All Who Call Upon the Lord Will Be Saved

Transcript

GR 1454
12/12/10
“All Who Call upon the Lord Will Be Saved”
Romans 10:9-13
Gil Rugh

We're in Romans 10. The basic issues revolving around Jesus Christ, His coming to earth, the salvation He has provided. That's what Paul is dealing with in the book of Romans. The book of Romans is all about the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, what does it really mean. What did He accomplish with His death? How did He provide righteousness for sinful human beings? How is that applied to us personally? Then the issue that we are dealing with in Romans 9-11, what about Israel. Throughout the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis 12 with the call of Abraham, the establishing of the Abrahamic Covenant, on through the gospels, the focus of God's work in the world was in Israel. His work of salvation focused in the nation Israel. But now as Paul writes a letter to the church at Rome, obviously there have been changes. More Gentiles are being saved than Jews. What is wrong? What has happened?

He started out in chapter 9 by showing that Israel enjoyed their position before God by the sovereign choice of God. He had sovereignly chosen the nation Israel for Himself. We noted that is true and in application more broadly speaking, for all of us. How do we come to know the living God? Why are we privileged to know His salvation? It's because of His sovereign grace bestowed upon us in connection with His sovereign choice. So Israel enjoyed their position of favor before God because of His gracious choice of them.

Then he moves, and he starts his transition at the end of chapter 9, beginning with verse 30 and it runs then on through chapter 10. What has happened to Israel? Why are the Gentiles coming in larger numbers to salvation and the Jews are failing to gain that salvation, to enter into that salvation? And he explained it in Romans 9:30 by saying, the Gentiles who weren't pursuing righteousness attained righteousness, the righteousness that is acquired by faith. Israel insisted on pursuing righteousness by their own works, trying to keep the Law, the Ten Commandments and so on. And they didn't acquire righteousness.

Then he told us they stumbled over the stumbling block. Jesus Christ became a stumbling block to them. Rather than an object of faith and the provision of salvation, they stumbled. They were determined they would be saved by their works, their efforts. When God's plan, and he has the quotes from the Old Testament as you see in verse 33, he who believes in Him will not be disappointed. God's plan of salvation is, and always has been by grace through faith.

So chapter 10 opened up by Paul expressing his burning passion, his grief over Israel's lost condition. They have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. There are few people as zealous for God as the Jews, but it was a zeal of ignorance. They suffered greatly for their zeal for God, but it was a zeal of ignorance and it did not bring them salvation. Verse 3 summarized it well, for not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. There is Israel's problem. They did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. Rather, they were seeking to establish their own righteousness. They need God's righteousness. And that's true of people all over the world today. It's true of Israel as Paul is writing here, but it's true of religious people everywhere. They are earnestly, often, zealously trying to pursue righteousness, their own righteousness. And they will not subject themselves to God and the provision of righteousness He has made in Christ.

Verse 6, the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows. 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. And you'll note with this, as we have noted in our previous study, he is quoting the Old Testament to show to the Jew that this is what God has set forth as His plan, and has always been the case. What does the scripture say, verse 8. And he quotes from Deuteronomy 30, the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith which we are preaching. So the point here is that you don't have to go on a search someplace to find God's salvation. You don't have to think, if only we could get to heaven and find out what God wanted. Christ has come from heaven. You don't have to go to the depths of the sea or the abyss and bring Christ back from the dead. The word is near you, it is in your mouth and in your heart, even as Deuteronomy has said. God's word is the way of salvation, He has made it known. The problem is not that people have not known, it's not available to them, it is so hard to find. The problem is, as for Israel, the end of verse 3, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. Israel's problem is not that it is so hard to know how to get saved, it's not if only the Messiah would come. He has come, He has accomplished the work, He has risen from the dead, ascended to heaven. Everything you need to know for salvation is known. The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, the word of faith which we are preaching. This message about Jesus Christ is the message of salvation.

So verse 9 begins with that little word “that” or because. It gives you the content and the reason for what Paul has been talking about. And verses 9-13 unfold the fact that the word is near you, in your heart and in your mouth, as he said in verse 8. That word of faith, He is very near you, it's the word that is being preached to you. This is what it is all about, this is salvation. This is Israel's problem. Paul says, the problem is not that it is not available, the problem is your refusal to subject yourself to the salvation that God has provided. 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. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Two things are said here, you confess with your mouth and you believe in your heart. He has picked this up from Deuteronomy 30:14, as we noted in verse 8. The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. So he picks up with verse 9, if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. Following the same order that is set down in Deuteronomy 30. These are not two separate actions, as though there are two things necessary separate and distinct. You must confess with your mouth and you must believe in your heart. They are part and parcel of the same action. You are confessing with your mouth what has taken place in your heart. When you believe in your heart you will confess with your mouth. Confess with your mouth, it is acknowledging, agreeing with God, testifying to the fact that you have believed in your heart. It is a declaration of my faith in Christ.

It is never God's intention that there be any secret followers of Jesus Christ, as is evidenced with baptism. What happens? The disciples were instructed, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them. Baptism is a public declaration that you have committed yourself in your heart to Jesus Christ, to follow Him, to serve Him, your faith is in Him. When we testify with our mouth we are expressing what is in our heart.

Come back to Luke 12. Jesus is speaking and He says, verse 8, I say to you everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. You see that testimony that I have trusted in Jesus Christ, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. If you deny Him you will be denied in the presence of the angels. We come to that last final judgment and there will be the declaration, depart from Me, cursed ones. I never knew you. That confession, acknowledging that you belong to Jesus Christ and are a follower of His.

Turn over to I Timothy 6. Paul is instructing Timothy and note what he says in verse 12. Fight the good fight of faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. Note, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. So Timothy had placed his faith in Christ and testified to that fact before many witnesses.

Turn over to I John 4. Look at verse 14, we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. So you see that. You belong to God, you have a relationship with Him, you dwell in Him and He dwells in you. When you confess, acknowledge, make known that indeed I have believed in His Son. He is the Savior of the world, He is my Savior. That is an evidence and manifestation that you have a relationship with God.

When you come back to Romans 10, verse 9, if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord. Jesus as Lord, this word is often used in the Old Testament. When they translated the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek a couple hundred years before our New Testament times, they used this word Lord, kyrios, for the Hebrew word for God, YHWH, which we sometimes translate Jehovah. The kyrios, the Lord. So it often carries the significance of His deity. And that would be true here, we confess Him as Lord, as God. More than 6,000 times in the Old Testament you have kyrios used in that way of God. So naturally these Jews with the background in the Old Testament, you think of Jesus as Lord, God. But why this word kyrios? Lord? Because it carries the idea of the master, the sovereign. It would be a word used of a master/slave relationship. They would use the same word, he is the kyrios because he is the master, he is the one who has sovereignty, authority. Why is God called kyrios? Because He has absolute sovereignty, total authority. He is the master of all, all is subject to Him and His ultimate authority.

So when you talk about Jesus Christ and confessing Him as Lord, you are acknowledging Him as God, the One who has all authority. A Greek dictionary that is ten volumes, so it is an authoritative dictionary of the Greek language says this about the word Lord. In all religions the concept of God must contain the element of legitimate power, the power to which man must concede authority and before whose sovereignty he knows he must bow. That's why this particular word is used of God. By very definition God is the One who has all authority, the One before whom all must bow. Remember Philippians 2, God has given Jesus the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We bow in the presence of the One who is the Lord, the sovereign, the master. So the acknowledgment, with your tongue you are confessing, knowing Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord, the One before whom I bow.

Back up to Romans 6. We've talked about this, this become the issue in salvation. Coming to receive the righteousness of Christ through faith in Him and His finished work is a humbling process. You can't come with your pride and arrogance. You must bow before Him. In Romans 6:17, but thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed and having been freed from sin you became slaves of righteousness. You see that picture of becoming obedient in verse 17, from the heart to the word of God. You were removed from the realm of slavery to sin to slavery to righteousness. Verse 22, but now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God. So part and parcel of our salvation is when we come to bow before our Lord and Christ, place our faith in Him. We are submitting ourselves to Him and His salvation.

Look in Romans 8:7, the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God. This is the mind of the unbeliever. It does not subject itself to the law of God, it is not able. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God, those who have not experienced His salvation, now dwell in the realm of the Holy Spirit. You see they do not subject themselves to God and His authority and His word. We saw this in Romans 10:3, what is Israel's problem? Not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. So at salvation, that is a point of subjecting ourselves to God and His righteousness. So naturally you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord. I am subjecting myself to Him, the righteousness He has provided.

In Romans 16, we'll come to this again, verse 18, talking about unbelieving teachers. Such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites. You see the contrast. They are slaves, but not of Jesus Christ, not of our Lord Christ, our master Christ. They are slaves of their own appetites. No one comes to place his faith in Christ and receive righteousness from Him who does not submit to Him. God is not bartering His authority. Oh you want Me as Savior but you do not want Me to have authority in your life? Okay, let Me save you from your sin and then you can continue to function as god in your life. I mean, what kind of nonsense would that be. Promoted by many evangelicals today. No, it's a humbling thing. You can't come with your pride, you can't come as your own person. You come and bow before Him and you acknowledge then that He is the Lord and sovereign.

We won't turn there for time, but Hebrews 5:9 says, He became to all those who obey Him, the source of eternal salvation. Well I thought we weren't saved by our works. We are not, but what is obedience? We bow in faith before Him and God says that salvation is only by grace through faith. We bow in obedience to what He has said and submit ourselves to the righteousness He has provided to those who believe in Him.

So the absolute, sovereign authority of Christ and recognizing who He is. That's His person, you must believe in the person of Christ and the work of Christ. To His person, He is the Lord; as to His work, His death and resurrection provided what is necessary for our redemption.

That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. You believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Salvation occurs when a person believes in their heart. The mouth is expressing what the heart has believed. You'll note, you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Why didn't he say that if you believe in your heart that Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin? Because that is encompassed in the fact of His resurrection.

Back up to Romans 4, talking about God crediting His righteousness to the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. And he has used Abraham as an example, then he says in verse 24, this was written for our sake also to whom it will be credited, righteousness will be credited, as those who believe in Him, who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He who was delivered over because of our transgressions and raised because of our justification. Remember justification is a form of righteousness, a word for righteousness. So the resurrection is the demonstration that Christ by His work on the cross has provided righteousness and all who believe in Him are the recipients. So when he says you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you are saying you believe in the work of Christ and His death on the cross paid the penalty for my sin. Because the resurrection is the assurance of that. That's why Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15, if Christ was not raised from the dead, then our faith is worthless. We are still lost in our sins. Because the resurrection is God's stamp of approval, if you will, God's demonstration that righteousness was provided in the death of Christ on the cross.

Come back to Romans 10. Paul is going to explain this further in verse 10. For with the heart a man believes, resulting in righteousness; with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Now again it sounds like maybe he is saying two different things, but that is not so. If we've come through Romans up to this point, we know it is not. All of chapter 4 was about salvation by faith alone. What is he saying? With the heart a person believes, that results in righteousness. With the mouth he confesses, acknowledges, resulting in salvation. Righteousness and salvation are not two different things. Righteousness and salvation are two different words expressing the same thing. In other words what do I need for salvation to occur in my life? I need the righteousness of God. What does a sinner need, have to have to be acceptable before God? He has to be justified by God. What does that mean? Be declared righteous by God. That's salvation. Salvation is to be forgiven your sins, credited with the righteousness of Christ, declared innocent now, now guilty because the penalty has been paid.

With the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness; with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 9:30, what shall we say then? The Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness attained righteousness, the righteousness which is by faith. That's what we have to have. Romans 10:3, not knowing about God's righteousness, seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. So we have to have righteousness, that's what God's salvation is, that now a sinner can be declared righteous by Him. So the mouth confessing is joined with what has taken place in the heart.

Now make no mistake, a person can say something with his mouth which is a lie. Come back to Matthew 7:17, every good tree bears good fruit, the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. A person's life and lifestyle and conduct and behavior cannot save him, but a person who is saved will have a conduct and behavior that manifests the reality of that salvation by the way he lives. Then He says in verse 21, not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. So be careful when he says confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord. But there will be people who call Jesus their Lord but are going to spend eternity in hell. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. You see the reality of that lordship. To call Him Lord but not live in submission and obedience to Him is a lie. Many will say to Me on that day, the judgment day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles? I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness. You will have a lot of religious activity going on, but it's a life that is truly manifesting the work of the Spirit of God in a life and the genuineness of it.

So we don't want to be confused. Everybody who walks around and says, I believe Jesus is Lord, that doesn't mean they are saved. So we are putting the two together—the belief in the heart and the confession with the mouth and the reality of that. Because if I just believe in my heart, how does anyone know? Confession of my mouth reveals what is in my heart and the conduct of my life is an evidence of that.

Turn over to Matthew 12. We talked about lordship a moment ago, in Matthew 12:8, the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. There Jesus Christ declaring Himself sovereign over the Sabbath that was found in the Mosaic Law. And He wasn't subject to that, He was lord of that. All authority is His. But we've come here for verse 33. Either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. So you look at an apple tree and you get apples. And you say there are apples on that, it's an apple tree and so on. So those who belong to God should be manifesting the fruit of the Spirit of God in their life. I mean, that's natural, that's to be expected. You brood of vipers, how can you being evil speak what is good? You'll note the mouth here. For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. That's what we're talking about, when you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. Your mouth is speaking out of that which fills your heart, you have a heart that has come to faith in Christ, you've bowed in your spirit before God, you've subjected yourself to the righteousness of God provided in Christ. Now your mouth is giving it out. This idea that this is just a matter between God and me. Well, salvation is a matter that takes place in a transition between an individual and God. But it's not a matter that is kept secret.

I've been reading a history of the Puritans. And this is a long term project because I just read it when I'm looking for a break. I've mentioned it before, I'll probably be mentioning it over the next ten years because it is a multi-volume work. But this week I was reading about some Puritans who came to be judged in England for their rebellion against some of the rules of the established church, and part of the punishment was to have their ears cut off. And the problem was one man had already had his ears cut off. So they determined that they would cut the stumps of his ears off. And then when it came to cut the stumps of the ears off, instead of cutting them off with a knife they sawed them off with a saw. We say, why is a person suffering like this? Because he couldn't stop confessing Jesus Christ, because he had a heart of faith in Christ. You would endure this, you would subject yourself to this? Because Jesus Christ is my Lord I must serve Him and the reality of that drives a person. There are many people walking around saying they believe Jesus is Lord and living their own life their own way. Did they ever consider their life is a lie, their testimony is a lie. Because when you belong to the living God and you really have a heart of faith in Him, then your mouth expresses that, and that permeates your life and your lifestyle.

Come back to Romans 10. Praise God we don't have a salvation that leaves us where we were. We were slaves of sin, now we are slaves of righteousness. We were slaves of the devil, now we are slaves of the living God, as Romans 6 developed. Romans 10:10, for with the heart a man believes, resulting in righteousness; with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Basically saying the same thing, joining the two together.

For the scripture says, whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. So what he is doing now, in verses 11-13, is explaining this. And you'll note he'll quote the Old Testament scripture in verse 11. You can see it the way it is put out in capitals. He'll quote the Old Testament scripture in verse 13, showing the Jews that this is what God has always said. And this is not new information to you. The word is near you, in your heart and in your mouth. You have heard it, you have listened to it, you may have memorized it. But you have not subjected yourself to it, you've not placed your faith in it.

For the scripture says, and he quotes from Isaiah 28:16, whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. There are no failures. I want you to note here two key words, whoever, and you could circle that; believes, you may already have that underlined. Those are the two key words. It's whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. That was quoted at the end of chapter 9, the last statement in chapter 9 of Romans. He who believes in Him will not be disappointed. Whoever believes in Him. You see what he is driving home here. What is the problem with the Jews? What God has done in Christ will be available to all, whoever, Jew or Gentile. Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. What is Israel's problems? Back to chapter 9 verse 30, contrast to the Gentiles. The Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness attained righteousness, the righteousness which is by faith. Israel pursuing a law of righteousness, righteousness by their works and efforts, did not arrive at that law because they did not pursue it by faith, but by works. They stumble over Christ, the coming of Christ, the death and resurrection of Christ, the culmination of all the sacrifices that were present under the Mosaic Law. You cannot be saved by your works, you are a failure. The Jews have determined, I thank you Lord that I am not a sinner like other men, the publican's prayer. But the reality is, you are.

So whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed, not put to shame because it failed. They made a fool of me. I believed them and it wasn't true. I put my trust in them and they lied to me. If you experience that, there is a shame, I'm embarrassed to say I believed them. It was a lie, it didn't work out. Nobody is going to get to the judgment day and stand before the throne of the living God as Jesus Christ judges all men. And say, I have my faith in you and am going to hell. No, there is no disappointment, no failures. Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.

For there, further explanation. For there is no distinction. You'll note in verses 11, 12 and 13, all begin with that preposition “for,” explaining this. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. You see that whoever. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek. He's not talking about to be a physical descendant of Abraham no longer has any significance. No, he's talking about salvation. What are we talking about here? How can Jews be saved? How can Gentiles be saved? Well there is no distinction between Jew and Greek when it comes to salvation. Why? The same Lord is Lord of all. The point here is there is only one God, there can only be one way of salvation.

Look back in Romans 3:21, the righteousness of God has been manifested. Verse 22, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So you see all the Jews as well as all the Gentiles are sinners. There is no distinction, all have sinned. And there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Righteousness is provided by faith in Christ. That's what Paul is developing in that section in Romans that we just referred to. That's what he is saying in Romans 10.

Back to Romans 3:9, what then? Are we better than they? No, not at all, for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. Same point. There is no difference. When you talk about being a sinner, Jews are sinners just like Gentiles because everyone has sinned and thus is under the condemnation of God. Look at the end of Romans 3, verse 28. We maintain that a man is justified by faith, apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes of Gentiles also, since indeed God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. Remember the point of that? There is only one God, there is only one way of salvation—faith in Jesus Christ. Period. You add anything to that, you are cursed to hell. That's what Paul says in Romans 1. If the Jews try to say it is necessary to believe in Christ plus be circumcised, they are anathema, cursed to hell. If you say it is necessary to believe in Jesus Christ plus be baptized, you are cursed to hell. Faith in Christ. There is only one God, there is only one way of salvation. Period. It is by faith.

Then he went into chapter 4 to demonstrate that. So if you look at Romans 3:30, there is one God, indeed God is one who will justify the circumcised, the Jew, and the uncircumcised, the Gentile, through faith. And you come back to Romans 10, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same Lord is Lord of all. That's saying the same thing. There is one Lord, one God. The same thing as he said in Romans 3:30, since God is one. There is the same Lord of all. There is no distinction. The one God, the one Lord has said, here is the way of salvation, and it is by faith. You cannot earn your way to heaven, you cannot work your way to heaven, you cannot .......... All you can do is believe.

Come back to Romans 1. This is the theme of the book, remember. Verse 16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, that is the message of Jesus Christ, the good news concerning Him. For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. There is no limit on its availability. To the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. And then we have the quote from the book of Habakkuk 2:4, the righteous man shall live by faith. You understand, the Jews are hung up, they are stuck in their works, they are stuck with the Law, the Commandments. You can't be saved by keeping the Law, you never could be. This is so clear, anybody who reads the Bible should understand it. We have people going to church today and they think, they go to church. Why? I want to get saved. I partake of the sacraments. Why? I .............. And they are working their way to heaven, they think. They miss the whole point. What is Jesus Christ doing, being born at Bethlehem, dying on the cross, being raised from the dead? Because no one will ever, anywhere in any little nook or corner of the world be saved by their works. It is always by faith. There is only one God, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile.

Come back to Romans 10. You know what he is saying here, what is the Jewish problem? The end of verse 3, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. That's the problem. Why aren't they saved? They won't subject themselves to the righteousness of God. Why are there Gentiles unsaved today? They won't subject themselves to the righteousness of God. That's it.

There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, verse 12, for the same Lord is Lord over all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him. You'll note how broad this is. Verse 11, whoever believes in Him; verse 13, whoever will call; verse 12, He is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all. It is for all, all, whoever, whoever. They exclude themselves by refusing to believe, refusing to subject themselves to Christ's righteousness. They are going about as trying to establish their own righteousness. The same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him. The riches of what God has done. I mean, there is an emphasis here of the wealth of God being liberally bestowed upon all who call on Him. You see the availability of it. Oh the tragedy of the lost. God says that He is abounding in riches. He's not squeezing out a drop of mercy and grace, just enough to let you squeeze into heave. No, He is abounding in riches for all who call on Him.

Come back to Romans 2. And for those, and he's talking about Jews in particular in chapter 2, the same for Gentiles who reject Him, but he has Jews in view in chapter 2. Verse 4, do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience? Not knowing the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of our stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds. What is he saying? The riches of His kindness, verse 4, tolerance and patience. God is a God of overflowing riches, mercy, kindness, tolerance, patience.

Look in Romans 9:23, and He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy. Riches of His glory bestowed upon vessels of mercy. Come over to Ephesians 1:7, in whom, in Christ we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us. You see scripture wants to emphasize the wonder of the overwhelming splendor and magnificence of the salvation God has provided. And He bestows it upon all who call on Him. It's the riches of His glory, the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In Ephesians 2:4, but God being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us. Jump down to verse 7, He saved us, raised us with Christ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. I mean, how do you express this? We can't grasp it. How tragic people spend their live pursuing and chasing after earthly wealth. God wants to bestow the lavish riches of His salvation upon any and all who will call upon Him, who will believe in His Son. And throughout they will endure for eternity, that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ. I mean, that's wealth. It's a way to start a conversation with the lost. You know, I have more wealth than any person on this earth has. Look at the richest men in the world today, do you know I am richer? The riches of God's salvation are mine, I have an inheritance with Christ in the heavenlies that moth or rust or inflation or deflation will touch it.

Go to Ephesians 3:8. Paul says, to me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles, note this, the unfathomable riches of Christ. The unfathomable riches of Christ, riches that cannot be measured. Down in verse 16, I'm praying that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory. I mean, it just goes on, the wealth we have in Christ, the riches that are ours. Any wonder that we are willing to leave all, to take up our cross and follow Christ? It cost us everything, but it costs us nothing. Because how can I measure the transitory things of this world with the eternal riches of God in Christ Jesus? They are mine. When I step from this world into glory I will enter into it all. And in all the ages of eternity they will be mine, because in the ages to come the eternal God will be manifesting the riches of His grace shown to me in Christ. Magnificence.

Come back to Romans 10. I spent so much time on the riches, we have to summarize this. Abounding in riches, the end of verse 12, for all who call on Him. Isn't it amazing? For all who call on Him, for all who call on Him. You see the point he is making? What is Israel's problem? They won't call on Him. It can't be that simple. They are lost, they are outside of Christ, they are apart from the riches of the provision of God and His eternal salvation. And it's all because they won't call on Him. That's right. Because these abounding riches are for all who call on Him, for whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. And that's from Joel 2. We saw that when Peter preached the first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the start of the church. For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How gracious is God, how stubborn is man. Could God do anymore? He had His Son come to this earth, suffer and die on the cross, pay in full the penalty for sin. And now He says any who will call upon Him. To call upon Him is to turn to Him and seek mercy from Him, to seek aid from Him, to seek from Him what only He can provide—righteousness. Call upon Him. God, be merciful to me, a hell-deserving sinner. You Son is my only hope, my only trust. Call upon Him. For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. What a gracious, open invitation.

We don't have time to look at the verses, but this becomes a title for believers in the New Testament, those who call upon the name of the Lord. Instead of asking someone, are you a Christian? Ask them, have you ever called on the name of the Lord? Are you one who has called upon the name of the Lord? Believers are referred to this again and again—Acts 9, Acts 22, I Corinthians 1, II Timothy 2. All refer to those who call upon the name of the Lord. We are those who have called on the name of the Lord. I'm a child of God. Why? I've called on the name of the Lord. And whoever will call on the name of the Lord .............. What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord? I sought what I needed from Him, called on Him to be merciful to me a sinner. I called for the salvation you have provided in your Son. Only you can provide righteousness for me. You've done that in your Son, my faith is in Him. That's how simple it is. Look what people are going through to try to work and earn, be religious people, be diligent in their religious observance, give money, give time, working their way to heaven. They haven't made one step of progress because it is a free gift and you can't earn it.

Have you called on the name of the Lord? That's the question. Why are people lost? Because they refuse to subject themselves to the righteousness of God, verse 3. They refuse to believe in the finished work of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and His payment for their sin on the cross. They refuse to call upon the name of the Lord, and there is only one God, there is only one Lord who is Lord of all. And He says He will save all who call upon Him, but He will save none who do not call upon Him. Why are people lost? The stubbornness of their own sinful hearts. They will not subject themselves to the living God, they will not call upon Him for salvation.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the wonder, the magnificence, the riches of your grace and mercy and kindness in Christ Jesus. Lord, you are so loving, so patient, that you have provided the riches of your salvation and offer them as a free gift to any and all who call upon you. I pray for any who are here today, Lord, who have not yet called upon you, not yet become a recipient of the riches of the glory of your salvation. May this be a day when they turn from their sin and place their faith in the Savior, in whose name we pray, amen.