October 21, 2021 — Romans 10:1-21

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:1-17

I have said it before, I will say it again, there is so much good stuff in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Here in chapter 10 we have such verses as 9 “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” And verse 13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And verse 15, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” We have lost the practice of verse memorization in our confirmation classes, and our Sunday school classes, and in our own daily reading. Here, in Paul’s letter, are some great verses to commit to memory. Verse 15 is an adaptation of Isaiah 52:7 and is used by Paul to support his claim that faith comes by what is heard — especially in his day when most people were illiterate. When most people learn through hearing, then there obviously needs to be a plethora of people proclaiming the word of Christ. Paul’s point is that we must be the messengers of that word – even if we have the ugliest feet in the world – because our feet will be transformed just as we are transformed by the word of Christ.

Let us Pray,

We are called to sit at your feet. Help us to take what we learn while sitting at your feet and teach it to all we encounter. Give us your strength and love so we can be your hands and feet in the world. Amen.

Pastor Dave

October 20, 2021 – Romans 9:1–33

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel,and not all of Abraham’s children are his true descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.” So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.” Romans 9:1-9, 16-18

Paul says, in Romans 9:2, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”  I know that I have heard people say something to the effect that that if we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, then we should be happy all the day long? If we are serious about and honest about our faith lives, I think we can agree with Paul that there are those moments that we grieve for the sake of the church – just like there are those times in our lives where we are not happy all the time with our personal lives. There is a sense of joy that overcomes each one of us from time to time that I can attribute to the work of the Holy Spirit. But there are also those times where we have a real sense of sorrow for those who do not want to hear and down-right reject the story of Jesus Christ as we know it. Or we grieve for those in the church who wish to distort the story by focusing on their own needs, wants and desires. But piety can also make us too serious and brooding as well. Paul here is simply beginning a position statement, one that will go on for the next two chapters about the fate of “all Israel” that will come to a conclusion in chapter 11. And that conclusion, that “… all Israel will be saved”, is one that will be argued and discussed for many a day.

I have said it before – Paul is at his theological best in the chapters of his letter to Rome. He draws on the promises to Israel, but also on the claim that G-d will show mercy on whomever G-d chooses – Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.

Let us Pray,

Lord Jesus, we hear that you will have mercy on whomever you choose. Help us to live in a manner that we trust that mercy, trust your love, and trust in your presence. Amen.

Pastor Dave