Paul now pours out his heart with hope for salvation for his family, the Israelites:
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:1-4).
As Paul laments for his ethnic family, we can think of our neighbors and friends who do not have faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
First, many of them have a vague and respectful perception of God, but little knowledge that goes beyond. As a result they do not know or respect the righteousness of God, instead seeking to practice their own truth, not submitting to God’s righteousness, which resides in Jesus.
Second, Paul says that Christ is the end of the law. This does not mean that there is no longer any law at all. What it does mean is especially important: Christ died so that all who believe in him are declared righteous by God – forever.
What previously was the yoke of the Law of Moses is now the freedom of obedience to the teachings of Jesus. What follows is the invitation to salvation to all people:
- “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them…
- “But the righteousness based on faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’ …
- “(That is, to bring Christ down) …
- “Or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ …
- “(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
- “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
- “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:5-9).
“For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:10-13; Isaiah 28:16).
What do Isaiah and Paul have in mind when someone calls on the name of the Lord? I hear people every day who call on his name just to condemn him as someone who does not care, who does not do what they demand of him. I hear people use his name in anger and cursing, and simply in frustration with life.
These are not the ways Isaiah and Paul have in mind.
Calling on the name of the Lord is first an act of faith in God rather than demanding works from him.
And even more importantly, it is an act of sincere repentance for sin and for putting aside the works that stand in the way of true faith.
The reward is a rush of the never-ending love of God and restoration to a personal relationship with him and forgiveness so powerful that it seems impossible and yet you know it is true.
And this act is much like sliding across the home plate of perfect unity with God before a great cloud of fans – uh – witnesses:
SAFE!!