Lesson 129
Romans Chapter Ten
The Faithfulness of God
Review:
10:4 points out the fundamental
doctrinal error in their thinking and approach to righteousness and therefore
to God. True here of
te,loj can mean 2 things; 2 differing nuances to "end" are
pertinent
#1
end in the sense of termination,
finished, cessation;
#2
end in the sense of a purpose,
goal, objective;
-
When you examine the law and the believer's relationship to it in this age;
what do we know? What have we already learned?
-
The point is that the M/Law or any law system has nothing to do with acquiring
righteousness, being justified before God!
-
Look at Gal 3:24-25
see a blending of the two meanings of telos.
- Paul pictures the
law as a tutor;
-
And when we are measured by that standard we clearly do not measure up!
When we realize
that, the law has done its job!
"we are no longer under a tutor" In what sense?
1.
We are not locked in or controlled by
the Law's rules; [regardless of how good the rules are, which Paul develops in
Gal 5]
2.
We are positively free to live within
the life and righteousness that Jesus Christ provides.
3.
We are to be positively under the
control of the Holy Spirit,
4.
Point is the law cannot give righteousness, it only leads the sinner to the Savior who
can give the righteousness needed.
So Christ is "the end of the law" in the
sense that through Christ’s death and resurrection, terminated the ministry of the Mosaic
Law for those who believe, for the C/A believer.
The righteous
requirement of the law is fulfilled in the life of the believer through the
power of the Spirit who indwells each believer, Rom. 8:4.
Reformed theology
attempts to keep the Gentiles under the Law--if not as a means of acquiring
righteousness, [salv.] then as "a rule of life," that's
where all the trouble and confusion has risen.
What about the moral
law? Covenant and Reformed Theologians generally try to retain this aspect of
the Law of Moses, thereby arguing that the Law of Moses is still in effect.
Robert Lightner has spelled out the dispensational view of the
moral law:
The moral
law of God refers to those eternal principles that reflect the nature of God.
Dispensationalists do not believe the moral law of God terminated at
McQuilkin
verbalized dispensational sentiments when he said, “The moral law is not
equivalent to the Mosaic Law; however, the Mosaic Law, which was ‘added’
because of transgressions, included the moral law. It included also the
ceremonial law, civil law, criminal law, sanitary law, governmental law.
But the moral law
existed before Moses and continues after the cross.”
- 10:5 Don't forget folks what
the law demands, have the statements of Moses.
If man could keep
the law for righteousness, why did Christ have to die? Gal. 3:10-13
- The legal formula
for law performance salvation is Do and live!
- The Grace/cross
formula for salvation is believe and live!
Contrast - Righteousness of God and man.
Differ God's +R Man's Self-R
as to degree perfect flawed > own nature
as to kind Only kind acceptable never acceptable
by God for Salv.
to
God's +R/J
as to
communicability can be imputed can
not be transferred
by
faith only its
yours;
Rom 4 stuck
with it
-
What was the barrier between Israel and God?
their zeal for God!
In that very zeal
for God, they missed God, they stumbled over the stumbling stone!
10:1-13 Justification the
Method [by faith]
b. 10:6-13 Method as taught
by Scripture;
-
In the flow of the next few verses we find 3 major facts about salvation;
pivotal ideas.
#1.
vs:8 "the
word is near you" Gospel is
within reach of all! no exceptions;
#2.
vs:11,12,13
"whoever will call"
Gospel is offered to all!
#3.
vs:16 "not
heeded" Gospel has not been
believed and obeyed by all
The material Paul
quoted in Romans 10:6-8 is taken somewhat freely from Deuteronomy 30:12-14 with
clauses quoted here and there.
Blessing was
promised for faith and obedience, and discipline would result from rejection
and disobedience.
-
The point of Moses' exhortation in vs:11-14 is that
the generation to whom he was speaking had God's message, they understood it
(it was very near you and in your mouth,) and could respond by faith, believe
it, and walk with God in obedience.
-
Paul takes the thrust of what Moses says here and uses it to make his point; in
the place of the commandments of God, what does Paul put in? the word of faith,
the Gospel.
-
What Paul does is to have BD speaking, rather than the author of Scripture; Justification
speaks; being saved by faith says
something important; He's personifying
the BD of Justification.
In Romans 10, the
subject is the Son of God; in vs:6-7 Paul is focused
on 2 things;
#1 Christ brought
down [incarnation; had come in the flesh, Jn
#2 Christ brought
up [resurrection]
Therefore since He
did it all, salvation is a finished work for the one who believes.
-
Paul is making a strong point here and is saying to