Romans 10:1-13

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Righteousness of the Law and Faith

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. Righteousness based on the law is utterly impossible.

  2. Righteousness based on faith is readily available.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. How do you spell salvation?

QUESTIONS

  1. Paul's Epistle to the Romans answers the question, "How can a sinner be saved?" What is that answer?

  2. What is the divine side of our salvation?

  3. What is the human side of our salvation?

  4. Why couldn't Israel be righteous?

  5. How did Jesus show the rich young ruler that he couldn't keep the 10 commandments, despite his claim that he did?

  6. How is the law like a mirror?

  7. How do you respond by faith?

  8. What is meant by the imputed righteousness of Christ?

ANSWERS

  1. The answer is the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. God Himself in the person of His Son, became man and went to the cross and died for our sins. The penalty for our sins was death, but the Lord Jesus died as our substitute. The result is that a holy and righteous God can save unholy and unrighteous people.

  2. The divine side of our salvation is all of God. God in His mercy chose us. Our salvation is 100% God's grace.

  3. The human side of our salvation is that God has created us as free moral agents, and we are responsible to respond and believe the message of the gospel and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior.

  4. Israel had a zeal for God and wanted to be righteous, but they went about it the wrong way. They thought they could establish their own righteousness by keeping the law of Moses. However, no one can keep the 10 commandments.

  5. The Lord Jesus tested him on the first commandment, and he failed. The rich young ruler said that he kept all the commandments, but he refused to put God first.

  6. The law is like a mirror in that it can show you that your face is dirty, but it cannot wash you. The law shows us that we are sinners, but it can't save us from our sins.

  7. Refer to Romans 10:9-10. You must believe in your heart that Christ died for you and is risen from the dead, then you must confess this with your mouth.

  8. When you believe and confess, God no longer sees you in your sins, but He sees you in the righteousness of His Son.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. How do you harmonize the divine side of our salvation and the human side of our salvation? Are you content to live in the tension of these two wonderful doctrines?

  2. Many people today believe that they can make it to God and to heaven by keeping the Ten Commandments the best they can. How would you speak to such a person?

CHALLENGE

  1. Have you responded by faith to God's grace?

KEY VERSES

  • "They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, for they are ignorant of God's righteousness, seeking to establish their own righteousness, not submitting to the righteousness of God." Romans 10:2-3

  • "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

  • "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13

Romans, Talks, New TestamentDeb HarmsRomans 10:1-13