Romans 9:24-10:13

The Righteousness of God

Beginning in v. 1 of ch. 9, Paul has been writing a defense for the faithfulness of God.

Why was God's faithfulness being called into question?

In ch. 8, Paul had been speaking of the excellencies of the love of God and how it was impossible for anyone whom God had set His love upon to ever be separated from Him.

But if it is impossible to be separated from the love of God, then what must we think about Israel, God's beloved people?  Their Messiah has come but the majority of Israel are not coming to Jesus Christ in faith.

Here is the fulfillment of all of the promises of God that have been made to them throughout their long history going all the way back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and yet Israel has rejected Jesus Christ.

At first glance, it seems that God has not been faithful to Israel by not bringing them all to faith in Jesus Christ.

It is the purpose of chps. 9-11 to answer this concern.  Paul's answer is clear:  God is indeed faithful to Israel, but who is Israel?

Should "Israel" be thought of as the whole nation?  the physical descendants of Abraham?  or is "Israel" something different?

In. vv. 6-13 Paul reveals to us that "Israel" to whom all the promises were made was in fact NOT physical Israel.  Being a physical descendant of Abraham did not make one a member of God's true people.  Birthright does not guarantee salvation! 

Rather salvation was and always will be determined by God's sovereign choice alone.  We are saved not because of who are parents are, but because God has chosen us before the foundation of the world.

Then in vv. 14-23 Paul breaks from his discussion to deal with objections to God's sovereign choice of only a few Israelites from within the whole nation.  How can it be right for God to choose only some people for salvation?  Paul says it's not only God's prerogative alone to choose only some, but to also reject and therefore harden some for condemnation. 

Why is it that God has the right to elect only some for salvation and harden others unto condemnation?  Because God alone is the Creator and by that fact alone He has the freedom to do whatsoever He chooses with His creation which will bring Him ultimate glory. 

Now in vv. 24-29, Paul returns to his definition of "true Israel".  Not only is "true Israel" only those within Israel that God has chosen, but vv. 24-26 tells us that "true Israel" also includes all elect Gentiles.  Those whom God has "called" are also included in "true Israel", the "true people of God."

In vv. 27-29, Paul points out that the prophets even taught that only a small remnant of Israel would be saved.  God never intended every physical child of Abraham to be saved.  Rather it was by God's grace that even a remnant was saved.

Therefore, Paul says that physical descent from Abraham not only does NOT guarantee inclusion in the true people of God; it is not even necessary.  Once again, birthright does not guarantee salvation.  Salvation is granted only to those whom God has chosen and He has chosen His people out of the Jews and out of the Gentiles. 

Therefore the "true people of God" or the "true Israel" is made up of elect Jews and elect Gentiles, not mere physical descendants of Abraham.  And therefore, it is to these elect Jews and elect Gentiles the that promises have been fulfilled.

Now beginning in v. 30 Paul once again pauses in his argument concerning Israel and the faithfulness of God to explain why, humanly speaking, Israel has NOT come to faith in Christ Jesus and yet, the Gentiles are being included into the people of God.  We've already learned from God's point of view that only some of Israel has come to faith:  God has only chosen some and rejected the others.  We've also learned that God has chosen some Gentiles to be included.  But humanly speaking, now Paul asks why Israel has not come to faith.

It's important to notice that Paul begins with God's sovereign purpose which is the basis and reason for Israel's human response.  God's sovereign decree comes first and then is worked out in history.

Paul's answer to the Gentiles' accepting and Israel's rejecting of Christ is found in the fact that the Gentiles have come in faith, but Israel is still seeking to be saved by works of the law.

Salvation comes only through by God's grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone.  It is God's gift which is bestowed freely upon man.  However, the Jews think that they can obtain salvation through their own effort.  They believe by their own self-righteous works they can obtain the salvation. 

The Gentiles have humbled themselves before God, but because of their own pride the Jews have stumbled over the very rock of salvation. 

The Righteousness Based on Faith vs. The Righteousness Based on Law (9:30-33).

In these vv. Paul reaches all the way back into chps. 1-4 to bring forward his discussion of our need for a righteous standing before a Holy God.  We all lack righteousness before God.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  "There is none righteous, no, not one." 

In relation to God's Holy Law we have responded in two way:

1.  We have broken the law itself.

2.  We have not conformed our lives to its Holy standard.

Therefore, we have all broken God's law and therefore we all stand condemned within His Holy presence.

What do we need in order to stand before God and remain in His presence, accepted by Him?  Well, nothing in us, because we stand condemned in our sin.  We must be given something from outside of us.  We must be given a righteousness from God.  Martin Luther called this an "alien righteousness".  It is a "righteousness" that belongs to God and is freely given to us. 

How are we given this "alien righteousness" that belongs to God?  Paul tells us that it is freely given by God ONLY through FAITH ALONE in Jesus Christ (cf. 3:22).

The Gentiles have attained this "alien righteousness" even though they did not seek it, because they have accepted Jesus Christ through faith alone.

The Jews, however, even though they have sought "righteousness" they have not attained it.  Why?  Because they have tried to get it through their own works of the law.  This has always been their problem.  They have never realized that as Isaiah explained that "we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." (64:6).

The very rock of salvation has rather become a stumbling stone unto condemnation.

The Righteousness of God vs. Their Own Righteousness (10:1-4).

Once again Paul states his honest desire that Israel would be saved.  But they simply refuse to come to Christ.  Why?

Well, humanly speaking, even though they have great zeal for God, it is not based on knowledge.

Rather than seeking God's righteousness, they seek their own righteousness.

Once again, they seek to be righteous before God in and of themselves.  They are not willing to say to God that they are sinners and they are in need of something they cannot accomplish in themselves. 

Pharisee and the Tax Collector -- Lk 18:9-14

"I thank you I'm not like other men vs. God be merciful to me a sinner!"

They are seeking righteousness by their own ability to fulfill the demands of the law.  They don't have enough humility to understand that they can never fulfill the Law because of their sin.

They don't understand that Christ is the "end" of the law.  What does Paul mean?

"End of the Law" -- Christ has fulfilled the demands of the law; He has earned a righteous standing before God in the flesh.

This is exactly what we need:  to be righteous before God.  Everyone who simply comes to Christ in faith is given this righteous standing before God so that God sees those who have faith as if they have always fully obeyed God's law.

The Righteousness Based on the Law vs. The Righteousness Based on Faith (5-13).

The righteousness based on the law -- means that someone who is attempting to be right with God based on his own personal obedience must be perfect.  God does not grade on a curve.  If we seek to be right with God based on our own obedience of the law, we must be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.  However, there is another way to attain a right standing before God:  through faith alone.

We are promised that if we simply come to Christ through faith we will be saved.

1.  Confess with our mouth the LORD Jesus (cf. v. 13 -- name of the LORD).

Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who has come in the flesh.

2.  Believe that God resurrected Jesus Christ -- the Father's mark of approval of the entire work of Christ -- God accepted Christ's work on my behalf.

In other words, we must believe that what Christ did, He did for me and that it is perfectly sufficient to provide for my right standing before God.  Call upon the LORD to be saved -- Christ alone is the ONLY hope of salvation before God. 

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved.  Amen!  +SDG+