The Façade of Holiness
Men love religion. We are sensual creatures of habit; and religion appeals to our carnal senses. King Solomon assures us that we are going around and around on some circuit, if not more than one circuit (Eccl 1:1–11). The Apostle Paul warns that our flesh is hostile toward the Holy Spirit and the things of the Spirit (rom 8; 1 Cor 2:14).
In Romans 10, the apostle is answering a question about the Jews and the reasons for their non-receipt of their Messiah, Jesus the Nazarene (Jn 1:101–11). In verses 16–21 of chapter 10, we imagine some possible questions, even objections. In his argument, Paul addresses these by quoting the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament.
We remember the whole section is Romans 9–11. In chapter 9, we have the Bible’s most explicit explanation of God’s predestinating election and exclusive love. We are forever encouraged to read Romans 9 until we believe it…actually believe it.
The beginning of chapter 10 reveals a bit of Paul’s heart for the unbelieving Jews, who represent the majority of Jews then and now. Their problem has always been man-made Judaism, a bad interpretation of the Law, the prophets, and the writings. Judaism qualifies as one of the numerous works-based religions of the world. They have the right God (Yahweh); but they have the wrong approach.
Judaism is man-centered religion. It believes that man must do something in order to achieve righteousness, that is, right standing with God. What is not understood is that God’s holiness is perfection; and a holy God demands holiness for one to enter His holy presence (1 Pet 1:15–16).
The Jews never claimed perfection in their performance; but they believed that Yahweh must grade their performance, in Law-keeping, on a curve. In other words, the high score is the standard, even though it is not perfection. Jesus ruined the Jews notion of the curve, by living as the perfect God-man, without sin (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15).
All the while the Scriptures had a different message than justification by works. The message was always justification by faith. All men everywhere are called to repent of their façade of holiness, so prevalent in world religions and religious cults, and to turn in faith to Jesus Christ, the righteous (1 Jn 2:1).
The Holy One of Israel, Jesus Messiah, was preached as a type and shadow in the Hebrew scriptures. God was never without a witness. Old Testament ethnic Israel was supposed to trust in the coming Messiah, who would fix what was wrong and make things right. They had received the Word of God through the prophets; and the prophets revealed Messiah in advance of His advent in Bethlehem Ephratah (Mic 5:2) to a virgin girl (Is 7:14).
Even in Isaiah’s day, the question was raised by the prophet/preacher, “Yahweh, who has believed our report (Is 53:1; Rom 10:16)?” Paul quotes this passage to say, “Look, the Jews did not believe in Isaiah’s day, who would you think anything different about them, today?”
What every person, Jew or Gentile, needs is faith in Messiah. They need to trust in the Lord with all their hearts (Prv 3:5–6). What is in the heart of the natural man, Jew or Gentile, is evil (Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9). The new heart, the spiritual one, comes by hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ from a preacher with beautiful feet (Ezek 36:26; Rom 10:14–15).
Paul claims the Jews had heard the preaching of the Word of God from the prophets (Rom 10:18). It is not a matter of neglect. God made sure His people knew about the Messiah. Paul claimed that, too (Rom 10:19), by quoting Deuteronomy 32:21.
Both Moses and Isaiah recognized that the Israelites were rejecting Yahweh and His communication to them. The people heard; and they knew what Yahweh was saying to them. Hence, Judaism was a product of disobedience to Yahweh who made promises to them (Rom 10:21). They only needed to believe those promises; but instead the Jews turned Yahweh’s revelation of Himself and His ways into religion.
The promise of God in the Old Testament included the warning that the Jews would be provoked to jealously and anger because Yahweh would reveal Himself to the Gentiles who were not looking for Him (Rom 10:20). One day the dogs, the goyim, the Gentiles would have a greater knowledge and faithful devotion to Yahweh than the Jews. The Gentile inclusion, debated in Acts 15, was the beginning of that day.
The issue of righteousness, right standing before Yahweh, must remain in our view. We remember that Christ Jesus is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Rom 10:4). It is not attainable by religionists, who want to do good works to gain favor with God.
My dear reader, we must have right standing with God, our Judge. The consequence of unrighteousness is eternal punishment in the fiery hell of the lake of fire (Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7, Rev 20:14–15). This should make us want right standing; but the flesh is weak and worldly. It either does not care about eternal right standing because it is blinded by the devil from understanding the ramifications; or the flesh wants to do something to secure righteousness by its own design and execution.
Whoever does the work gets the glory. When God does the work of salvation, He gets the glory. When man pretends to do the work — even the seemingly simple work of choosing Christ, deciding for Jesus, accepting Christ, or asking Jesus into his heart — this man is fleshly and robs God of the glory of being the exclusive Savior, who does all the work.
Only the elect of God, chosen by God (Rom 11:5), and predestined to adoption as sons of God (Eph 1:4–5), redeemed by Jesus Christ (1 Cor 6:20; 7:23), and regenerated by His Holy spirit will actually believe (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3). This is the work of God (Jn 6:29). Jesus, the Just, is the justifier of those whom God the Father gave to Him before Creation (Jn 17:2, 6, 24; 18:9).
Believers, positioned in Christ, are filled with the Spirit who gave them faith to believe. Faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8–9), granted to the elect by God’s grace (Phil 1:29), and it is not self-generated, so that it is impossible to boast in oneself — especially in the realm of mythical free will decision making. We boast in Christ, alone (1 Cor 1:31; Gal 6:14).
True believers call upon the Lord because they are believers. They pray to the Father, in the Spirit and in faith in the name of the Lord Jesus, who they heard about and who they now know because of a preacher sent to them (Rom 10:14–15, 17).
This is God’s method of communication, with its good result being the salvation of His people, whom He loved before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4–5), at the cross (Rom 5:8), in their heart (Rom 5:5), and forever (Jer 31:3).
The façade of holiness is a perversion of religion. True holiness is a product of God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge, in setting apart a people for Himself, saying, “I will be their God; and they will be my people.” No costumes required.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
May 30, 3035
Romans 10:16–21
