Romans 10:5–17

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Recite the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.

1.    Under Moses, righteousness or salvation was based upon obeying the Law, beginning with the 10 commandments. This proved to be unattainable, and was in fact, only a precursor to something better.

2.    This came with the arrival of Messiah Jesus. No longer was forgiveness and salvation based on what a person did, but all was dependent upon faith in the finished work of Jesus.

3.    Faith is operative when a person confesses that Jesus is their Lord, believing that God the Father has raised Jesus from the dead, following His crucifixion.

4.    And this settled in the “heart,” which biblically means the very core of a person. And such will be known to others by means of public confession, often meaning water baptism.

5.    And professing Jesus as Lord, especially when stating Jesus is Messiah and unpopular then, and now, risks being shamed or worse.

6.    And this is not for Jews only, but for Gentiles as well thus all of the human race. Indeed, all who call on him to save them from the just reward of their sin, these will be saved.

7.    Therefore, the message of the crucified and risen Savior must be proclaimed, and here is the heart of Paul’s words to the Roman Church.

8.    It is the “preaching” that counts, and those who will preach must be sent, and to all not just the Jewish people.

9.    Here we see that the Christianity of the early Church was clearly evangelical, which means that the message is to be presented to the entire world. Indeed, each and every Christian is a missionary, an evangelist, a sent one.

10.  Paul’s words in summary, verse 17, are words found on the back wall of the building we worship in, and they are: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.