Beauty in the Book: Romans 10
Themes
This portion of Romans discusses how salvation is given in accordance with faith—regardless of one being a Jew or Gentile. Explore themes of God’s perfect righteousness, Christ’s relationship to the law, heartfelt faith, and proclamation.
Questions
This chapter addresses the following questions:
Is trying to be righteous by obeying the law something that is submissive to God or rebellious against him?
How are the law and the Gospel connected? How does Christ relate to the law?
Does it make a difference if you are a Jew or non-Jew when it comes to being blessed by God?
How, technically, is one saved?
Moving Forward
This writing will break down the chapter section-by-section, offering commentary for your reflection. Don’t miss the ending titled Beauty in the Book where it all gets wrapped up in a bow—highlighting how every chapter is woven with uplifting realities of God’s goodness and grace.
Romans 10:1-3
Once again in the book of Romans, Paul proclaims that God’s righteousness is one that is based on faith, and not on works. It’s more than the fact that we can’t offer enough good deeds, it’s that deeds aren’t even what’s being counted here. It’s our faith in Jesus that causes us to receive our salvation—and even then it’s a gift from God, not something we earn, so-to-speak. For who could ever be owed something by God, the giver of all?
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:35-36 NIV
We are counted righteous on the basis of faith, in accordance with God’s mercy. Not credited according to our deeds. Good works are more than insufficient for salvation, they’re irrelevant in regards to our salvation.
I heard this metaphor once: Sometimes, people imagine our sin as if we owe God a million dollars. We can only scrounge up half-a-million, so Jesus had to come pay the price for the rest. In this case, our good works accomplish something, just not everything…
But this isn’t what it’s like at all. It’s more like we owe God a million dollars and we try to pay him in old rusty, bent nails. Our offering isn’t only not enough, but it’s worthless entirely to restore our indebtedness to God. Or as the prophet Isaiah puts it, our righteous acts are like filthy rags:
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6 NIV
Our good works don’t transfer to righteousness in God’s economy.
The realization that works don’t equate to righteousness can feel like a gut-punch to the one who has been striving for approval… but for the one who understands their own depravity, the Gospel is the sweetest song in the world.
It reminds me of the parable from Luke 18:10-14:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14 NIV
Here, we see the man aware of his need for mercy was the one who ended up justified before God, not the one placing stake in his own acts. The humble man would end up exalted, as he called on the God’s mercy as his only hope.
Humility is a forerunner for faith. Pride leads to destruction. (Proverbs 16:18)
It reminds me of Christ’s entry to the sermon on the mount—the beatitudes—where he speaks of the blessing that comes to the one who is lowly, meek, mourning, and hungry-for-righteousness.(Matthew 5:3-10) Blessed is the one who understands their need for a savior. The one whose countenance holds space for Jesus to come in and fill them.
To the one who understands their brokenness, the good news about Jesus becomes the missing piece to their puzzle. They know they are needy, and the truth of Christ is the good news that comes to fill that need. It’s why any presentation of the Gospel begins with sharing the truth that we are all sinners in need of saving.
So then, in regards to the zeal of Israel as describes here in Romans 10, Paul importantly notes that while the nation of Israel was ambitious to be seen as good in God’s sight, their approach was entirely misdirected.
Like a speed-racer driving 100 miles per hour in the wrong direction, the Israelites pursued righteousness by a means of works, which set them entirely away from their goal.
Paul has strong words for the one attempting to be justified by works, in Galatians 5:4:
You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. Galatians 5:4 NIV
That word, alienated, is a strong word that only becomes more weighty as we dig further into the nuances of its meaning.
Alienation means that something has been rendered inoperative. As in, Christ’s function of salvation for a person being no longer in action, but becoming inactive. (blueletterbible.com)
Here are some other pieces of it’s definition. Alienated:
to cease, put an end to
to terminate intercourse with
to deprive of force, influence, power
As you can see, being alienated from Christ is about the worst position a human being could be in, because all he died to give us—salvation, restoration, justification—becomes null in-void.
The moment we begin depending on our works to justify us, is the moment Christ becomes inconsequential to us. We stop depending on God’s mercy, and place weight in our own efforts.
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Galatians 2:21 ESV
As Paul drives this point home in Romans 10:3, we see that by attempting to be seen as right in God’s eyes by what we do, is to actually rebel against God’s ways. Woah.
This is how the text puts it:
Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Romans 10:3 NIV
Pursuing righteousness based on the law is a refusal to submit to God’s righteousness. His righteousness that is given in accordance with his mercy, by faith, to the one who understands their need for saving.
This doesn’t mean that Christian’s aren’t to pursue holiness and good deeds, but we do so as people who are members of God’s family and already claimed as God’s beloved children—because of our faith alone, and due to God’s grace alone. (Hebrews 12:14, 1 Timothy 6:18)
It’s not a question of whether good acts are good or not, it’s a question as to whether our good acts secure our salvation or not. (And the answer is: not.) See what Ephesians 2:8-10 says on the matter:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV
Our salvation is a gift of God’s grace, and our good works are prepared by God for us to fulfill as we walk with him. May we humbly receive God’s generous gift of grace, to the praise of his glory.
Romans 10:4
A powerful verse like this deserves its own section. In Romans 10:4, we see a weighty word used to clearly articulate all that Christ was, in regard to the Old Testament law.
He was the “culmination” of the law. (And don’t you worry—my little word-nerds out there—we will be digging into exactly what the word culmination means. But first, let’s explore the entirety of the verse.)
We are told that Christ is the culmination of the law, and this fact is not without purpose: the purpose of Christ’s culminating the law is so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4)
This subtle fact and reminder—tucked into Romans 10:4—speaks volumes to the generous mercies of God.
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 135:8 ESV
According to his nature, God is gracious and merciful. Gracious to give us good gifts we don’t deserve, merciful to withhold from us the wrath we do deserve apart from him.
And we are reminded that the active purpose of Christ’s sacrifice was to provide a restored relationship with God—a perfected righteousness—to be available to all who call on him in faith.
Very well then, so let’s get into the meaning of culmination.
I think it would be valuable to do a few things here: to dig into the deeper meaning of the word “culmination”, but also to compare it to an often-reference scripture on this topic of Christ’s relationship to the law. We will explore Romans 10:4, which says this:
Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:4 NIV
And we will look at it alongside the Scripture where Jesus says this:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17 NIV
I’m going to display the definitions of the words culmination, abolish, and fulfill. (I will be simplifying the definitions with the goal of building clarity, but if you’d like to dig deeper into their meanings, you can tap the words in the previous sentence and dive further yourself.)
After we explore the meanings of the words, we can discuss their implications.
culmination, telos, τέλος:
termination
the limit at which something ceases to exist
the last in a succession or series
the end to which all things relate
the aim or purpose
abolish, katalyō, καταλύω:
to destroy or demolish
to subvert (or undermine the power and authority of)
to overthrow a law, government, or institution
to declare invalid
fulfill, plēroō, πληρόω:
to bring to fullness or abundance
to bring to realization
the sayings of prophecies or promises coming to pass
to make complete in every way
When I consider the discrepancies between the verbs “culminate” and “abolish”, it becomes clear that culmination holds a reverence and value for all that came before it, while abolishment contains the idea of a rebellious overthrow.
If Christ were to abolish, the law, he would have attempted to undermine it’s purpose, or lessen its weight. However, that’s not what Christ wanted to do. As we know, the law held a good and specific purpose: to expose humanity’s sinfulness for what it was and lead us to Christ.
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3:23-24 NIV
The law was our guardian. Or as many translate it: the law served as our tutor or schoolmaster.
Okay, I’m sorry but I can’t resist sharing this next thing with you. It’s too good. Buckle up for another word exploration.
This is how the word “guardian” was understood at a deeper level during the Scripture’s time of being written. (Again, definition is from blueletterbible.com.)
Guardian, paidagōgos, παιδαγωγός:
“a tutor i.e. a guardian and guide of boys. Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood.”
This is such a phenomenal metaphor for what the law accomplished! It held onto the child’s hand and guarded them, until they arrived at the age of maturity.
Christ is the maturity and fullness of the Biblical narrative. He is the culmination of the law’s purposes. He is what the law was leading us to, and it is in him that the law met its fullness.
Where God’s people once walked hand-in-hand with the law, we now walk in Christ. He is the fullness of God who brings us to our own maturity and completion.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:6-10 ESV
As you can see, Christ fulfilling the law brought a termination to its purposes, but it didn’t undermine the value it served along the way. Rather, he brought about a completeness to its purpose, even as he brought about a completeness to our salvation.
Romans 10:5-8
Here, Paul paints a stark contrast between the Old Covenant and the New. For in the time of Moses, one believed that the person who did the things of the law would truly live. But we, in Christ, live through him. And while our beliefs may merit action, we don’t find life through our actions, but by our beliefs.
It’s by our belief and proclamation that we are sealed and saved in the person of Jesus Christ. In the here and now. I love the way Charles Spurgeon comments on these next lines (v. 6-7) regarding ascending or descending:
“What are you at, —you who would fain clamber up to the stars, or you who would plunge into the abyss? There is nothing for you to do, there is nothing for you to feel, there is nothing for you to be, in order that God may accept you; but, just as you are, if you will receive Christ into your heart, and confess him with your mouth, you shall be saved. Oh, this glorious way of the salvation of sinners, — so simple, yet so safe, — so plain, yet so sublime, — for me to lay aside my own righteousness, and just to take the righteousness of Christ, and be covered with it from head to foot!” —Charles Spurgeon, Romans 10 Commentary
I love the way he described the Gospel: simple and safe. And that it is, in the sense that the message of the Gospel can stir even the heart of a child to believe and be held securely, for all of eternity.
And yet, for those who resist laying their salvation in God’s hands through faith, they find this message to be foolish at best and infuriating at worst.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV
While Jesus himself is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), the Gospel divides people up into two categories: those who believe, and those who don’t. These categories know no family lines, no race, no gender, and no cultural heritage:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 ESV
In Matthew 10:34-36, as his crucifixion approaches, he alludes to this reality:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Matthew 10:34-36 NIV
Our security in Christ, and our eternity with God, comes by one thing: faith. It’s the most simple, most weighty, most critical, most divisive truth in the universe. May we always be found standing on the side of grace.
Romans 10:10-13
Here Paul describes clearly how one is saved: by inward belief and outward acknowledgement.
We aren’t just to have a secret belief deep in our hearts when we come to faith, but we are to wear Christ like a badge of honor, knowing it’s by his covering alone that we are seen as righteous in God’s sight.
And, by the way, this acknowledgement is a two-way street. (And Jesus’ word is worth way more than ours!)
See what he says in Matthew 10:32-33:
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33 NIV
This, is the beautiful hope we are signing up for when we place our faith in Christ. Christ’s acknowledgement that we are his. The sheep of his pasture. Which is a great transition to our next point: Jesus is the good shepherd, and is the door by which to enter green land.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:14-16 NIV
He is the entry point into life’s great pastures, and he has chosen to be a gate by which both Jews and Gentiles may enter:
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:9-10 NIV
I love how that is verified, once again, in Romans 10:12. There is no difference in Christ: Jew or Gentile. It comes down to who places their faith in the Lord. And this faith isn’t without result: those who call on the name of the Lord are “richly blessed” and forever saved. (Romans 10:13) Full life awaits the one who trusts in the Lord.
Romans 10:14-15
Paul transitions here to the topic of evangelism, cutting right to the crux of the matter: people can’t trust in Jesus if people haven’ t heard of Jesus.
There is a beauty to the message of the Gospel. (That may have been the world’s biggest understatement!) An organic beauty that can be seen and tasted in all its purity and truth.
Like salt enhancing and preserving all it touches, to light illuminating the darkness and bringing warmth and joy, we who bear the image of Christ display a goodness this world is in desperate need of.
Here’s what Jesus says about our witness during his sermon on the mount:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deedsand glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16 NIV
May we be so filled with the love of Christ that it beams out of us, drawing others in like a moth to a flame.
Romans 10:16-21
The Israelites rejection of the Gospel didn’t preclude God’s continual and generous love towards them. While they remained obstinate (as we see in the Isaiah scripture featured here), God continued to hold out his hands.
And that, my friend, is the decadent beauty of the Gospel. That God loves sinners and moves towards them in benevolence and grace, not waning at their rejection, but persevering in love.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NIV
Let us not forget: sin doesn’t just include our immoral actions, but our lack of faith as well. And God still loves the one who resists him. God was the first “lover of his enemies”.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-45
When we love our enemies, we are reflective of his good nature as his children. For God even loves the ones who turn away from him. We see that in Jesus, who hung on the cross called for forgiveness of the very ones who crucified him. (Luke 23:34)
It’s this wisdom that caused him to open the doors of salvation wide—available not just to the nation of Israel, but also to Gentiles as well.
He is a generous and loving God who longs that all would call on him and live!
Beauty in the Book
There’s a reason God’s righteousness is described as a mystery. We are both called into submission to God’s ways, and in the same breath, realize that his ways are the most fruitful, life-giving, and generous ways to have ever existed.
And this generosity was held out in a wider span than his people could have ever dared to hope. It’s a salvation entirely by faith, for Jews and Gentiles alike:
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:6 NIV
Imagine a grace so grand and so generous, that it’s been described as scandalous.
Scandalous— defined by Apple’s Dictionary as “a perceived offense against morality or law”—is the perfect descriptor for the effects of grace. And Paul came in with the reality check that God’s righteousness was rooted in grace and provided in accordance with faith.
And Christ’s atonement didn’t do away with or go against the law, but rather brought a divine fulfillment to what its purposes were all along the way: to expose humanity’s need for a savior.
As we yield to God’s perfect wisdom by placing our faith in Christ alone for salvation, we become rebels to the pride of the world. We find ourselves submitted to grace, and lost in the decadence of our Heavenly Father’s care.
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him… Romans 10:12 NIV
