Romans 10:14-21: Ethnic Israel Rejected the Gospel (part 2)

 

Romans 10 part 2

Ethnic Israel (Rom 9:3 Fleshly, racial, bloodline, DNA-based) focused on behavior-based righteousness and rejected the gospel of grace that changes the hearts first through regeneration and conversion and then proper behavior follows in the believer’s life. It is spiritual suicide to get these two backwards. Good works result from true salvation; they never produce salvation. When you hear and see the gospel and reject general and special revelation, your guilt before God increases significantly.

I. Ethnic Israel does not understand the true gospel of grace vs. 1-13

II. Ethnic Israel has rejected the true gospel (all but the remnant) vs. 14-21

A. The prerequisites (required conditions) to salvation for Israel and all humans vs. 14-15a

1. God must send a person with the gospel message

2. The sent person must proclaim/share the gospel message

3. The people must hear and understand the gospel message in their language

4. The person must believe the gospel message that they have understood

5. The people must call on the name of the Lord

a. To pray in repentance, requesting forgiveness and salvation

b. To surrender to Jesus as Master, King, Boss, LORD

B. The blessing of obediently sharing or proclaiming the gospel message vs. 15b

1. Beautiful feet carry the good news that the Babylonian captivity is over and Israel will be restored (Isa 52:7) and now that sins captivity is over and spiritual Israel will be expanded. Because the message is itself a precious treasure bringing joy, the messenger can run, leap, and skip for joy—his feet (body language) can match his message

2. Those who do not pray, give, send, and go must realize the destiny of those who have never heard. Look at the prerequisites. Foreign Missions is not optional. Salvation is exclusive to belief in Jesus the Messiah (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)

C. The two results that occur when the gospel message is proclaimed vs. 16-17

1. Some will not obey the gospel call to surrender to the Messiah as Lord. Often this is the majority, but not always in every era or every location

2. Even the Old Covenant prophets’ message about faith in the coming Messiah and the need for heart-produced loyalty and faithfulness was rejected by the majority in Ethnic Israel (Isa 53:1; a verse in a Messianic prophecy)

3. Some will obey the gospel and repent, believe, and surrender to Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God

4. Faith cannot be produced in the heart of a sinner apart from the message about Christ. (Two textual variants to choose from in vs. 17)

a. The word of Christ, a specific message about the Messiah, Jesus

b. The word of God, the gospel, a specific message about the Messiah

5. Hearing and understanding the written Word of God and the specific gospel message about the Messiah contained in it is absolutely vital for salvation

D. The first three prerequisites for Ethnic Israel to be saved have been accomplished by God vs. 18-20

1. Israel had never heard the gospel. No one told us that Jesus was the Messiah who came to save us from our sins. Paul is using irony and literary sarcasm here vs. 18 (see Ecclesiastes)

2. Yes, ethnic Israel has been told. Those in Israel saw the evidence that Jesus was God in the flesh. Disease was almost removed from Israel for three years. Paul preached to the Jews first in the synagogues throughout the Roman Empire that Jesus was the Messiah

3. Evidence # 1: General revelation reveals to all humans God’s design and glory. The Hebrew Bible says, “Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (Psa 19:4a HCSB). All men have known about God since creation. The Jews cannot plead ignorance. They knew

4. Evidence # 2: Special revelation: Noah found grace in the eye of the Lord, Abraham lived by faith, the prophets told them of the coming Messiah and that works could not save them. The sacrifices told them that blood must be shed for human sin. John the Baptist came in fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy and told them the Messiah was present. Jesus preached and demonstrated that He was the God-Man. The Apostles of Christ preached and died rather than deny Jesus’ resurrection. Yes, Israel had heard the gospel message accompanied by irrefutable evidence

5. Evidence # 3: Special revelation revealed that during the Messianic age the Gentiles would receive God’s righteousness. This was happening before their eyes

a. Moses in the curses of the covenant predicted the future salvation of the Gentiles would occur to incite jealousy among Ethnic Israel. Why? So, they will awaken to what they have missed and respond by believing the gospel message and surrendering to the Messiah, Jesus (Deut 32:21)

b. Isaiah declares God was found by those who did not seek Him and revealed Himself to those not seeking Him (Isa 65:1; Rom 9:30). This is in his final prophesies that are concerned with the Suffering Servant, the Messiah and His coming age. The Gentiles will enter into a covenant relationship with Yahweh during the Messianic age. This was happening before Ethnic Israel’s eyes and continues to this day

E. The last two prerequisites for Ethnic Israel are the responsibility of the Israelites themselves vs. 21

1. In Romans 9, God is 100% sovereign, Romans 10, man is 100% responsible

2. Spurgeon said human responsibility and divine sovereignty are friends that work side-by-side, so they do not need to be reconciled like two people in a feud

3. Because of the limitations of human intellect, there is a mystery here that is beyond our full comprehension and explanation. We are not omniscient. God is

4. Isaiah labeled the real problems: rebellious attitudes and an obstinate will. All men have a bad record and a bad heart. Their love of sin and obstinate will guarantee their coming judgment (Isa 65:2)

5. Ethnic Israel had heard the gospel message, understood what it claimed, and they rejected and opposed the gospel message

6. Ethnic Israel willfully did not obey the gospel and willfully rejected the true gospel of everlasting salvation

7. Am I like Ethnic Israel, refusing to fully comprehend the gospel and embrace Jesus the Messiah by repentance, faith, and full surrender, or am I like the remnant of spiritual Israel that has surrendered to the Lord Jesus in repentance and faith?

8. Future good news for Ethnic Israel is in Romans 11

Romans 8:28-30 The Everlasting Security of the Believer (part 1)

Everlasting Security

I was saved (justification); I am being saved (sanctification), I will be saved (glorification). The Word of God promises: I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you [plural] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6 HCSB). Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me . . . This is the will of Him who sent Me: that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise them up on the last day (John 6:37, 39 HCSB). My sheep are hearing My voice, I am knowing them, and they are following Me. I give them everlasting life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand (John 10:27-29). For anyone to undo everlasting salvation, they would have to have more power than God the Father, which is impossible. The Bible says: All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does what He wants with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. There is no one who can hold back His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ (Dan 4:35 HCSB) Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so, He may give everlasting life to all You have given Him (John 17:1-2). [Eternal = something or someone that has no beginning and no end. Everlasting = something or someone that had a beginning but does not have an ending—forever and ever.] Once you receive everlasting life, it lasts forever, by definition of the very words that are used.

I.                  The believer victoriously awaits the future glory that he/she will receive at the moment of glorification vs. 24-39

D.     He/she continuously awaits glorification with a certain assurance concerning his/her past, present, and future salvation vs. 28

1. God is working behind the scenes to complete His will in the lives of His children (the selected or called ones = those who love God)

2. God is using the diverse circumstances to bring about something good in the future for His people. Unbelievers are not addressed here

3. God has the power and ability to direct His world for His people, who are described as those who love God, which are those who were called by God to salvation as part of His worldwide plan of redemption. If He calls you, you will come

E.     He/she waits continuously, knowing that God is working out His purposes in this world, especially His purpose and will for their salvation vs. 28-30

1. God is the subject of vs. 28-30, and all believers are the objects of the 5 verbs. Thus, we can have complete confidence in God that He will complete in us what He started and not change His mind (Mal 3:6)

2. God is infinite and eternal and outside of time. He exists in the past, present, and future all at once, and His omniscience makes it impossible for Him to save someone in humanity’s past and then un-save them in the future because of human weakness

3. Both the views of Pelagius and Arminius require God to be stuck in time rather than the creator of and outside of time. Their views denying eternal security or the perseverance of the saint, also denies God’s infinity, omniscience, and power 

4. This is God’s gold-plated steel chain of salvation with five links

a)     ‘Foreknew’ proginosko to love beforehand, to select beforehand, to foreordain (in other contexts it can be to know a thing in advance)

b)     ‘Predestined’ prooridzo decide upon beforehand, predetermine destiny, a predetermined plan that each believer would be like Jesus in character, displaying God’s glory as children of God and the preeminence of Jesus

c)      ‘Called’ kaleo God’s invitation to salvation or summons to discipleship

d)     ‘Justified’ dikaioo to be acquitted before God, declared righteous in God’s courtroom in heaven

e)     ‘glorified’ doxadzo to receive a glorified body and cleansed soul that are rejoined at the resurrection of the righteousness at the return of Jesus Christ

5. These are past tense events in the plan of God and in the believer’s life except the last one (glorified). Paul uses five past tense verbs to describe all five events. Why would Paul speak of a future event as if it had already occurred (glorification)? Because it is so certain to happen, once the process of salvation starts for a person, it is guaranteed to be completed by the God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2) [doxadzo is a gnomic aorist active third person singular verb].

 

See David Steele and Curtis Thomas, 1963, Romans: An Interpretive Outline, Phillipsburg, NJ: p. 70.

Two Baptist Older Works on the Doctrine of Election

 Abstract of Principles, 1858 Southern Seminary

 

V.  Election

Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life — not because of foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy in Christ — in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified.

 

The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, adopted in 1744 as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, latter adopted as the Charleston Confession of Faith.

 

1. God hath decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever come to pass; ¹ yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein;² nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; ³ in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.⁴

 

1. Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 6:17; Rom. 9:15, 18.

2. Jas. 1:13; 1 Jhn. 1:5.

3. Acts 4:27-28; Jhn. 19:11.

4. Num. 23:19; Eph. 1:3-5.

 

2. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions,⁵ yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.⁶

 

5. Acts 15:18.

6. Rom. 9:11, 13, 16, 18.

 

3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,⁷ to the praise of His glorious grace;⁸ others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.⁹

 

7. 1 Tim. 5:21; Mt 25:34.

8. Eph 1:5-6.

9. Rom. 9:22-23; Jude 4.

 

4. These angels and men thus predestined and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.¹⁰

 

10. 2 Tim. 2:19; Jhn. 13:18.

 

5. Those of mankind that are predestined to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love,¹¹ without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto. ¹²

 

11. Eph 1:4, 9, 11; Rom. 8:30; 2 Tim 1:9; 1 Thes. 5:9.

12. Rom. 9:13, 16; Eph 2:5, 12.

 

6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto; ¹³ wherefore they who are elect, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,¹⁴ are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,¹⁵ and kept by His power through faith unto salvation;¹⁶ neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.¹⁷

 

13. 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thes. 2:13.

14. 1 Thes. 5:9-10.

15. Rom. 8:30; 2 Thes. 2:13.

16. 1 Pet. 1:5.

17. Jhn. 10:26; 17:9; 6:64.

 

7. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election;¹⁸ so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise,¹⁹ reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility,²⁰ diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.²¹

 

18. 1 Thes. 1:4-5; 2 Pet. 1:10.

19. Eph 1:6; Rom. 11:33.

20. Rom. 11:5-6, 20.

21. Lk 10:20.

Doctrines of Grace Acrostic from Roger Nicole, 6 Points

   WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

Grace -                                      God has freely given us His love and has powerfully drawn us to Himself; when we deserve His punishment for our sin.  We are saved because He bestowed His loving favor on us, giving us the opposite of what we deserve.

Original Sin -                             (or Omnipresent Depravity) Depravity is Radical and Pervasive.  It has affected all of man's body and soul, including his will, mind, and emotions.

Sovereign Selection -                God has selected some people out of the sea of lost humanity from every people group, this choice being based only on His own good pleasure, glory, and His Sovereign will.  See Abstract of Principles, # 5.

Particular Redemption -            (Definite Redemption) Christ's Substitutionary death was particularly intended and planned for His people.  It actually accomplished the full redemption of everyone who will trust in Christ.  His death paid the price in full for all our sins, past, present, and future, including our unbelief.

Effectual Grace -                       Everyone whom the Holy Spirit draws to Christ, comes to Him.  It is Grace that works every time and can not fail.  The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to the people of God.

Lasting Grace -                         God’s people are kept by the power of God from departing from Him.  Furthermore, He will not abandon us at any time or for any reason.  God is the One who perseveres, His grace lasts forever.  Everyone who has been chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and drawn by the Holy Spirit will persevere to the end.   
              

These beliefs drive one to be involved in evangelism and missions.

 adapted from a message by Dr. Roger Nicole

TULIPER 7 Points of Calvinism - Richard P. Belcher, SR.

TULIP-ER

Total Depravity (or total inability): The unbeliever is in bondage to Satan and is incapable of exercising his will freely to turn to Christ. Man is beyond all self—help because he is ‘dead in his trespasses and sin.̓ (This is not absolute depravity as everyone could be worse.) Man is “as bad off” spiritually as he can be and is naturally in rebellion against God.

Unconditional Election: Before the foundation of the world, God chose certain individuals out of His free grace and love and by His sovereign will. His choice was not based on any foreseen response, obedience, faith, repentance, or any condition, but according to His unchangeable purpose, secret counsel, and the good pleasure of His will.

Limited Atonement (definite atonement or particular redemption): “Christ died to save particular persons who were given Him by the Father in eternity past. His death was, therefore, a one hundred percent success, in that all for whom He died will be saved, and all for whom He did not die will receive 'justice' from God when they are cast into hell.” (D. E. Spencer) The intention of the atonement was for the elect and it actually obtained salvation for them.

Irresistible Grace (or effectual call): Salvation is based on God̓s free will and because God is all—powerful (omnipotent),, His grace cannot be resisted. “In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to everyone who hears the Gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The external call” (made to anyone) “can be, and often is, rejected; whereas the internal call (which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in conversion.” (Loraine Boettner)

Perseverance of the Saints: Every individual who was chosen by Cod, redeemed by Christ, regenerated and given faith by the Holy Spirit will persevere to the end. Once truly believing, always persevering. Their assurance and trust will remain in Christ̓s finished work and in the promise that ‘salvation is of the Lord.̓ God will keep His sheep that He brings into His fold. His sheep have a love for the Savior, a hatred of sin, and a growth in holiness.

Evangelism: All believers must share the Gospel with the lost. We are commissioned by Christ to bring the gospel to everyone in our world. All people groups must be discipled. God ordains both the means and the ends. The people of God and the Word of God are key means to spreading the gospel to every people group on the earth and establishing a church among each people group to further the work of the gospel. Missions must be our heartbeat and it is not optional.

Responsibility: The Bible holds all men responsible to repent, believe, and turn from their rebellion to the Lord Christ. All people are without excuse for ignoring general revelations and special revelation. Believers are responsible to follow Jesus fully, including to be witnesses for Him to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Several Older Baptist Confessions on the Doctrine of Election

 Abstract of Principles, 1858 Southern Seminary

V.  Election

Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life — not because of foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy in Christ — in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified.

The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, adopted in 1744 as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, latter adopted as the Charleston Association Confession of Faith in SC.

1. God hath decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever come to pass; ¹ yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein;² nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; ³ in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.⁴

1. Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 6:17; Rom. 9:15, 18.

2. Jas. 1:13; 1 John 1:5.

3. Acts 4:27-28; John 19:11.

4. Num. 23:19; Eph. 1:3-5.

2. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions,⁵ yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.⁶

5. Acts 15:18.

6. Rom. 9:11, 13, 16, 18.

3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,⁷ to the praise of His glorious grace;⁸ others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.⁹

7. 1 Tim. 5:21; Mt 25:34.

8. Eph. 1:5-6.

9. Rom. 9:22-23; Jude 4.

4. These angels and men thus predestined and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.¹⁰

10. 2 Tim. 2:19; John 13:18.

5. Those of mankind that are predestined to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love,¹¹ without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto. ¹²

11. Eph 1:4, 9, 11; Rom. 8:30; 2 Tim 1:9; 1 Thes. 5:9.

12. Rom. 9:13, 16; Eph 2:5, 12.

6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto; ¹³ wherefore they who are elect, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,¹⁴ are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,¹⁵ and kept by His power through faith unto salvation;¹⁶ neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.¹⁷

13. 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thes. 2:13.

14. 1 Thes. 5:9-10.

15. Rom. 8:30; 2 Thes. 2:13.

16. 1 Pet. 1:5.

17. John 10:26; 17:9; 6:64.

7. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election;¹⁸ so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise,¹⁹ reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility,²⁰ diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.²¹

18. 1 Thes. 1:4-5; 2 Pet. 1:10.

19. Eph. 1:6; Rom. 11:33.

20. Rom. 11:5-6, 20.

21. Lk 10:20.