Village Schools of the Bible

ROMANS: Heart & Soul of the Gospel
A Devotional Study of Romans
by Max Frazier, Jr.

ROMANS 10: "The Exercise of Human Responsibility in Rejection."

In this chapter Paul demonstrates to the unbelieving sinner that God is not responsible for his lost condition. Man alone is responsible and he cannot hide behind divine sovereignty nor use the doctrine of election as an excuse for his sin.

Notes on verses 1-4: Introduction

Verse 1 - encouragement to prayer. The sovereignty of God should be an incentive, not a discouragement to prayer.

Verse 2 - these people have a "zeal" for God. But this zeal was "not according to knowledge." This knowledge refers to a "full knowledge." The Jews had some knowledge, but they did not know God in Christ Jesus.

Verse 3 - this was a willful ignorance on their part. They sought to establish their own righteousness. They did not submit to God's righteousness. God's righteousness is something not only that we believe, but also something to which we should be submitted.

Verse 4 - Christ is the end when it comes to righteousness.

Notes on verses 5-10: The Gospel is within reach of all. The righteousness of the law can be summed up in three words: "do and live."

Verse 6 - righteousness that is by faith. Paul is saying that man had nothing to do with the incarnation.

Verse 7 - man had nothing to do with the resurrection

Verse 9 - looks as though it were backwards, because it puts confession before faith - this is the outside view. Until you confess Jesus as Lord, I do not know whether you believe or not. If you confess Christ, then I know there is faith in your heart.

Verse 10 - describes the actual order.

Notes on verses 11-15: The Gospel is offered to all.

Paul quotes to the Jews from their own Scriptures:

Verse 11 - from Isaiah 49:23;

Verse 13 - from Joel 2:32.

Verses 14-15 - to show the Jews the necessity for taking the gospel, that is intended for all, to all. Christ does the sending: (see John 20:21, Isaiah 6:8)

Notes on verses 16-21: They have not all obeyed the Gospel

Verse 16 - Quotes from Isaiah 53:1. What kind of report was it they did not believe? The report of a Messiah, who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, bruised for our iniquities - a Christ who was broken upon the cross.

Verse 17 - Definition of faith. Faith does not just come by your hearing - that would be a human act. Faith comes from something heard - from the Word of God.

Verse 18 - "did they not hear?" (see Psalm 19:4)

Verse 19 - "did Israel really know? Did they understand this? Did not God spring something on the Jews, and without warning?" Quotes Moses (see Deuteronomy 10:19 and Deuteronomy 32:21), and Isaiah (Isaiah 65:1).

Verse 21 - evidence of sovereign grace

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS:

The dictionary defines the word "zealous" as "being ardently devoted to a purpose." We witness people today who are zealous for their particular sports team. They truly are a "fan-atic." Others are zealous for a social or political cause. Animal rights and environmental issues capture the hearts of many and we call them "fanatics."

The Apostle Paul, as he begins this chapter, proclaims that Israel had a zealousness for God. Now that sounds like a good kind of zealousness. We might call them "fanatics for God." Certainly this zealousness was a characteristic of such Jews who belonged to the Pharisaic party. They prided themselves on their commitment to God. But then Paul declares that their zealousness was not based on knowledge. If not knowledge, what then? As one reads the pages of the Gospels and Acts, one begins to understand that the zealousness of the Pharisees in particular was derived from their own interpretation of the traditions that had been handed down to them. Yes, they religiously kept the rules, but many had not understanding of what was the purpose of the rules. They just did it because that was the thing to do.

Paul's desire was that believers begin to become zealous based upon a full knowledge of what God had done for them in the person of Jesus Christ. I think Paul is saying that each person needs to have ownership of his or her belief system. It is a belief system not based upon the opinions of others, but is derived from my own personal study and reflection.

I want to be zealous. But I want that zealousness, that enthusiasm, to be based upon knowledge, not ignorance. Therefore, I need to be a zealous student of the Word and open to what God might teach me.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER AS ONE READS THESE VERSES:

1.In verses 2 and 3, the word "knowledge" means "full knowledge." The Jews had some knowledge, but did not know God in Christ Jesus. According to Paul, in verse 3, what are the two dangers in having a zeal for God without a knowledge of Christ?

2.What was Paul's attitude toward the people he described in verses 2 and 3? What can we learn from him about our attitude toward the lost?

3.What is the difference between a righteousness that comes from the law (see verse 5) and a righteousness that leads to salvation (see verse 8)? What is the importance of Paul's statement in verses 9 and 10? What do they mean to you?

4.Why is belief in Christ never disappointing? Relate all the benefits we have in Christ.

5.What are the steps in reaching the lost? What is our part in this process?

6.Israel was obstinate and disobedient. They turned their back on God's plan. Read Psalm 19:4; Deuteronomy 10:19 and 32:21, and Isaiah 65:1. Yet, according to verse 21, what was God's attitude toward them,and why?

Romans 9 Return to the Table of Contents Romans 11