Good News For All

What’s The Point?

This passage is so encouraging! We clearly see the promises the Gospel gives to us in Christ. Remember in the last chapter how Paul desperately wanted his Jewish brothers to accept Christ? That is what he is restating here in vv. 1-4. He longs for them to know Christ and seek his righteousness, but they lack knowledge and seek their own righteousness rather than the Lord’s. Paul’s encouragement to his brothers is similar to his words from Philippians 3:13-14 “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” This is what he wants for them, that they would forget their works, forget their laws, forget their traditions, and pursue Christ!

But Paul knows how his Israelite brothers think. He even quotes from Leviticus 18:5 and Deuteronomy 30:12-14 to show their reasoning about the law and righteousness. It’s like he is yelling, “You guys are missing the point!” That is why he asks the questions about ascending to heaven and descending into the abyss (vv. 6-7). Christ has already come down from heaven. God’s righteousness has come to men. And Christ has been raised from the dead so that we might conquer our final enemy, death.

That is why Paul can give this super-simple Gospel assurance, “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” (v.9). It does not depend on our work, our success, our obedience; it all depends on the finished work of Christ! And Christ’s work is so perfect that it has made a way not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles, so “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (v. 11).

Romans 10:11 is a quote from Joel 2:32 where the prophet Joel is talking about “The Day of the Lord.” This section of Joel is all about God’s people returning to him and God pouring out his Spirit on his people. Joel was writing around 500 years before Paul about the salvation of the Lord’s people, and now Paul is expanding that promise to include the entire world—salvation is available to anyone who calls upon Christ.

If salvation is available to everyone who calls upon Christ, Paul then asks how are we going to tell everyone about this. You can’t help but love Paul’s no nonsense reasoning. It’s almost like he is saying, “Well if people need to hear the Gospel, what are we waiting for?” This should be our mindset as believers. At Snowbird we often say, “Why wait for a call when you have a command?”

Jesus told us to go and proclaim the Good News; he told us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). As believers, we know the truth; we know the one who defeated death and sin; we know the only way to be saved. We must recognize that people need the Gospel and act accordingly. If “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (v. 17), then let’s go out and tell people about our Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from the grave.

Scripture Memorization

Romans 10:13

“‘For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”

Prayer

Lord, your plan of salvation is amazing! From the beginning of creation you have been bringing about your purpose to save people through your Son, Jesus. I praise you for showing me mercy and being patient with me. I never could have found my way to you, but Christ came down in humility and rose in victory. Help me remember that it is only by your grace I am saved, and remind me that I have been called to share this grace with others. I pray that your grace would overwhelm me so much that I cannot help but share it with others. Thank you for choosing me and giving me confidence in my salvation. Amen.

Reflection

1. Read Joel 2. How has Jesus fulfilled Joel’s prophecy?
2. The question is often asked, “What happens to those who have never heard the Gospel?” This is a hard question, but maybe we should be asking ourselves, “Should I be someone who goes and proclaims the Gospel to those who haven’t heard?”
3. Spend some time praying for someone you know who doesn’t know the Lord. What are some ways you could talk to them about the Gospel?

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Paul speaks about his Jewish brothers as lacking knowledge and being ignorant of righteousness (vv. 2-3) when they clearly knew so much of the Old Testament?
2. What do you think about Paul’s words from Romans 9:3, wishing he could trade his salvation for the salvation of the Jewish people?
3. God has made salvation very simple and available to everyone. So, what is stopping you from being bold with the Gospel?

---

If you have any questions feel free to reach out: harry@swoutfitters.com. All of the Scripture referenced in this study is from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.