Romans 10:1-13

• 1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
• 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
• 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
• 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
• 5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."
• 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)
• 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
• 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
• 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
• 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
• 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
• 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
• 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

INTRODUCTION: In this portion of Romans, there are six important facts about evangelism and salvation:

I. Christians should care deeply about the salvation of lost people (vs 1).

Paul is our example of deep love and concern (see also Romans 9:1-4).

• 1 ¶ I speak the truth in Christ-I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit-
• 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
• 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race,
• 4 the people of Israel...

Jonah is our example of how NOT to be (Jonah 3:10--4:2)

• 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
• 1 ¶ But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.
• 2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
• 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."

II. Prayer is our most powerful evangelistic/missionary tool (vs 1)

Jesus told us to pray that His Kingdom would come to this earth.

Jesus told us to pray to the Lord of Harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest fields.

Paul asked Christians to pray for his missionary work:

• Ro 15:31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there...
• Eph 6:19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
• Eph 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
• Col 4:3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
• Col 4:4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

III. Zeal and sincerity in a false religion will not bring about salvation (vss 1-2).

Paul said this directly about the Jews of his time. It applies in our time, too.

• Sincere Muslims
• Sincere Hindus
• Sincere Buddhists
• Sincere Jews
• Sincere Mormons
• Sincere Christian Scientists
• Sincere Whatever.

SINCERITY IS NOT ENOUGH!

Investors with sincere faith in Bernard Madoff gave him billions of dollars, but they lost it all.
People with great sincerity deny blood transfusions or vaccinations to their dying children, and their children die.
George Washington's physicians sincerely believed in treating his sore throat with laxatives and bleeding, but they killed him.

There is only one way of salvation, and that is faith in Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me."

• 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!
• 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed,
• 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
• 11 He is "‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’
• 12 Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
• (Acts 4:8-12)

• 7 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
• 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
• 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
  (John 10:7-9)

IV. Salvation by faith is easy, not hard (vss 5-8).

There are many people who like their religion to be HARD!

• They want to take vows of poverty and celibacy.
• They want to wear hair shirts.
• They want to whip themselves.
• They want to become martyrs for their religion.
• They want to fast.
• They want to ascend cathedral steps on their knees.
• They want to recite 1000 rosary beads.
• They like it!

Paul is refering to a portion of the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 30:11-14

• 11 ¶ Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
• 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?"
• 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?"
• 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.

Moses' point to the Israelites: I'm not telling you something difficult to understand. Just keep God's laws and you will be OK! Simple!

Paul says the Gospel is likewise simple. You don't need to fly to Heaven to be saved. You don't need to dig to Hell to be saved. You don't need to do any heroic works to be saved. Salvation is simple and easy. Jesus died for your sins. Believe in Him. Receive Him as your Savior, and you will be saved. That's all there is to it!

V. But Paul also gives a CAUTION. There is saving faith, and there is such a thing as non-saving faith (vss 9-10).

• 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
• 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

What is SAVING FAITH?

• Saving faith involves a little bit of doctrinal knowledge - the resurrection.
• Saving faith goes along with committment -- confessing Jesus with your mouth. Taking a public stand.

What is NON SAVING faith? The Apostle James gives some words of wisdom....

• 14 ¶ What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
• 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
• 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
• 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
• 18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
• 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
  (James 2:14-19)

VI. Salvation should be offered to everyone in the world (vss 11-13).

• 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
• 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
• 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Everyone needs to hear the Gospel, because their native religions won't bring them salvation.
Everyone needs to hear the Gospel because Jesus died for everyone.
The emphasis in these verses is in the words "Anyone, all, and everyone."

What does the Bible say about Jesus being the Savior of the entire world?

John 1:6-7
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that ALL might believe through him.

John 1:29
Behold the LAMB OF GOD, which TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.

John 3:16-17
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 12:32
32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

Romans 5:17-18
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

Romans 11:32
32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

2 Corinthians 5:19
To wit, that God was in Christ, RECONCILING THE WORLD UNTO HIMSELF, NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

I Timothy 2:3-6
3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour,
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men...

I Timothy 4:9-10
9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance
10 (and for this we labour and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and especially of those who believe.

I John 4:14
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

CONCLUSION: We know that some people will be lost. Some people will reject the Gospel. Some people will spend eternity in a terrible place of eternal damination. But we don't know who those people are. We don't know who will and who will not receive Jesus as their Savior. God knows who will and who won't. God is Sovereign, and in control of that. But His command to you and me is not to search for the elect, and then preach the Gospel to them alone. God's command to us is to preach the Gospel to everyone.

• 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
• 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
• 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
  (Matthew 28:18-20)

• I. Christians should care deeply about the salvation of lost people.
• II. Prayer is the most powerful evangelistic/missionary tool.
• III. Zeal and sincerity in a false religion will not bring about salvation.
• IV. Salvation by faith is easy, not hard.
• V. There is a difference between saving faith and ineffectual faith.
• VI. Salvation should be freely offered to everyone in the whole world.