Romans

Our time of Gentile salvation interrupted Israel ’s program. By showing how God worked with Israel in the past, Romans 9:1-29 explained this further delay in the fulfillment of their destiny. “What shall we say then?” How is He working with Israel now? Let’s see.

30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

10:1 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.

(Vs 30.) The Gentiles who previously had nothing to do with God, (Eph 2:11,12) now can have God’s righteousness by faith in Christ. (Rom 3:22-25; 4:5)

(Vs 31, 32.) But Israel did not get God’s righteousness because they sought to get it themselves by keeping the law, instead of by trusting Christ. (Rom 3:19,20; Gal 2:16,21; 3:10,11)

(Vs 32, 33.) Christ is “that stumblingstone”. (Is 8:13-16; 28:16) Christ is often referred to as Israel ’s “Rock”. (I Cor 10:4; Deut 32:18,30,31; Luke 20:17,18) Sion is the capital of Israel where Jesus was crucified, rose again, and from where He will rule when He returns. Jesus was an offence to Israel ’s corrupt religious system, (Mat 23) but those who trusted that He was Israel ’s Christ, will be honored, not ashamed. (Jn 20:31; Mat 19:29; Rev 5:9,10)

(Vs 1.) Remember that Paul is still talking about Israel throughout this chapter and the next. Now he will show how Jews today and can individually be saved even though their nation stumbled, fell and has been cast away. (Rom 11:11-15)

(Vs 2.) Many say it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. Is that true? The object of our faith is what saves us, not the amount or intensity of our faith. Paul was very zealous as a religious Jew, but he was not saved until he trusted the right object, which is Christ. (Phil 3:4-9; Gal 1:13,14; Acts 22:3-5) Zealous faith in the wrong thing can be a disaster.

(Vs 3.) This verse is true of many people today as well as of the Jews. When people think God will accept them because they are good or religious, they are ignorant of God’s character and standards of perfect righteousness. He can not accept less from us and still maintain His standard. Religions go about to establish man’s own righteousness in the attempt to get around God’s judgment. But “to submit unto the righteousness of God” means to recognize that our best can never even compare to His standard. (Is 64:6)

(Vs 4. ) Christ gives His 100% righteousness to anyone who believes that He died to pay for their sins and rose again. (Rom 4:24,25; I Cor 15: 3,4) “For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Cor 5:21) This righteousness is the goal (end) of the law - what the law was leading up to all along. (See Gal 3:19-26) Therefore, now we are no longer under the law. (Rom 6:14,15; 7:4-6; Col 2:14; Eph 2:15)

(Vs 5.) This verse is from Lev 18:5. The trouble with the law is that no one can do it. Even one slip makes a person guilty. (Gal 3:10-12; James 2:10; Rom 3:19,20) So righteousness must be by God’s mercy, not man’s doing. (Eph 2:8,9)

(Vs 6-8.) These verses come from Deut 30:11-17, where Israel had just received the law for the second time and Moses says they have no excuse not to believe and do it. They couldn’t say they didn’t have the word of God. Likewise Jews today cannot say they didn’t have the opportunity to hear about salvation. Jesus, the living Word of God, (Jn 1:1-3,14) came down from heaven, was crucified and rose again right in their nation.

God’s word has always been near (nigh) to Israel (Rom 3:1,2; Ps 147:19,20), urging them to “turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and…soul.” (Deut 30:10) That is the same thing Paul is saying to them here. Believe God and trust Him to do for you what you cannot do for yourselves. That’s faith.

(Vs 9-11.) Do you think that the word of God is in the physical heart and mouth? Or the heart and mouth of the soul? This verse has nothing to do with audibly speaking in front of people. If a Jew acknowledges (confesses with the mouth of his soul) his need for the Lord Jesus, and depends (believes with his heart) on the fact that Christ “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom 4:25), he will be saved. So individual Jews today can be saved from the penalty of their sin in the same way that the rest of the world can be, through faith in Christ. (vs 12)