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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Why Have We Changed the New Covenant?, #7
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. (Romans 10:9,10—NIV)
But what is the context of Romans, Chapter Ten, verses nine and ten?
Paul is telling Jewish people who were striving to obtain righteousness by adhering to the statutes of the Law of Moses that God's approval no longer is found by observing the Law. God has given Jesus Christ as the atonement for our sins. We are to confess that He is our Lord and believe God has raised Him from the dead.
The belief of our heart justifies us and the confession of our mouth saves us. Righteousness no longer is found by observing the Law of Moses but by believing in Christ and pronouncing Him Lord.
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 there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (Romans 10:3,4—NIV)
Can you see in the above passage that Paul is speaking about Jews who were observing the Law of Moses?
Coming to this passage (Romans 10:9,10) as a Gentile it appears as though Paul is saying we can forget about living righteously. All we have to do is confess and believe, and then eternal life in Heaven is ours.
This would contradict a great deal of what Paul taught in his epistles, as we shall notice in a moment.
Our famous Romans 10:9,10 actually is speaking to Jews who were seeking righteousness in the Law of Moses. Paul was urging them to lift their eyes from the scroll and see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Whenever Paul contrasts works and faith he is not contrasting righteous behavior with faith, because righteous behavior is the purpose for the new covenant. Rather Paul is contrasting the works of the Law of Moses with faith in Jesus Christ. The purpose of receiving Christ under the new covenant is not so we can more perfectly keep the Law of Moses, for that code is passing away. The purpose of receiving Christ under the new covenant is so through Him we can become a new creation who loves righteousness, rejoices in holiness, and is sternly obedient to God.
Now let's turn to the sixth chapter of the same epistle, the Book of Romans. The sixth chapter of Romans is a balance for the emphasis Paul had placed in earlier chapters on the importance of salvation through faith. In Chapters Four and Five of Romans Paul had exhorted the Jews to look up from the Torah, the Law, and receive the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ Jesus.
However, Paul understood that his emphasis on faith could lead the seeker astray. Perhaps the person who is reading this essay has discovered that when he is strongly emphasizing some point of doctrine, people have misinterpreted what he is attempting to convey. It is impossible to tell the whole story in a few sentences. Isn't that true?
To be continued.