Lesson by Pastor John Skaggs
Sovereign Grace Baptist
Church
P. O. Box 1173
Claypool, Arizona 85532
520-425-8345
Date: 03-04-01
Sermon Number: Romans #53
Text: Romans 10:12-21
Topics Addressed in this
Lesson
(The necessity of Gospel
ministry for the salvation of the lost)
In the first chapter of the letter to the Romans the
Apostle Paul declared, ". . . I
am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. {17} For in it
the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,
"BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17 NASB) You may be more familiar with the King
James wording, “The just shall live by faith.”
To most of us this declaration of grace is like good music to a trained ear. It fills the heart with joy, and peace, it allows the believing sinner to rest. “The Just shall live by faith!” This is the Christian Gospel. It is Good News to the condemned. It tells us that sinners deserving the wrath of God can be forgiven, justified, and live forever through faith in Jesus Christ. The Just or the Justified shall live by faith as opposed to works. The book of Romans is designed, from beginning to end, to declare and explain this wonderful truth. Sinners are justified in the eyes of God when they have come to believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and eternal life. “The Just shall live by faith!” My whole ministerial career has been spent trying to better understand and explain this great truth. So it was with the Apostle Paul. But why would a man spend his life declaring a salvation by faith in Jesus Christ? Why would he give his life as did the rest of the Apostles for the propagation of this message? He would do so because every soul of man will spend eternity in heaven or hell, in torment, or peace, in sorrow, or immeasurable joy. We must preach the Gospel because the only way to heaven, the only way to avoid hell, is to trust ones soul to the care and keeping of Jesus Christ by faith. If the sinner is damned for not coming to faith in Christ then we, must spread the Good News that, “The Just shall live and not die in Hell forever if they will but trust in Christ.”
As was said when we addressed the first eleven verses of Romans ten we must mimic the great Apostle in his love for and instruction of the lost. Paul’s love for his fellow Jews as well as his message of grace is made clear in the opening verses of this chapter.
(Romans 10:1-4 NASB) "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. {2} For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. (The Jews were devoutly religious but they did not seek God in the right way, through Christ by faith.) {3} For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. {4} FOR CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES.”
Here is yet another
summation of the Gospel. Christ, the
only begotten Son of the living God, has fulfilled all legal requirements for
those who come to Him by faith. You see,
the law required perfect obedience from me and I could not deliver. Christ, however, was perfect in my
place. The law required my death for
disobedience but Christ died in my place.
He fulfilled the law in my place and, therefore, made me righteous and
acceptable before God. He is the end of
the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. This is the Good News!
But it is not good news
to everyone. For most believe, like the
Jews, that salvation must be by works of some kind. There simply must be something men can do to make themselves
acceptable to God. But Paul says no,
“For the just shall live by faith.” The
sinner who desires salvation must cease trying to earn it and receive it as a
gift through faith. The just shall live by faith not some great thing
accomplished by human hands. The verses
that follow make this clear.
{6} But the righteousness based on faith (the righteousness that comes through faith . .) speaks thus, "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), {7} or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." (There is no great thing that men must do to be saved.) {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 are preaching, {9} that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; {10} for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. {11} For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
This is the faith that the justified sinner lives by. It is faith in Christ, the man-God who lived and died for sinners like you and I. It is faith in the Christ who is Lord of heaven and earth, the Christ who rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God. Believe in this Christ and when you stand before God in the Judgment you will not be disappointed. For, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is the Good News!
We move into our new material with Romans 10:12. "For there is no distinction between
Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all
who call upon Him; {13} for "WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD
WILL BE SAVED."
This great and wonderful salvation, which Paul proclaims has no ethnic, racial, or gender boundaries. The promise of salvation and abounding riches is to all who call upon Christ. What do these riches consist of? We get some hints from texts like Ephesians 1:7, where we read, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,” So, redemption and forgiveness of sins are part of the riches promised to those who call on Christ.
Ephesians
2:4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us.” Here we see that the mercy
and love of God are part of the riches of His grace.
In Ephesians
3:16 Paul prays ,“that He would
grant you, (the Ephesian Christians) according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.” The gift of the Holy Spirit is part and
parcel with the riches of God’s grace bestowed on every believing sinner. God the Holy Spirit then strengthens the
child of God in the inner man.
Finally
we come to the Pearl of Great Price Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the great treasure given to all who call
upon Him. Colossians 1:27 “. . to whom God willed to make known what
is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is CHRIST
IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.”
There
are riches untold for ALL who call upon Him!
For God’s grace reaches beyond the petty prejudices of man to believers
of every nationality. In Acts
10:34 “. . Peter said: "I most
certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality!” No matter what it is that distinguishes us one from another, race,
nationality, gender, or the kind of sin that has us bound, we are all sinners
in need of the same Savior. And the
promise is, “All who call upon Him will be saved.”
But
what does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord? An answer must be found to this question for only those who call
upon Him will be saved all others will be lost. Psalms 86:5 “For Thou,
Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who
call upon Thee.” Psalms 145:18 “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him IN TRUTH.” The
last verse cited says that if one’s calling on the Lord is to result in
salvation the person must call on Him “in truth.” That is, they must have some accurate knowledge of the Lord in
order to call upon Him and receive salvation.
You
must know more about Jesus than how to spell His name if you are going to
become a Christian. In verses nine and
ten of this same chapter Paul says the sinner must confess Christ for
salvation. But it is a specific Jesus
that one must confess in order to be saved.
First the sinner must understand and acknowledge that “Jesus is Lord or
God in the flesh.” The Bible reveals
that one of Christ’s names is Immanuel, which means God with us. He is Lord, Creator, and governor of all
that is, Jesus is God incarnate. The
sinner must believe and confess that this is true. He must also believe in his “heart that God raised Him from the
dead.” Jesus not only died for sinners
but has risen, bodily, literally, from the dead. The sinner who believes and confesses these truths will be
saved. He will be saved because he has
believed in and called upon the Savior in truth as opposed to ignorance or
error. The just shall live by faith but
it is not faith without an object. The
object of the sinner’s faith must be the one and only Savior of sinners. The object of saving faith must be the Jesus
of the Bible. We must call upon Him
with an understanding of who He is.
If
I do not believe that Jesus was and is God I can call upon him and not be saved. If I do not believe that Jesus died for my
sins I can call upon him and not be saved.
If I do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead I will not be saved
for a Jesus who is still in the grave is not and cannot be the Savior of any
man’s soul. In order to be saved from
the wrath to come one must call upon the Lord in truth, he must gain some
understanding of who Jesus is, believe in Him, and call upon Him.
{14}
“How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how
shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear
without a preacher?”
This
is a statement of logic. One cannot
believe a message he has never heard.
Neither can one believe in and call on a Savior about whom he has no
information. So, God sent preachers to
proclaim the saving truth of the Gospel.
The original commission is familiar to all of us. It is found in Mark 16:15-16 “And He said to them, "Go into all the
world and preach the gospel (That is the truth about man, sin, the
judgment, and the Savior Jesus Christ who is the Lord. Preach this . ) to all creation. "He
who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has
disbelieved (The one who has heard the truth about himself, sin, the
judgment to come, about Jesus, and refuses to accept and believe it . . ) shall
be condemned.”
The Gospel has a specific unalterable content and when it is all in place it is the power of God for the salvation of believing sinners. Listen to the words of Romans 16:25-26. “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is MANIFESTED, AND BY THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE ETERNAL GOD, HAS BEEN MADE KNOWN TO ALL THE NATIONS, leading to obedience of faith;
The true Gospel when
blessed to the hearts of those who hear leads to the obedience of faith. The obedience of faith is; believing that
the Gospel message is the truth and that Jesus is who the Gospel says He
is. It is responding to that truth by
casting aside all opinions and beliefs that do not match the content of the
Gospel. It is the confession of Jesus
as He is revealed in the scriptures. It
is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of one’s soul.
The entire Gospel of John was written to inform one of all
truths necessary to the saving of ones soul and to solicit the obedience of
faith. The author confesses this fact
in John 20:31. “But these have been
written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
and that believing you may have life in His name.”
The
Gospel, brothers and sisters, is a body of information that must be understood
and believed before one can call on the name of the Lord for salvation. It is the truth that one must be exposed to
and believe before they can escape the darkness of sin. Listen to the apostle Paul as he recounts
his call to the ministry. "And
I said, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are
persecuting. {16} 'But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have
appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things
which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; {17}
delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am
sending you, {18} to open their eyes (to the truth about sin, the judgment
to come, and about Jesus) so that they may turn from darkness to light and
from THE DOMINION OF SATAN TO GOD, in order that they may receive forgiveness
of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in
Me."
People don’t just believe in Jesus for no reason or without knowing who He is. They must call upon Him, they must believe in Him but, asks the Apostle, . . . {14} “How . . . shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”
This question has tentacles that reach into all our lives. Each of us wants to see our children born again. We want, we need, to see our husbands or wives or parents saved from the coming wrath of God. These dear ones must call upon the Lord Jesus or they will never be saved. But they cannot call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And they cannot believe in Him about whom they have not heard? Therefore, they need the preacher of truth. The Gospel must be put to a man before there is any hope of his salvation and we, together, are ambassadors and stewards of that soul saving Gospel!
Those of you who are not “Preachers” in the formal sense can do much to expose your loved ones to the Gospel. You can prepare yourself for witnessing by studying the Bible, particularly the passages that deal directly with coming to faith in Christ. Ready yourself, then pray that God will move someone to ask you about Jesus. Even the most timid can expose their loved ones and neighbors to the Gospel. If you don’t have it in you to talk to them directly about their souls invite them to church and I will tell them about Jesus from the pulpit. If they won’t come to church give them a tape of this message and they will have heard the Gospel. Mail them the printed copies of the sermons preached in this place and you will have exposed your loved ones to the Gospel that is the power of God for the salvation of sinners. This text calls us all to the work of the evangelist.
Specifically, however, it speaks of the Pastor/Teacher. It validates the office I hold. It gives reason for the existence of the local church and the preeminence of preaching in the church. For singing is not the power of God for salvation. Skits are not the power of God for salvation. A potluck is not the power of God for the salvation of sinners. No, it is the Gospel that God uses to save sinners and He has determined that the primary way of communicating that soul saving truth is through preaching.
Therefore, Gospel preaching must take precedence over everything in the local church. Preaching must be the centerpiece of each worship service. For Gospel preaching is the God appointed way of telling people about Jesus so they can trust Him for salvation. Such preaching must be faithful, earnest, accurate, honest and powerful. The message must be put forth in a way that commands attention for eternity is at stake. The lives of men are like the grass that is here today and gone tomorrow. And it is only while this brief life exists that one has opportunity to come to Christ. Therefore, the preacher speaks with a sense of urgency calling men and women to believe in Jesus Christ immediately. For today is the day of salvation, tomorrow may never come for someone in this congregation.
People must call upon Christ for salvation or they will never be saved. But they cannot call upon Him unless someone tells them about the Savior. Therefore, God sends His messengers into the world to preach the Good News.
{15}
And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written,
"HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD
THINGS!"
There is no one thought more fondly of by a Christian than
the person who first told them about Jesus.
For it was that message, that declaration of Good News, that led
ultimately to eternal salvation. It was
a beautiful message not because the bearer was so wise or adept at sharing it
but because God had previously convinced us of our of bondage to sin and guilt
before God. He made us long for
deliverance. Therefore, when the
message of deliverance, of redemption and salvation came we received it with
joy and were saved. In verse fifteen of
our text Paul quotes from Isaiah fifty-two where we find Jerusalem and all her
citizens in bondage and great danger.
Israel’s plight as described in the text was a physical one as was the
promised redemption but the story has much to say about the salvation of souls. Let’s spend our last moments this morning in
Isaiah 52 NASB.
The messenger comes through the gates of Jerusalem
declaring, "Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion;
Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For the
uncircumcised and the unclean (their Gentile enemies) Will no more come
into you. {2} Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; Loose
yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. {3} For
thus says the LORD, "You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed
without money." {4} For thus says the Lord GOD, "My people went down
at the first into Egypt to reside there, (Egypt is always a picture of
slavery to sin and the devil) then the Assyrian oppressed them without
cause. {5} "Now therefore, what do I have here," declares the LORD,
"seeing that My people have been taken away without cause?" Again the
LORD declares, "Those who rule over them howl, and My name is continually
blasphemed all day long. {6} "Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore
in that day I am the one who is speaking, 'Here I am.'" {7} How lovely on
the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And
brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"
Is this not the message of the Gospel? The Bible tells us that all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve have been taken captive by the Devil to do his will. Sinners are slaves of sin, self, and satan. There are chains about their necks that keep them in the land of captivity and darkness. Their evil taskmaster howls at God while blasphemes come forth from his mouth. The bondage is real, oppressive, relentless, and no man can escape on his own. The sinner who has been made aware of his captivity and guilt is a man who longs for release like the resident of a city under siege. This man scans the horizon for some bearer of glad tidings, someone with a message of hope, redemption, and salvation. And when that message comes it is music to his sin burdened ears. “Awake, Awake, clothe yourselves in strength, for my God will redeem you. My God will save you without cost! Loose the chains around your neck, I have come to announce salvation. Hear me you captives of sin, “The God who made you reigns and will save to the uttermost all who come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ!”
{8} Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, They
shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the LORD
restores Zion. {9} Break forth, shout joyfully together, You waste places of
Jerusalem; For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.
{10} The LORD has bared His holy arm In the sight of all the nations, That all
the ends of the earth may see The salvation of our God. (When the sinner is
saved the strength of God is revealed to all the enemies of God and man. When the strength of God is revealed in
salvation the devil can do nothing but let go of his prey. Those who have been saved from that devilish
bondage to sin are then called to live in the land of truth and light.) {11}
Depart, depart, go out from there, (leave the world of darkness and sin
behind) Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, purify
yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the LORD. {12} But you will not go out
in haste, NOR WILL YOU GO AS FUGITIVES; FOR THE LORD WILL GO BEFORE YOU, AND
THE GOD OF ISRAEL WILL BE YOUR REAR GUARD.
Let me spend just a moment on this last phrase. {12} “But you will not go out in haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” Here is something of the riches promised to all who call upon the name of the Lord in truth. I speak of the great treasure of peace and rest. God does not save us to give us over to our enemies again. No, He saves us and then He goes before us!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No enemy that we might come across in the future will be able to do us any harm. Not even that roaring lion that goes about seeking someone to devour. For God will meet him first and pull all his teeth! The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob goes before us. But that is not all! The God of Israel will be our rear guard as well!!!!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!! Our God reigns over all the enemies of our souls. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will go before us and come after us in both life and death. Our God reigns!!!!!!!!!!! Here beloved is the security of the believer in Jesus. Oh glad tidings indeed!!!!!!! We need not go out of darkness in haste, running like the devil was on our trail and might capture us again. No, we are safe, we are surrounded by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Our God reigns over all for our good and His glory!
This
is the Good News, this is the Christian Gospel, the just shall live by faith in
the Person and work of Jesus Christ the Lord.
Believing sinners can be saved, not by works of righteousness which they
have done, but by faith alone in Christ alone.
But they must hear the message before they can believe. They must believe the message before they
can call upon the Lord. Therefore we
must continue make the Gospel known by every means at our disposal, for ". . . faith comes from hearing, and
hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17 NASB)