Romans 10:1-11: a reflection

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 sets out the heart of the gospel: righteousness and salvation come not by establishing our own righteousness, but by faith in Christ, and this word of faith is near, in the mouth and heart of all who believe. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, Paul writes, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. He contrasts two ways: seeking to establish our own righteousness, which the people he grieves for were doing, ignorant of God's righteousness; and the righteousness of faith, which does not require us to ascend to heaven or descend to the depths, because the word is near, in our mouth and heart. Righteousness comes by faith in Christ, not by our own establishing. This shows that righteousness and salvation come by faith in Christ, near to us, not by our own establishing. Righteousness comes by faith in Christ, not by establishing your own. The word of faith is near; confess and believe, and be saved. Do not seek to establish your own righteousness; receive God's by faith. Salvation is near, offered to all who believe in Christ.

Notice the two ways Paul contrasts. There is the way of seeking to establish our own righteousness: laboring to make ourselves right with God by our own efforts and law-keeping, as the people Paul grieved for were doing, zealous but ignorant of God's righteousness, not submitting to it. And there is the righteousness of faith, which does not require us to ascend to heaven to bring Christ down, or descend to the depths to bring him up, because the word is near, in our mouth and heart: if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. Righteousness and salvation come not by our own establishing, but by faith in Christ, near and accessible to all who believe. This is the heart of the gospel and a great relief. We can labor, like those Paul grieved for, to establish our own righteousness, to make ourselves right with God by our own efforts, never sure we have done enough; and this way cannot succeed, for it ignores God's righteousness offered in Christ. But the righteousness of faith is near, offered freely: confess Jesus as Lord, believe God raised him, and be saved. We do not have to achieve or ascend; we have to believe and confess, receiving God's righteousness by faith. We do well to stop laboring to establish our own righteousness and to receive God's by faith in Christ, who is near, believing and confessing him. Receive God's righteousness by faith in Christ; do not labor to establish your own. The word of faith is near; confess Jesus as Lord and believe, and be saved. You do not have to achieve or ascend, only believe. Salvation is near and free to all who trust in Christ.

That is worth taking to heart, for righteousness and salvation come by faith in Christ, near to us, not by establishing our own righteousness, and we do well to receive God's righteousness by faith, as Paul sets out. We can labor to establish our own righteousness, never sure we have done enough; but Paul says the word of faith is near, and whoever confesses Jesus as Lord and believes God raised him will be saved. Believe and be saved. Do not labor to establish your own righteousness; receive God's freely by faith in Christ, who is near, confessing him as Lord. Receive God's righteousness by faith in Christ, who is near to you, rather than laboring to establish your own, as Paul set out the heart of the gospel, that righteousness and salvation come not by establishing our own righteousness but by faith in Christ, and that this word of faith is near, in the mouth and heart of all who believe, since whoever confesses with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in the heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved; for Paul contrasts two ways, seeking to establish our own righteousness, which the people he grieved for were doing, zealous but ignorant of God's righteousness and not submitting to it, and the righteousness of faith, which does not require us to ascend to heaven to bring Christ down or descend to the depths to bring him up because the word is near, in our mouth and heart, so that righteousness and salvation come not by our own establishing but by faith in Christ, near and accessible to all who believe, which is the heart of the gospel and a great relief, since we can labor to establish our own righteousness and make ourselves right with God by our own efforts, never sure we have done enough, and this way cannot succeed for it ignores God's righteousness offered in Christ, but the righteousness of faith is near and offered freely, so that we do not have to achieve or ascend but to believe and confess, receiving God's righteousness by faith, and we do well to stop laboring to establish our own and to receive God's by faith in Christ who is near.

Lord, Paul sets out the heart of the gospel: righteousness and salvation come not by establishing my own righteousness, but by faith in Christ, and this word of faith is near, in the mouth and heart of all who believe. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, Paul writes, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. He contrasts two ways: seeking to establish our own righteousness, which the people he grieves for were doing, ignorant of your righteousness; and the righteousness of faith, which does not require us to ascend to heaven or descend to the depths, because the word is near, in our mouth and heart. Righteousness comes by faith in Christ, not by our own establishing. Show me the two ways Paul contrasts. There is the way of seeking to establish my own righteousness: laboring to make myself right with you by my own efforts, zealous perhaps but ignorant of your righteousness, not submitting to it. And there is the righteousness of faith, which does not require me to ascend to heaven or descend to the depths, because the word is near, in my mouth and heart: if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in my heart that you raised him from the dead, I will be saved. Righteousness and salvation come not by my own establishing, but by faith in Christ, near and accessible. This is the heart of the gospel and a great relief. I can labor to establish my own righteousness, never sure I have done enough; and this way cannot succeed, for it ignores your righteousness offered in Christ. But the righteousness of faith is near, offered freely. I do not have to achieve or ascend; I have to believe and confess. Take that to my heart. Keep me from laboring to establish my own righteousness, never sure I have done enough; help me receive your righteousness freely by faith in Christ, Lord, who is near, confessing him as Lord and believing you raised him, and resting in the salvation that is near and free to all who trust in him.