Romans chapter ten is a continuation of the last part of chapter nine.  In verse 24 of chapter nine, Paul starts a new topic that continues through chapter eleven.  This new topic is that of Spiritual Israel.  Spiritual Israel is not necessarily through flesh and blood, but through faith in the Messiah.

The Remnant of God: (Romans 9:24-33)

          The topic of this section of scripture is of the true people of God.  Paul starts out by saying, "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (Rom. 9:24).  This special group consists of both Jew and Gentile.  He supports this by quoting the book of Hosea, "I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.  And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God"  (Rom. 9:25-26).  This new group called the, "children of the living God" is not really new, for it was predicted hundreds of years earlier.  In fact, Paul specifically quotes a passage that identifies a non-Israel children of God.  He then quotes Isaiah, "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth" (Rom. 9:27-28).  This, "remnant" consists of those who will be saved.  How do we know?  The Apostle Paul next quotes Isaiah 1:9, which says, "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah."  However, when Paul quotes this verse he uses the word, "seed" instead of, "remnant" (Rom. 9:29).  The remnant Paul is speaking of are those who have faith in the seed of Israel, the Messiah.

          Here is the point.  Paul asks the question, "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness" (Rom. 9:30-31).  This must have caused confusion to many in Paul's day.  How could Israel, who have been seeking God through His law, not receive righteousness, but the Gentiles, who do not even know God's law, receive God's righteousness?  The answer, "Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law" (Rom. 9:32).  The problem the Jews had was a lack of understanding of the scripture.  Had they read and understood Genesis 15:6, they would know that Abraham received his righteousness by his faith/belief (Gal. 3:6).  Then after faith, Abraham, "obeyed [God's] voice, and kept [His] charge, [His] commandments, [His] statutes, and [His] laws" (Gen. 26:4-5).  Salvation is the same today.  All people, Jew and Gentile, must first have faith in the Messiah of Israel.  This will provide their righteousness before God (Justification).  After faith, is sanctification where a believer learns to practice and follow the law of God.  This whole process is a, "stumblingstone and rock of offence" (Rom. 9:31) because it takes a humble person to see this.  We have to first admit that we can't do it.  If our pride gets in our way, the Messiah becomes a, "stumblingstone."

The End of the Law for Righteousness: (Romans 10:1-11).

          Paul now starts an appeal for his brethren.  "My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom. 10:1-2).  The Apostle has a strong connection for his brethren.  After all, Paul was a Pharisee and had many ties to the Jewish community (Phil. 3:5-6).  To now be the, "apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:13) must be difficult for him.  He now has to watch a people who have never sought after God receive what the Jews sought after.  However, throughout all this appeal we learn the problem for the Jews.  They, "have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge."  Though they had the scriptures, they lacked the understanding of them.  They missed the entire doctrine of faith.  Had they understood this, they would have received God's righteousness as well.  The truth is faith is found throughout the Old Testament.  The writer of the book of Hebrews spends the entirety of chapter eleven citing examples from the Old Testament of faith.  This concept is not new and the Jews should have understood this, but their pride in thinking they could earn God's righteousness by practicing His law made faith a, "stumblingstone."  This is confirmed in the very next verse for the Jews were, "ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:3).  The righteousness of God comes by faith, the righteousness of man come by the law, which we cannot practice perfectly (James 2:10).  This does not mean we should not practice the law, but we do not rely on this practice to earn our justification.  The practice of the law is our sanctification (Deut. 14:2).

          This leads to a verse that is commonly misunderstood.  "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Rom. 10:4).  This verse is commonly quoted to say that the law of God is abolished, but this is not at all true.  The word end in a modern sense can mean to cease or stop existing, but is this what it means in verse four?  The Greek word for, "end" is telos which means, "the conclusion of an act or state, result, purpose" (Strong's Concordance - G5056).  In fact, if you look up the English definition of the word, "end" you will see these same definitions, as well as many others.  The point is not that the law is done or over, but that it has reached its, "result" or "purpose."  What is this result?  As the Messiah stated directly, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil" (Matt. 5:17).  The Messiah did not, "destroy" the law, but rather He, "fulfil[led]" the law.  The word, "fulfil" is the Greek word plēroō which means, "to make replete, satisfy, execute, finish" (Strong's Concordance - G4137).  The Messiah, "completes" the law, not abolishes it.  Remember, Paul just stated one verse earlier that the Jews were trying to, "establish their own righteousness" by practicing the law.  Paul is here stating that the Messiah is the completion of trying to, "establish their own righteousness" for He established it for us.  This in no way removes our responsibility to practice God's law.  The Messiah is the end of the law for our justification.  Why? Because the law is not for our justification, but for our sanctification.

          "For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them." (Rom. 10:5).  If you want to earn your righteousness through the law, you better get it right and live by them.  Otherwise you can receive your salvation through the Messiah, who already got it right for us.  "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:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead)" (Rom. 10:6-7).  In an attempt to define the righteousness of faith, Paul quotes Moses (Deut. 30:11-14).  This passage is towards the end of Moses' life.  He is attempting to describe the law of God to the Israelites.  The law is not, "hidden" from them or, "far off" (Deut. 30:11).  They are 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.  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" (Deut. 30:12-13)?  Where then is the law?  It is, "nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it" (Deut. 30:14).  This is a reference to the New Covenant.  As God stated in Jeremiah 31:33, "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people."  God's original plan with Moses was that the law is in our hearts.  Why is the law, "nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart?"  So that, "thou mayest do it" (Deut. 30:14).  To anyone who understands the law of God, this is a clear reference to how to practice the law.  You don't practice the law by the flesh, but by faith, with God's law in your heart.  Moses clearly taught this, but the Israelites forgot over the years.  The Messiah is bringing us back to this understanding of God's law.

          How do we get God's law in our hearts?  "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.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed" (Rom. 10:9-11).  Faith is the means by how we practice God's law.  The process is like this.  We receive our justification by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah (Eph. 2:8, 1 Cor. 15:1-4).  This faith brings the promise of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).  The Holy Spirit teaches us how to, "walk in [God's] statutes, and ye shall keep [His] judgments, and do them" (Eze. 36:27).  The Holy Spirit is what puts God's laws in our heart.  The end result is we will learn how to practice the law of God.

Faith Comes by Hearing: (Romans 10:12-21)

          "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:12-13).  The Israelites were not the chosen people because salvation was for them only, they were the chosen people because the law of God was given to them and the Messiah came from them.  God is the God of all people, so long as they, "call upon him."  "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?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Rom. 10:14-15).  This is the importance of sharing your faith.  Without hearing the Gospel you cannot believe.  "But they have not all obeyed the gospel.  For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:16-17).  The Jews have not obeyed, or believed the Gospel, just as Isaiah predicted (Is. 53:1).  Even though the Jews heard the Gospel, they refused to believe (Rom. 10:18-19).  Their own Messiah was a, "stumblingstone" to their justification for they refused to believe what the law clearly taught.  For Isaiah stated, "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.  I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts" (Is. 65:1-2, Rom. 10:20-21).  Not only did the law clearly teach how to practice God's law, but God even warned the Israelites that He would receive a foreign nation and reject them.  Why? He said this because they, "walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts."  They could have walked according to God's ways, if they put God's law in their hearts.  That is, they truly desired to practice God's law.  After all, God provided several great examples.  King David was a, "man after [God's] own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14).  What does a man such as this do, but, "delight in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night" (Psalm 1:2).

          The remnant of God are those who practice His law by faith in the Messiah.  If we try to practice the law by our own power we will fail.  This is why God sent His Holy Spirit, to help and aid us with the practice of His law.  This is done by putting His law in our hearts and giving us the desire to, "be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22).  To continue this study in Romans chapter eleven please click here.

By Steve Siefken

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Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth

not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV