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. 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. 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. Romans 10:9-13

When you read these scriptures from a 21rst century American perspective, we think “Hey Christianity is easy” just say Jesus Is Lord and you get the golden ticket into Heaven. Unfortunately this is what most modern day Western Christianity has become anymore, a very shallow , consumer minded Churchianity. Most people today ask “What can Jesus do for me”? Instead of how can I serve the One True King!

So looking at this text from a correct cultural context lens, this letter was written to the Church of Rome in the 1rst Century, a place where Christians were often tortured by being fed to lions for everyone’s entertainment. The region where Caesar was Lord and ruled with a rod of iron, in fact the Roman coin had an inscription on it that stated “Ceaser is the Son of God”

To publicly profess Jesus Is Lord is a guarantee you are an enemy of Caesar, that would mean you will lose everything, including the possibility of your life. To profess your allegiance to Christ instead of Caesar , literally meant to deny yourself, carry your cross, and follow Jesus. Your ultimate fate would be in prison, or being fed to lions while a great crowd cheers on, or being tied to a stake and burned alive, which was called a “Roman Candle” So are you ready to profess Jesus Christ is Lord now?

Christianity was not for the faint of heart in the 1rst Century, to profess Jesus is Lord, meant truly in your heart you believed Jesus is the Son of God who rose from the dead. If you didn’t truly believe that, you will never make this public profession, because it would cost you everything! As the Apostle Paul states “the same Lord over all” Jesus Is Lord and King over all Creation

“Everyone who calls upon the name of The Lord shall be saved” Call upon the name of Jesus and you shall be saved, the Risen Lord is King of His eternal Kingdom, Amen!

For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 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.) 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; Romans 10:5-8

The Law and The Gospel, these are essential in our faith with Christ. Many Christians want to remove The Law from our existence, make no mention of it, however then why do you need to hear the gospel? Without The Law, why do you need Jesus? You can’t understand your wretchedness without The Law, you also can’t understand righteousness without The Law, as the Apostle Paul stated “The Law is our tutor to bring us to Christ “(Galatians 3:24)

God brought forth The Law through Moses “Moses describes the righteousness which is of The Law” However how do we obtain this righteousness? The Law is actually perfect and beautiful, but we can’t obtain it because we are depraved, therefore we hate The Law! “The man which does those things shall live by them” We try to live righteous by The Law but we fail miserably everyday, oh wretched sinner that I am (Romans 7:24)

“But the righteousness which is of faith speaks in this way” So righteousness is obtained by faith in Christ and not by The Law. We could never obtain righteousness of ourselves because we could never “Keep The Law” However as previously stated “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (v4)

We are saved by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) This is how we can obtain righteousness by faith in Christ and not by The Law, because we are unable to Keep The Law. Whoever tries to obtain righteousness without Christ, will condemn themselves. “The word is near you in your heart and your mouth” We don’t just profess to be Christians, we need a new heart and a new mind, the Holy Spirit must live inside of us (Ezekiel 36, Jeremiah 33, John 3) We must be Born Again, The Law must be written on our hearts and minds

So we don’t just talk the talk , we also walk the walk, faith without works is dead (James 2) By grace through faith in Christ, Jesus makes us Born Again, so we can become the righteousness of God, (2 Corinthians 5:21) Amen

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. 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. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth Romans 10:1-4

The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, will continue about Israel, and how he desires them to become saved. It’s pretty clear here in the context that Paul is addressing Israel, and I make this point because many will claim the Church has replaced Israel, but if thats the case , the three chapters of Romans (9,10,11) contextual wouldn’t make any sense. Paul wouldn’t have a desire for the Church to be saved, because they are already saved in Christ. The Apostle, an Israelite, is making a plead for Israel to come to Christ for salvation

Paul goes even one step forward to try and mediate for Israel “For I bear them record that they have zeal of God” Paul is trying to make the case, the Jews have passion and love for God, and they do, however nobody can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6) And this is the problem with all religions and cult groups, they will never truly know God until they know the true Risen Lord. There is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12) regardless of how much zeal and religion you have, you need to be Born Again (John 3:3)

“Being ignorant of Gods righteousness, seeking to establish their own righteousness” They don’t understand the grace of God, they don’t understand we are saved by grace through faith , it is not of ourselves (works, religion), it is a gift of God, not by works so anyone can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9) All false religions don’t understand we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and not of our own works, so the false religions continue to try and earn their salvation. They try to work their way into Heaven, and they will never achieve this, because we are wretched sinners in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23)

Jesus said “I have not come to abolish The Law, but fulfill” (Matthew 5:17) Jesus fulfilled all righteousness (Matthew 3:15) Its only through Christ we can be saved. While Israel tries to earn their salvation by “keeping The Law” they are actually condemning themselves, because nobody can “keep the Law” (Galatians 3:11) The Law has been fulfilled in Christ, our sins can only be atoned for by Christ , It Is Finished at the Cross of Christ (John 19:30) Glory to The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) Amen!

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. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Romans 9:30-33

As the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, continues to reveal to us the New Covenant in Christ, the Chief Cornerstone, Paul also explains to us why many failed to achieve righteousness, even if they were elect or not, righteousness is attained by faith and not the works of The Law. 

Paul begins “The Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith” Israel was given The Law through Moses, yet they failed to obtain righteousness because they didn’t understand The Law. As Paul continues “because they sought it not by faith, but as if it were by the works of the law” Israel tried to earn their own salvation, they tried to obtain righteousness by themselves

However nobody is able to obtain righteousness by works, The Law was given to reveal our sin, not to make us sinless. The Law is a mirror, that should have brought them to their knees of repentance, however it made them boast in arrogance of sin. Ultimately The Law condemned them because they didn’t seek God by faith, but they sought God by works. 

The Apostle Paul reveals another prophecy about Christ from the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah fortold about Jesus all throughout His ministry, Paul quotes him here “Behold I lay in Zion (Israel) a stumbling stone, a rock of offence, and whoever (Jew or Gentile) believes on Him (Christ) will not be put to shame” (Isaiah 28:16) The prophet was telling Israel, salvation is found in faith in Christ and not of yourselves!

Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone, (1 Peter 2:6-8) He is the only way to salvation (John 14:6) Its not by the works of The Law but its by faith in Christ, everyone who calls upon the name of The Lord shall be saved! (Joel 2:32, Romans 10:13) Amen!