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 Thousands
of sincere Lutherans, Baptists and other “faith only”
adherents have been convinced that they must reject obedience as
an essential to salvation, because it is not compatible with “the
righteousness which is of faith.” I respectfully suggest a
restudy of the text — Rom. 10: 5-f.
Paul
is contrasting the system of works (man’s own
righteousness, by a purely theoretical perfect doing
of all required — Vs. 3 -5, Gal. 3:10-f) with the forgiveness
made possible through trust in Christ. (Rom. 3:23-f; 4:6-8) The
“faith” is objective — depending upon God’s revealed
will — made available to both Jews and Gentiles.
To
impress this point, Paul refers to Deut. 30: 11-f. where God
says His commandment “is not too hard for thee neither is it
far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall
go up for us — etc.” Read this 0. T. passage, and compare it
with the application made by Paul. Christ is available to
both Jew and Gentile, in “the word of faith”
preached.
“How
shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” (Vs.
14) So God sent inspired men to both Jew and Gentile (Vs. 15,
from Isa. 52: basically Messianic) to make His way available to
all. “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias
saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?” (Vs. 16) There is
no salvation in a faith that will not obey, and failure to obey
is evidence of a lack of faith. (See Jas. 2:17-f.)
The
chapter concludes by showing that the Jews should have known,
from the words
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of Moses and Isaiah, that God’s word
would be extended to the Gentiles. (Vs. 19-21)
“Faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When Rom.
10:17 is put in proper context we see it as a “key” passage
indeed. Consider some obvious applications.
Saving
faith is objective — resting not upon what we “experience”
or “feel inside” but upon what we read in God’s word
— external authority. “Faith” itself is not a gift of God
(“it” of Eph. 2: 8 refers to “salvation”) but is the
result of man’s accepting the word (“teaching”) made
available through God’s grace. (Titus 2: 11-f) God provides
the evidence, but man does the believing.
There
can be no saving faith without its companion “thus saith the
Lord.” Walking by faith is a journey that depends upon God’s
word, not on human wisdom or senses ,for direction. God’s word
teaches by direct statement, approved example, or necessary
inference (deductions from statements given by inspiration) and
there is nothing “silly” or “childish” about asking for scriptural
authority for one’s faith and/or practice.
Christ
is available as Saviour for all nations — brought down from
heaven, brought up from the dead — but He must be found in the
“word of faith”. (Rom. 10: 6-f.) “Believing” “confessing”
and “calling” upon Christ indicate our dependence upon
Christ as revealed in the proclaimed word. They embrace and
include obedience to the word. (Jn. 12: 48; 14:23; Acts
22: 16)
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