Wanna discover your freedom in Christ? Then listen in as Mike Stone and Kevin Smith talk about it today on Grace Coach. Hello. Welcome to Grace Coach. I'm Mike Stone and with my co host, Kevin Smith.

What's up, Mike? How you doing today? Yeah. It's going good. Good to see you.

Alright. So we're in Romans 10. We've come a long way. We're gonna try and read through maybe the whole thing, but if we don't, we'll pick up wherever we leave off on the next podcast. But Let me jump into it.

I'm reading Romans chapter 10 verses 1 through 4, which says, brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Bam.

Yeah. So they were it says zealous forgot as many people are. Many religious spiritual people are zealous for god. It says, but their zeal is not based on knowledge, or let's say based on the truth of the word of God. Here, Paul is inspired by God to write this, and I think the key here is in Romans 10:3, since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Right. It was all about them. And their works. Making up their rules and regulations and So I think this goes on today in many of the Christian circles that people don't understand that that they have the righteous one living in them, that they have imputed righteousness. They're always right with god.

Amen. 100% take it to the bank. God is not gonna love you anymore than he already does because you are in Christ. And he's in you. And you can't get any more righteous than you are, which is hard for people to under to hear that.

So what we read last week was Romans 9:30, it says Paul says, what shall we say then? That the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness. Right? They didn't have the law. They didn't try and get right with God, but through obedience to the law.

They were trying to what does it say, like, in Romans 8 or so? They're by their conscience. Had them guilty. They were guilty by their conscience. So they knew it anyway.

Yeah. Yeah. They didn't. Yeah. You didn't need the law.

The You know? They didn't need the law, and they came and were made righteous without the law. It says, but Israel, who pursued the law as a means of righteousness, has has not attained their goal. The goal of being saved, the goal of being right with god Yes. Not by obedience to the law, but by faith and faith alone in Christ.

Really, it's just attained its own. It's a stumbling stone to people today, and I hope if you're listening that you go through the scriptures, especially the book of Romans, to learn that when you came to Christ, you have been made right with God. Done deal. I'm gonna read Hebrews 5 11 to 14. These are some great verses.

It says, we have much to say about this, but it's hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, by this time, you ought to be teachers. You need someone to teach you the elementary truths of god's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, catch this, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teachings about righteousness.

They were still eating the baby formula. So we're eating some steak here That's right. Because we're talking about the imputed righteousness that we received by faith. And if you're still thinking that it's your obedience to god through the law or another means makes you right with him, you're drinking milk. Absolutely.

That is that is not the way to go. Hey, listen further. Let me back up, to verse 1 because that that jumped out at me, as I was, reading this. It's this week. Yeah.

I'll just read it. First one says, brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. So my question is, do we pray that do we pray for other people to be saved like Paul is saying right here in Romans chapter 10? Well, I think a lot of Christians probably do pray that their mother, brother, neighbor, sister, friend would come to Christ and be saved. Absolutely.

And so I one of the guys that I listened to, I've I've said his name a million times on this thing, Andrew Farley, he says, you can't pray somebody into heaven. And I understand what he's trying to say. It's like, you know, Catholics praying for their, you know, relatives in purgatory, trying to pray them out of purgatory or whatever. So, yeah, I don't think that we can necessarily change a person's heart by praying for them. But what because I do pray for 1 guy, it's weird, but I pray for this one guy very, very regularly in my meditations in the morning.

And what I've come to realize because I asked God. I was like, you know, I did this ongoing conversation in my head. You know? God, is Justin really gonna come to Christ through through my my prayer? Him.

So I'm having this thing with God, and what what I feel like and, you know, not like God said some audible thing to me, is that Justin may not come to Christ through my prayer, but my heart is changing for Justin. And when I engage with Justin, you know, my heart's gonna be molded for him. And so I don't know. I'm not saying anything definitive right now, but I I just won this first one. I've read it, and I was just like, man, do we really pray sincerely for the salvation of the people like Paul did?

Paul loved these Israelites. Paul saw that they were totally on the wrong path, and he was, like, sincerely desiring for their salvation. So You know, I think about what you're talking about, Kevin, that that your prayers that they may be saved. But I think that really puts your mind where God wants it to be when you're with your friend. Yes.

Because now you're thinking and praying that I hope he comes to Christ. And if I get this opportunity Right. I'm gonna say something. Yes. And it's because of that's God's will for you that you are praying for him, but it's yeah.

It's like it's on your mind, so you're just ready for the right time if it happens to say, hey, Justin. Do you wanna know about Jesus? Amen. Be ready in season and out of season to give Be reason. Reason for the hope that we have in Christ.

Yes. You know, that's that's Now let's go on to Romans 5. It says, Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law. The person who does these things will live by them. And so I read that and I'm like, you know what?

There's probably a better way of saying that, and the New Living Translation gave me a better way. It says, for Moses writes that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all its commands. And sometimes I even read the NIV, I just wish it was made that much easy. But, you know, every version's got pro pros and cons and, you know, they're versions. And, you know, it's really for us to believe that it's the Holy Spirit that leads us into truth, not aversion.

Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. That's the most important thing, the the truth of the gospel. Yeah.

So Moses wrote about the righteousness that was based on keeping the law. That's what Romans 105 says. Paul, however, is writing a different message to Israel and gentiles that your righteousness would come by faith and faith alone. You'd get right with God, not by obedience to law, but by faith. So Moses was teaching one thing, Paul was teaching another.

You know, we have the old covenant, and then we have the new covenant, the new agreement between God and man. Yeah. This is just yet another example of Paul making this huge contrast, righteousness by the law, righteousness by faith. He's just beating this drum time and time again, chapter and chapter again using different illustrations. And then in verse 6 it says, but the righteousness that is by 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 deep, that is to bring Christ up from the dead.

Yeah. You know, that's not that easy to understand when you're reading that. Paul is saying to Israel, do not attempt to bring the Messiah down from heaven by your works. And that's why he says, do not say in your heart, Israel, who will ascend into heaven or who will descend into the deep. Do not say that.

Do not think your works will bring the Messiah down. He's already come down. Well, even yeah. He's come down in the incarnation as a baby to earth. Yeah.

He came down to heaven, and, you know, the next verse says that is to bring Christ up from the dead. He rose from the dead, the resurrection, the incarnation, and the resurrection. Why don't you take, 8 and through 11? But what does it say? The word is near you.

It is in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith we are proclaiming. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. I'll tell you what, Kevin, this verse just jumps off the page because what Paul is saying is that if you believe that Jesus rose from the dead, you will be saved.

Mhmm. Now if you ask most people, and we've talked about this for 5 years on our podcast, When you came to Christ, what was your understanding of salvation? Yes. He's clearly saying that if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, he's taking what happened on Good Friday, which is in a week from now Yep. To the resurrection and say, that is the key to salvation, putting your faith that Jesus rose from the dead.

Yeah. Well, I'm glad we didn't get through another podcast without, you know, saying that again. I hate to break a 5 year streak of saying the same thing over and over and over again. But, It's only because Paul says it over and over and over. I mean, we're reading through Romans.

It's hard not to. Amen. Paul is very repetitive. And so that is very important to know, come to Christ by believing that Jesus rose from the dead, and you will be saved. Yes.

That that is actually Romans 10, 9, and 10 is, one of the verses in the Roman roads. If you ever see the little tracks that are out there, that is part of the Roman roads. So you're absolutely right. This is a very, very important verse in Yeah. Understanding the gospel.

It's right there. It's plain and simple. Verse 12, there is no difference between Jew and gentile. The same lord is lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved.

We got spiritually dead Jews, spiritually dead Gentiles. There's no difference. We read that in Romans 3. Yes. And the same Lord God is will bless all, Jew and Gentile, but you gotta call on him call on him with what we just read, that you believe in your heart.

Yes. That he rose Jesus from the dead. The same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead is what raises us from the dead. And people will say, I didn't know I was dead. I only know I was a sinner and I needed forgiveness, but know you're spiritually dead, that's your big problem.

Being a sinner is a byproduct of that. Your big problem is you're dead, you need life, the only one to give you life is Jesus. That's what he's talking about here. We're just commenting on it. Yeah.

I mean, I, I just also I've just thought came in my mind about it's, you know, it says believe in your heart. I would say that the believing in the heart is the crucial element, And I I don't want people to get all hung up on like, oh, I've gotta confess with my mouth because there's a lot of other places in the bible and the new testament where it doesn't say that. It just says it just says, believe in your heart, have faith in Christ. So if you've never gone out and told a 1000000 people that you're a Christian, but you should be able to tell somebody you're a Christian. So so, yeah, I mean, I don't want people to get hung up on on that aspect of the confessing with your mouth.

You know, talking about this thing with Jew and Gentile and how you and I as Jew and Gentile, we've been united in Christ takes me to Ephesians 2 that we have our Friday night bible study. Let me just wanna read a few verses in Ephesians 2 14. For he himself is our peace, you and I. He has made the 2 groups, Jew and Gentile, one, and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility that is was back then and is today. So by setting aside in his flesh the law with his commands and regulations, his purpose was to create him in himself, one new humanity out of the 2, Jew and Gentile, thus making peace, and then one body to reconcile both of us to god through the cross by which he put to death their hostility.

Mhmm. He came and preached peace to you who were far away, those are Gentiles, and peace to those who were near, those were Jews. For through him, Jesus, we both have access to the father by one spirit. I love that. Broke down the wall of hostility.

Yes. You know, there was a lot of hostility between the Jews of this day and letting these, you know, stinking gentiles in, you know, to their country club of faith or country club of works. Not they didn't they weren't, you know, by faith at all, But of their religion is what the what I was trying to say. Man, that I the wall of hostility is broken down. Yes.

It's broken down. I I experienced that for the last 30 years with Gentiles and never grew up around. None of our friends, neighbors, all Jews. So this is the, you know, one of the biggest miracles I've experienced. So how then can they call on the one they have not believed in?

How can they believe in the one who they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. That's you.

Amen. That's you too. But not all of the Israelites accepted the good news and we know that. For Isaiah says, lord, who has believed our message? Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

But I asked, did they not hear, speaking of the Jews? Of course, they did. Yes. Their voice has gone out into all the earth. Their words to the end of the world.

Again, I asked, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I will make you, Jews, envious by those who are not a nation, the Gentiles, and I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding. And Isaiah boldly says, I was found by those who did not seek me. I reveal myself to those who did not ask for me. But concerning Israel, he says, all day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people, speaking of Israel.

You've got disobedient obstinate Jews and you got disobedient and obstinate Gentiles. That's just somebody who's is not a believer. Jewish people are, I would say, the most special people in the whole world and in all of history. And I I've heard somebody say, like, somebody asked a theologian. I don't know who it was, but may have been Sturgeon or somebody said, you know, where's your proof for God?

And his response was the Jews. And if you study the Jews and everything they've been through, the land and the book and all of their struggles, there is absolutely and then, you know, they're in this book. You know what I mean? The right the from the very beginning of this book, from the beginning to the end of this book, it's, you know, the Jews are there. And so it's so amazing, just to learn more about the Jewish people and everything they went through, man.

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