Believe In Your Heart – Romans 10.1-13 Pt 2

1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. 5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 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) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10.1-13).[1]
 
Memory Verses: If you declare 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 profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10.9-10) & Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10.13).

      Yesterday we began discussing the second part of Paul’s statement concerning our salvation as a matter of the heart. His first statement was, “declare with our mouth Jesus Christ is Lord” and his second statement is, “believe in our heart God raised Him, Jesus Christ, from the dead.”
      The question that was raised is, “what is the problem with not believing in Christ’s resurrection?” For our discussions there are at least two areas to look at; first we are still in our sins, and second, we have no hope of eternal life nor victory over death.
      Within this Bible study we will not touch on every area possible, but our goal is to look deep enough so we understand the basic picture of the problem and see the solution. Yesterday, we looked at the problem of, ‘still being in our sins’ if there was no resurrection. Today we are going to look at the implications of, “no hope of eternal life nor victory over death.”
      To begin let us go back to Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth as some were saying Christ had not risen. Paul argues to the contrary, while telling the Christians at Corinth the very problem that arises from believing such foolishness (for the full context of this passage see Believe In Your Heart, Nov. 11, 2020). 
      Paul writes, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (I Corinthians 15.17-19, ESV).[2] If our hope for eternal life is placed in Jesus Christ, yet He is still dead in the grave, then where does this leave us? How are we supposed to, pay the wages for sin without giving our own lives (Romans 6.23)? How are we ever going to cover the gap between us and God, or reach His Glory or stop destroying God’s Glory if Christ is still dead in the grave (Romans 3.23)?
      Here is the interesting thing, none of these questions were within our grasp prior to Christ and all of them are only within reach because of Christ. So, the question we should be asking is, “Who does the resurrection affect besides us?” Now there’s a great question, one which, when answered should give us the answers to, if there is no resurrection what happens to our hope in eternal life and victory over death.
      Let us explore the book of Ephesians very briefly, Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus and he calls to their attention just how great God is, how merciful He is, and how loving He is. He allowed His Son to be our Redeemer through His blood, offering us forgiveness for our sins (Ephesians 1.7). But notice something in verse 14, “He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1.14, HSCB).[3] Christ is the ‘down-payment’ for our ‘inheritance,’ how is this possible if He is still dead in the grave. Also take note, at the end of the verse, ‘to the praise of His glory,’ Who’s glory, this would be God’s glory, because everything Jesus Christ did was for the glory of God His Father (John 17).
      We must keep going so look at verse 20, that by the power of God, He, “worked in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1.20, ESV).[4] Here we see the resurrection was to display God’s power, we see His glory in the resurrection, now His power as He places Christ above all rule and authority and power and dominion (Ephesians 1.21). Jesus said in Matthew 28.18, “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and earth.” Why because His Father had raised Him from the grave.
      Just one more, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2.4-7, ESV).[5] By raising Christ from the grave God is able to demonstrate His amazing, immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness which can only be found in our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
      Paul said we are, “raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2.6, ESV). How would this be possible if our Christ was still dead? Without Christ’s resurrection there is no hope of eternal life, there is no hope of any meaningful life, and there is no hope for victory over death. Therefore, we must believe God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, we must believe within our hearts, our very core being. This cannot be a surface thing, but a deep-rooted issue, that can never be shaken, because eternity depends on it, our faith depends on it, and God’s reputation depends on it.
 
Application
 

1. When you hear the resurrection what does it mean to you? Please explain.
   
2. Why must you believe in you heart that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead? Please explain.
   
3. Deeper Thinking: Reread I Corinthians 15.12-19 and discuss in your own word what Paul is trying to get across about the resurrection? Please explain and share some scriptures.
   
4. If you have not already done so, make a commitment today to share the gospel with at least one person and continue to memorize the Romans Road 3.23, 5.8, 6.23 10.9-10, and 13.

 
 Prayer
 
      Lord I thank You for Your Son, For His life and His Resurrection. Lord help me to have the understanding and wisdom to share Your message with others. Help me to find time to study Your Word, and help me to have a closer relationship with You. I want to see the opportunities to share Your gospel today, to seize them and share without fear or shame. All this I pray in Your Son Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.

[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 10:1–13). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Co 15:17–19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Eph 1:14). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 1:20). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[5] Ibid., (Eph 2:4–7).

You Can Download This Blog Here – November 12 – Romans 10.1-13 Pt 6