Verse By Verse Through Romans

Chapter Ten

Romans 10:1 “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

• Remember that as Paul writes He either is permitted by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 7:6 and I Corinthians 7:39-40) or is moved by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:9-13 and I Peter 1:12) to write what he wrote.
• Think about the phrase “heart’s desire.” He is emotionally and intellectually invested as all preachers must be! Paul had already expressed in this letter his heaviness and sorrow over the spiritual state of physical Israel (Romans 9:1-5; cf. I Samuel 15:35, Psalms 119:53, Psalms 119:136, Psalms 119:158, Jeremiah 13:17, Lamentations 3:48-49, Luke 19:41-42, and Philippians 3:18-19).
• It is God’s desire that all be saved (Isaiah 45:22, Ezekiel 33:11, I Timothy 2:4, and II Peter 3:9) and we should be like Him (Ephesians 5:1).

• Zeal can be misplaced (John 16:1-3, Acts 21:20-31, Galatians 1:13-14, Galatians 4:16-17, and Philippians 3:4-6).
• Zeal has to be according to knowledge (Proverbs 19:2), with caution (I Corinthians 8:1).
• Though their zeal was not good, being zealous for good is what we should be (Galatians 4:18, Titus 2:11-14, and Jude 1:3-4).

• God has a righteousness (Psalms 36:5-6, Psalms 71:19, and Jeremiah 23:5-6) that is revealed through His word (Romans 1:16-17).
• Just remember, those who did not realize His plan were essentially questioning the righteousness of God (Romans 9:14).
• The righteousness which is by faith, not by the works of the Law of Moses (Romans 3:21-22 and Galatians 3:16-21). What were some of the Jewish Christians in Rome guilty of (Romans 9:31-33).
• Self-righteousness (Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 20:6, Proverbs 21:2, Proverbs 28:26, Proverbs 30:12-13, Isaiah 5:20-21, Luke 18:9-14, II Corinthians 10:17-18, Galatians 6:3, and Revelation 3:14-19).
• God expects us to submit to Him (Psalms 119:2, Proverbs 19:16, Luke 6:46, Luke 11:28, John 15:10, Hebrews 5:8-9, James 4:7, I John 2:3-6, and II John 1:9).

• Christ is the end of the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17-18, John 1:17, Romans 7:1-6, Romans 8:1-4, Ephesians 2:11-17, Galatians 3:11-29, Colossians 2:4-15, and Hebrews 9:11-17).
• The benefits to the end of the Law of Moses do NOT extend to those who had/have chosen not to believe it (Romans 3:15-31 and Galatians 5:4).

• Leviticus 18:5; cf. Nehemiah 9:29 and Ezekiel 20:11
• It was not of faith (Galatians 3:11-12).
• Think about the point made over and over again in this letter (Romans 3:27-31, Romans 4:13-16, and Romans 9:32).
• The Law of Moses was just about doing (Deuteronomy 27:26). If they continued with this mindset, those works of the Law could not save then at all (Galatians 2:16). Now, the Law of Moses is not even in effect (again: Romans 7:1-6).

• The righteousness which is of faith (Romans 3:22, Romans 9:30, Galatians 5:5, and Hebrews 11:7).
• The righteous which is of faith speaketh (cf. Romans 10:8) “on the wise” or rather “in this manner” or “in this way” (Strong’s # 3779).
• Righteousness by faith says not to allow one to say in their heart who shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ down. You cannot go to Jesus and see Him (John 13:33 and John 13:36), therefore you must believe in Him (John 14:1-3).
• You cannot go high or low to get to Jesus. Any person cannot go to the deep, the bottomless pit (don’t read too much into the meaning of the word “deep” [ἄβυσσος] here) to resurrect Jesus. He is not there anyway (I Peter 3:22). The point in verse eight will establish what is close. The word is close. That word is the “word of faith.” This is where a person needs to go to find Jesus, don’t look high and low to no avail.
• It is by faith not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7).