Well, tonight I invite you to turn to Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, such a wonderful section we are in tonight. I anticipated going a little further with this, but as I looked at it this week, I have in the bulletin verses 3 through 13. We will read through verse 13, but I am really, this is a very fascinating, challenging, but remarkable text tonight. I'm going to focus on verses five through eight, and we will come back again next time through verse 13. So the title is actually "Christ and the Law." Next time will be "Christ and Your Confession," but "Christ and the Law."
So we're going to back up to verse 1 of chapter 10. Actually, yeah, verse 1 of chapter 10, and read through 13. "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved, for I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
That verse 4 is very important for tonight. He is now going to show this. That's his purpose. Verse 4. I'm going to prove verse 4 to you is his purpose tonight. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandment shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart, who will ascend into heaven, (that is, to bring Christ down), or who will descend into the abyss, (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that we proclaim. Because 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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, everyone who 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, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
And there ends tonight the reading of God's Word.
Well, I hope you can appreciate with me so far how much attention we have given to study what happened with national Israel and to understand them, to reflect upon that nation in history. It is a vastly important subject to the New Testament authors. They really want us to think about this and understand this. They did not leave us in the dark about what has happened to Israel. And think of how much discussion goes on to this day about this subject! The authors gave us what we need to know about this subject. Certainly there are mysteries to this. Paul has explained this great charge that God's word has failed with regard to national Israel by saying that's not true. God's word has not failed to the true Israel. And that's why he explained the doctrine of election and explained that through the doctrine of election he's not lost one of his sheet.
But now we move to the human responsibility side of the discussion. That's what Paul's doing here. He's ensuring after we went through and explained the doctrine of election that God chooses for salvation his people, he now wants us to understand the willing choice of Israel, the choice that they made. We could say, "Well, God just hardened Pharaoh's heart, and therefore Pharaoh had no chance." But the Scriptures are very clear: Pharaoh hardened his own heart. He just God just simply directed that heart and hardened that heart in the direction that Pharaoh already wanted it to go. So it's never that God is refusing something to somebody who really wants this. That's not how this is. We can all testify to that truth. The Lord has been overwhelming and being merciful and compassionate. His arms have been out. "Come." Every time from the pulpit have we said, "Come, now." If somebody says, "I don't want to come," whose fault is that? God's? Of course not. That's essentially what Paul is saying here with Israel tonight. He's helping us with that, but he wants us to look a little bit theologically at it to understand what happened with Israel, the willing choice that they made.
But what was the willing choice? How did Israel fail? It's a crucial question. Paul saw it as the most relevant issue for the whole world to consider, for Israel was always intended to be a teaching tool for the nations. Paul will say that back in Romans 2, at the end of actually the big, yeah in Romans 3, the before 21 about Romans 3 20 For Israel stops up the mouth of the whole world in its own righteousness. So so he was: what he meant there was if you look at Israel, you should say, "Wow, we don't have anything to say, because if anyone's going to try in their own righteousness to make it before God, Israel puts an end to the discussion." That's what he was saying. Stops up everyone's mouth.
So this was important throughout the book of Romans to explain this, for you saw Jew and Gentile were mentioned again there in verse 12. Well, after chapters explaining the difference and understanding the gospel, think of all these chapters we spent understanding the free grace of Christ and justification by free grace through faith alone because of Christ's work. the Gentiles he says, have reached the goal. Did you catch that the Gentiles have reached the goal. They saw the righteousness that was revealed, Romans 3.21, apart from the law. The righteousness that comes by, what's deemed today, faith, because they received Jesus by faith.
But Israel did not. Again, we're looking at macro Israel. In the micro sense, many Israelites embraced Christ by faith. But the macro picture here is Israel did not as a nation in covenant. They pursued, notice there, the law of righteousness by living, not by faith, but they tried to please God in their own way. And so you'll notice in 10, verse 3, and it says in 2 that they had a zeal for God. Oh, sure, they had a zeal for worship. They had a zeal for many things, but not according to knowledge. And that's what it looks like in verse 3: "For they were ignorant of the righteousness of God. This is so crucial. Seeking to establish their own. That's the core issue. They did not submit to God's righteousness."
And what have we been looking at? This is the righteousness that God provides for us apart from the law, apart from our doing, apart from our own works. They would not subject themselves to it. They would not receive it.
And Romans 10:4 was the climax to this point where he says, "For Christ," and this is the whole purpose he wants to make now in Romans chapter 10. It's a crucial verse to the chapter: "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." That is such a big statement. It's a much bigger statement than we realize. It's an interpretive statement for how we read the Old Testament. It's very akin to Luke 24: "He preached to them in all the law and the prophets the things concerning himself." Paul understood this.
Notice what it says there, and think of something like, just to give an example, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Here's Melanchthon in his commentary on Romans: "Christ gives everything the law requires. That is, whoever believes in Christ has that which the law demands. He is righteous by imputation."
Or Luther: "The moment a man believes in Christ, the end of the law is attained in that man. That's a really good statement. The end of the law is attained in that man. It is fulfilled in him. And he is in possession of that righteousness which the law requires, and consequently he has eternal life."
So that verse, crucial tonight. Christ was always announced as the righteousness that comes from God for us. You heard that in this teaching on the supper tonight: his suffering and death is for us, as if we had accomplished it ourselves. He is our righteousness. He is our righteousness.
Now, something like Galatians 3 tells us that the law was a tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. That's the righteousness that comes by faith. Christ for righteousness. He is our righteousness. He became our righteousness. That was the intention of God to supply what we could never do, what Israel could never do when it was handed the oracles of God, when it was handed the law. I hope I've made that case. I hope I've been clear in Romans. I know you have to keep saying these things. I have to keep saying them to myself.
Paul knew he was being charged with teaching some new doctrine. Paul knew that he was being charged with some new idea here. And I think in Paul's mind is, "You know, I'm going to deal with that. I'm going to prove to you that this is not some new doctrine." It's almost as if Paul says right here, "I'm going to prove it from the Old Testament, in the heart of the Old Testament, in the heart of the Torah, to make this case for you: that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe. Christ is the goal of the law." Or as Melanchthon said, "That whoever believes in Christ, he has what the law demands. He fulfills that law, the intention of the law."
Or what I mean by this is from Calvin: "The law now listen to this, the law in all of its parts had a reference to Christ. The law in all of its parts had a reference to Christ."
Paul says, "I'm going to show you that. How can I prove that? Well, it's surprising tonight. Stay with me again. This is one of those, just for 20 minutes here, okay? That's what I'm aiming for. Stay with me. I think you'll see how beautiful this is."
Verse 5, he begins by rehearsing the great truth that there are two kinds of righteousness in the Bible. There are two principles of righteousness. And Paul personifies them as if these righteousness become a person for a minute, as if each one were talking to us. Let's do that for a minute. Let's pretend that righteousness A and righteousness B is having a conversation with us. We could frame it this way: righteousness A. Notice that. The righteousness that comes by the law. Look at verse 5: "For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law." And here he cites Leviticus 18:5: "The man who does these things shall live by them. The person who does the commandment shall live by them." That is Leviticus 18:5.
So, important extremely important for Paul. He cites the same verse in Galatians 3:10: "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. And what is that curse? For it's written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things which are written in the book of the law to do them. So, all, all inclusive. "But that no one is justified by the law and the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by what? Faith. That's this morning. Yet the law is not faith, of faith."
Now here's our verse: "But the man who does them shall live by them." Galatians 3: "Again, I testify to every man who accepts circumcision that he's obligated to keep the whole law."
Okay, righteousness A. It speaks this way: "The law says, do this and live, I will do it. "That righteousness A speaks to us and speaks and says, That is my responsibility. That is what I will do. That is what God calls it to do. We are called to be perfect. That is the standard. We need to go out and our job in life is to keep the law of God." That's righteousness A. None of this was a suggestive thing of how to maintain the covenant by our faithfulness or saying that somehow it's imperfect and incomplete. It meant you have to do the law.
Now, you remember, okay? I don't have to spend a lot of time on that. Paul throughout Romans has been making the case: "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There's not a just man on earth who does not sin." That's the law of righteousness. Israel failed right here. They were cut off as a nation by breaking the covenant, by thinking that righteousness comes by the law, by their obedience. I have to be very careful of This To be very careful. This kind of attitude spills over at Rex. Witness. It just does all kinds of damage. See how relevant it is for everyone?
No one is, testimony of Romans, righteous. Okay, we've established righteousness A. Do we understand that? "I will do it myself. I will keep the law." Seems pretty basic. But now Paul introduces the righteousness that speaks to us, righteousness B, when he says, But the righteousness of faith speaks this way," entirely different, entirely offset. So whatever he's about to say is in total contrast to the first speaker. It's in total contrast to righteousness A.
Righteousness B, righteousness A. This one speaks entirely differently. And his goal here is to prove Romans 10, 4. "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." He's proving verse 4. So we are not looking at us; we're looking at Christ.
So how does Paul prove it? How does Paul prove it? Well, as in good Old Testament, I mean, in good apostolic fashion, he? goes to the Old Testament, doesn't he? and I encourage you tonight to take your Bibles, and I want you to see this, because I think it's very important. So just for a minute here, turn to Deuteronomy 30, and you can see what he's doing. It's fascinating.
"The righteousness of faith speaks this way," and then Paul loosely quotes Deuteronomy 30, 12-14. I'm going to back up to verse 10 of Deuteronomy 30, and just read it for a minute, and I think you'll hear. Now, keep in mind what we've been looking at so far, okay? Verse 10 of Deuteronomy 30:
"When you obey the voice of the Lord your God to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this book of the law. When you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul for this commandment... Now notice this: This commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you. Really? Neither is it far off. It is not in heaven that you should say, "Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us that we may hear and do it?" Neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, "Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it?" But the word is very near you. It's in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it.
Okay. Now, that is fascinating.
"See, I've set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandment of the Lord your God that I command you today by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, by keeping his commandments and his statutes and rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away and you will not hear, but you are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish."
What happened? They didn't do it. They didn't do it. Okay. Notice what he said: "You don't have to ascend into heaven to get the commandment. You don't have to go beyond the sea to have it brought to you. But this commandment is in your mouth and it's in your heart that you may do it. So if you obey the voice of the Lord your God to keep the commandments and his statutes, which are written in the book of the law, and if you do not turn away and you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, you will be delivered. But if your heart turns away, you'll perish."
And you say, "What in the world are you doing, Paul? That is not the verse to go to to make your point." Right? I mean, it seems like there's no difference in the two ways of speaking. The righteousness of faith says what? Did you notice something was inserted?
Now, turn back to Romans 9. You may have to listen to this sermon again. I'm worried about that. So let's back up. "The righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?" (that is, to bring Christ down), or who will descend into the abyss, (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is in your heart, near you, in your mouth, and in your heart.
Notice the beginning of verse 6: "The righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart. That wasn't in Deuteronomy 30. That's from Deuteronomy 8:17. That's from Deuteronomy 9:4. Let me quote it: "Then you say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. Deuteronomy 9:4: "Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, it's because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess the land, whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out.
Paul inserts that. "Do not say in your heart, do not say what? "It's my own righteousness."
Now I want you to notice verse 6 of Romans 10: "The righteousness of faith speaks this way: Don't say it's your righteousness. Deuteronomy 30 says, "That is to bring the commandment down." Paul inserts Christ where commandment is. Did you see that? That is to say, "Do not say in your heart, who will ascend into heaven. That is to bring the Deuteronomy 30 says, bring the commandment down." Paul inserts Christ there: "That is to bring Christ down." "Or who will descend into the abyss? That is to bring," Deuteronomy 30 said, "the commandment." Paul inserts Christ: "Christ up from the dead. Not the commandment. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness."
He inserts Christ where commandment is in Deuteronomy 30. Do you see what he just did? He inserted Christ in the place of "It's not too hard for you to keep the law." He was the intention. Where Deuteronomy spoke of commandment, it had the aim of showing us Christ. So when you read Deuteronomy, you read about Christ. Just like I said in the Psalms: they're the cries of Christ. This is how the apostolic men read the Scripture and applied the Scripture. The righteousness of faith says Christ is the one that the law and the prophets were all about, and he's not far from us. I don't have to go find him.
What did Deuteronomy 30 say? He saw Christ, that Moses is saying the commandment would not be too difficult for Christ. It was in his heart. He loved his father. He obeyed the voice of his father. He kept the commandments and the statutes. It was not too difficult for him. It was for you. But the righteousness of faith looks to him. He loved the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the righteousness he supplies for us.
See what Paul just did here? He's making the case: Christ is the end of the law. He is the purpose and goal of the law for us, that we would not be like them who don't submit to Christ and don't believe in Christ and try to establish our righteousness on the basis of law keeping. Righteousness 2 doesn't speak like that. Righteousness B doesn't speak like that. It doesn't say, "How will we ascend in the heaven to bring Christ down?" "Or how will we descend into the abyss to bring Christ up?"
Paul's essentially saying that we don't have to do that. Christ has been brought to us in the resurrection and the incarnation, and the incarnation and the resurrection of Christ for you. you have the righteousness brought down to you. And because of Christ's life, death, and resurrection, he did what Moses commanded for you. The Father accepted it. He satisfied the demands of divine justice. And Paul's saying, "Then how do you receive it?" That's the righteousness of faith. What does it say? It says this to us: "The word is near to you in your mouth and in your heart. Not that you do it, notice that, and live."
Again, read carefully Deuteronomy 30 and compare this: "In your mouth and your heart, that is the word of faith which we preach." Did you hear that? "That 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."
You see what he just did? That's the righteousness that receives all this by faith. The word of faith that we preach. See how important preaching is? He's going to go on to explain, "How will they hear without a preacher?" and "How will they preach unless they're sent?" The preacher ministers the righteousness of Christ to people. That's why preachers and preaching is so important. Our goal in the New Covenant is to minister the righteousness of Christ to the people. It's the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
And what was just said to you is: "I've done everything necessary. God says, to provide a righteousness for you, holy, outside of you, that you don't have to worry about how even to go and get it." "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace. I'll send pastors to preach it to you. What he wants from us is for us to hear and marvel and believe and receive his Son."
See how that would tie together to this morning? A faithless scene coming down the mountain. If you have Christ tonight, you have everything. Without him, we perish. But notice what he said: "Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." The Lord is Jesus. Jesus is Lord. He's the same Lord over all, Jew and Gentile. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Those who enter the kingdom of God, those who are saved, those who will be in glory, speak this way. They don't speak the other way. They speak of the righteousness of Christ. They submit to that righteousness that comes by faith. And they take great delight in the ministry of the Gospel, who is being made known to them, who is being given to them.
If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart, you will be saved. It's such good news to us. And I pray that tonight we would marvel at the grace of God given to us that he would open our eyes as Gentiles to speak this way: by faith faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. He justifies us by providing a righteousness for us that we could never attain to because of our disobedience. He justifies us and acquits us, and this is the righteousness that speaks this way: "I have Christ, and I have everything."
Let's pray.
Gracious Lord, thank you for helping us to understand the intention of the entire Scriptures to show us the salvation of your Son. Thank you for giving us help and grace and mercy, and thank you, Lord, for pulling us out, delivering us from righteousness A, for we could not achieve it. Thank you for the righteousness of Christ. By faith we believe what you have said. Forgive us, Lord, in times for our unbelief, as that man said. Help us when we are weak. May we trust you in all things, for your word is true. And thank you that Christ is brought to us in the preaching of the Gospel. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.