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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Rom. 10
Paul has been writing about two forms of righteousness – the kind that comes from our own obedience to the Law and the kind that comes from faith in Christ. The first boils down to pure religion, that is, our efforts to reach God. And Scripture is clear, both through word and example, that this simply isn’t possible. Therefore, only the second form of righteousness counts. Paul does a really cool thing here in declaring the gospel message, that of salvation through faith in Christ, through scripture.
He starts by quoting what faith doesn’t ask. “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ or, ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’” (From Rom. 10:6 & 7). He then goes on to quote, “The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” (Rom. 10:8b). I think what he means by that is that faith knows the answer to both of these questions is Christ. Belief in that truth is the acknowledgment that it is Christ who does the work of righteousness for us. It is He who went from heaven to the abyss and back again. Thus, the message of faith is, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’” – the One from heaven – “and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,” – the One who went to the abyss – “you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9).
Rom. 11-12
In referencing God’s salvation of a remnant of Israel, Paul noted, “Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.” (Rom. 11:6). The CSB footnote mentions that some manuscripts add the opposing statement. “But if of works it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” What I see in that is that works and grace are opposite, contradicting concepts. So much so that the presence of one cancels the other. Thus, they cannot both occupy the same space at the same time. Which means we can’t rely on both; it has to be one or the other.
This is a reminder to me for those times when I feel like I am not ‘doing’ enough as a Christian. Or when I think that I have to ‘do’ something to make up for or atone for something I did wrong. Both of these thoughts are based on ‘supplementing’ faith with works. But works don’t supplement grace; they cancel it. On the flip side of that coin, though, is the work we do, not to make ourselves better but because of our gratitude for Christ’s work for us. In that case, our work is no longer work, but is the fruit of God’s grace in us. And the result of that kind of work, the kind that is rooted in grace, is the life Paul describes in chapter 12.