Romans 10:5-9

Passage

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is out of the Law.  “The one who does these will live in them.”  But the righteousness based on faith says this: you should not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”  This is to bring Christ down.  Neither say, “Who will descend into the Abyss?”  That is, to bring Christ up out of the dead.  But what does it say?  The simple truth is near to you – in your mouth and in your heart.  That is, the word of faith that we proclaim.  That is, if you should confess Jesus as Lord in your mouth and you should believe in your heart that God raised Him up out of the dead, you will be saved.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul desires to compare and contrast the idea of salvation through the Law and salvation through faith.  Salvation through the Law is simple.  Salvation by the Law is only accessible to those who know the Law, for those who obey its word, and ends in self-righteousness.  However, salvation by grace is accessible to all, through faith, based on God’s righteousness, and ends up in glorifying God.  The differences between these two systems could not be starker.  True salvation always ends in God’s glorification rather than our own greatness.

Is God glorified through you?  How does your salvation result in bringing God glory in your life?

Second Thought:

Paul then speaks about ascending into heaven or descending into the Abyss.  What Paul is doing here is paraphrasing Deuteronomy 30:12-13.  I think has always been one of the most confusing versus in the Bible – until I understood that Paul was making an analogy to the Old Testament quote.  If you read the context in Deuteronomy, what you hear is that Moses is making an argument that relationship with God is attainable for us.  It isn’t so far away as to be unreachable in heaven or in the abyss.  We don’t need to go into heaven or descend into the abyss to find relationship with God.  God has come to us instead.

How great is God?  How awesome is it that although we don’t deserve it, He makes relationship with Him possible?

Third Thought:

Towards the end of this passage we can see the truth of salvation by faith and not by works.  The evidence of salvation by faith is that truth is within us.  When salvation is within us, truth is in our words and in our thoughts.  The Holy Spirit is alive within us to guide us in being God’s people and following God’s will.  God means it when He brings relationship with Him close to us.  He becomes a part of who we are.

What is the truth that God has placed upon your heart to bring to the world?  How do you know the Holy Spirit is within you?  How does it make you feel to know that simply through confessing and believing you are saved?

Passage for Tomorrow: Romans 10:10-13