Pretty Feet and Big Hugs (Romans 10)

In Romans 9, we discussed Jews and Gentiles, Promises and Breaking Promises, and Faith versus Works. The Holy Spirit continues to work on us through Chapter 10...

Romans 10

1 Dear brothers and sisters,* the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.3 For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.* As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

5 For Moses writes that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.*6 But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven?' (to bring Christ down to earth).7 And don't say, 'Who will go down to the place of the dead?' (to bring Christ back to life again)."8 In fact, it says,






"The message is very close at hand;


it is on your lips and in your heart."*






And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.11 As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."*12 Jew and Gentile* are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.13 For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved."*


14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"*


16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "LORD, who has believed our message?"*17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.18 But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:






"The message has gone throughout the earth,


and the words to all the world."*






19 But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,






"I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation.


I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles."*






20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying,






"I was found by people who were not looking for me.


I showed myself to those who were not asking for me."*






21 But regarding Israel, God said,






"All day long I opened my arms to them,


but they were disobedient and rebellious."*



Re-cap:
 
In verses 1-4, Paul re-caps Chapter 9. He writes about his love for the Jews. Paul had the love of Christ within him. He re-establishes the fact that they refuse to follow God's way, which is The Way: Jesus. I love that the NLT uses the word "clinging" in verse 3. I can see the entire human race with a tight grip around their sin, refusing to let go of themselves. (We are all guilty)
 
News that is Good
 
Starting in verse 5, Paul writes the Gospel. Paul preaches the good news through writing utensil and paper. He establishes that Christ came for us. He did not sit in heaven, pumping His religious fist, but He left his throne to come get His people.
 
Work? The bible clearly teaches that salvation is a free gift. This passage re-iterates that. Verse 8 expresses that salvation is within easy reach. How awesome is that? It is in easy-reach because Jesus brought it straight to us. Straight to the manger, straight to the cross, and straight from the grave. Jesus brought it.
 
So what does that mean  for us? Read it, hear it, believe it, and live it. We must know and have confidence that Jesus saves, and that He is capable of saving us. Jesus is the only one capable of making us right with the Father, and we must trust in that fact through every smile and every trial.
 
Pretty Feet-
 
After we believe, we are given direct directions. In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus tells the disciples to go and make disciples. Meaning, go, preach the Gospel, and teach them that Jesus is Lord. Paul knew this. Paul writes in verse 14 that those who do not know Jesus, will not know Him unless those who do know Jesus, tell them about Him. You get all of that?
 
If you believe, you are called to tell. You are called to tell the precious message of God's love to those who do not know it! And if you do this, you have beautiful feet.
 
I hate feet. They gross me out. Feet have never been seen as glorious or precious. That is why it was such a big deal for Jesus to wash the disciples feet. They're gross. Those feet belonged to men who wore flip-flops and rode camels. They belonged to men whose top priority was probably not their personal hygiene. Jesus did this to serve. We are to serve. One way to serve is by sharing the Gospel. The word tells us that all who share the good news have gorgeous feet.
 
What does God see when he looks at your feet? Are you spreading the Good News? Did you share it today? Why or why not? Heart-check.
 
Big hug...or Not?
 
Paul makes it clear that many will not cuddle up to the Gospel. Many people will reject what you have to say if you are telling the truth about Jesus. It will not be a bunch of big hugs, but you may have to deal with a rejection. As believers, this should break our heart in a way that motivates us to tell so many more souls!
 
If you have embraced Jesus, rejoice. If you have led someone to Christ, rejoice.
 
God's Love: Take it and tell it. It's a gift, and a privilege!

Declaration of Dependence (Romans 3)

In Romans 1 and 2, it was good. It gets even better in Romans 3.

Romans 3

1 Then what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision?2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.*

3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful?4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,






"You will be proved right in what you say,


and you will win your case in court."*






5 "But," some might say, "our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn't it unfair, then, for him to punish us?" (This is merely a human point of view.)6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?7 "But," someone might still argue, "how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?"8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, "The more we sin, the better it is!" Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.






All People Are Sinners


9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,* are under the power of sin.10 As the Scriptures say,






"No one is righteous—


not even one.


11 No one is truly wise;


no one is seeking God.


12 All have turned away;


all have become useless.


No one does good,


not a single one."*


13 "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.


Their tongues are filled with lies."


"Snake venom drips from their lips."*


14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."*


15 "They rush to commit murder.


16 Destruction and misery always follow them.


17 They don't know where to find peace."*


18 "They have no fear of God at all."*






19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.






Christ Took Our Punishment


21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses* and the prophets long ago.22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.


23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.


27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.


29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is.30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.*31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

We are wrong. Jesus is right. It's a good thing that Jesus is right.
 
WE ARE WRONG
Look at your life: Yes, the past mistakes, current struggles, and future obstacles. The statement that "we are wrong" is obvious. God uses Paul to say this in Romans 3.
 
It is obvious that we are all cursed by sin. We have been stained by the filth of this life and our decisions. Look at the statistics. They prove that we are wrong. Verses 10-18 screams of our sinfulness. Verse 15 says that we even run to murder, yes, that includes you. God's word says it. That is powerful, and convicting.
 
Romans 3:23 is one of the most used, read, taught, and preached scriptures in the history of holy scripture, and for good reason. The fact that we have all sinned and that no one is excluded convicts hearts, breaks egos, and calls us all to repentance. THIS IS GOOD STUFF.
 
So what?
 
Jesus is Right
Jesus is not only right, but He is all righteousness summed up in one name. God is good, so is His Son. Romans 3:4 states that God is true. John 14:6 states that Jesus is Truth. Both of the statements are true.
 
Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years. He did so without sinning. That's tough stuff, and it continues to be true. Jesus was righteous, blameless, good, holy, salvation, right, pure, and everything thing else that can be labeled as good.
 
So what?!

Jesus being right benefits us
Usually disagreements make people sour. If someone else is right, and we are wrong, it usually does not go over well. This situation should be handled differently. We are wrong. Jesus is right. This benefits us.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

The grace of God should bring tears of joy to our eyes.

We are sinful, Jesus was not, so he could take our place. Don't you get it? If Jesus was not blameless he could not satisfy God's holy and just wrath. Out of love and righteousness, Jesus did something scandalous. He gave us what we didn't deserve. We have reason to celebrate our perfect and worthy King. His name is Jesus.



Chapter 3 can be summed up by saying... God is good. We are not. Jesus is the answer. Boast only in Him, for He alone is worthy.

Let's declare dependence on the one and only Jesus Christ.

Goody-Two-Shoes (Romans 2)

Paul started his letter to the Romans off with a BANG! In Chapter 2, he continues his rant on sin, mentions Jews, and throws circumcision into the mix. Good stuff! Keep reading...

Romans 2

1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things.3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things?4 Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done.7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.*10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.11 For God does not show favoritism.


12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God's written law. And the Jews, who do have God's law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.13 For merely listening to the law doesn't make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.15 They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.






The Jews and the Law


17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God's law, and you boast about your special relationship with him.18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law.19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God's law gives you complete knowledge and truth.


21 Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?*23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.24 No wonder the Scriptures say, "The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you."*


25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God's law. But if you don't obey God's law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile.26 And if the Gentiles obey God's law, won't God declare them to be his own people?27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God's law but don't obey it.


28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision.29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise* from God, not from people.
 
Apostle Paul finished up Chapter one discussing God's hate for sin. He happens to open Chapter 2 the same way. When Jesus repeats things through Paul, WE NEED TO TAKE NOTE!
 
HYPOCRISY
A sin that Paul starts off with is that of Hypocrisy. Jesus hates hypocrisy.
 
Jesus and the Pharisees and Jewish leaders did not get along well because of their hypocrisy. Jesus hates it when we do not admit our sins, but point out the sins of others.
 
We have to make sure that we stay aware of our own sin. It is tough and it will probably not boost your self-confidence, but the confession of sins and repentance is key to our partnership with Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30).
 
Consequences- Paul begins expressing the consequences for our sin, stubbornness, and hypocrisy in verse 5. Jesus wants us to be on guard against sin, so that He can guard us from eternal consequences. When we do not repent, we literally build up hell for ourselves.
 
A Continuance of Hypocrisy
Verse 17: Paul continues to demolish the hearts of hypocrites. He takes this serious. SO DOES JESUS. Jesus wants us to admit our sin , so that we can turn to HIM and be saved. The first step to being saved is realizing that you're lost. The Jews in Rome struggled mightily with this. So do we. What's going on in your life right now? Need to confess some sin? Take a few moments to pray to God, confess sin, ask for forgiveness, and make a commitment to keeping your eyes on Jesus. Let's look this thing right in the face.
 
 
Religion Stinks
 
Paul was once one of the most religious people in the bible. He was once wrapped up in rules and regulations. Then he met Jesus. When Paul was confronted by Christ, his world was changed. Jesus broke Paul's religious and traditional spine.
 
The Jewish leaders did not get this. Their thick skulls and hardened hearts could not handle the words of grace and love. They were consumed by self-righteousness and regulations. They made everything about family trees and circumcision.
 
This should make us cringe. Paul explains that they made rules, enforced them, but failed to follow them. We need to do differently! We need to fall on our knees, thank God for grace, and move forward in service and obedience.
 
 
 
 
SERVE, not stink.