Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
1Brothers, the pleasure of my heart and the prayer toward God of them are into salvation, 2for I testify to them that they have zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, 3for, being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they were not submitted to the righteousness of God, 4for Christ [is the] end of law into righteousness to everyone believing.
It’s interesting that Romans 10 immediately follows Romans 9. The whole point of Romans 9, it would seem, was to assert the Lord’s absolute sovereignty, particularly in relation to salvation. “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,” He said in v.14. To those who don’t like to hear that, He asks, “Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?” (v.20). That’s it. End of discussion. God’s sovereignty, His choosing, predestination are all simply Biblical facts revealed to us by the God who says, “For My ways are not your ways, nor My thoughts your thoughts…” (Isa. 55:8).
Now in Romans 10, right at the outset, we find Paul praying for people’s salvation! Reading ahead down to v.9, we read the familiar, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Notice the “that if…” What this chapter will unequivocally assert is that your salvation is entirely up to you(!). Romans 9 taught us God’s absolute sovereignty. Romans 10 teaches us our absolute responsibility!
These two truths – sovereignty and responsibility – have been a theological battleground for centuries. Frankly, I think that has been only so much wasted ink. Romans 9 is very clear. Romans 10 is very clear. They’re both right there in the Bible and here they even each get an entire chapter and that right next to each other. What is there to argue about – unless someone simply doesn’t like what they’re reading? (Or doesn’t read it at all…) Once again, if we would study our Bible, let it say what it says, and only then ponder its meaning, personally I don’t see where there’s even any room for discussion. A believer’s place in this world is to realize we are the creation, He is the Creator. We are just people. He is God. We dwell in time and space. He inhabits eternity.
I would suggest that this subject of eternal salvation emerges from so deeply in the timeless, eternal, incomprehensible councils of the infinite God, it is simply beyond our understanding. We need to simply read and study our Bibles, see what God says, believe it, and go on to live our lives in light of those truths. Period.
Paul believed that and what do we find him doing even as the chapter opens? Praying for people’s salvation. Telling them, “If you…” Actually, he ended chapter 9 already acknowledging these truths when he quoted “and the one who trusts in Him will never be ashamed.” That said, let us rest in the security of our God’s absolute sovereignty, then never stop praying and longing for the salvation of our family and friends. As long as they still have breath in their lungs, it will remain true, “If you…”
Another thought arises for me from just verse 1 (which only reiterates 9:1-5). In general, I love reading anything the Reformers recorded. On the whole, they were champions of studying the Bible and letting it say what it says. On the other hand, one thing that is shocking is to read their vicious antipathy toward the Jewish people. It would seem they hated the Jewish people and couldn’t say enough bad about them. “Christ-killers” they called them. That antipathy was so bad and so prevalent that, to this day, I understand that, if you go to Israel and identify yourself as a Christian, they will assume you hate them. You have to tell them you are an Evangelical, then they are assured you are their friend.
It is true. They crucified the Messiah. Peter accosted them with that truth in Acts 3:11-26, when he said, “You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead…” However, notice he then urges them, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be forgiven…” Peter didn’t hate them. Like Paul, the desire of his heart and his prayer for them was for their salvation. Once again, I don’t see how anyone can read the Bible, let it say what it says, and have anything but love in their heart for God’s chosen people, the Jews.
The wonderful thing about the Bible is that it is the Truth. The more we would read it, study it, understand it, and embrace its truths, the more we become the very people God’ created us to be. We don’t have to understand how it all fits together, just believe it and live it. Paul did. Peter did. Daniel did. You and I can too.
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