BELIEVE
Romans 9:30–33; 10:1–3, 9–17
Righteousness through faith (9:30–33)
The Jews rejected the gospel because their intent was upon following the law. They did not understand that the law was never meant to save or make one righteous and that salvation comes from grace through faith, not by works.
In the Book of Isaiah, it is prophesied that the Messiah will be a stumbling block for the Jews (8:14).
Today, Jesus is still a stumbling block because most people don’t want to hear the idea that one needs a savior to be made right with God.
Instead, most people in the world believe they are good enough to get into heaven because they are generally good people. But the Bible teaches that no one is good and therefore everyone deserves hell.
Only Christ, who came as both God and man, lived a perfect life and defeated death by rising from the dead after being crucified.
Misguided zeal (10:1–3)
The Jews were zealous for the law because they believed that following the law would make them righteous. Unfortunately, we see evidence for zeal in many religions today but without an understanding of grace.
I know several Christians who admire how devout and zealous Muslims are who pray five times a day or Jehovah’s Witnesses who go door to door proselytizing. However, the reason they do this is because those religions teach a works-based salvation.
True, since Christians have the truth, we should be zealous for bringing glory to God who has saved us, but we need to be careful not to perform our good works so that God might save us. It is by grace we are saved, not works.
Salvation available to all (9–13)
Paul then goes into one of the clearest explanations of the gospel in the entire Bible in verses 9 and 10.
The gospel is not some sort of mental assent or test of intelligence. It is believing that God raised Jesus from the dead and believing that Jesus is Lord. This is the stumbling block for the Jew who tries to follow the law and for the Gentile who thinks it is foolish.
However, people from all walks of life embrace this truth — prisoners, children, uneducated people — because it is not dependent upon our ability but on God’s ability to save us.
Go tell (14–17)
Since salvation is by grace through faith for all who believe, the logical conclusion is that word of this needs to spread. The 20th century brought about the notion that all religions are equally valid, and all religions help lead people to God.
You may have heard the popular expression that each religion is one side of the same mountain, moving us to the top, presumably where God is. The Bible clearly teaches against this. We cannot wishfully hope that maybe God in His mercy will somehow reach people from other religions where the gospel has not been heard.
The Bible says there is no other way to be saved apart from calling on the name of Christ. (See Acts 4:12 and John 14:6, for example.)
If God will save people anywhere in the world apart from hearing the gospel, then the natural conclusion is that I don’t need to share it.
Any time this view has been espoused, missions wanes. However, when we understand that the Bible teaches that we have a duty to share the gospel, missions flourishes and people are saved.
By Robert Olsen, Ph.D.
Professor of Historical Theology and Director of Intercultural Studies, University of Mobile
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