, the apostle links up this fundamental treatise of divine righteousness in its doctrine, its dispensational bearings, and its exhortations to the walk of Christians, with higher truth, which it would not have been suitable then to bring out; for grace considers the state and the need of the saints. Now, the gospel forbids us to dream in this fashion. How can they call on him in whom they have not believed? So, then, if a man called Jesus kurios ( G2962) he was ranking him with the Emperor and with God; he was giving him the supreme place in his life; he was pledging him implicit obedience and reverent worship. This brings out a most emphatic truth and special side of Christianity. Cold desires do but beg denials; we must even breathe out our souls in every prayer. 7). 13). The word of God is to be close to the heart of every Christian. The word abyss (abussos) is usually found in the book of Revelation (Revelation 9:1-2; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1; Revelation 20:3). Thither He shall come, and thence, go forth. It is simple; indeed, so simple that people try to obscure it in order to understand it. The design of the law was to lead people to Christ. All rights reserved. Believe that he can save you; believe that he will save you; at any rate leave the whole matter of your salvation with him in unquestioning confidence. At the close of that period he rose into the air, ascending high. (that is, to bring, Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? we know how this was in Israel, how it might be, and has been, in Christendom. He was debtor both to the Greeks and the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise; he was ready, as far as he was concerned, to preach the gospel to those that were at Rome also (ver. In thy heart - The word heart is very variously used in the sacred Scriptures. For instance, if a man signs a contract without having read the conditions, he cannot complain if afterwards he finds out that the conditions are very different from what he thought they were. IV. That is - This is the use which the apostle makes of it; not that Moses referred to the gospel. ( Isaiah 53:1.) When you and I are no longer sinners, Christ is no longer our Savior; when you and I no more need him, then we shall not have him. Our Lord gives the law all it requires, not a part, for that would be an admission that it might justly have been content with less at first. (Spurgeon). It is as equally simple to the Jew as it is to the Greek. As positively as the law utters its promise and threat, so positively and unalterably doth the gospel deliver its decree. Did the Jews take the ground of exclusively having that word of God the law? You can also change some of your preferences. But more than this "Whosoever shall call." He would not therefore have them ignorant how they had lain on his heart for a visit (ver. Plainly put, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified (Romans 3:20). The appeal to their own inspired account of Abraham turned into a proof of the consistency of God's ways in justifying by faith, and hence in justifying the uncircumcised no less than the circumcision. This were indeed to deny the value of His death, and of that newness of life we have in Him risen, and a return to bondage of the worst description. That is not Christ's way. The believer in Jesus shall be saved because he is a believer; and Christ's veracity is staked thereon: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): a. Christ is the end of the law: Jesus is the end of the law for those who believe. Who bring glad tidings of good things!. We ought therefore to bear in mind, that if a soul be not brought into conscious deliverance as the fruit of divine teaching, and founded on the work of Christ, we are very far from presenting the gospel as the apostle Paul glories in it, and delights that it should go forth. Because this word is so important, Paul said it was preached (present tense). And as that little remnant is ever sustained by the grace of God, it is the standing pledge of their final blessedness through His mercy, whereon the apostle breaks out into raptures of thanksgiving to God. Consequently the door is as open to the Gentile as to the Jew. You know what Cardinal Bellarmine said: he was a great antagonist of Luther, and thought that we might trust in our works; but, looking it all over, he admitted that inasmuch as no man could be quite sure that he had done enough good works, it was perhaps best on the whole and safest to trust altogether to the blood and merits of Jesus Christ. But if you and I are as he was, "poor sinners, and nothing at all," we may, with firm and resolute grip, lay hold upon the other line, "But Jesus Christ is my all in all." He deals with the Jew from his own Scripture (verses 9-19). God has done all that is necessary, and we receive His gift of righteousness by faith" (Vol. They set up the golden calf, and thus cast off the true God, their God, even in the desert. The way of salvation is now both plain and easy. Perhaps I am doing the same this morning, but I do not mean to do it. First, What is promised to us: Thou shalt be saved. He came down, indeed, when he was born; and, being down so low as that, he descended to the carpenter's shop, to the weariness of the well's brink, and to a thirst which made him say, "Give me to drink." It is no longer blood, but death Christ's death and resurrection. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. 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