“Where Do You Keep God’s Word?”

Scripture: Romans 10:1-15

Last week, we took a look at how humanity always seems to come up short when we try to understand what God is all about. Sometimes it is simply because we are imperfect humans, but other times, it is because we try to mold the Lord into our image instead of allowing him to mold us into his.
This week, we consider a passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans, in which he sets the story straight – that it isn’t our rationalization and intelligence that is critical in our understanding of what Jesus has been teaching us. It is quite the opposite – it is only by our surrender and acceptance to Christ’s call that will lead us to eternity. Romans 10 is about our renewed and covenantal life in Jesus Christ.

Read Romans 10:1-4

“Their zeal is not based on knowledge.” Zeal is a passion, a fervor that comes from understanding, but it can never be limited to that knowledge. Zeal inspires us to take an unpopular stand, when intelligence would have us run away! Zeal strengthens us in our resolve to never give up, while intelligence would lead us to evaluation, not necessarily resolve. Zeal focuses our life and it becomes our trusted way. But when Intelligence becomes our focus, we begin to put our trust in it.
And zeal, when it is based on a false ideal or concept, will become worse than useless. It will lead us unfailingly in the wrong direction. It will become the basis for even more false decisions. It will motivate us to spread the deception and to lead others into our delusion. This was Paul’s type of zeal before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, so he knew very well what he was talking about!
Misplaced zeal is a dangerous thing, and Paul is issuing a call to return to the truth of righteousness. His warning rings as true today as it did 2,000 years ago – that we can never create our own blameless and honorable nature. Righteousness can only come from righteousness, and the Lord is the only true source of that perfect virtue. Perfect righteousness can only come through our surrender to the Lord’s covenantal offering.

He also tells us that Christ is “the end of the law”. Now, many today would take this to mean that Jesus has rendered the law as moot, that it is no longer necessary or pertinent for our lives, that it is old and outdated. And we see evidence of this attitude all around us.
“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3-7) is no longer an absolute. Not only does our society tells us that we must be accepting of all other faith expressions, but many have begun to worship the gods of earth – those of personal pleasure, of financial worth, of power and control, of greed, and many others.
- “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11) So much for that one! But remember that Sabbath isn’t just going to church on Sunday – it’s a day that you set aside for the Lord, to focus on him in worship and study and sacrifice.
- “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-12) I think that our love of self has surged to the fore, and is now way ahead of that for God, and when this happens, there isn’t a lot of love left over for him.
But the truth is that we have to fall back on Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:17-20. Jesus is the “end” of the law, but not as an abolitionist. He came to finally make it complete and perfect. There will be no more commandments given, no more amendments offered, no more limitations and exceptions granted. There will be no more changes that can possibly improve on that Divine Word!
Righteousness is now available to all who will come to Christ as repentant, humbled, and forgiven servants of his.

Read Romans 10:5-9

If we depend on the law and our interpretation of what it means for us, then salvation can only come by following it completely and perfectly, which, if you hadn’t noticed, no one has ever been able to do! We know that the law has no righteousness and no redemptive power. Its only authority is punitive, and our failure in the law can only lead to condemnation. But when the law is combined with the grace of Jesus Christ, when we claim both – Christ and Law - as one, when we live the very best life that we can but still fail, when we turn to the Almighty God and his redemption, then and only then can salvation become our greatest hope.
But where do we find the Almighty God? Where is the Lord and his righteousness? Verses 6-8 seem to ask and answer this eternal question.
Do we have to go to heaven to find him?
Must we crawl down into the pit to find him?
Paul tells us that neither journey is necessary, as the Lord of all creation, the King of Kings, the Prince of heaven and earth, the very Word of God is as near as our own heart and lips! If we believe with all of our heart that Jesus Christ is the Living Lord, and confess this glorious truth of God with our words, we will be saved! Hallelujah! We can receive Christ’s righteousness, his salvation, and we can experience his glory solely through our faith in him! Praise the Lord!

Read Romans 10:10-15

So where do you keep God’s word? Is it in a place so that all might see it, or is it hidden carefully away? Is his word shared with great joy, or do you silently fear it? Is your trust completely in Christ, or do you trust the opinions of others more and are frightened by what they may think about your faith, should you ever express it?
Verse 11 reminds us that anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Romans 8:1-4 compliments this thought - “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Do we prefer the admiration of the world, or the love of Jesus Christ? It’s very seldom that we receive both, so we get to choose!
Where is God’s word in you?

From the New Interpreter’s Bible’s commentary on this passage from Romans:

The main theme of the passage is the covenant renewal, and covenant redefinition, that has taken place in the Messiah. God has done what he has always promised; and what he had promised, in the crucial Deuteronomy 30, was that after the punishment of the exile he would restore Israel, enabling it to keep the law in a new way. The Israel of Paul’s day, his kinfolk according to the flesh, did not understand this; they did not, in other words, understand the … righteousness of God. They did not understand either how God had been true to the covenant all along, or how he was now doing exactly what he had promised in renewing that covenant and bringing Gentiles into membership, by faith, alongside believing Jews. But the covenant renewal that has taken place in and through Jesus the Messiah, the world’s true Lord, is – so Paul argues – the renewal spoken of in Deuteronomy 30. At its heart is faith; faith in this Jesus, faith that is open to all, faith by which all may be saved.
- New Interpreters Bible, Commentary on Romans 10

It is about Jesus, the Word of God, and him alone.
But the last 2 verses of our lesson for today asks 4 questions regarding the sharing of the word. Paul asks us these 4 questions that almost seem rhetorical in nature, but which all actually have the same answer:
1. “How can anyone call out to one who they don’t believe in?”
And the answer is “They can’t and they never will.”
2. “And how can they believe in one if they have never heard about him?”
And again, the answer is “They can’t and they never will.”
3. “And how will they ever hear about him if no one shares him with them?”
And the answer is still “They can’t and they never will.”
4. “And how can they share this wonderful story if they have never been sent?”
And the answer has not changed – “They can’t and they never will!”

Has everyone here today ever heard any preaching about the righteousness of God that comes to us in the redemptive Spirit of Jesus Christ? And if you have heard, do you believe in the Anointed one of God, the only one who can bring about salvation for our lives? And if you truly believe in Christ and his great works on our behalf, do you call on him and his Spirit on a daily basis? And if you call on him, do you do it out of love for him, a love that fills your entire heart and soul and strength?

If so, then the last question for today must be this – If you have heard, and if you believe, and if you call, and if you love, are you sharing the precious Word of God with others? If you are, then Praise the Lord! If you aren’t, then I have to ask “Why not?”
Paul writes that the evidence of righteousness in faith is that the word of Jesus Christ is near and dear to us; that it must sit in our heart and reside upon our lips, poised to spill out upon the world at a moment’s notice.

When was the last time you proclaimed out loud that Jesus Christ is Lord? Maybe today is that time! Praise him loudly with the joyful words “Jesus Christ is Lord!” “Glory to God!” “Hallelujah!” Share those marvelous words with others, just as you have right now!