Why Faith Alone Saves — Not Works : Romans 10 Explained

Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Okay, let's pick right up where we left off in our last program, and now we're going to go into Romans chapter 10. I don't think I'll even take time this time to even make any announcements, because sooner or later it's going to get out. We have our books and tapes available. But let's go right into Romans chapter 10, and remember I've put on the board these three chapters, and what they really deal with is Israel's past in chapter 9, Israel's present in chapter 10, and Israel's future in chapter 11. Now in chapter 10 we're dealing with Israel in this present dispensation, and as Paul made so plain back there in Romans chapter 3, that now since everything has been accomplished at the cross, and he is now going out into the Gentile world, that there is no difference. And I can't emphasize that enough. A Jew doesn't have to give up his Jewishness, I never claim that, but they have to separate themselves from all of the Old Testament economy, because this is the whole idea of this age of grace, that we have nothing to do with Law. That was all settled at the cross. I love that verse in Colossians where it says, "...and he took them, and he nailed them to his cross." So a Jew today is under no different a situation than a Gentile so far as God is concerned, and they have to understand that. Now since chapter 10 of Romans is dealing with the Jew in this present age, it stands to reason that everything in chapter 10 has an application for us. And that's why we use chapter 10 of Romans so often in our salvation verses, because it's no different for us than it is for the Jew. Salvation is now offered on that same level playing field. A Jew does not have an advantage over the Gentile, nor is he disadvantaged. We are both alike, all under sin, we are all in need of salvation, and so there is no difference. But I think Paul is trying to emphasize again in rebuttal of what I said in the last half hour, that so many of Christendom have the opinion that God is all through with the Jew. Because they were the Christ killers, because they rejected their Messiah, and God sent them in a dispersion and destroyed their temple, they think that God is through with the Jew. You may remember that I've made reference to some of the statements that even Martin Luther said. He was a detester of the Jews, I think from a religious point of view, because again he felt that they had killed the Messiah. But that is not according to Scripture. He may have come up with a lot of other good concepts, but he was sure and left field on that one. Now in chapter 10, verse 1, Paul writes, and remember he's writing to Gentiles, don't ever lose sight of that. The book of Romans is written to the Gentile believers at Rome, and so to the Gentile believer he writes, "...brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved." Do you remember what he said back in chapter 9? He would even give up his own salvation if he could see the nation of Israel saved. Now verse 2, Paul writes, "...for I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." Now of course he's talking about the Jew, but you know what? That's the problem with most of Christendom today. They may have a zeal, they may never miss a church service, they may be there every day the door is open, but they have no knowledge of the Scripture. They are totally ignorant. I think I've shared it on the program once before, years and years ago. The parties are now dead and gone, so I can safely rehearse it, otherwise I wouldn't. But I had this one couple come into one of my classes, very distinguished, and they were attentive, but on the way out she just kind of puffed up a little bit with a little bit of pride, and she said, "...well now Les, I just want you to know that I was a Sunday school teacher in the First Church of Oklahoma City for 30 some years. I know my Bible." Well great, I'm surprised you came. But are you coming next week? Oh yeah, she said, we'll be back. Well the next week on the way out, she almost repeated it word for word, "...I've been a Sunday school teacher for 30 some years in the First Church, I know my Bible." But bless her heart, about the 4th week with no pomp, with no puffiness, she said, "...I never knew I was so ignorant." Well praise the Lord, you see when we get to the place where we realize we don't know it all, that's when we begin to learn, and I'm in no different situation even yet. I told people the other day, every day I'm seeing things that I never saw before. I got a kick in one of the folks in our class up in Iowa the other night, and those are the very people I started with 20 some years ago, just 4 people. The other night she came up and said, "...we often think back, how in the world did you put up with us as ignorant as we were?" And I said, look if you would have known any more than you did, I wouldn't have been able to teach you anything, because I didn't know much more. But you see if we just get to the place where we understand, we really don't know that much. We can never exhaust this Book, and that's the beginning of learning, is to realize that we do not know it all. So he says, "...these Jews have a zealousness for God. Oh, they were religious, you know that, I don't have to tell you. The Pharisees with their self-righteous, and their robes, and their praying in public, oh, they thought they were doing God a service, but they had no knowledge. They were totally ignorant of the things of God." Now in verse 3, and that's the word Paul uses, "...for they being ignorant." Now you know I've always qualified that word. Ignorance doesn't mean a lack of brain power. You can have the most brilliant mind on earth, and he's still ignorant of a lot of things, because he's never been taught other disciplines. I've used the example many, many times. I may have a fairly good level of intelligence, but electricity for example, I've never been taught that much about electricity, and I'm ignorant of it. In the same way with any other discipline. If we haven't been taught something, we're ignorant. Now that's not a downplay on our intelligence level, it's just simply that they had never been taught. And so these Jews, they were ignorant. They had never opened up their thinking to understand what the Book said. "...for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness to every one that..." And again what's the other word for believing? Faith. They were trying to do it with their own works, and leaving faith out of the picture. And again, I've got to constantly remind us, isn't that exactly where most people are today? Oh, they'll do this, and they'll do that, and they'll do whatever a denomination prescribes, and they do it according to rote and ritual, but without faith, and it's going to count for nothing. They might just as well stay home. But Israel was no different. They kept the Feast Days, and they wouldn't miss a Feast Day for anything. And they followed the sacrifices, they followed the Law to the letter, but with no faith. And without faith, it's impossible to please God. That was just as true in the Old Testament economy as it is today. Christ, you see, was that object of faith that Israel was expected to embrace. He came proving who He was. They should have known who He was. He was the fulfillment of over 360 distinct prophecies out of the Old Testament. If they knew their Bible like they thought they did, they should have recognized Him the minute He began His ministry. But why didn't they? They didn't know their Bible. Well now let me bring you an analogy. Here I think we're on the very closing moments of this Age of Grace. I continue to teach that I think the Lord is coming for us any day now. Now that doesn't mean I'm setting dates, but I think we are getting so close as we see the world so rapidly falling into more and more wickedness. And again I'm going to share just one instance out of several that I've come across in just the last few weeks. One of our listeners from a distant city called a while back, and he said, and now this fellow was saved out of abject ungodliness himself. And he said, Les, this country is going down the tube, isn't it, as it has been for quite a while. Why? Well, he says, you know the kind of men that are working for me, and he has a big moving business. That means he hires about 25 or 30 of these young hulks, these guys that can pick up a refrigerator and carry it on their back. And he said, one of the fellows came to me the other day, and he says, you know, we're living in wicked times, aren't we? And the guy said, yeah, but why do you think so? Because he knew what kind of a lifestyle he lived. He said, well let me tell you something. I was invited the other night to a house party, and he said the drugs and the sex got so awful he said I had to leave. Now if that kind of a person can't stand it, imagine the depths to which those kind of people are going. And I'm hearing it over and over, not just in our big cities, it's wherever you go. There is a complete breakdown in morality, there is a complete loosening of godly restraints, and it's starting to mushroom. Well what's it telling us? We're getting close to the end. Because oh, let me take you to Luke 21, because I don't want to be an alarmist. I'm not a sensationalist, I never have taught sensationalism. Verse 25 of Luke 21, and I think I'll also go back to Matthew 24, that's even more graphic yet. But Luke 21, verse 25, and there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the star, upon the earth, distress of nations, with perplexity, now what does that mean? They've got problems they have no answer to, and the world is full of it. Just in the last few days, are you aware of the turmoil in all the various areas of the world? A war broke out in what, Liberia or somewhere in Africa? They've been fighting for years on the island of Sri Lanka, and other areas of the world are erupting, not to mention what's been taking place in Yugoslavia. But the whole world is in turmoil. The population pundits, and I agree, they've got a point, the world is just being inundated with people, and some of the most poverty stricken areas of the world are having a population explosion. Poor people having children in poverty, well they don't know what to do. Most of you know we just came back from Haiti a month or so ago, and it's the same thing. Abject poverty. They have nothing except kids. More, and more, and more people being piled upon people. Well the world is in perplexity tonight. There is no answer to their dilemmas. This is all a sign of the end time. Read on in Luke chapter 21, verse 26, "...the sea and the waves roaring, and in men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." Now I know this is primarily indicative of the tribulation period, but we're seeing the beginnings of it. We're seeing the stage being set for that final 7 years. Now come back to Matthew 24, and again I've always stated that Matthew 24 is of course the tribulation events, but they're not going to just all of a sudden come out of a sea of calm and then break loose, but we're going to see everything start roaring, and the stirring of the so-called water, so that when the tribulation comes, it'll just simply be increased. But we're seeing the beginning of all this, and it should tell us, those of us who know God's Word, that we're getting close to the end. We know it, but what about the world around us? Never enters our mind. You know I get almost a kick out of the fact that every place we go, I don't care whether you go south, west, east, or north, every place you go, it's frantic building activity. Do you ever notice that? It's just a frantic activity of build, build, build. Now look at what Jesus said in Matthew 24, verse 37, "...but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." Now like I said, I realize this is tribulation ground, but it's not going to just all of a sudden change from tranquility to this. There's going to be that introduction to it, which I feel we're seeing. "...for as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating, and drinking, and marrying, and giving in marriage." In other words, anything wrong with that? No, but it's that intense activity. There is just no slowing it down. And then I read every once in a while the tremendous amounts of money that people are spending on their wedding receptions. I read here in the Jerusalem Post a while back where it's not at all unusual for wealthy Jews to spend up to $40 ,000 for their kid's wedding. Unreal! And it's not just over there, it's the same way here. In fact the place where we had our seminar last Saturday, the only Saturday we could get was the one just before Easter, because all the other weekends are taken up with wedding receptions. People will just spend any amount of money just for that, which we of course don't put that much stock in. But nevertheless, this is the makeup of society today. Then verse 39. "...and they knew not until the flood came." Remember how I always taught the flood? It wasn't just the water coming up gradually from that rain, but it was an instantaneous breaking up of the fountains of the deep. It was instantaneous destruction. They never knew what hit them, and here we have it as an indication of how it's going to happen again. And so also shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man, and so on and so forth. But here we have the events leading up to the end time. We should, as a nation of people with Bibles in all our homes, if America can't be enlightened then who in the world can be? But they aren't, and they don't care. They have no concern for the most part. Now reading on in chapter 10, Romans 10, and I'm in verse 4. Romans 10, and then verse 5. Romans 10, and then verse 5. "...for Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man who doeth those things shall live by them." Absolutely! The Mosaic system was legalism, but it also had to have faith. They couldn't take either one by themselves. It wasn't faith plus nothing, but their works would never amount to anything if it was without faith. In other words, they had to do the things that God said to do, because they believed that it was what God said. But most of them left the faith element out completely, and just did the works. And again that's where we are today in Christendom. People are doing the works, they're doing the things that they think need to be done, but without faith. And God will not accept it. Now then verse 6. "...but the righteousness which is of faith, that righteousness which comes by virtue of our believing the word of God, it speaketh on this wife, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down from above? Or who shall descend into the deep, that is to bring up Christ again from the dead? But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach." Now whenever I deal with that situation, that we don't have to ascend to some high mountain to find Christ, we don't have to go down into the lowest portions of the earth to find Him, we don't have to bring Him down or bring Him up, but where is He? He's right in front of us. I always like to go back to John's Gospel chapter 10, and that's probably as good an illustration as I can find. John's Gospel chapter 10, and he's using himself as an example of the shepherd of the sheep. But not only is he the shepherd, he is the door to the sheepfold. You all know John 10, let's look at it, John's Gospel chapter 10, starting at verse 1. "...verily," Jesus is speaking, "...verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and robber." Oh, now see, most people just read that, and all they picture is somebody trying to steal a sheep or a lamb. But this is a spiritual thing. What's He telling us? That people who try to gain heaven by the way other than what He has described, they're going to be cast out as thieves and robbers, plain English. But He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd. "...to him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and he leadeth them out." And then I want you to come all the way down to verse 6. This parable spake Jesus unto them, but they understood not what things they were which He spake unto them. So now He's going to clarify. "...then he said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep." What's He saying? He is the only way, and it's no different today, but they're trying to go every other way but the way that Christ has given us. Now whenever I've taught this chapter in the past, how have I put it? Where was the door to that sheepfold? Clear up on some sheer cliff? No. Was it across that raging river? No. Was it on the other side of the ocean? No. Where was it? Right in front of them, ground level, where anybody could walk through. Again I'll take you back to the program from a while back. All along that river of life, what did I say there was? The Whosoever will, lining the shore of that river. And when you walk through it, and you look back on the other side, then what did it say? Chosen from before the foundation of the world. But see this is exactly what Paul is saying here in Romans 10. You don't have to ascend someplace and bring Christ down to your level where you can approach Him. You don't have to bring Him up from the deep. He's right in front of every person. A question came up the other afternoon. What about people who have never heard the Gospel? And we think, you know, there's those people in maybe still some of the dark parts of Africa, or some of the enlightened areas of South America. Are they lost? Of course they're lost. Why? Because the Book says, every man that comes into this world has been enlightened. Let me show you. Here's what I mean when I say I keep learning. Just not over 2-3 weeks ago I came across this verse in all places, John's Gospel. And I think you as well as I, we almost know this little book by memory. And here was a verse that I had totally missed all these years. John's Gospel, chapter 1, verse 9. This is what the Book says. Even though I can't comprehend it, I can't explain it logically, but the Sovereign God has said it, and He is never unfair. He will never send someone to an eternal doom without cause. But look what the verse says. Speaking of Jesus coming, of course, in His first advent, as John the Baptist had announced Him, remember, that was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. And I saw that and I thought, I've never seen that before. How many times haven't people asked me, what about these people that have never heard the Gospel? Well, I know Romans 1, verse 18 says they're without excuse, but see, here's why they're without excuse. No human being has ever come into life on this planet without having the light that God has given, and consequently they're going to be held responsible. Now then, for just the moment we have left, let's go back to Romans, chapter 10, verse 8. So what saith the Scriptures? The word is nigh thee, it's even in your mouth. Now this isn't just a casual statement. This isn't just words to fill a page. It means what it says. The Word is nigh every human being. It's there for the taking. So why don't they take it? Because the Word says that they refuse to step into the light, because the light is going to reveal what they are really made of, and that they don't want to see or hear. And so they reject the light, but for their own doom, and it's so sad because Christ tasted death for every man, the Scriptures say. Paul says in II Corinthians 5, that the love of Christ constraineth us, because if he died for all, then all were dead. That's what the Book says, and we have to understand that. And so now then, coming back to this verse in Romans 10, that the Word is nigh thee. It's not just nigh thee, it's in your mouth, Paul says. And that is the Word of faith, not works, not legalism, but the Word of faith. Believe, believe, believe, and again I always have to go back to all these verses. Come back to Romans chapter 1. I haven't got time enough to go on into verse 9, because that has to be another new half hour. But come back just to fill out these few moments to Romans chapter 1, and this says it no differently than umpteen other Scripture verses. Romans 1, verse 16. You all know the verse. I know you do. Romans 1, verse 16. Romans 1, verse 16. To whom? To everyone that worketh? No, to everyone that believeth. And you follow these Scripture references through, and it's always Paul's admonition to him that believeth. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick. A weekly Bible study. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries, a Bible study in your area, or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported, and your gift is appreciated. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.