Romans 10 Overview

Romans 10, Israel Needs Faith Righteousness

Summary

In Romans 9 Paul is sorry that Israel, who has had the advantage of choice, revelation, and privilege through God’s promises, has not accepted their Messiah Jesus. Why did they not accept Jesus Christ? Because they were intent on working for their own righteousness instead of believing God for his righteousness. Now in Romans 10 Paul’s desire and prayer for Israel is that she will accept Jesus as Messiah. Israel has no excuse. Israel has heard the message which requires only faith. The right response is to confess or admit that Jesus is Yahweh (the true Messiah) and believe that God raised him from the dead (Messiah’s death for sin, and his resurrection were true). For Israel at that time, to accept this was a break from their religious culture. Israel had heard the Jesus message. God will not disappoint anyone, Jew or Gentile, who believes the message. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But to call one must believe, and to believe one must hear, and to hear one must be sent to preach. Yet Israel has heard and has rejected the word about faith in Christ. God always has saved Gentiles who believe him, which angers the self-righteous Jews, but God continues to offer Israel salvation.

Outline

Romans Chapter 10, Israel Needs Faith Righteousness

1. Romans 10.1-4. Paul wants Israel to believe in Christ so that the nation will be given God’s righteousness and then possess salvation, but their religious zeal, misunderstanding of God’s righteousness, and pursuit of human righteousness has blinded them to the person and work of Christ.
2. Romans 10:5-13. Paul concludes that law righteousness, which is mankind’s own righteousness that is based on keeping the law is always inferior to faith righteousness, which is God’s righteousness given to mankind through faith. This message that Jesus is Yahweh (the true Messiah) and he has risen from physical death (Messiah’s death for sin, and his resurrection were true) has been available, and whoever will believe it and ask will be saved.
3. Romans 10.14-16. Before one calls, one must believe that there is help. Faith righteousness is for anyone who wants it, but they must first hear God’s gospel in order to believe it, and to hear the message someone must be sent to preach it.
4. Romans 10:18-21. God’s message has been available for all people through general revelation and special revelation. Israel heard the message and most did not believe it, which explains Paul’s great sorrow for his people Israel, that he expresses in the beginning of chapters 9 and 10.

Romans Main Lessons to Remember

Romans 10, Israel Needs Faith Righteousness

1. Paul prayed for the salvation of Israel—that Israel would recognize the Messiah and believe in him, thus gaining God’s righteousness. We can also pray that people will know that Jesus is the only savior and believe in him (Romans 10.1).
2. Israel, in her religious zeal without right knowledge, tried to gain righteousness by works and so missed God’s righteousness which comes only through faith. Religious people, in their zeal for good works, often miss the gospel message. Carefully explain the why and how of God’s righteousness and that we gain it by grace through faith (Romans 10.1-4).
3. The message that Israel must believe was available to them. That message is that Jesus is the Messiah: he came from heaven and was born as a man; and he was crucified for the sins of the world and then arose from the dead—the incarnation and resurrection. This is what Israel struggled with. They need to hear and believe this message (Romans 10.5-9).
4. Faith is the requirement, but faith must have the right object. Jesus, God in the flesh, the Messiah is the only right object of faith. This is true for both Jew and Gentile (Romans 10.10-11).
5. The world needs proclaimers of the good news about Jesus Christ because without the right knowledge of the gospel people will not know about Jesus and God’s righteousness gained only by faith (Romans 10.13-17).
6. Israel has had the good news of God’s salvation given to her over the years. She has rejected the gospel, but Gentiles have accepted it. We are to continue proclaim the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 10.18-21).