A rescue worker assists a man through deep floodwaters with a helicopter and boat nearby.
Bible, Cross, Righteous, Righteousness, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

THE RESULTS

ROMANS 10:10

“for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to know the long term results of every decision you made? If you marry this person, will you have children and grandchildren? If you take this job, will you stay with it for ten or twenty or even thirty years? If you… But there are no guarantees in life, are there? But wait, we see one today in verse 10 of Romans 10.

Paul continues his thought which he began back in verse 8. This time he goes past the conditions for salvation and tells us the results of being obedient in those conditions. We shall receive righteousness and salvation. Those are eternal things. They don’t wear out. And they aren’t given out to just anyone. A person has to confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in his heart that God raised Him from the dead. Then WHAMO! The Bible says you are saved by doing that very thing.

APPLICATION

So, what is righteousness? We throw that word around a lot, but do you understand what that is? The Greek word used here is dikaiosuné. HELPS Word-studies says it is “God’s judicial approval.” We didn’t do anything to get His approval (except the confession and believing part). His approval was bestowed on us because of our belief in His Son. Don’t you just love 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”? Boy, I love that!

Then Paul says we receive salvation. What is that word? It’s the Greek word sótéria which carries with it the idea of a rescue, to deliver. I picture in my head the scene where rescue workers are retrieving someone who is injured from the bottom of a cliff or a rescue swimmer dropping into dangerous waters to bring someone to safety. I recall the Camp Mystic tragedy last year which claimed the lives of 23 young girls and staff due to a massive flood. One Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Scott Ruskin, rescued 165 people from that flood. The sad thing is that was just a physical salvation. These individuals who were rescued still need a spiritual salvation (I am sure many of those were believers).

So, what do we do with this righteous and salvation? We proclaim it. We live it. We share it. We tell as many people as we can about this righteousness sharing, rescuing God of ours. It is still their decision. You can’t drag them in. They have to confess and believe on their own. But you can lead them to the point of salvation. Let’s all do our part to bring as many as we can to the throne before He returns.

Father God, thank You for Your righteousness which You bestow on me and thank You for rescuing me from the pit of hell.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Jesus rising from an open stone tomb while Roman soldiers lie on the ground.
Bible, Death, Life, Resurrection, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

THE CONDITIONS FOR SALVATION

ROMANS 10:9

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

Most all important decisions we make in our lives are marked with conditions. Some are placed upon us by others while some come from us. For instance, accepting a new job can have both. The employer has conditions for hiring you, expectations from you once you are onboard. You have conditions such as salary and benefits to provide for your family. Conditions are important, as long as they are good conditions and achievable.

In today’s verse (and tomorrow’s verse) we have the blueprint for salvation. These two verses are part of what has been called the Roman Road (3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:9-10, 13) which lays out the path for salvation. In today’s verse Paul shows us clearly what the conditions are for salvation – confession and belief. Let’s spend some time looking at these two conditions.

APPLICATION

You know I have to throw out a little Albert Barnes here. Regarding the verb “confess” he say, “confession or profession expresses our ‘agreement or concord with what God holds to be true, and what he declares to be true.’” We confess or profess that Jesus is truly Lord. We agree with God that this is true. We acknowledge with our tongue that Jesus is Lord and gave His life for our sins. That’s not hard, is it? Then why are so many people unwilling to confess that? The forces of darkness do not want us to confess that. That’s why!

Then Paul gives us the second condition for salvation. You must believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. What?! You mean just saying you believe is not enough? Nope! You have to truly believe. There are a lot of “Christians” in name only. They say they believe, but their actions speak differently. Going back to Barnes, he says this belief means you “shalt sincerely and truly believe this, so that the external profession shall correspond with the real, internal feelings.” 

As we approach Easter Sunday, this belief in His resurrection is before us more so than most weeks. Why is this belief so important? Matthew Poole says, “This article of the resurrection of Christ presupposeth all the rest, and fasteneth together, as by a link, all the antecedents and consequents of it; his ascension, session at the right hand of God, and intercession, which followed after.” So, believe in your heart and confess with your lips. Then what happens? Paul says, “you will be saved;” Amen! Praise the Lord!

I am so very thankful for the assurance of my salvation based on the fact that I believe in His resurrection and have confessed Him as Lord.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Man preaching to a group; banner reads: THE WORD OF GOD ENDURES FOREVER.
Bible, Heart, Near, Romans, Scripture, Words

THE WORD OF FAITH

ROMANS 10:8

“But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,”

We say a lot of things, don’t we? Some of our words are important and should cause others to sit up and notice. Other words are just a buzzing sound in the ears of others. They don’t carry much weight. Even preachers can be guilty of being too wordy in their sermons. What is it we are supposed to be talking about? I believe it is pretty clear in today’s verse.

Paul continues to pull from Deuteronomy 30, this time from verse 14 which says, “On the contrary, the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may follow it.” God promised the Jewish nation that He would be near them as long as they listened to “the word.” He said it was very near them. It was in their mouth (speaking) and in their heart (believing). He wanted them to follow Him, not out of coercion, but because they truly believed and wanted to obey. The same is true for us.

APPLICATION

Matthew Poole’s Commentary says, “by the word of faith, he means the gospel, and the doctrine of it: and the gospel is so called, either effectively, because it works faith; or objectively, because it is a received faith, and is the proper object of it.” We have to believe the Gospel is true before we can speak it effectively. Sometimes the best way to speak the word of faith is by letting your life show it. Let others see the change in your heart.

In 1 Timothy 4:6 Paul give Timothy an admonition regarding this word of faith. “In pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have been following.” I love that. The word of faith nourishes us. But think about that for a second. In order to receive nourishment, you must be ingesting something. We have to be feasting on God’s Word to be nourished by it.

The ministry in which I serve, Every Man A Warrior, teaches men the importance of memorizing Scripture. But it is not just that. It’s spending time ingesting the Word. Daily Quiet Times are critical in order to stay nourished. When was the last time you spent an hour in the Word? Don’t let another day go by. Remember, it is near you.

I am so thankful, Lord, that Your Word is so close to me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Moss-covered stone sarcophagus in a misty landscape with ancient towers and golden sunbeams.
Uncategorized

THE ABYSS

ROMANS 10:7

“or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

This is a misunderstood passage which, if read without further study, would suggest Christ descended into hell at His death before He was resurrected. Nothing is further from the truth. Paul is continuing the use of the Deuteronomy 30:11-14 passage but takes some liberties in its application in this letter. Paul is trying to show the overall meaning of the passage – that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

The word Paul uses for “abyss” is abussos. The Topical Lexicon explains the word this way. “employs the abyss rhetorically: “Who will descend into the Abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30 to stress the nearness of the gospel. By equating the abyss with the realm of death, he proclaims that Christ’s resurrection has already conquered that depth, making human attempts to secure salvation unnecessary and impossible.”

APPLICATION

That is the point of Paul’s words here. Christ has already conquered death (the abyss) so there is no need for us to try to raise Him from the dead. What a perfect passage for this week as we are in Holy Week. In fact, tomorrow would have been the day when Christ was crucified. He lay in a tomb for three days and then burst forth on Sunday morning. We can argue until we are blue in the face about where Christ was those three days. None of us know exactly. He was in the place of the dead which was commonly called “the abyss.” We do know, however, that He defeated death and returned to earth.

Listen, Christ died once and was raised once for our sins and our promise of eternal life. There is no reason for us to go back and back and back asking God to save us. Once we ask Jesus to be our Savior and Lord, nothing can separate us. We read earlier in this letter to the Romans in 8:38-39, “38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When you are at your lowest, Christ has gone even lower for you. There is no depth at which He cannot reach you. There is no depth at which you cannot reach Him. This Easter, as you celebrate Christ’s resurrection, remember how low He went for you. He conquered death for us all. Hallelujah!

I thank You, Lord, for what You did for me and continue to do for me each and every day.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Heaven, Reaching, Righteousness, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

UNREACHABLE?

ROMANS 10:6

“But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: ‘DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, “WHO WILL GO UP INTO HEAVEN?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down),”

Wow, what a verse. When I first read this, I was thinking, Paul, what in the world are you saying? That’s why it is always good to look at context and background of verses. Otherwise, you may establish a belief that is contrary to Scripture. Let’s dig into this verse and see the meaning behind it. I know you won’t be surprised in the end.

Paul quotes part of a passage from Deuteronomy 30:11-14. This verse comes at the end of Moses’ leadership of the Israelites. He is giving them some last words before he leaves them. Paul applies these verses to our Christians faith, even though he knows full well Moses’ intentions for these words. I believe it is important for you to see the full passage, so here it is.

“11 ‘For this commandment which I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it far away. 12 It is not in heaven, that you could say, “Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us, and proclaim it to us, so that we may follow it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you could say, “Who will cross the sea for us and get it for us and proclaim it to us, so that we may follow it?” 14 On the contrary, the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may follow it.’”

APPLICATION

Moses was basically saying God was not out of their reach. Many thought God was way out there and beyond their reach. This thought was portrayed in Job, when Zophar the Naamathite responded to Job in Job 11:7 “‘Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?’” He was rebuking Job’s last remarks in chapter 10. This was the prevalent thought among the Jews. God was not easily accessible.

I love how Paul applies this to our Christian faith. The last words of the verse which are in parenthesis needs a little explanation. When Paul writes, “(that is, to bring Christ down),” he is saying we didn’t need to go up to heaven and bring the Messiah down. He came willingly. God came to us. Emmanuel, God with us. It wasn’t our efforts that brought the Savior. God willingly gave us His Son.

As we approach Easter this week, I pray you will take some extra time to reflect on what Christ did for you. He allowed Himself to be scourged and crucified. He allowed His body to be buried in a borrowed tomb. But…then He burst through on Resurrection day. Don’t approach next Sunday lightly. We could not have manufactured our salvation. God produced His Son to pay the price for us. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Thank You, God, that You are always within reach. I do not have to stretch too far because You are always near.

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Bible, Law, Perfection, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

PERFECT OBEDIENCE

ROMANS 10:5

“For Moses writes of the righteousness that is based on the Law, that the person who performs them will live by them.”

Have you ever known a perfectionist? I have known a few, and they were all miserable people. Why? Because no one is perfect. As hard as you try, you are going to make mistakes. I was always taught by my dad to do a job right the first time. He set high standards for his children. But he never demanded perfection. If we did our best, he was proud of us. However, he didn’t tolerate slacking off on a job. Whether that was house chores, yard work, school or in our part time jobs, he wanted us to do our very best.

Paul is referencing a passage from Leviticus 18:5 in today’s verse. “‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them; I am the LORD.’” God demanded obedience to the law. Only by keeping each and every one of His commands was the Jew able to achieve righteousness. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, they could never achieve this. Paul knew that. He had tried. Only when he found Christ (or should I say, Christ found him on that Damascus Road) was he able to achieve righteousness. Not from anything he did, but only through Christ’s righteousness.

APPLICATION

I love what Benson says in his commentary about this verse. “As if the apostle had said, Moses, by showing that the law requires exact and perfect obedience for righteousness, (an obedience impossible to be performed by us in our fallen state,) may thereby convince us that righteousness is not to be attained by our own works, but only by faith in Christ.” That pretty much sums it up.  

There are a couple of words in today’s verse that deserve to be pointed out. The first is “performs” which is the common Greek verb poieó, which means to do or make. Here it is used as a participle. Perhaps it could be translated “having done these things” which ties it to the second word “lives.” In other words, having kept all the requirements of the law and thereby achieving righteousness by the law, the Jew could live by them. Sounds easy? Not so much.

Aren’t you glad we don’t have to achieve anything to receive the righteousness of Christ. Sure, we need to strive to follow all of God’s commands from Genesis to Revelation. But God knows we will never be able to achieve perfect obedience this side of heaven. Yet He loves us still. God is a perfect God of an imperfect mankind. Any perfection we achieve in following His commands is only because of His perfect Son in our lives. Amen?

Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect Son, Jesus, Who lives in and through me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Completeness, Fulfill, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

THE END OF THE LAW

ROMANS 10:4

“For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Coming to the end of something can be either rewarding or sad. Take for instance, finishing your college degree is a very rewarding accomplishment. Getting that diploma with all the pomp and circumstance that goes with it can be a milestone in your life. In contrast, coming to the end of a relationship can be depressing and hollow. But life is full of endings, isn’t it?

Today’s verse has been the topic of much disagreement in the scholarly world. Some say this verse meant that Jesus ended the ceremonial law while others say it refers to the moral law. But I tend to agree with Barnes here that “by faith in Christ the same end is accomplished in regard to our justification, that would be by perfect obedience to the moral law.” The Jews were trying to reach this perfect ending by perfectly obeying the law, which we know is not possible. It was like the goalpost kept getting moved. It was like they would take two steps forward and one step back (or vice versa). Paul states here that Jesus was the fulfillment of the law that they were all searching for. His righteousness was the answer.

APPLICATION

How can we apply this truth to our lives? Well, let me ask you a question. What are you trying to do to gain righteousness? Well Carl, I go to church every Sunday. I give ten percent to the church. I rescue little kittens off the street. Okay, that last one was pushing it, lol. But you get the picture. We try to accomplish something that has already been accomplished. We don’t need to do a thing to gain this righteousness. We simply accept it as a gift from the Father once we place our trust in His Son.

The Greek word for “end” is telos. It is used extensively throughout the New Testament and is defined as end, completion, and even purpose. This last definition fits well in today’s verse. Christ was the full purpose of the law. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Christ wasn’t God’s plan B in case His plan A failed (the Mosaic Law). No! God planned from the beginning to supply the perfect purpose, His Son Jesus. He was the only remedy for fallen man.

When you come to the end of yourself, you find you need a purpose. I have a friend who has a son who is trying to find his purpose in life. He currently has no motivation to do much of anything. I told my friend that his son needs purpose. Every man needs a purpose. God has given us that. Jesus is the ultimate purpose, the ultimate end result. He is the only provider of righteousness. Trust Him with that and tell others how they can find their end in Him.

Lord God, thank You for giving us the telos in Christ. He fulfills us all.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Disobedience, Obedience, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture, Subjection, Submission

SUBJECT YOURSELF

ROMANS 10:3

“For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”

Obedience is so simple yet so hard. Do you agree? I mean, how hard is it to drive the speed limit? Not hard at all, but how many of us actually obey the speed limit signs? There have been times (I’ll admit not a lot, lol) when I drove the speed limit. What happened? I almost got blown off the road by all the other motorists. I got honked at for “going too slow” even though I was driving the posted speed. So, what did I do? I sped up, thereby breaking the law. I wasn’t being obedient.

Paul points out in today’s verse that the Jews just did not want to “subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” The Greek word used there for “subject” is hupotassó “from hypó, ‘under’ and tássō, ‘arrange’) – properly, ‘under God’s arrangement,’ i.e. submitting to the Lord (His plan). (HELPS Word-studies) It’s a fairly commonly used word in the New Testament (used 48 times). It basically boils down to being obedient.

APPLICATION

I love how Paul uses the word in 1 Corinthians 15:27-28, where he uses it six times. “27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” 

Jesus, Who is part of the Trinity, willingly subjected Himself to the Father. Wow! If Jesus, Who was and is God, could subject Himself, why can’t we? We’re even told to “subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21) In 1 Peter 5:5 we read, “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders;” I could go on and list numerous other verses using hupotassó, but I think you can see the importance of obedience and subjection in Scripture.

Is there something in your life which the Lord is asking you to submit to Him? It could be your career choice. How about that man or woman you are dating? It could be your children. That’s a hard one. Whatever it is, just obey the Lord. Subject yourself to His Will. Let Him show you what He would have you do. Joy never precedes obedience. Mark that down. But once you choose to obey, joy will follow. Choose obedience today.

Father, I will obey You because You love me and promise such joy in my obedience.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Knowledge, Romans, Scripture, Truth

TRUE KNOWLEDGE

ROMANS 10:2

“For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.”

Some things are just not understandable or relatable apart from first-hand experience. Take for example, I cannot explain to you fully the stench and odor of a pig pen. My Uncle Hugh Lee was a farmer and always had a few hundred pigs that he raised for the market and for butchering himself. One particular pen of pigs contained this great fishing pond, but you had to go through that pen to get to the pond. Try dodging pigs, pig mess and mud puddles created by pigs while carrying fishing poles and tackle. And doing that on a hot summer day in South Georgia only raised the stink level.

Now, why in the world would I bring that up? Well, I had to experience that myself to fully understand it. Paul’s verse today says the same thing about the Jews. Listen, they had head knowledge about God. They even had “zeal for God,” but they did not have that experiential knowledge of God through Jesus. To them God was like my father used to describe God – the old man upstairs. It wasn’t until my dad got saved at 80 years of age that he gained that knowledge of Jesus which framed his world his last four years.

APPLICATION

The word Paul uses here for “knowledge” is epignōsis. It “denotes an experiential, relational, and transforming knowledge. It is more than data acquisition; it embraces recognition, acknowledgment, and personal appropriation of truth revealed by God. In the New Testament it is always anchored in divine initiative and always bears moral and spiritual consequences.” (Topical Lexicon)

I love how Peter uses this word right after he goes through that long list of things you should apply to your life (2 Peter 1:5-7). In verse 8 he writes, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The TRUE knowledge! That’s epignōsis. You can only gain true knowledge of Christ by getting to know Him personally and intimately. That was something the Jews were against.

In 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Timothy 2:25; 3:7 and Titus 1:1, Paul uses the phrase “the knowledge of the truth.” This is something we seek and will find. Matthew 7:7 promises that. Seek Him first! He wants to disclose such hidden truths to you, truths which the world cannot understand, and you cannot explain. Just like the stench of a pig pen cannot be put into words until it experienced firsthand, neither can the true knowledge of God until you yield to Him. Keep yielding.

Father God, You promise to disclose more and more to us through Your Word and Your Spirit as we give ourselves completely to You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Israel, Pharisees, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

A SIMPLE PRAYER

ROMANS 10:1

“Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.”

Do you have people for whom you are praying for their salvation? I have several, many of them in my family. I would not name them because I love them. But I pray for them to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, to discover the freedom they can have by coming to their Savior. Truly, I cannot think of a person that I wish would not be saved. God’s Word is plain. It says whosoever will.

Paul has been discussing thus far in Romans the problem the Jews had in receiving Jesus as their Messiah, their Lord. He can relate to them, being a Jew himself. He has tried in his missionary journeys to reach the Jews, even though God’s calling on his life was to the Gentiles. He says it is “my heart’s desire.” He longs for their salvation. The Greek word used there is eudokia which means Paul’s earnest and sincere wish.

APPLICATION

But then he goes a step further and says, “my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” Paul didn’t just wish this. He sought God on their behalf. Probably, in his daily prayers he asked for his nation to come to Jesus. He probably called out names of Pharisees with whom he served. Perhaps he named certain Jewish towns or settlements. All we know for sure is he prayed to God for their salvation.

I have to be honest. There are certain people I pray for daily to come to Christ. Others I lift up on a weekly or monthly basis. I do that my calling out their names. I try not to throw out some blanket prayer about salvation for the world, even though that is fine. I want to put their name on the end of my tongue and deliver it up to God. I am thinking of one specific person right now (I just paused to pray for their salvation). You can do the same.

Make a list of people you want to see come to Jesus. And then make it a habit to lift them by name to Him. Ask for God to send His Holy Spirit to convict them and draw them to Himself. Ask God to reveal Himself to them in some specific way. Ask God to use you to speak truth to them and love them to Jesus. This is not rocket science. It’s pretty simple, but it’s hard to be committed to it. Make this part of your daily Quiet Time. I can’t wait to hear from you what happens.

Father, I lift up those for whom I have been praying for their salvation. May today be their day of salvation.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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