Book of Romans - Ch. 10, Vs. 10-Ch. 11, Vs. 4 (03/26/2000)

Romans 10: Believing, Calling, and the Promise of Salvation

For the scriptures say that whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. The greatest thing you're constrained to do is that the word ashamed is used. What does that mean?

Well, I've considered that a number of times, and we never have found out what that sentence construction is. Well, it's the same as saying you're proud of being this. It's just saying it in a negative way.

But I've thought about that a number of times, and it's probably best that you don't put proud in scripture, because it gives the wrong connotation. So not ashamed is probably a better way of expressing it.

I thought I dodged that pretty good.

Well, your diagnosis of why ashamed is there was fine. Does it mean to be ashamed? Well, if I could put it in words, embarrassed. That's a good one. Don't answer that, Richard. I think not to be embarrassed, to claim Christ as Lord and Savior.

A lot of folks will water that down as a positive issue. Do you remember in times past when you would be in a group and there was a perfect example to say something about the Bible, about Christ, about God, and you didn't?

Do you remember why you didn't? To be ashamed. Because we were afraid. Afraid of what? Afraid of those people out there. That they were going to eat you. We act like it sometimes, don't we?

Well, whosoever believes on Him will not have any fear of claiming Him. No fear at all. You will not be ashamed or embarrassed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.

We're rich. We're rich. There's no lack of anything. Forever. I can fully support you in every place that puts you. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Not too long we have been taught that all you have to do is just ask and He'll save you.

What does the word call mean here? If it's not here... He's late. What does the word call mean as used here, David? Let me see if I can do one of these definitions like Greg did. It should mean yell, but we shouldn't use that in the Bible, so it says call.

Cry out. I don't know unless it just means to cry out to Him, to pray to Him. But I've always pictured it like the guy that was beaten on his chest and crying out, Lord be merciful to me, a sinner. All right.

In this type of call, there's got to be some motivation factor behind it. Russell, what would motivate you to call in the right way? In this context, I was very... All right. What must you realize if you were drowning and there was somebody on the shore that had not noticed and you called them, would you just say hey?

Would you say hello? How would you call? Help. In desperation. And that's the call we're talking about. So, there has to be something to prompt him to do that, which would be the Holy Spirit. And it is the call of God to you.

And suddenly you realize, remember Paul says, what would you have me to do? He realized all of a sudden exactly where he was and to whom he was speaking. So, it must be like that. Whosoever shall call.

And it's not just an ordinary call. But who can call upon the Lord's salvation is not a feeling. What is it? Salvation is a fact. If you're expecting some glorious revelation, chances are you'll be disappointed.

Salvation is a fact, Russell, not an emotional feeling. Now, you may have an emotional feeling, but it would be a fact. Turn to the book of Deuteronomy, please. To the seventh chapter. Keep verses six and seven out of the seventh chapter, please.

For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto him above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor did he choose you, because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people.

All right. So, uh, did he call us because of who we were in the world? No. Did he call us because of the profession we are following? Did he call Greg because he was nice, tall, and handsome, and had a full beard?

Certainly not. Diane, why did he call you? Because he wanted to.

When did he first love you? Before the foundation. He's always loved me.

All right. So he did never first love you. In 1 John 3 and 10.

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. All right.

Here comes that one verse. Greg, would you agree that there are two kinds of people in the world? Well, certainly. Because he said so, right? Romans 10 and 14 now. How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed?

Is that possible? And how shall they believe in him in whom they have not heard? Can you believe when you do not know it even exists in us? No, you can't. No. And how shall they hear without a preacher, or a teacher, or a witness?

And how shall they preach except they be sent? Now, how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed unless there is someone sent to them to tell them? Is this sending? Is it by an organization?

The Foreign Mission Board sends a lot of questionnaires. Are you still sure that it's not by a board, an organization, a committee, or a family?

Joy, what is it? What it says, except they be sent.

And we're talking about God and someone who sent him. All right.

So it has to be of God and no one else. No one else but sent someplace. How can you know you were sent to teach in a religious school or to run the school?

Because the Holy Spirit is teaching me. Because I want to do it. It's all I want to do. All right. Diane?

Because you're there. If you're here, then you're there. You're sent. You may not like it, or you may think you're not supposed to be there, but you're sent. You're sent.

You're all here this morning because he sent you. You thought you got a government income. And you did. But it was because he had planned for you to be here, each and every one of you. All right. The sending must be by Christ alone, not by some organization, a relative, or mom.

As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. It seems strange to me, Jesse, that he's talking about feet. But why do you think he said how beautiful are the feet?

Why not the face? No, the feet is what carries you. Right. The feet is what you use to get there. Bill, what's your thought?

He took my thoughts. He did? I think that's how you get there.

Clarence? Well, I would kind of see it if the whole body of Christ and the whole church and Jesus was the head, then probably we're the feet. And we're the small part of it that go about and carry about his work.

All right. Didn't Jesus say if your feet are clean, then you're clean every day? That's right. And what did he mean by that?

Now, I can't remember the scripture. You know that. That's not fair, is it? You were reading my mind because it was coming. When he washed the feet of the disciples, what was he symbolizing? Humility.

Humility, for one thing. Humility. What else? Servanthood. Servanthood. Well, as far as the washing of the feet, it pictured cleansing. And it has to do with the testimony. It also has to do with 1 John 1, 9, the confession of sin, being made clean.

What's the relativity, though, between actually washing and cleaning the feet? Because if you're not in a right relationship with the Lord and fellowship with him, you can't be a witness. You can't. You're not going to take the gospel of peace to anyone.

But how do you get your feet dirty? In this world. All right. Because just by being in this world and going about our daily business, we come in contact with sin. So, if our feet are clean, washed, then you're clean.

All right. You remember Peter said, well, wash me all over there. And what does the Lord tell him?

Said, you don't need that. That's right. It was to tell us that he had no feet but our feet.

We are the feet of God. We are his body here on earth, as Clarence pointed out. And we will do that which he wants done, whether we want to or not. Obey the gospel. Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report?

That's in Isaiah 53. One, who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Now, there's a lot revealed in that one statement. To whom is the Lord revealed? Is the arm of the Lord revealed?

Charles, what's that mean to you? Is that what it means? No. No. No, I was getting ready to write something down. I had my mind on something else. I want what you just said. Well, go ahead and write down what you're saying.

And then I want you to tell me, what does it mean to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? To those that are called. Those that are what? Called. Right. Now, unless he is revealed to you, can you be saved?

From one weak note. Well, that's what the question in Isaiah infers, is that if it's not revealed, you're not going to get it. And this verse here in Romans says, not all. Where is it? They have not all obeyed.

Yeah, verse 16, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. All right, he's got in the back of his mind the nation of Israel. And there's a lot said about Israel. We're told that they were God's chosen people and he raised them up for a particular reason.

But Paul says all of Israel is not Israel. All that has church membership are not mine. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of the Lord. Faith comes, our faith comes by hearing. Greg, from where does the hearing come?

That's from God, too. He decides who hears and who doesn't.

But suppose this was one group, everybody could hear him.

Is that not what he's talking about? No, he's talking about understanding and revealed truth. All right.

I'd rather imagine Paul had heard the scripture all of his life, but he never heard it. And hearing by the word of God. Russell, what's the meaning of the word of God? Revealed truth. Go to John 1. The beginning was the word, the word was with God, the word was God.

Now, what is the word? Christ. Jesus Christ. Who was Jesus? Christ. Let me ask you a question now. You're not in Bible study. You're standing on a street corner and somebody comes up and says, Just explain to me or give me the definition of the word, word.

What is a word? A group of letters. You've all used them all of your life. What'd you say? A group of letters put together? Well, that's true. It represents something. The word represents a highway. All right.

What would you say if I told you it was a pickup truck?

The vehicle that's needed. It's a vehicle that's used for you to be able to receive something. And Jesus Christ was the word or the vehicle that was used for us to receive salvation.

Jesus Christ was the word that brought the mind of God to the mind of man. Word is vehicle. So that's Jesus Christ. You see how the name given in here, I can't think of the proper word. But he's called the word.

The word was some force that brought the mind of God to the mind of man. I'm using words to express what's in my mind to your mind. The way of ears. The electrical impulses in your head. So, the hearing is by the word of God.

Now, what does that mean? I was going to say, for word, you could use the word communication. So hearing, the word being Christ, used the communication to us from God. All right. So, it means hearing.

And the hearing, by the word of God, what could you put in place of that? Hearing the communication. Right, John. The word is the word of God, which is Christ. It is his holy word. It is that that you have in front of you.

And it is Christ. David, turn my control down just about a hair's width. And more. And hearing, by the word of God, there is in which you can gain access to God. That's right. Everything goes and comes through Jesus Christ.

Everything. Have they not heard? Yes, barely. Their sound went out into all of the earth, and their words unto the end of the world. In Psalm 19, 3, in verse 18, words unto the end of the world. And the world here is oikoumena.

Oikoumena. That means the entire inhabited world. In Psalms 19, 3, there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. John 12, 42. Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him.

The cause of the Pharisees that did not confess him. Bless David, it should be put out in the center. David, it's a theological question. It says, pages of 20. Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him.

But they would not confess him because of the fear of the men excommunicated from the synagogue. Were they saved or not? They believed on him, they were saved. So you can be saved and still have fear.

Be saved and have fear of man. Sure. Peter did. Yeah. Peter did the same thing when he denied Christ. That's right. It also proves that the old Baptist and specifically Southern Baptist idea that you have to make a public confession to be saved is not true.

Hmm. What would it mean then unless you confessed to the full man? That just means in general, in your life, that Christ will... That you live where you belong to. All right. What's the difference between synagogue and temple?

Charlie? I don't know. I don't either. Somebody tell me. Well, there's only one temple, but there are more than one synagogues. So it can mean the same thing if it refers to the temple back in the day when there was the temple before it was destroyed.

Temple is where God dwells, and he dwells in us because we're the temple. And he dwelled in the temple when we had one on earth. But a synagogue is just a place like a church where people gather together.

For what reason? To worship God or their God. It could be any God. But the temple is where God dwells.

That's true, but the purpose of the synagogue is a little bit different than what you said.

If I understand the origin of the word, it's a place of teaching and learning. That's it.

And that's the purpose of the church today, is to teach the membership of the truth. The church is not to change the world. We'll never change the world anyhow. But if we meet together to be taught to work it out, then we go with this as we live in the world.

Understand?

Yes. True teaching is worship to God. Oh, yes. Because he won't receive any other form but that which he deems acceptable. And so acceptable worship to God is true teaching the truth.

That's right. And I wish we could get to where I wouldn't have to explain the difference. Because there is no difference. But we always think of teaching as something separate from worship. And it isn't.

Prayer is worship of God. Doing the very best you can on your job is worship of God. When you do the very best, you know how to do it. Because that's what he demands. Teaching and learning is worship of God.

Israel, the Gentiles, and the Place of the Church

If it wasn't, you'd never learn it. You cannot learn it in the heart without the input of God. But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses said, I will promote you to jealousy by them that are no people.

Now, who is he talking about here? No people. Gentiles. No, no, no. Gentiles. Gentiles. Gentiles. They were called no people. In fact, they had more respect for norms than they did for Gentiles. I will promote you to jealousy by them that are no people.

And by a foolish nation, I will anger you. But Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found with them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he says, all day long I have stretched forth my hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Are we ever to persuade someone to call upon Christ, upon God? This is what Romans did. This is what the Catholics did. Persuaded you to be saved by the point of the sword. What's the difference in persuading and convicting?

Bill? I guess to be convicted would mean that it would be a decision that you have come to as a result of something that you internally believe. And to be persuaded would be to come to that same conclusion maybe, but because of an argument that someone else made.

Alright. Remember your verse. Persuaded is passive. Convicted is active. The persuasion comes from some other source outside of you. Conviction comes from inside of the heart. If we could persuade somebody to be saved, would that not be salvation by our words?

Yes. God in his own time will close this age. True or false? True. When he has brought the last of his children into life and at the right moment notified them, then he will close the church age. Will there be one last member of the church?

I heard this morning, maybe not these exact words, but this is what they meant. God is just waiting and hoping more people will join and accept him. Hoping. Where did you hear that? Some child likes some child.

On a famous television. A famous preacher. In my shop some of you knew. Matthew 1 .21. Turn to that, please. Before you get there. Go over this verse. You ought to be the first to understand that it did not depend upon my witnesses.

Great reading of Matthew 1 .21.

And she will bring forth a son, and ye shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. He will.

He shall. Has no input of man whatsoever. He shall save the people of him from the sins of them. All right. Let's close with chapter 10, and then we'll give you that opening very briefly. Does anyone have any questions over the previous chapter?

I do, Brother Lewis. All right. You said that we do what God wants regardless of what we want. Who's talking? Charles. All right. If we do what God wants simply because it's what God wants regardless of what we want, then we have no input.

So where does our accountability come in? Our accountability? Mm-hmm. Because everything we do, we do it because we want to. Well, if God made us want to, then why should we be held accountable? We don't know that.

You're telling us that. Well, we know it now because we've been taught that. I'm telling you from God's viewpoint, you will do exactly what he has ordained to be done. From man's viewpoint, he always does what he wants to do.

That's why we're held responsible just like that. And in the garden, the Lord told him to not eat of that tree. He did not tell him, but you are going to eat of that tree. I understand God knows full well each and every thing that we are going to do for eternity.

And he has known from the beginning of time, if there was a beginning of time. That's right. He knows what we're going to do. He knows it because he ordained it. He knows what we're going to choose to do.

That's right. Which makes us accountable. That's right. But he knows because he ordained every bit of it. Well, pre-knowledge, I don't know. It cannot be just his knowing what man's going to do. So he works it then to where everything works together.

The scripture tells us in lots of places. He should deliver desires of us.

He should deliver desires of us.

Right. He'll give us the desire to desire that which he wants. I guess the fact that was a verb. What was that verb? What? Where is it? We'll find it later. He gives us the desire to do what he wants us to do or what we should do rather.

I had the desire this morning to get up and go out to Sunday school. That's right. My physical did not want to. That's right. Last Sunday, I did. But it all went physical or the worldly part. Overcame what was inside of me.

Charlie, I have a question for you. Okay. Because I hear you lying to reason. Are you saying that you're here this morning because the Lord put that desire in your heart? It could be. Yes or no? It may not be.

He knew that I was going to be here. Well, a minute, second ago, you said he put the desire in your heart. Well, yeah. All right. So does that make you a puppet? Okay. And because I still could choose.

Yeah. Turn in Proverbs 16, 33. I was gathered to the left, but behold, disposing thereof is of the Lord. All of the disposing of man is of the Lord. Now go to Daniel 4, 35. Read that in turn. All the inhabitants of the earth were reported as nothing, and he did it according to his will in the army of heaven.

And among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stake his hand or say unto him, What doest thou? Okay. Now, whether you understand that it's ordained of God or whether you understand that he knows what we're going to do, you will come to the right decision sooner or later.

And there's nothing I can say that will ever change anybody's mind. As a matter of fact, I just don't want any arguments or ill feelings among any of us, which I don't think there is. And we all have questions, but I urge you to not quit, because sooner or later, every question will be anything else.

Proverbs 16, 9.

What's that say? A man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Okay.

Israel Not Cast Away and the Remnant of Grace

Now come to chapter 11, just briefly. I say this. Have God cast away his people? It's as though someone was in Paul's presence and asked him this question. He said, God forbid it's his fault, for I also am an Israelite.

If that were true, then it would mean that it would affect me, too. Of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, Paul was a 100 Jew on both sides. The rebellion of the Jews brings salvation to us the Gentiles.

He did not use it because that's what they did. He put it here for that purpose. Always the sin is voluntary on man's part. Dennis, is that true or not? Say it again. Always sin is voluntary on man's part.

I believe so. Israel refused Jesus because they wanted to. But even in the midst of this, God saw to it that his seed was saved. Israel stood before God's eyes from eternity as his people. In the immutability of the song of love with which he made us, he made us his lies the impossibility of his rejection.

We're in the same position as the Israelites. We cannot reject him because we belong to him. David, did salvation depend upon any book but us man? It's not by the will of man. That's right. John chapter 1 says that.

God has not cast away his people, but he's born new. Kwop, W-O-T. Greg, what's that mean? I don't know. It means to know the mass of man. Know you not? That the scripture says of Elias, how he made an intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets.

Dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life. Did you ever feel like that? Did you ever feel you were the only one? I'd like to confess that my wife and I, after 25, 30 years, had decided that, of course we can't.

We were the only ones that were teaching the truth. We missed everybody, we thought. And all the time he had you people there, it was like a storm was throwing. We didn't know it. We were not the only ones.

Kwop says the answer of God unto him. I have reserved to myself 7 ,000 men who have not found the need to engage in vain. You know, we must not get caught in the trap of thinking we're the only ones in this world.

And then it will always be the smallest group. These 7 ,000, at that time, were actually Israel in God's eyes. Even so, then, at this present time, also there is surrender, according to what? Reflection.

Reflection exists because of reflection. Now, I've got three questions, and then we'll go over. Does time march forward into time, Bill? Are you talking about me? It does. If you're talking about God, it does.

I don't know what time is, other than it's how we perceive right now,.

And that's the only time we really have. That's right. There is no future time.

God marches forward into time. There's no future time. Let the worry be passed. Is this creation expanding into space?

Now, do you want the physical explanation or the spiritual? The physical. Matter creates space as it expands. Space is not there at first. Space is expanding. All right, we'll stop there. We'll start with the first one.