| SUMMARY: | The Apostle has emphasized God’s sovereignty. God is God. He can choose or not choose whom He wills; who are we to question Him! Now he declares the flip side of the coin, namely man’s responsibility. He tells his readers that Israel is judged because they rejected the message that righteousness came by faith. Israel both heard the message and understood it, yet they rejected it. |
| I. Introduction | VERSES 10:1-4 | |
| A. | Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. | (1) |
| B. Paul’s Testimony of Israel: | ||
| 1. The Statement: | For I testify about them that | (2a) |
| a. The Positive: | they have a zeal for God, | (2b) |
| b. The Negative: | but not in accordance with knowledge. | (2c) |
| 2. The Explanation: | ||
| a. Their Ignorance: | For not knowing about God’s righteousness | (3a) |
| b. Their Goal: | and seeking to establish their own, | (3b) |
| c. Their Failure: | ||
| (1) The Statement: | they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. | (3c) |
| (2) The Explanation: | For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. | (4) |
| II. The Testimony to the Message of Faith | VERSES 10:5-13 | |
| A. To the Righteousness of the Law: | ||
| 1. The Author: | For Moses writes that | (5a) |
| 2. The Subject: | ||
| a. The Person: | the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law | (5b) |
| b. The Requirement: | shall live by that righteousness. | (5c) |
| B. To the Righteousness of Faith: | But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: | (6a) |
| 1. It Does Not Come by Doing Great Works: | ||
| a. First: | ||
| (1) The Scripture: | “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’, (Deuteronomy 30:12) | (6b) |
| (2) The Explanation: | (that is, to bring Christ down) | (6c) |
| b. Second: | ||
| (1) The Scripture: | or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS ?’ (Deuteronomy 30:13) | (7a) |
| (2) The Explanation: | (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” | (7b) |
| 2. But It Comes by Faith: | ||
| a. The Scripture: | But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart” (Deuteronomy 30:14) |
(8a) |
| b. The Explanation: | —that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, | (7b) |
| 3. This Faith is in the Lord Jesus: | ||
| a. The Statement: | ||
| (1) First Part: | that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, | (9a) |
| (2) Second Part: | and believe in your heart that that God raised Him from the dead, | (9b) |
| (3) Result: | you will be saved; | (9c) |
| b. The Explanation: | ||
| (1) Second Part: | for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, | (10a) |
| (2) First Part: | and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. | (10b) |
| c. The Scripture: | “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (Isaiah 28:16) | (11) |
| 4. And It Is for Jew and Gentile Alike: | ||
| a. The Statement: | For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; | (12a) |
| b. The Explanation: | for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; | (12b) |
| c. The Scripture: | for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (Joel 2:32) | (13) |
| III. The Failure of Israel to Believe | VERSES 10:14-21 | |
| A. Background to the Objections: | ||
| 1. The Progression to Faith: | ||
| a. First: | How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? | (14a) |
| b. Second: | How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? | (14b) |
| c. Third: | And how will they hear without a preacher? | (14c) |
| d. Fourth: | ||
| (1) XXX | How will they preach unless they are sent? | (15a) |
| (2) The Scripture: | “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” (Isaiah 52:7) | (15b) |
| 2. Israel’s Failure: | ||
| a. The Statement: | However, they did not all heed the good news; | (16a) |
| b. The Scripture: | for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” (Isaiah 53:1) |
(16b) |
| 3. Summary: | ||
| a. First: | So faith comes from hearing, | (17a) |
| b. Second: | and hearing by the word of Christ. | (17b) |
| B. The Objections: | ||
| 1. The First Objection: | ||
| a. The Question: | But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? | (18a) |
| b. The Answer: | ||
| (1) The Statement: | Indeed they have; | (18b) |
| (2) The Scripture: | “THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.” (Psalm 19:4) |
(xxx) |
| 2. The Second Objection: | ||
| a. The Question: | But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? | (19a) |
| b. The Answer: | ||
| (1) The First Scripture: | First Moses says, “I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU.” (Deuteronomy 32:21) |
(19b) |
| (2) The Second Scripture: | And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.” (Isaiah 65:1) |
(20) |
| (3) The Third Scripture: | But as for Israel He says, “ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.” (Isaiah 65:2) |
(21) |