Romans Chapter 10

Only One Born of the Spirit Can Call Upon the Lord

Verses 11-15 

Rom. 10:11 "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"         

"For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."  If my salvation was dependent upon anything that I did, then I would end up being ashamed.  I, like everyone else, have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Yet my salvation from sin is not dependent upon what I have done, but rather is totally dependent upon what the Lord has done.  Since the Lord cannot fail or be discouraged, then I have no reason to be ashamed of what the Lord has done.  When I believe God's word that tells me that Jesus has saved me from my sins by his shed blood, I am not ashamed of what Christ has done.           

"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him."  God has a people in every nation, kindred, people and tongue.  These people were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.  When it pleases God they are quickened into spiritual life by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit.  God writes his laws upon the hearts and minds of all the elect, whether Jew or Greek.  In this gospel age in which we live, the true worship of God is the same regardless of nationality, gender, age, or station in life.           

The only ones that can call upon the Lord are those who have been born of the Spirit.  Furthermore, when they call upon him he is rich toward them.  "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"  All of the spirit born elect are capable of calling upon the name of the Lord, but many are ignorant of the fact that he is the end of the law for righteousness.           

There are many who call upon someone called Jesus who is not the Jesus Christ of the bible.  Some call upon a weak and helpless Jesus who is not able to save from sin unless the sinner cooperates with him.  Others call upon a Jesus who they say is not the eternal Son of God.  There are many anti-Christs that have gone out into the world and have many believing that they are the true Christ.           

The Jesus Christ of the bible is the "end of the law  for righteousness."  He is the eternal Son of God.           

The true gospel of Jesus Christ reveals to us the true Jesus Christ taught in the scriptures.  According to 2 Tim. 1:10, life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel: "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."  Paul affirmed in Rom. 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."  Christ, the righteousness of God is revealed through the gospel.  Without the preaching of the gospel, the true Christ is not revealed.  Through the preaching of the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.  It is revealed from one person who has faith to another person who has faith.  It is revealed from born again children of God to born again children of God.           

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"  From the above we know that God must send the preacher.  A man cannot truly take this upon himself to be a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  While many attempt to do so, yet only those who God calls are truly preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.         

Until a man is sent of God, he cannot preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He may preach a false perverted gospel and Paul said of some: Gal. 1:8 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."  A man who preaches the gospel must be called of God and sent of God and then preach what the Lord has given him to preach.           

A person will not hear and believe that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness until he has heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ.  Believing that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness comes through the teaching and preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.           

Once a person hears and believes the gospel of Jesus Christ, he begins to call upon the name of Jesus Christ.  He has in his heart and mind believed that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness and begins to call upon that holy name.  He is saved from his ignorance and from going about trying to establish his own righteousness. 

Verses 16-21 

Rom. 10:16 "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."           

"But they have not all obeyed the gospel."  Some seem to believe that all the elect will hear the gospel, believe it, and obey it.  However, this is not the case.  Not all of God's elect children hear the gospel.  Furthermore, many, who do hear the gospel, do not believe it.  In addition, there are some who hear and believe the gospel but do not obey it.  Thus it is plain that some who hear and believe the gospel do not obey it.  The Lord spoke the parable of the sower and told how that some of the seed fell on stony ground, and some fell among thorns.  Both of these categories of people heard and believed the gospel, but neither brought forth fruit to perfection.           

"For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?"  As we said before, some do not believe the gospel report.  They are so convinced, through false teaching or through long established traditions, that their righteousness is dependant upon what they do, that they cannot see that righteousness comes through the covenant work of Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice upon the cross.  This was the case with the majority of the Jews during Paul's day and it is true of the vast majority of Christian professing people today.  They still think that it is what they do that ultimately makes them righteous before God.  There is a saying among most of denominational religion today: "Get right with God."  The fact is that depraved man cannot get right with God.  If Christ had not made us right with him, there would be none of Adam's race that would be righteous.           

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  Any subject in the bible must be rightly divided.  There is a faith that one has as a result of having been born of the Spirit.  This faith is said to be the fruit of the Spirit.  Without this seed faith there can be no activity of faith.  Next, there is the "faith which was once delivered to the saints."  This faith envelopes the ordinances, doctrines, and practices of the New Testament Church.  This is the faith that comes by hearing the word of God.  No one will believe and embrace the ordinances, doctrines, and practices of the New Testament Church who has not heard the preached gospel of Jesus Christ.           

It must be emphasized, that only those who have been born of the Spirit can hear the gospel in power and demonstration of Spirit.  A person must be born of the living word (the Lord Jesus Christ) in order to be able to hear the preached word.           

"But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."  The Lord told the apostles in Mark 16:15, 16, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."  Mark 16:20 tells us: "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."  Also we read in Acts 8:4, "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."           

"But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.  But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.  But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."  Paul calls out some Old Testament prophecies to show the stubborn rebellion of natural Israel to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  While the Jews for the most part did not understand, or believe, or obey the gospel, the Gentiles who were not seeking after the God of Israel found the God of Israel through the preaching of the gospel.  To the natural Israelites, God had stretched forth his hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.           

Today, most of denominational religions are just as disobedient and gainsaying concerning the true gospel of Jesus Christ as the Jews were in that day.