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Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.    For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. Romans 10:1-2 In this passage, the Apostle Paul recognizes the deep passion that his Jewish brothers and sisters have for God. However, he highlights that this passion is lacking in knowledge and understanding. Their focus on personal performance has caused them to overlook the beauty of God’s grace, which has led them to stumble. Similarly, many believers today may not realize they are making the same mistake. In their efforts to maintain or validate their faith, they often attempt, through a lack of understanding, to add their works to the gospel. R.C. Sproul once said, “The fire in a believer’s heart must not only be heat but also light.”

For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:3-4 Paul explained to the believers in Rome—just as he does to you and me—that righteousness is not something we achieve through our actions; it is not accomplished in the practical sense. Instead, the righteousness granted to believers is positional. This means that a believer’s status before God is not based on their own deeds but on what Christ has already accomplished for them.

For Moses writes of the righteousness that is based on the Law, that the person who performs them will live by them.    But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” Romans 10:5-7 Paul’s thought may seem a bit cryptic at first glance, but the message is straightforward. Believers cannot guarantee their righteousness before God through their obedience, just as they cannot bring Jesus down from heaven or raise Him from the dead. Only God can accomplish such a feat. Paul then adds this, 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 are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:8-10 Paul emphasizes to his readers that the person and work of Christ are fundamental to our justification and sanctification. This truth is right before us. However, we should pay close attention to Paul’s words: “For with the heart, a person believes, resulting in righteousness.” Following this belief, a confession of faith is made. In other words, an altar call or reciting the sinner’s prayer does not achieve righteousness; these actions are fleeting. Only God can change a person’s heart so that they will believe. That, my friends, is grace.

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:11-13 These verses emphasize that our faith in salvation goes beyond mere theology or intellectual understanding. While knowledge is essential, true faith is deeply rooted in our very being—flesh, blood, and bone. When believers transition from this life to the next, they can have confidence that there will be no shame, for their hope has not been in vain.

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:12-13 The context of these verses shows that Paul is discussing our heartfelt call to the Lord for salvation, which requires a transformation from God. From this perspective, God’s choice is based solely on His will, rather than on any distinctions we might make based on our worldview.

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith;  however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though they could by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 9:31-33 Many of us stumble over Christ just as the Israelites did. We often struggle to grasp the idea of entering God’s grace unless we feel like we have contributed something ourselves. After all, we believe our “good deeds” must make some difference, right? It may surprise you to learn that over 85 percent of Christian churches convey, in various ways, that their actions impact their standing with God. This has been the central issue that Paul addresses throughout the book of Romans: many people stumble over Christ by trying to add their own works to His. Remember, each time we do this, we diminish the significance of the cross.

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith; however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though they could by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 9:30 Scripture clearly shows that we are not naturally inclined to seek the things of God. In fact, it is not us who find God; rather, He chooses us. This sentiment is captured in the famous hymn “Amazing Grace,” written by the former slave trader John Newton. “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see.”

And just as Isaiah foretold: “If the Lord of armies had not left us descendants, We would have become like Sodom, and would have been like Gomorrah.” Romans 9:29 We all know what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah—they were completely destroyed. This event is significant in understanding the continuity of God’s covenants throughout history. If God had not preserved the descendants of His people after judging their behavior so severely, the promise of the “seed of the woman” made in the Garden of Eden would have been meaningless. Each time God allowed a remnant to survive, additional covenants were established that provided further details about who that promised seed would be. These covenants continued throughout redemptive history, ultimately leading to the New Covenant when God came in the flesh to dwell among His people as Jesus Christ.

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.  For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.” Romans 9:27-28 In this passage, the Apostle Paul refers back to the Old Testament to highlight the importance of eternal life through Christ and God’s sovereignty. Christ made a similar statement in Matthew 7. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  14  For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14 Paul’s statement from Isaiah highlights Christ’s work. The narrow gate that Christ speaks of symbolizes His work, while the wide gate represents our own efforts. One path leads to eternal life with God, while the other does not.

He also says in Hosea: “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’” “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” Romans 9:25-26 Christians embrace their place in God’s family through His Son, united with Christ by the Father. In this union, all Christians are regarded as children of God, transcending their natural state.

And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon objects of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, namely us, whom He also called, not only from among Jews but also from among Gentiles. Romans 9:23-24 Christians often express their appreciation for God’s grace through the hymn “Amazing Grace,” but it is important to truly understand the depth of God’s grace. The concept of election emphasizes the immense riches of God’s grace in our lives. It illustrates how God, out of his infinite grace, chose to transform flawed and sinful individuals into vessels to display His glory. This act of grace serves as a reminder that we have been prepared since eternity to showcase God’s mercy and grace to the world.

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction? Romans 9:22 It is interesting to note that many Christians today seem to hold a low view of God because Western Christianity has largely moved away from the idea of a wrathful God. However, the Apostle Paul seems to challenge this perspective in the first chapter of Romans. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Romans 1:18 Christians are encouraged to trust in God’s promise that they will not face condemnation as believers in Christ. However, there are instances when God temporarily withholds His patience and demonstrates to His chosen people by providing a taste of His wrath that there is never a time when He is not sovereign.