Our Responsibility in Salvation

On this Partnership Sunday when we remember our partnership in the gospel with St Philip’s Community Centre, Mburi in rural Kenya we’re appropriately looking at this section of Romans, which stresses the fact that the Christian gospel is for all people, for all nations and ethnic groups; that salvation through Christ is available to anyone who truly believes; and assumes that churches will be involved in missions, in prayer and in preaching. And so after looking last week at God’s Sovereignty in Salvation from chapter 9 this week we’re looking at this passage under the heading Our Responsibility in Salvation. But first let’s remind ourselves of the context.

The question Paul addresses in Romans 9-11 is why do the majority of Jews not believe, when God seemed to have chosen the nation of Israel? Paul’s answer in the first two of these three chapters is that Jewish unbelief at the present time doesn’t mean that God’s promises to his people have failed (v6) because (a) as we saw last week from vv6-29 of Romans 9, God had never promised to save or rescue every single Jew; and (b) as we’ll see this week from 9:30-10:21 the Jews are themselves responsible for failing to believe. Israel itself, by its failure to respond rightly to God’s word is at fault for its exclusion from God’s new people. In 9:30-10:13 Paul faults them for seeking a right standing with God based on doing the law rather than on faith in Christ. And then in 10:14-21 Paul demonstrates that Israel can’t plead ignorance for its failure, for God has made his plan and purpose clear to Israel in the Scriptures.

Now some of you are thinking, hang on Jonathan, how does this all hold together? You’re saying that Paul in these two chapters of Romans argues that the unbelief of the majority of Paul’s fellow Jews is due to both God’s sovereign election (9:6b-29) and to their culpable refusal to truly believe? Yes because that’s clearly what these chapters say. Here unconditional divine election and human responsibility stand side by side, and neither should be allowed to cancel or mitigate the other. Paul clearly regards it as utterly consistent to be writing at one minute about God’s everlasting sovereignty which controls the destiny of individuals and nations, and Israel in particular, and the next minute of the response of faith we all need to make if we are to ever see heaven.

To be explicit, here are some examples of the balance of Paul’s thinking. In Romans 9:15 God says “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” and reminds us how strongly Paul expresses the idea of election. In 9:30-32 Paul asks why Israel failed to find acceptance with God. It’s not just that they were predestined not to find it, but because they sought it the wrong way. They sought to be righteous by law keeping and missed the way of faith. In 10:1 Paul prays for his fellow Jews, even though he has reason to believe there is a decree of predestination against them (9:1-18). The reason for their rejection is said in 10:3 to be that they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and also their refusal to submit themselves to God’s provision for their salvation. The ‘if you’ of 10:9, the ‘anyone’ of 10:11 and the ‘everyone’ of 10:13 let us hear God calling on every individual to whom the gospel comes, inviting, arguing, commanding and persuading them to believe in his Son. He wants everyone to be saved (see also 2 Peter 3:9) and invites all to call on his name. And in 10:14-15 the necessity of preaching is affirmed strongly.

So after the passage about predestination and election we read about human responsibility, the role of free will, the necessity of prayer, God’s offer of salvation to all people and the importance of preaching. So yes we should be going parish visiting whether here in Jesmond or in Mburi, yes we should be inviting to the Taster Session, yes we should be praying on the Day of Prayer. Mburi will certainly be praying for us.

Now, as I’ve said, this doesn’t mean we reject predestination and election. No, God is sovereign. Romans 9 is true. Predestination and election are actually meant to encourage and comfort Christians. As Article 17 of the 39 Articles of the Church of England states, “The godly consideration of predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons.” But let’s not become so intoxicated with the teaching of predestination that we lose the delicate and wonderful balance of Scripture so remarkably set out here in Romans 9 & 10. Well with all that in mind let’s look now more closely at Romans 9:30-10:21 and I want to do so under two headings, the first of which is this:


1. God’s righteousness in Christ is the only righteousness that can save 9:30-10:13 (ie a right standing based on faith in Christ, in his death on the cross in our place, which comes from God as a gift and therefore can’t be earned)

What is our heart’s desire and prayer? Look at Paul’s (10:1):

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.,

And that should be our desire and prayer today when still the vast majority of Jews are not saved. And just as Paul was concerned for his community we should be concerned and praying for ours, such as this parish as parish visiting begins and also for those in Mburi who need to be saved. So often the issues are similar – that people believe they can be acceptable to God by works and miss that it is only by faith in Jesus.

In this section Paul contrasts God’s righteousness, a righteousness (or being in the right with God) that’s available only through faith in Christ and one’s own (quotes)‘righteousness’ that’s bound up with the law and with works. In each paragraph he accuses Israel as a whole of missing God’s righteousness in Christ, the only righteousness that can save, because of her preoccupation with works and the law of Moses. Yet an approach to the law informed by right knowledge would have led them to Christ and true righteousness, for the law itself points forward to Christ.

What then shall we say? (9:30) Why are Gentiles now being called sons of the living God (9:26)? Well first (v30) the Gentiles that are have obtained a right standing with God through faith in Christ. Whereas Israel has not. Why not? (v32) Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." They were pursuing a law of righteousness that held out the promise of righteousness (2:13). But they did not obtain it nor could they ever for the law can never bring righteousness (3:20). So they are to be faulted both for what they were pursuing and for the manner in which they were pursuing it – not by faith but as if it were by works. They were so focused on the law that, rather than embracing Jesus Christ the true goal, they have stumbled over him, as prophesied in Isaiah 8:14, and they still do.

Then in 10:1-4 Paul elaborates on this stumbling. He faults them for not having a knowledge of God’s ways and purposes that matches their zeal. They were running strenuously but tragically they weren’t heading towards the true finishing line – which is the righteousness that comes from God (v3). What’s that? It is God’s act of making people right before him in Christ. Most Jews haven’t been willing to accept in faith God’s way of putting people in relationship with himself. They’ve failed to understand that Christ is himself the culmination of the law. They should have understood that all along he has been the goal. The pursuit of the righteousness that is by the law should now be at an end. The old covenant law and all its institutions have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ – with that comes God’s intention to offer righteousness to anyone who believes, both Gentile and Jew. Vv3-4:

3Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4Christ is the end [or goal] of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

And in 10:5-13 we see that the key difference between the two ways of righteousness is between doing the law and believing the gospel. The Jews had focussed so narrowly on obeying the Mosaic law that they’d put themselves in the position of being able to find life and salvation only by doing it. But as Paul’s already made clear that’s an impossible task. And there’s no need; the righteousness that is by faith is readily available to all who believe. The word of God’s law is near. There’s no need to ascend or descend to find it. The Jews have missed the fact that God has now brought near his word to people in the message of the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection. Have you? If so don’t miss it now. Put your faith in Christ and receive the righteousness that comes from God; that freely puts us in a right standing with God. As Paul continues in vv9-13 there are two implications of the nearness of God’s word in the gospel. The first is this. Now don’t miss this. It’s key. All that people are required to do is to believe the good news of Jesus Christ in their heart, to trust Christ as the risen Saviour and Lord. Vv9-10:

9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

The second is that the gospel is near for everybody, not just for the Jews – it is for those on Tyneside, for those who live down every Google street map and for those in Mburi, Kenya where there are no streets. V13

for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Faith in Christ rather than doing the law brings salvation for who? For anyone (Isaiah 28:16 & Joel 2:32). Paul’s made this clear from Romans 1:16 and now he emphasises it in vv11, 12 & 13. It’s good news for everyone, for this parish, for Mburi, for all nations and ethnic groups. For everyone in darkness who turns and calls on the name of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus in repentance and faith will be saved. And genuine faith in Christ leads to good works and obedience of God’s Word.

But let’s not miss one other point from these verses. This section also stresses the importance of the whole Bible – Old Testament & New Testament. Paul quotes extensively from the prophets. We must read, study and meditate on the OT as well as on the New. Secondly;


2. Israel’s lack of excuse (10:14-21)
So the gospel has been brought near to Israel. The fault then, argues Paul, is Israel’s for refusing to be obedient to the gospel and for failing to understand the Old Testament.
In vv14-15 Paul uses a series of questions to set forth the series of conditions that must be met if people are to call on the name of the Lord:

14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent?

Messengers must be sent, the message must be preached, people must hear the message and hearing must be met by faith. Well in v16 Paul makes it clear that the condition in this chain that has gone unfulfilled is the responsibility of those who hear the preachers of the good news to respond in obedience and faith. Israel has failed to respond to the message (Isaiah 53:1). In v17 Paul makes it plain that faith comes through hearing the word of Christ and Israel has both heard the word of Christ and known about God’s plan of salvation (vv8-20). From Isaiah 65:2 Paul reminds us of 2 key facts: first God has constantly been extending the word of his grace, the gospel, to the Jews; but second they for their part, have been largely disobedient and obstinate. Another stumbling block for some Jews in accepting the gospel (vv19-20) was the inclusion of Gentiles in the church. But Paul shows from Deuteronomy 32 & Isaiah 65:1 that God had planned all along to include the Gentiles in his ultimate plan of salvation and to make them his people. They have no excuse.

Now vv14-17 are often quoted today. But we need to be careful how we apply these verses. From the context vv14-15 are not directly encouraging us to send out missionaries. Rather they’re asserting that God has already done so. He’s sent out people to preach the good news. Israel has heard that good news (v18) but failed to believe it. This is the issue in Romans 10. But that’s not to say that this chapter doesn’t have important things to teach us about missions. It does. Paul is clearly assuming that the church, whether JPC or St Philip’s Mburi, and their plants must send out missionaries. People can only believe in Jesus when they hear about him, and they can hear about him only when someone presents the good news. V17: Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. People must be sent out so that the message can be proclaimed to all people. People need to hear the gospel so that they can be saved. Sending out people to proclaim that word is God’s chosen way to bring that word to the ends of the earth. Who is God calling here this morning? The sending out of parish visitors this week, church planters and missionaries such as Bible translators and support for groups like Jews for Jesus should be a priority. And we are all to be on mission for Jesus Christ – we’re all to be his witnesses in the power of the Spirit. So do be inviting people to the Christianity Explored Taster Session this Thursday. And all of this needs to be undergirded with prayer. We can all pray on the Day of Prayer this Wednesday. We can so easily, perhaps especially in such economic times as these, turn inward and become preoccupied with our problems, neglecting the millions who have never heard the word and the opportunities which are many in times like these to bring God glory.