Salvation By Belief or Confession - A Commentary on Romans 10:9-10

There is a passage in the book of Romans that many well-meaning Christians use in leading people to Christ that states, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Rom 10:9-10) If we were to only look at this passage, it does seem to be saying that both confession and belief are necessary for salvation, but if we adopt this view, it presents some challenges to all of us as it relates to salvation by grace through faith alone. The doctrine of salvation by grace through faith is a central doctrine of Christianity, and is one of the things that separates Christianity from every other man-made religion. So, which is it: is it salvation by belief, or by belief plus confession? Let’s examine this in more detail.

For starters, we must be careful not to take one passage from the Bible and formulate doctrine from it. Each passage must be compared with the rest of the counsel of God's Word to make sure we are interpreting it as we ought to. There are at least 160 New Testament verses that speak to the fact that justification is through faith in Jesus Christ alone apart from works. In the Gospel of John alone there are around 98 occurrences of the Greek word that is translated ‘believe’, and in the majority of these instances it is referring to the response of the heart to the call of God bringing eternal life. Probably the most notable of these passages is in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. He stated, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:14-16) Jesus was referencing an Old Testament story here that Nicodemus would have been familiar with. When the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, the Lord sent poisonous snakes among them because they were murmuring against Him. After the people confessed their sins and asked Moses to pray for them, the Lord had Moses put a bronze serpent on a pole, and whoever looked on the bronze serpent would be healed from the poisonous snake bite. Now in the Bible the serpent is a symbol of sin, and bronze is a symbol of judgment. So, Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he would be lifted up in like manner, referring to His death on the cross. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us, and suffered the wrath of His father in your and my place. Now, all who look upon Him by faith will be saved and receive eternal life.

We also see several examples in the book of Acts. Consider the following Scriptures: When the Ethiopian eunuch asked what hindered him from being baptized, Philip responded, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” (Acts 8:37) When Peter spoke to Cornelius and those gathered with him, Peter stated, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” (10:43) Lastly, when the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what must he do to be saved, they stated that he and his house should believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. (16:31) In the first five chapters of the book of Romans, Paul gives one of the most definitive explanations of the Gospel in the entire Bible, and in his explanation of justification by faith there is no mention of confession in addition to belief to be justified before God. Surely if confession was a requirement for eternal life, he would have mentioned it there, but if he had, he would have been directly contradicting himself. Paul writes, "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom 4:1-5) Paul is saying that if Abraham were justified by works, he could boast, but not before God. Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. The person who works for their righteousness will be indebted to God, but the person who believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith will be counted unto him for righteousness just as Abraham's was. Again, Paul writes, "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all." (Rom 4:15-16) The person who is indebted to God by his breaking of the law will face God's wrath, but the person of faith receives the grace of God and the sure promise of eternal life. Lastly, Paul writes, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom 5:1-2) We are justified by our faith, made at peace with God, and by this same faith have access to an endless supply of His grace. Notice there is no mention of confession as a prerequisite for eternal life in any of these passages, but it is only faith. In fact, Paul does not mention confession in connection with salvation anywhere else in his epistles. So, salvation based solely on the mercy and grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ is a consistent and reoccurring theme throughout the entire New Testament, and to interpret Romans 10:9-10 to say that confession is also required is erroneous because it contradicts everything else we see in the Scriptures.

What did Paul mean then, when he, under inspiration of the Spirit, penned that with the mouth confession is made unto salvation? When we look at verse 10, the first thing Paul says is "For with the heart man believes unto righteousness." From what we have covered so far, we have already seen that God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to us as a result of our faith. However, one also cannot deny the obvious link Paul makes between confession and salvation. The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible, so I believe it will be helpful to look at a similar passage to shed some light on this for us. The only other time that confession is directly linked with salvation in the NT is when Jesus stated, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Mat 10:32-33) It appears then that this confession is a public declaration of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It is important to remember that correct beliefs produce correct actions. Our faith in Jesus should naturally produce our public confession of Him as it does any other good work. Notice the Ethiopian Eunuch’s response to Philip after Philip told him he must believe, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:38) If a person is consistently unwilling to confess the lordship of Jesus Christ to others, we have a legitimate reason to question the genuineness of their faith. This does not mean there will not be moments of fear or timidity in our lives, but a true Christian will repent from this and seek to conquer his fear through the power of the Holy Spirit. We see this in the case of Peter. Peter denied he knew Jesus three times, but he later repented and was restored by Jesus Himself.

At times in the Scriptures, we see ideas like this closely linked together because there is a direct cause and effect relationship between them. Another example of this is in the Gospel of Mark.  Just prior to his ascension Jesus stated, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16) Here we see Jesus closely link salvation and water baptism, and the reason He did so is that baptism is to be an act of obedience that closely follows one's faith in Christ. It is an outward sign of an inward faith in which a person states publicly that he or she is a Christian and identifies with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Notice however, the only thing that causes damnation, according to Jesus, is unbelief. Baptism, just like any other good work, is merely the evidence that that person has already been saved. So too, public confession of Jesus Christ as Lord is an act of obedience that closely follows our belief on Him. Confession is important because Jesus stated out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. If we are willing to confess Jesus as our Lord, it is the greatest evidence that we believe it. Like baptism, once someone has declared his or her faith publicly, they are also a lot less likely to go back on their commitment. There's just something about confession with our mouths that helps in bringing our sin nature (including unbelief) into submission to the will of God. If we are faithful in our profession of faith in Jesus Christ until the end (even in the face of death) Jesus will confess us before His Father in Heaven.

So, can we use this passage in Romans 10:9-10 in leading someone to Christ? Absolutely! We just cannot make the jump from confession being the evidence of our salvation to that it is the means of it. The original Greek carries the idea of confirming with the mouth what has already taken place in the heart. It is possible for someone to state the truth of the Lordship of Jesus Christ without having faith. For example, many Catholics (and Protestants for that matter) will state their belief that Jesus Christ is Lord, but they are trusting in their keeping of Church rituals and other good works to save them. Interestingly enough, Jesus anticipated this when he stated, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  (Matthew 7:22-23) You see, a person’s profession is meaningless unless it proceeds out of a heart of faith.

In summary, the confession referred to by Paul in Romans 10:9-10 is a public one that is not the means for salvation, but rather the greatest evidence of it. Those who say it is a requirement for salvation may be well meaning, but there are many people who are well meaning and still wrong. This line of thinking is dangerous, because it causes people to place their trust in a work they have done rather than solely in Jesus Christ. It also places doubt and confusion in people's minds that should not be there.  “If I don’t pray the prayer just right, then maybe I am not saved.” Jesus plus works is still just works. Works-based theology not only demonstrates a person does not fully understand the depths of their own sin, it also demonstrates they do not fully understand the mercy and grace of God given to them because of what Jesus did on the cross. It is either a complete trust and reliance on Jesus Christ or it is not. So, when we encounter difficult passages like this, again it is important to balance them with the rest of Scripture. The overwhelming evidence in the New Testament is that we are saved by grace through faith alone, and this needs to be the lens through which we filter somewhat difficult passages like the one found in Romans 10. If you are reading this today and are trusting in your own works, whether it be your public confession, baptism, communion, or something else, repent (change your mind about what God says about your sin) and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. Believe on Him, and He will give you everlasting life. Then confess Him as Lord to others, and tell them about what He has done for you.

Romans 10 - Israel's Present

 

Previously in Romans, we learned how deep Paul’s love was for his own people, the Jews. He said he could wish himself cut off from Christ if it meant the Jewish people would be saved. The Jewish people are blessed, for they were the first to receive the adoption, the covenants, the giving of the law of God, etc., and ultimately were the people the Lord chose to bring Jesus into the world. However, only those who believe in Jesus will have eternal life. Most of them have rejected their Messiah, but Paul tells us near the end of the chapter that a remnant will be saved. The rest have stumbled at the stumbling block which is Christ.

Paul picks up in chapter 10 by stating that his heart’s desire and prayer for Israel is that they would be saved. He bore them witness that they had a zeal for God, but it was not according to knowledge. This is still true today: there are many who are very sincere and zealous for God, but they do not have the correct understanding of who He is or how a person enters into a relationship with Him. You can be sincere and zealous, but still be wrong. This is the case for many in the Jewish community, in pseudo-Christian cults, and even within the Church.

They are ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seek to establish their own righteousness. In so doing, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God, although if you were to talk with them, they would say that they have. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. This is an echo of what he said in chapter eight, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Paul then references Moses who said of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” In other words, if a person wants to be righteous by keeping the law, they must do it perfectly, something he has already proven impossible. So, if attempting to keep the law is not God’s form of righteousness, what does God’s righteousness look like? Paul will tell us next.

He says, “but the righteousness of faith speaks in this way.” The first thing to take note of is that God’s righteousness that He wants mankind to have is that of faith. The author of Hebrews writes, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11:6) This coincides with everything Paul has told us thus far in Romans. “For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’” The Lord first counts us righteous by faith, and then He begins making us righteous. Second, he uses a literary device called a personification to help illustrate what genuine faith looks like, and it appears to primarily be connected to how faith speaks. The next two verses are actually a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 30:11-14 in which Moses was telling the children of Israel God’s commandments were not mysterious or difficult to be sought out; they were in their mouths and in their hearts. So, too, with the Gospel, it’s not about ascending up to Heaven or descending into the abyss to find Christ, for going to great lengths to keep the law will not bring us closer to Him. The word of faith is also near us, in our mouths and in our hearts.

These next two verses are probably among the most quoted from in the entire NT, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Rather than being some formula or rote prayer we coach people to say in order to be saved, I believe, again, Paul is telling us what genuine faith looks like in line with what he said in v 6. Making salvation about a specific prayer takes the emphasis off faith in Jesus Christ, and places it in words that we say (if I say the right words, I will be saved). This then goes against everything Paul has told us in Romans so far about being justified by faith. It turns into people calling Jesus Lord, but there is no faith in Him to make their relationship real. To these Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Also, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Mat 7:21, 23) Having said this however, I do believe it is a great model to follow when leading others to Christ, because confessing Jesus Christ as Lord is one of the greatest evidences a true change has taken place in their heart. I have used this model in leading others to Christ, including my own children.

At the heart of this passage, what I believe Paul is getting at is what will we do with Jesus publicly. True faith will ultimately remain faithful to Christ, even in persecution. The word Paul uses for ‘Lord’ is the same word Roman citizens would use in calling Caesar lord. Emperor worship was common in the Roman empire, and was political in nature to keep unity amongst its citizens. However, Nero took it a bit more seriously, and Domitian sought to establish it on a larger scale. Roman citizens would be required to stand before a statue of Caesar, offer incense on an altar, and say Caesar is lord. The penalty for not doing this was death. Paul was writing to a Roman audience, and what he was essentially saying is that Christians need to choose to whom they would give their allegiance, Jesus Christ, or an earthly ruler. If they did not renounce their faith in Christ (even to save their lives) they would be saved. This echoes what Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 10:23-33)

Many of you probably remember the story: In 2015, 20 construction workers from Egypt, and one from Ghana, came to Libya for work. The twenty Egyptians were Christian, while the man from Ghana was said not to be initially. While there, they were abducted by ISIS, and told to renounce their faith and convert to Islam or be executed. The men refused, many of them crying out in the moments before their death, “Ya Rabb Yesua! – ‘O Lord Jesus!’” The man from Ghana was asked if he would renounce Christ, and he responded, “Their God is my God.” The man from Ghana, seeing the courage of his fellow co-workers, became a convert himself, and was willing to lay down his own life.

Again, whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. If we have trusted in Christ for salvation, He has removed everything that would cause us shame on the day of judgment. There is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile, for the Lord is over all and is rich to all who call upon Him. If we remember from chapter 8, God is for us, has freely given us all things, He has justified us, He intercedes for us, and He loves us. He does not only save some of us, but, “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Next, Paul explains the importance of evangelism by asking a series of questions. How will someone call upon the Lord if they have not believed? How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear if there is not a preacher? How shall they preach unless they are sent? He then quotes from Isaiah, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” If it were a matter of working hard enough and doing enough good, and maybe you’ll make it, that would not be a Gospel of peace. Those who go to preach the Gospel (glad tidings of good things) are preaching a message of peace, and it is a beautiful thing. Not all have obeyed the Gospel, for Isaiah in speaking of Jesus said, “Lord, who has believed our report?” This insertion may seem out of place, but Paul is getting ready to bring it back to the nation of Israel and how they rejected the Gospel as predicted by the prophets.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This says two things: first there must be those who are willing to preach the Word. There is a popular saying out there, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” Although many who quote this may be well-intended, it does not line up with what we see in the Scriptures. True faith confesses Jesus as Lord, and true faith preaches the Gospel to others. We see this in Romans 10, and we see this demonstrated in the early Church in the book of Acts. Our conduct as believers is crucial, but preaching comes first. Yours and my conduct are not perfect; we will have both good and bad days. If people coming to Christ is based off how I am doing in the sanctification process, then this will always fall short of portraying the Gospel. However, the truths of the Gospel and of the Scriptures never change. As long as I can point them back to Jesus and the word of God, they are pointed to something that never fails. As we are preaching, then, yes, we are to seek to ensure our lives line up with what we are preaching as to not distract others from coming to the Lord.

Second, this verse implies there has to be a willing listener for faith to be produced. The Jewish people, by and large, were unwilling to hear the preaching of the Gospel, and thus remain in unbelief. It is not as though the Gospel message has not gone out however, and here Paul quotes from Psalm 19 in which the heavens are declaring the glory of God. God’s first witness to Himself and the Gospel is seen in the Heavens. Second, is His provoking them to jealousy through the Gentiles as foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 32:21. Isaiah also speaks of this in stating He (the Lord) was found by those who did not seek Him, and was made known by those who did not ask for Him. Lastly, God says through Isaiah, “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” Israel, a nation chosen by God and recipients of the law and prophets who foretold of the coming Messiah, should have known better. They did not know better because they are a disobedient and contrary people. Missler writes, “God has not withheld salvation from Jews; He has held out His hands, imploring them to return to Him. Israel’s continuing rebellious and unbelieving disobedience was judged by God’s turning to the Gentiles.” On the other hand, when the word of God is preached to a willing listener, someone whose heart is as the good fertile soil, it will produce faith. So far, Paul has discussed Israel’s past rejection of the Messiah that has lasted until the present, but in the following chapter, he will discuss their future salvation.

Romans 9 - Israel's Past

Previously in Romans, we saw how believers have hope in their suffering. They have hope because creation will be restored, they will receive resurrected bodies, the Lord is working all things together for their good, and the Lord loves them with a love they cannot be separated from. In the following three chapters, Paul will discuss God’s sovereignty and election demonstrated through the nation of Israel. It can be divided into three sections: Israel’s past, Israel’s present, and Israel’s future. Many today are confused about the nation of Israel, mistakenly believing the Church has replaced them, however, as we will see, the Lord still has a plan for the Jewish people, although they do not see it. This may seem like an abrupt change from chapter 8, but there is a connection. If God cannot or will not bring Israel into salvation who were once His people, then what security would we have as believers? God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people is what gives us the confidence He will be faithful to keep His promises to you and me.

Paul begins by stating he is telling the truth, and not lying, his own conscience was bearing witness in the Spirit. He does this because what he was about to say would be hard to believe. He said he had great sorrow and continual grief in his heart, and could wish himself accursed from Christ (doomed to destruction) for his brethren, his relatives according to the flesh, who were Israelites. This was not an allegory, but Paul was clearly speaking of the nation of Israel here, the Jewish people. Israel is mentioned 75 times in 73 verses in the New Testament, and in each case it is referring to the nation rather than the Church. Paul was not a Jew hater. He could have hated them for being the ones primarily responsible for Jesus’ death, rejecting the Gospel, and following him around trying to kill him, but he didn’t. How could he? Paul was a Jew himself, and was guilty of the same things. However, the Lord had mercy on him. Not only did he not hate them, but he was willing to give up his own salvation (although not possible) in order for them to be saved. I’ll be honest, there are people whom I love dearly, but I would not be willing to give up eternal life for them. Hell is an awful place, and eternity is a long time to be there. However, this is what Paul said. Moses said a similar thing when he spoke to the Lord after the Israelites had made a golden calf, “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” (Ex 32:32) The Lord did not accept Moses’ request just like He didn’t Paul’s, but we do get a glimpse here into the heart of godly individuals towards God’s people.

Paul recognized their spiritual heritage: God had blessed them with all the privileges of being His special people. They were the first to be adopted, to receive glory, the covenants and the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises of the Scriptures. They belong to God the Father, and it is through them that Christ came into the world, who, said Paul, “is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” This is another one of these passages that is a clear proclamation of the deity of Jesus Christ. Some like to state otherwise, but the grammatical context does not support their views. So then, without the Jewish people, we would not be here today, saved and headed for Heaven. They are truly blessed, and we have been blessed because of them. For this we should be grateful.

God came to them first to offer them what we have, but they, not recognizing it,  rejected it. They rejected their own Messiah, and the good news of salvation through faith in Him. However, just because the Jews have rejected their Messiah and are walking in rebellion and unbelief does not mean the word of God has been broken. For not all who are of Israel are Israel, and not all the descendants of Abraham are considered children of God. Abraham had many sons, even Ishmael his firstborn, but only Isaac received the inheritance because he was the son of promise. In other words, a person can be part of the nation of Israel, but not part of the true family of God because they have not believed in the true Son of promise, Jesus Christ. Paul writes a similar thing to the Galatians, “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written: ‘Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.’ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.’ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.” (Gal 4:21-31) So then, the nonbelieving Jews are under the bondage of the law which came from Mount Sinai, and are not children of promise. This refutes the teaching out there that there is a dual-covenant in which the Jews do not have to come to Christ for salvation. If we recall from chapter 1, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

To further illustrate his point, Paul gives the example of Isaac and Rebecca who gave birth to Jacob and Esau. When they were still in the womb, the Lord spoke to Rebecca, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ God chose Jacob to receive the inheritance and the blessing, not by his works, for neither of them had done good or evil yet. Even if God had waited, Jacob’s works would not have proven to be better than Esau’s (maybe worse). God chose Jacob according to His purpose and election. In His foreknowledge, He knew that Jacob would ultimately respond to His call to repentance and faith, whereas Esau would not. On this basis, the Lord accepted Jacob, and rejected Esau. Just like God chose Isaac and Jacob, so too He has chosen some Jews as part of the nation of Israel to be saved. Ultimately, we may not understand why God chooses some and rejects others, but we do know He has a reason for His choices that is in harmony with His loving and just nature.

So, if God chose Isaac instead of Ishmael or Abraham’s other sons, and if He chose Jacob rather than Esau, Paul asks if there is unrighteousness with God? Like he has done before, he answers “Certainly not!” He then quotes from Exodus 33, saying ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ (Ex 33:19) Mercy is not getting what we deserve, so no one is unfair for not showing mercy, especially the Lord. It is not about wishing to do well or actually doing well, but it as the Lord who shows mercy.

He then gives the example of Pharoah. God said He raised up Pharoah to show His power in him, and that His name might be declared in all the earth. If we recall, the Exodus account refers to Pharoah hardening his own heart, as well as God hardening it. God hardened Pharoah in the direction he was already going in order to show the world how powerful He is and bring glory to His name. Throughout history and even today, the Exodus account is one of the most well-known Bible stories. Some individuals God has mercy on, and some He hardens like Pharoah.

Some might object to this, saying, if God has mercy on some and hardens others, how can God find fault with someone since they are being hardened against their will? But Paul responds by saying who are we to reply against God? The thing formed does not ask the one who formed it why he made them this way. If we think about it, it is arrogant to question the God of the universe why He made something or someone a certain way. The potter has the power to make whatever He wants, whether it is a vessel of honor or dishonor. What if God endures with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to show His wrath and make His power known? Notice it does not say God prepared them for wrath, but simply that they are prepared, probably by their own doing. God shows His wrath and power as a deterrent to sin and to teach mankind to fear Him.  On the contrary, what if God makes known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy which He prepared beforehand for glory? It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. This kindness is shown on those whom He called, both Jew and Gentile.

Next, Paul quotes from several OT passages in Hosea and Isaiah concerning Israel’s future. They will be called His people who were not His people, and beloved who were not beloved. In the place where they were called not His people, they will be called sons of the living God. Although the number of the children of Israel were as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved. This is according to the Lord’s complete and righteous judgment. If the Lord had not left them a seed, they would have become like Sodom and would have been made like Gomorrah. What Paul is saying here is that God will have to severely discipline the nation of Israel, but He will save a remnant in the end, something he will come back to in chapter 11.

As for now, Israel is pursuing the law of righteousness, but cannot obtain it because they seek it by trying to keep the law rather than by faith. They stumbled at the stumbling stone and rock of offense which is Jesus Christ. Whoever believes on Him will not be ashamed. Gentiles, on the other hand, were not seeking righteousness, but have obtained it by faith in that same Jesus. Paul will continue this topic in the next chapter, tell us what genuine faith looks like, and how this faith comes to us.