Friday DIVE – May 2, 2025 – Romans 10:14-21

WELCOME and THANKS

 

 

 

TEXT FOR TONIGHT’S STUDY …

Romans 10:14-21

¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?   And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?   And how shall they hear without a preacher?   ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:  

¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel.  For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”   ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.   

¹⁸ But I say, have they not heard?  Yes indeed:  

¹⁹ But I say, did Israel not know?  First Moses says:  

²⁰ But Isaiah is very bold and says:

²¹ But to Israel he says:

 

 

The CONTEXT …

Romans 10

Israel Needs the Gospel    

¹ Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for ^[a]Israel is that they may be saved.   ² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.   ³ For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.   ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law  for righteousness  to everyone who believes.  

• • “end” — from telos ~~ end … purpose, goal, completion, fulfillment
  • Note Matthew 5:17 … ¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  
  • Note, also, Galatians 3:4-25 … ²⁴ Therefore the law was our ^[a]tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
    • Note … a — In a household, the guardian responsible for the care and discipline of the children  

⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”   ⁶ But the righteousness  of faith  speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above)  ⁷ or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).   ⁸ But what does it say?  “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.   ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”   ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek,  for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.   ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  

• • NB — Important POINT:  Paul’s focus in this section is NOT on how a person is saved … or when a person is saved … BUT on who can be saved.
  • Remember, too, John 6:65 and 44 … which indicate that the person who calls on the name of the Lord is one who has been enabled to do so by God.

 

Back to our text for tonight …

Israel Rejects the Gospel  

¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?   And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?   And how shall they hear without a preacher?   ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:  

¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel.  For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”   ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.   

¹⁸ But I say, have they not heard?  Yes indeed:  

¹⁹ But I say, did Israel not know?  First Moses says:  

²⁰ But Isaiah is very bold and says:

²¹ But to Israel he says:

 

---

What can we take away?

 

in the previous passage Paul has been saying that the way to God is not that of works and of legalism, but of faith and trust.

The objection is: But what if the Jews never heard of that?

Paul deals with it in its various forms … and, on each occasion, he clinches his answer with a text from scripture.

Let us take the objections and the answering scripture texts one by one.

 

¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?   And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?   And how shall they hear without a preacher?   ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:  

 

(i) The first objection is: “You cannot call on God unless you believe in him. You cannot believe in him unless you hear about him.  You cannot hear about him unless there is someone to proclaim the good news.  There can be no one to proclaim the good news unless God commissions someone to do so.”

• • • Paul deals with that objection by quoting Isa. 52:7.  There the prophet points out how welcome those are who bring the good news of good things.  So Paul’s first answer is: “You cannot say there was no messenger; Isaiah describes these very messengers; and Isaiah lived long ago.”

 

 

¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel.  For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”   ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.   

 

(ii) The second objection is:  “But, in point of fact, Israel did not obey the good news, even if your argument is true.  What have you to say to that?”

• • • Paul’s answer is: “Israel’s disbelief was only to be expected, for, long ago, Isaiah was moved to say in despair: `Lord, who has believed what we have heard?'” (Isa.53:1.)  It is true that Israel did not accept the good news from God, and in their refusal they were simply running true to form; history was repeating itself.

 

 

¹⁸ But I say, have they not heard?  Yes indeed:  

 

(iii) The third objection is a restatement of the first: But, what if I insist that they never got the chance to hear?

• • • This time Paul quotes Ps. 19:4: “Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.”  His answer is: “You cannot say that Israel never got the chance to hear; for scripture plainly says that God’s message has gone out to all the world.”

 

 

¹⁹ But I say, did Israel not know?  First Moses says:  

²⁰ But Isaiah is very bold and says:

 

(iv) The fourth objection is: “But what if Israel did not understand?” Apparently the meaning is: “What if the message was so difficult to grasp that even when Israel did hear it they were unable to grasp its significance?”

• • • Here is where the passage becomes really difficult. But Paul’s answer is: “Israel may have failed to understand; but the Gentiles did not.  They grasped the meaning of this offer all right, when it came to them unexpectedly and unsought.”  To prove this point Paul quotes two passages.
      • One is from Deut.32:21 where God says that, because of Israel’s disobedience and rebellion, he will transfer his favour to another people, and they will be forced to become jealous of a nation which has no nation.
      • The second passage is from Isa.65:1 where God says that, in a strange way, he has been found by a people who were not looking for him at all.

 

²¹ But to Israel he says:

 

---

BRAWTA , based on Romans 10 …

 

 

The Difference Between BEING SAVED  and  RECEIVING SALVATION    

 

There are some (including those who say they believe in salvation by grace) who believe that you have to do something to be saved.  That “something”, for them, is BELIEVE.  In other words, they  believe you have to believe in order to be saved.

Why would they believe that?

It’s probably because there are some passages that SEEM to suggest that a person has to believe in order to be saved.  One such passage is Romans 10:9-13:

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.   ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”   ¹² For there is no distinction  between  Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.   ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”    

• NB — Important POINT:  Paul’s focus in this section is NOT on how a person is saved … or when a person is saved … BUT on who can be saved.
• NB, also —  the justification that results in salvation (i.e. the declaration of righteousness from God) has nothing to do with anything one does
• Notice the context, again …
• Romans 10:4  4 For Christ is the end of the law for  righteousness to everyone who believes.  
• Romans 10:5-8   ⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”   ⁶ But the righteousness  of faith  speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above)  ⁷ or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).   ⁸ But what does it say?  “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  
• Notice, next … three VERY important points about salvation …
  1. First … Salvation is BY GRACE alone
     • Ephesians 2:8a …  ⁸ For by grace  you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 
     • Ephesians 2:8-9    ⁸ For by grace you have been saved … ⁹ not of works,  lest anyone should boast.
     • Titus 3:3-5 …  ³ For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  ⁴ But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵ not by works  of  righteousness which we have done,  but according to His mercy He saved us, ….
     • 2 Timothy 1:8-9 …  ⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began 
  2. Second … Salvation is NOT BY FAITH
     • Ephesians 2:8b  ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, 
     • John 1:10-12 …    ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His ^[a]own, and His ^[b]own did not receive Him.  ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the ^[c]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 
     • QQQ … by Recipr0c1ty (on Reddit) … “Faith does not save us and never has.  Jesus Christ saves us.  Faith is the means through which we are saved.  Everyone needs to understand this distinction.  Faith has no saving power.  Faith is not meritorious.  Faith does not do anything.  Jesus Christ on the cross saves us.  Jesus Christ doing all the meritorious work  that we could not do (he didn’t just obey the law he fulfilled it) is what does the actual saving.”
     • QQQ … Google’s AI Overview …
     • The website gci.org (Grace Communion International)  emphasizes salvation by grace, not  by  faith alone. It argues that salvation is a gift from God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that faith is a response to that grace, not the means of receiving it.    Here’s a more detailed explanation: Grace as the Foundation: GCI believes that God’s grace is the primary means of salvation, meaning it is a free and unmerited gift from God, not something earned through human effort.  Faith as a Response: While faith is essential, GCI emphasizes that it’s a response to God’s grace, not  the instrument that earns salvation.  Faith involves trusting in God’s promises and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior.  
       Rejection of Works-Based Salvation: GCI does not advocate for salvation through good works or obedience to laws, as it believes salvation is a gift from God and not something that can be earned through human effort.  Importance of Jesus’ Work: GCI emphasizes that salvation is based on Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, where he atoned for the sins of humanity.   
     • QQQ … by J. Michael Feazell (GCI scholar) … in an article entitled Another Look At Faith …We are saved by grace, by God’s own kindness toward us, which he expressed perfectly in Jesus Christ. No work of ours, not even our faith, can save us. Salvation is entirely God’s work for us from beginning to end. Our faith is simply the act of accepting what God has already given us even though we didn’t deserve it. Faith doesn’t cause him to give it to us. It doesn’t convince him to give it to us. He doesn’t even withhold it from us until we have faith; he died for us while we were still sinners, before we ever had any faith (Rom. 5:8).But without faith, we will not, indeed cannot, see, experience and enjoy his gift. In other words, if we don’t trust him, we won’t believe him, which means we won’t accept and make use of his gift. And when you don’t believe you have something and therefore make no use of it, it amounts to the same thing as not having it. Faith doesn’t save us, but without faith, the salvation we have in Christ by God’s grace is meaningless to us. (Click here to read the entire article)   
  3. Third … Salvation is IN CHRIST     
     • 2 Timothy 2:10 …    10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the [chosen ones]elect, that they also may obtain the salvation  which is  in  Christ Jesus  with eternal glory.
     • QQQ … by J. Michael Feazell … in Another Look At Faith …
       • In Christ, the ever-living God whose word cannot be broken, became, as God in the flesh, the perfectly faithful human for all our sakes, thereby keeping his covenant with humanity from both ends.  From  God’s side, as God, he became and provided everything we needed for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3); from  our side, as human, he became and offered up to God everything humans needed to be and needed to give to God (Rom. 8:1-3). That is why we find our fullness, our true selves, only in our union with Christ, for it is only in our union with Christ that we are truly ourselves as God created us to be (Col. 3:3-4).

CONCLUSION

A.  There is a difference between being saved and receiving salvation.

B.  So what is the difference?

• Being saved is a function of God’s work (What God has done).
  • Receiving salvation is a function of Man’s work (what we can do).
• Being saved is the result of an objective reality.
  • Receiving salvation is a subjective possibility.

C.  Notice how Dr. Gary Deddo (GCI theologian) puts it … in his theological essay entitled Clarifying Our Theological Vision …

This hypostatic union pertains to all people since the human nature Christ assumed is common to all humankind — both believers and non-believers.  Human nature, with all its attributes (mind, will, affections, etc.) has, in Christ,  through his life, death, resurrection and ascension, been regenerated, justified, sanctified and glorified.  On that basis, God, in and through Christ has brought about the reconciliation of all humankind with himself.  As a result, God holds nothing against humanity or human nature. In that way, Christ is the first-fruit or first-born from the dead and is the new head of humanity (the new Adam, to use Paul’s terms).  Jesus has become the beginning of a new humanity.  Thus we can say that there is a right way to say “all are included” meaning “all humans have been reconciled” on the basis of the renewal of human nature itself in Christ.  

This understanding is why T.F. Torrance can assert that all are “implicated” (included) in what Christ has done, or that all humanity has been placed on a whole “new basis” in what Christ has done.  Likewise, Karl Barth can assert that on the basis of the hypostatic union of the two natures in Jesus, all people are “potentially” Christians — “potentially” members of the church or body of Christ; or all can be considered “virtual” Christians (even if not actual Christians); or that all have been saved  in principle by Christ (de jure) but not all are saved  in actuality (de facto). 

These theological understandings parallel the New Testament understanding of Christ being all in all, but also recognizing that not all are participating in that relational reality — not all are believing, not all are responding to or are  receptive of this reality.  Not all are worshipping God in Spirit and in truth.  Not all are active witnesses to Jesus Christ.  And in that sense, not all are actual Christians.  

D.  The clauses “… believing …. receptive ….” — in the paragraph above — indicate that salvation is something that can be received  by  belief.