Romans 10:1-4; Coast Community Church; Pastor Earl Miles; January 15, 2012
Look at Romans 10:1-4.
- The Bible is God’s Word and the Bible addresses where we are spiritually. (slide 1)
In order to be where we need to be spiritually, we have to understand the truth of the gospel, which is what the book of Romans is all about.
- The gospel begins with the God who created us.
- But those God created fell into sin.
- And the consequences of sin have been great.
- There are only two ways that we can try to solve this problem.
- But God sent His Son to be a Savior for sinners.
- Because of what Jesus did, God promises us wonderful things.
- But these promises must be received by faith in Jesus.
- Those who trust in Jesus are to live to glorify and enjoy God by trusting and loving in every situation and relationship.
Two main points today:
1. I am to trust that God is sovereign and good and pray.
2. I am to love by praying for unbelievers to be saved.
1. I am to trust that God is sovereign and good and pray. (Romans 10:1-4)
A. Paul says this on the heels of a strong passage on the sovereignty of God over the salvation of men.
- Romans 9:15-16, 18
B. Paul says this in light of God’s revelation of His glory to Moses in terms of sovereignty and goodness.
- Exodus 33:18-19
C. Paul says this in light of books like Jonah that un-ashamedly portray God as profoundly sovereign and profoundly merciful.
– Jonah 1:4
– Jonah 1:17
– Jonah 2:10
– Jonah 4:6-8
– Jonah 1:14-16
– Jonah 2:7-9
– Jonah 3:4-10
– Jonah 4:1-3
– Jonah 4:10-11
D. Seeing Paul’s prayer life in light of his faith in the sovereignty of God is important because of psychological dangers.
“There are theological dangers. First, a person might conclude that God is unjust in the exercise of his sovereignty. So Paul raises this question in verse 14: "Is there then injustice on God's part?" And secondly, a person might conclude that man can no longer be faulted for his sin if God is sovereign. So Paul raises this question in verse 19, "Why then does he still find fault?" So Paul is not unaware of the theological dangers in the doctrine of God's sovereignty.
But these are not our concern this morning. There are psychological as well as theological dangers, and these are our concern today. Specifically, there are three emotional mistakes that we might make in response to this doctrine. Paul knows of these too and guards us from them. That's what we want to talk about today.
- First, the doctrine of God's sovereignty might lead us to feel no sorrow for those who are perishing.
- Second, the doctrine of God's sovereignty might lead us to feel no desire that they would be converted.
- And third, the doctrine of God's sovereignty might lead us to give up praying that they would be saved.
In other words, our limited and sinful human reasonings might respond to the sovereignty of God by saying, "If God decides who will be saved and who won't, then why grieve over any who are lost, why desire for more to be saved, why pray in the face of God's eternal decrees?"
Paul knows about these dangers too. And I think he chooses the most effective means possible to guard us against these dangers. At the beginning of Romans 9 and at the end he shows us his heart. Now I urge you, don't let your own heart dictate what a compassionate person can believe about the sovereignty of God. Rather let the apostle show you what a person who believes in the sovereignty of God can and should really feel for the lost. (John Piper, My Heart’s Desire: That They Might Be Saved – Romans 10:1)
Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11; Matthew 23:37-39; 5:43-48; Deuteronomy 5:29; 29:4; 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
E. If I trust in God’s sovereignty rightly, then I will pray for the salvation of others. (Romans 10:1-4)
Therefore, when he says in Romans 10:1, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they might be saved," he means, "Be like this. Have a heart like mine." … Paul prays for God to actually save Israel. That is, Paul does not pray for God just to make them able to save themselves. He prays for their salvation not for their saveability. Here's what I mean. If you believe that God has the right and power to raise the spiritually dead and to grant repentance to the disobedient and have mercy on whom he will have mercy, then you pray that God will do that. You ask God to actually save them—pull them up from the bottom of the lake, slide their limp bodies over the edge of the boat, and to do whatever he has to do to make them alive spiritually. (John Piper, ibid)
2. I am to love by praying for unbelievers to be saved. - Romans 10:1-4
A. Paul is testifying to his obedience to Christ’s command. - Matthew 5:43-48
WE ought to have an intense longing for the salvation of all sorts of men and especially for those, if there are any, that treat us badly. We should never wish them ill, not for a moment, but in proportion to their malice should be our intense desire for their good. Israel had persecuted Paul everywhere with the most bitter imaginable hate. When he addressed them in their synagogues, they rushed upon him in their fury. When he left them alone and preached quietly to the Gen-tiles, they made a mob, dragged him before the mag-istrates, charged him with causing a tumult and either stoned him or beat him with rods. He was “an Israel-ite, indeed,” but his people regarded him as a turn-coat, indeed, because he had become a Christian! Mad as they were against all Christians, they had a special spite and fury against the apostate Pharisee. Paul’s only reply to all their infuriated malice is this gentle assertion—“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.”
Brethren, let us pray for men that they may be saved! Simple as the statement is, I feel sure that we shall see more conversions when more people pray for conver-sions. If, as we went about the streets, we made a rule that whenever we heard a man swear, we would pray that he might be saved, might we not hope to see a great many more saved? If, whenever we saw a case of special sin, or read of it in the newspaper, we were to make it a habit always to offer our heart’s desire and prayer for such offenders that they might be saved, I cannot tell what countless blessings would come from God’s right hand. (Charles Spurgeon, Zealous But Wrong – Romans 10:1-3)
B. Paul is testifying to his obedience to the law of love. – Matthew 7:7-12
We must feel compassion for the perishing and a longing for their conversion because our own salvation is such a precious undeserved gift. Surely it is unthinkable that we should be drug from the bottom of the lake, resuscitated at the cost of another's life, handed the instruments of rescue, and then just sit down and play cards on the beach while others are drowning. Is that not unthinkable in your own life?
And did Jesus not tell a parable about a servant who was treated with immense mercy but then refused to show compassion for his fellow servant (Matthew 18:23–35)? How can we feel the wonder of having been rescued freely by Christ, and then not live for the rescue of others? Surely there would be something ominous and fearful in such an inconsistency! (John Piper, ibid)
C. Paul obviously prayed that they would submit to the gift of righteousness in Christ. - Romans 10:1-4
D. Prayer in general and prayer for unbelievers requires that I love by laying down my life to do so.- Colossians 4
I am now, in 1864, waiting upon God for certain blessings, for which I have daily besought Him for 19 years and 6 months, without one day's intermission. Still the full answer is not yet given concerning the conversion of certain individuals. In the meantime, I have received many thousands of answers to prayer. I have also prayed daily, without intermission, for the conversion of other individuals about ten years, for others six or seven years, for others four, three, and two years, for others about eighteen months; and still the answer is not yet granted, concerning these persons [for whom I have prayed for nineteen years and six months] . . . Yet I am daily continuing in prayer and expecting the answer . . . Be encouraged, dear Christian reader, with fresh earnestness to give yourself to prayer, if you can only be sure that you ask for things which are for the glory of God. (George Muller, Autobiography, p. 296)
Conclusion
Do you desire to see others know the grace you’ve known?
Do you need to pray for unbelievers or do you need to be prayed for?
Have you submitted to God’s righteousness?
Have you received the gift of Christ’s righteousness?
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