[English Sermon 영어 설교]
Sunday, November. 17, 2024 - Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn
Self-righteousness and God's righteousness (God's way of salvation) (Romans 10:1-13)
2024. 11. 17. 주일예배 설교- 로마서 강해 24
본문: 로마서 10:1-13
제목: 자기 의와 하나님의 의 (하나님의 구원 방법)
설교자: 손진국 목사
Today, through the message of Romans 10:1-7, I want to share about the way God saves. What is God's heart towards the people of this world? Where is it found? This is a verse that many of us know well. [John 3:16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God’s heart is that the people of this world do not perish but receive eternal life. Who among the people of this world? Those who believe in His only Son, Jesus, are saved. But who does God desire to be saved through belief in Jesus? [1 Timothy 2:4] who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. God desires that all people believe in Jesus, the truth, and be saved. Therefore, God has shown us the way of salvation and how to be saved. But many people ignore and refuse to believe in that way, and thus remain unsaved.
Through today’s message, I hope that we can better understand God's way of salvation.
Let's read verse 1 of today's passage together. [Romans 10:1] Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. Paul has people in his heart and prays to God for them. Who are they? The Israelites, the Jewish people. Who are they? They are Paul’s people, including his family, relatives, friends, and neighbors. They are the people Paul belongs to. In other words, it is an encounter that God allowed Paul to have.
God also allows us to have encounters. As I mentioned last Friday during early morning prayer, there are no coincidences in our encounters. They may seem like random meetings, but they are meetings that God has allowed. Why has He allowed them? There is a special purpose and plan of God in every encounter.
I know that many of you are praying for the salvation of your family, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Is there anyone who has prayed for over 10 years for the salvation of a family member or loved one? 20 years? 30 years? Are you still praying? It is truly amazing and a blessing. Many of you may feel heartbroken because your prayers for answers have not been answered yet. Some might even stop praying for the salvation of their loved ones.
There is a man who prayed 50,000 times for answers to prayer. Do you know who he is? It is George Mueller. He is said to have prayed for five of his unbelieving friends. He started praying for their salvation in November 1844. As a result of his prayers, one friend returned to the Lord after 18 months, and five years later, another one believed in Jesus. A few more years later, another one accepted Jesus. Mueller continued to pray for the other two friends, but they did not believe in Jesus. Mueller passed away in 1897 at the age of 93, having prayed for 53 years without seeing the two friends saved. However, at his funeral, one of them believed in Jesus, and the other was saved about a year later after reading a book written by Mueller.
It is a touching story, and there was a time when a reporter asked George Mueller, “Mr. Mueller, you prayed for the salvation of your friends for decades, and yet they still haven’t believed. Why did you continue to pray so persistently?” Mueller answered, “I believe that God had a special salvation plan for them, which is why He allowed me to pray for them every day for decades.” If God has allowed us to meet someone and pray for them, there is certainly a special plan and purpose behind it.
1. No one can be saved by their own righteousness.
Paul has great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart as he prays for the salvation of his fellow Israelites. And through this, God has revealed to Paul why the Israelites are not being saved and what went wrong. What is it? It is mentioned in verse 2. [Romans 10:2] For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
In other words, the reason they were not saved is because there was something wrong with them. In verse 2, we see what the Israelites had. What was it? Zeal for God. But what did they lack? True knowledge. Knowledge of God’s heart and will, and knowledge of the gospel of how God saves people.
What does this mean? They were passionate, but they were passionate about the wrong things. Is zeal a bad thing? I think it’s more of a problem that we lack zeal these days. I once heard a story from a pastor of a church that used to be large but saw many people leave due to internal problems. He said, “The people who were zealous for God have all left, and those who remained are the ones who only come to church on Sundays to worship.” This made me feel sad.
Let me give you a quiz. Who do you think is the most beneficial person and the most harmful person in your community? (1) Someone who knows well and is zealous, (2) Someone who knows well but is not zealous, (3) Someone who doesn’t know but is zealous, (4) Someone who doesn’t know and is not zealous.
Who is the most beneficial to the community? (1). Who is the most harmful? (3).
I often hear phrases like, “At least they’re zealous,” or “At least they’re smart.” What’s the problem with that? The word “at least.” Let’s repeat after me: “Let’s not say ‘at least.’”
Direction is more important than speed. If the direction is wrong, the faster you go, the bigger the accident. So, before you speed up, what should you check? Whether the direction is correct. When I was in middle school, I lived in Gocheok-dong, and my school was in Mapo. One day, I was running to catch a bus because I was afraid of being late. I knocked on the door of the bus and climbed aboard. I traveled all the way from Gocheok-dong to Yeouido, but then the bus started going toward Daebang-dong instead of Yeouido. When I checked the number again, I realized I had gotten on the wrong bus! I ended up being very late.
Being late for school or work may result in a scolding or a small loss. But when it comes to the issue of salvation and faith, it’s a different matter. If we are wrong and try to be zealous, it will lead to a big problem. The Israelites were zealous for God, but their zeal was misplaced, as Paul says.
[Romans 10:3] Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
What was the purpose of their zeal? It was to establish their own righteousness. What was the wrong knowledge they had? It was knowledge about righteousness. The Israelites believed that a righteous person was someone who zealously followed the law. More precisely, they zealously followed the law in a way that made others see their actions and praise them. Jesus rebuked them harshly for this. [Matthew 23:5-7] Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
What was the intention behind their actions? To be seen by people and receive praise. What did they want to say to others? “Look at how much I do! I follow the law, I live righteously, I serve God!”
What is the problem with this? It is self-righteousness. Self-righteousness hides a desire to prove oneself. Zeal for self-righteousness is a misplaced zeal. If we do not lay down our zeal for self-righteousness, we cannot be saved.
Even in our faith life, sometimes we try to prove ourselves, trying hard to show our faith. In those times, we must realize, “Ah, the direction of my faith is wrong.” It’s not that we shouldn’t be zealous, but we shouldn’t be zealous for the wrong things.
[Application] Is there an intention hidden in my zeal to prove myself, saying 'I do this much, I am this kind of person'? Have I ever made people around me struggle with my misguided zeal?
2. God’s righteousness is given only when one believes in Christ.
In today’s passage, the apostle Paul compares two kinds of righteousness. What are they? [Romans 10:3] Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Here, we have self-righteousness and God’s righteousness.
Self-righteousness means being justified by one’s own actions in order to be saved. If one were to achieve righteousness through their deeds, would they be saved? Yes. [Romans 10:5] Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”
Righteousness means being free from sin. If one were to perfectly follow the law, they would satisfy the law’s demands and receive salvation.
However, what is the problem? It is that humans are sinners who cannot fulfill the law’s requirements. [Romans 3:10-11] As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.” [Romans 3:23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Since all people are sinners, no matter how hard they try, they cannot attain God’s glory. God’s glory is found in heaven, and going to heaven is called salvation. A sinner can never fulfill the law, so self-righteousness cannot lead to salvation. This is why Jesus came to this earth as a man. What is this called? It is what we will begin memorizing from John 1:1-14. This is the Incarnation.
[Romans 10:4] Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born without sin, became the fulfillment of the law in order to establish God’s righteousness. In other words, Jesus fulfilled all the law’s requirements that we could never achieve. What were the law’s requirements? The penalty for sin. What is the penalty for sin? For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus took on all of the sins and their penalty by dying on the cross, and by His resurrection and ascension, He overcame the power of sin and death, becoming the culmination of the law.
As I said, Paul compares two types of righteousness: one is the righteousness by the law, and the other is what? Righteousness by faith. [Romans 10:6-7] But the righteousness that is by 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 deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Paul is explaining what righteousness by faith is. “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” What does this mean? It refers to those who do not believe in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. They try to deny His resurrection and ascension by saying, “Who will bring Christ down from heaven?”
Righteousness by faith says, “Do not say this!” In other words, believing in the resurrection and ascension of Christ is what righteousness by faith is.
In verse 7, Paul says, “Who will descend into the deep?” This refers to those who deny Christ’s death. The deep refers to Sheol, the place of the dead. This was where Jesus went after He died on the cross, and then He was resurrected. Denying His death on the cross is to deny His salvation.
So, what is righteousness by faith? It is the righteousness that we obtain by believing in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins on the cross, descended into Sheol, and then was resurrected and ascended to sit at the right hand of God. This is not righteousness that we achieve by our own deeds, but righteousness given by God when we believe in Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected. Therefore, the righteousness that leads to salvation is not earned by our own efforts but is given to us when we reach out in faith to Jesus.
Jesus taught about the difference between the prayer of the Pharisee and that of the tax collector. How did the Pharisee pray? [Luke 18:11-12] The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
What was the Pharisee trying to show through his prayer? “I have done this much.” It is self-righteousness. What about the tax collector? [Luke 18:13] But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The tax collector’s prayer was, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I am unworthy to stand before You.” What he was seeking was God’s mercy and grace.
Let us all put our hope not in ourselves, but in Jesus, the only Savior. Let us entrust ourselves fully to Him, so that we may be clothed in God’s righteousness and live as His children on this earth. I pray in Jesus’ name.
[Application] Is there anything in your Christian life where you are building your own righteousness like the Pharisee? Are there areas where it is difficult to completely entrust yourself to Jesus?
3. Confessing and Believing to Be Saved
One cannot attain salvation through their own righteousness; it is only through the righteousness of God given to those who believe in Jesus Christ. So, what is the specific way to receive salvation?
[Romans 10:8] But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim.
How does one receive salvation? It is through the message of faith. And what is a characteristic of this message? It is proclaimed by us. That is, salvation comes through the gospel shared by believers, including the apostles and disciples of Jesus.
What is our mission? To proclaim the gospel—the word of faith.
Then, what must those who receive this message do to be saved?
[Romans 10:9-10] If you declare 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 profess your faith and are saved.
How does one receive salvation? (Repeat) "By believing and confessing." This is the principle of the gospel and salvation: when one hears the gospel proclaimed by a believer, they believe and confess to receive salvation.
Two actions are mentioned here: believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth. These two actions are inseparable. They go hand in hand.
What do we believe in our hearts? We believe in the content of the gospel: that Jesus, who died and rose again for our sake, is our Savior, our God, and the Lord of our lives. When we believe this, God’s righteousness is given to us. This is called justification. What is the result of justification? Salvation. When we confess with our mouths, the salvation resulting from justification is manifested in our lives.
Sometimes, people say, “I believe in Jesus in my heart, but it’s hard to confess Him with my mouth.” This indicates that they do not truly understand who Jesus is.
If one truly believes that Jesus is God, who enters their life, leads them according to His will, and protects them, how would they respond? They would become bold and fearless.
In the early church, those who believed in Jesus often went to the river to be baptized. Many people, including unbelievers, would watch this public confession. There, they declared with their mouths, “I believe in Jesus. Jesus is my Lord.” This was equivalent to publicly proclaiming, “I am now a Christian, even if the world persecutes me.” This confession marked them as followers of Christ and subjected them to ridicule, persecution, and even martyrdom. They confessed Jesus because they believed He is the Creator, the sovereign Lord of history, and the Judge who will return to judge the world.
[Matthew 10:32-33] Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Do you believe in Jesus? Do you confess Him before others, or do you deny Him?
[Romans 10:13] For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Notice the word everyone. Verse 12 explains there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. Regardless of race, nationality, gender, or age, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Here, "calling on" means believing and confessing.
Thus, God’s way of saving mankind is for people to reach out to Jesus, who came to earth, died on the cross, and rose again. They must believe in their hearts that He is their Savior, God, and Lord, and confess it with their mouths.
The only way we can be saved is by receiving the righteousness of God—granted to those who believe in Jesus, who fulfilled the requirements of the law. When we confess this faith with our mouths, the result of justification—salvation—is applied to our lives.
(Repeat) “Whoever hears the gospel / believes in Jesus and confesses Him / will be saved. / Whoever / calls on the name of the Lord / will be saved.”
[Application] Am I fulfilling the mission of proclaiming the gospel? Have there been times when I failed to confess Jesus before others or remained silent? Why did that happen?
하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.
Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.