Context No. 3624 of 4322 · Romans

Romans 10:1-11: in context

1Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. 2For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.” 6But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down); 7or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)” 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach: 9that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”

Paul grieves for his people, who have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. Their problem was not a lack of earnestness but its direction: seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God's. Zeal without truth can miss the mark entirely; sincerity is not enough if it is trusting in the wrong thing.

And Paul lays out the gospel with beautiful simplicity: Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. The word is near you; 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. Salvation is not earned by our own striving to be righteous, but received by faith in Christ, confessed with the mouth and believed in the heart. It is near, not far off, and open to all who believe. The righteousness we could never achieve by our own effort is given to us freely in Christ.

Am I trusting in my own efforts to be righteous, or have I received God's righteousness by faith, confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in his resurrection?

Sources

Romans 10:9: "If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:3: "Being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God."
Romans 10:4: "For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."