one great commitment

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GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes

GUIDE: Draw members’ attention to the picture in

SESSION 5

ONE GREAT COMMITMENT

Personal Study Guide (PSG) p. 60.

DISCUSS: Question #1

The Point

(PSG, p. 60): What are some

To be saved, I must trust in Christ.

decisions you have enjoyed

The Bible Meets Life

making?”

What must I do to be saved? We make decisions constantly. Many

GUIDE: Review The Bible

decisions require little thought, and

Meets Life (PSG, p. 61). Read

most decisions require little long-

the following quote: “Life

term commitment. But the greatest

is full of decisions—lots of

decision centers on what we will do

them. Columbia researcher

with Jesus Christ. Knowledge about Jesus is not enough. Our need for salvation

Sheena Iyengar estimates that

is answered in Jesus, but we must each decide whether we will commit to that

we make about 70 decisions

truth and trust Jesus.

every day. Do the math and

The Passages

that’s around 25,500 decisions a year—or about 1,788,500 decisions if you live 70 years.… “Some of our decisions are life changing—even eternal. The greatest decision we will ever make centers on what we will do with Jesus Christ.”

GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 61): To be saved, I must trust in Christ.

62

S e ss i o n 5

Romans 10:1-3,8b-13

The Setting Paul had already discussed the universality of human sin and the possibility of salvation, provided through Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins. Our last two sessions focused on key texts related to these truths. In Romans 9–11 Paul expressed his concern about the situation of unbelieving Jews. Although most readers today are not Jews, Paul’s emphasis on the need to make a decision about Jesus as personal Lord and Savior is relevant to us.

STUDY THE BIBLE

Romans 10:1-3 1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning

Romans 10:1-3 10 minutes

them is for their salvation! 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but

READ: Ask a volunteer to read

not according to knowledge.

Romans 10:1-3.

3 Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and

attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have

SUMMARIZE: In Romans 9,

not submitted themselves to God’s righteousness.

Paul addressed the Jews, the

Christ is the only way to salvation.

shouldn’t be surprised that he

apostle’s own people, so we continued to speak in chapter

1 Verse 1. We cannot earn our salvation. Paul knew his readers typically were believers. He called them Brothers. As Christians they could understand his personal anxiety about the failure of many Jews to receive the gospel message he, Simon Peter, and others were proclaiming. Earlier he referred to his “intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart” concerning the frequent rejection of the gospel by the Jews (9:2). Indeed, Paul suggested he would be willing to be cursed “for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood” (v. 3). Paul and other first-century Jews had received the offer of salvation through Jesus. As Paul traveled on his missionary journeys, his practice was first to visit the Jewish synagogue in each town, if there was one, and witness to the Jews. If these Jews resisted his message, he moved on to the Gentiles in that town. Such was the scenario in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:14,46). Paul mentioned his ministry to the Jews first, then to the Gentiles (Greeks) earlier in this letter (Rom. 1:16). We can feel Paul’s anguish in verse 1. His heart’s desire and prayer to God was that his fellow Jews would receive the gospel. If they continued to reject Jesus, they would miss out on salvation. Paul did not mention here all of the possible reasons the Jews might have offered for rejecting Jesus. In general, Paul knew his message about “Christ crucified” was “a stumbling block to the Jews” (1 Cor. 1:23). Some Jews rejected Jesus specifically because of the way He died. Jesus was executed by the Romans on a cross. As a devout Jew Paul knew Deuteronomy 21:23 said that anyone “hung on a tree is cursed” (Gal. 3:13). Paul had certainly addressed this concern in his preaching. Other Jews might have objected that Jesus did not fulfill their understanding of what the long-expected Messiah (Christ) would do.

10 of his love for them. Paul’s love was expressed in his great desire for their salvation.

GUIDE: Share information from Bible Commentary 1 to show the passion Paul had for seeing fellow Jews come to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

SUGGESTED USE | WEEK OF OCTOBER 2

63

THE POINT

To be saved, I must trust in Christ.

SUMMARIZE: Share content from PSG page 62 regarding zeal for God: The Jewish people had a great “zeal for God” (v. 2), so why then didn’t they already have salvation? Their zeal was “not according to knowledge.” The Jews believed they had good standing with God because of the law, their religious traditions, and their religious activity. They had a false understanding of righteousness; they thought they could earn it with good works.

DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 63): Where in our culture do we often see zeal without knowledge?

GUIDE: Share information from Bible Commentary 2 to define “righteousness from God.”

64

S e ss i o n 5

If you have close friends or family members who have not received the good news about Jesus, you can understand Paul’s deep concern in this verse. He expressed his concern to God in prayer, but Paul knew many Jews had not yet received the good news. Verse 2. Paul made two brief comments to evaluate the spiritual condition of the Jews. First, they have zeal for God. They were definitely zealous for God. Paul could testify about his own enthusiasm for his Judaism. He said he was “extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors” (1:14). He used similar language when he testified before Roman officials later (Acts 22:3). A key Old Testament example of zeal for God was Phinehas (Num. 25:1-15). Paul might also have known about Jewish patriots who aggressively resisted Roman rule. Known as “Zealots,” they were willing to use violence to drive out the hated Romans. One of Jesus’ followers was nicknamed a “Zealot” (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Second, Paul noted the Jews’ “zeal” or enthusiasm for their faith was not according to knowledge. When they rejected the message about Jesus they were misguided or misinformed; they were void of enlightenment. Again, Paul might have been reflecting his own experience. Before he met the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was a zealous persecutor of Christians. As a Christian missionary, preacher, and church planter, he understood how Jesus truly is the Son of God and the Messiah. Today some people reject the Christian message out of ignorance. Perhaps they have a negative stereotype or caricature of Jesus or His followers that causes them to resist a Christian witness. Becoming a Christian certainly involves more than gathering information and believing mere facts about Jesus, but misinformation and misunderstandings need to be dealt with by those who witness for Christ today. Verse 3. At the heart of the Jews’ rejection of Jesus was their misunderstanding of righteousness. Paul distinguished two understandings of “righteousness” in this part of his letter. The correct understanding is the righteousness from God. This phrase could point to righteousness as a characteristic of God, but here Paul probably intended God as the source of righteousness. We can experience the righteousness God offers us through faith. Paul had mentioned that the Gentiles who trusted 2

Jesus had “obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith” (9:30). Unfortunately, the Jews focused on a second view of righteousness. They tried to establish their own righteousness rather than submitting themselves to God’s righteousness. The Jews mistakenly thought they could be rightly related to God through their works (vv. 31-32). Paul earlier noted that God’s righteousness involves a faith relation to Him (1:16-17). The Jews and the Gentiles would be saved the same way. God had not invented two different plans of salvation. The only way to be saved was through a faith response to God’s offer of salvation through the crucified and resurrected Jesus. Although Paul was primarily an “apostle to the Gentiles” (11:13), his concern for his fellow Jews prompted his clarification of what the Jews misunderstood about God’s plan of salvation. Today people who are not Jews think they can somehow earn their way into God’s good favor. They do not grasp that salvation is based on Jesus’ death for our sins. As Paul wrote, we are “saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift” (Eph. 2:8).

Romans 10:8b-10 8b The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.

DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 64): How do people today try to establish their own righteousness? (Alternate: Why is it so appealing to establish your own standard of righteousness instead of following God’s standard?)

TRANSITION: “Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, ‘a righteousness from God.’ The next verses will reveal how we obtain salvation.”

STUDY THE BIBLE Romans 10:8b-10 10 minutes

This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe

READ: Ask a volunteer to read

in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be

verses 8b-10.

saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness,

and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. We are saved when we confess and believe Jesus is Lord. Verse 8b. Paul did not deny that the Old Testament law had its rightful place in God’s relationship to the Jews in the past. He even called the law “holy and just and good” (7:12). But God never intended for fulfilling the law to be the path of salvation and eternal life. Paul clarified the role of the law in relation to coming to faith in Christ in his letter to the Galatian Christians. The law was the “guardian” that guided the Israelites until the possibility of faith in Christ arrived 65

THE POINT

To be saved, I must trust in Christ.

GUIDE: Highlight the two verbs Paul used to describe what we must do to be saved (PSG, p. 64): 1. Confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” 2. Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

GUIDE: Encourage the group to read what the author wrote concerning confess and believe on PSG page 64 to more fully understand these two key components of salvation.

GUIDE: Use information from Bible Commentary 3 to explain the word confess. Also refer to the Biblical Illustrator excerpt on page 71: “To Confess: A Word Study.”

GUIDE: Ask a volunteer to read or summarize Digging Deeper (PSG, p. 65) for more information on the concept of “confession” and why it is such an important part of a believer’s experience.

66

S e ss i o n 5

(Gal. 3:23-25). To the Roman Christians, Paul called Christ “the end of the law for righteousness” (Rom. 10:4), meaning its fulfillment. Now that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, Paul was preaching to Jews and Gentiles the good news about salvation in Jesus. His message was the message of faith. Paul quoted the Old Testament several times in vv. 4-8a to reinforce the distinction between relating to God through the Jewish law and having faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. In verse 8a he quoted Deuteronomy 30:14, in which Moses stressed that the law was close and available to the Jews. Likewise, Paul stressed that the good news about Jesus was near for them to listen and respond to. Any non-believers who read this letter or heard Paul’s preaching about Jesus knew they had to make a choice. For the Jews especially the choice was between doing works of the law (9:32) or receiving Jesus by faith. Gentile non-believers in the first century would have had many more religious options, including the traditional polytheism, worship of the emperor as a god, or the mystery religions. No matter what their background, Paul presented the claims of Christ to them. Today we make all kinds of decisions. Smaller decisions might be about what to wear or what to eat for dinner. Bigger decisions might include the choice of a career, accepting a marriage proposal, or planning your retirement. The biggest decision of all, one with eternal consequences, is the decision about whether to follow Jesus or not. When early preachers, such as Peter and Paul, proclaimed the gospel, the audience often asked what they needed to do. “Brothers, what must we do?” was the concern of some on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37). The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (16:30). Paul may have hoped someone who heard his letter read aloud in a house church might pose a similar question. Certainly nonbelievers today need to wrestle with that question. Verse 9. Paul gave his readers a concise overview of the proper response to the gospel message. Paul mentioned two interrelated aspects to one unified response. First, you should confess that Jesus is Lord. We often use the word confess today to mean our confession and repentance for our sins. Another meaning of confession, however, is a confession or profession of faith. Becoming a Christian is not primarily an act of our minds, but we need to affirm the theological truth that Jesus is “Lord.” 3

In the context of the first century, especially with Jews in the audience, to call Jesus “Lord” was to call Him God. The Greek word kurios could be a modest term of respect, sort of like our word sir. But for Jews especially the word pointed to Jesus’ deity. The special Hebrew name for God was Yahweh, but the Jews eventually decided that word was too sacred to be spoken aloud. So Jews typically said the Hebrew word adonai (Lord) when the word Yahweh appeared in Scripture. Indirectly and implicitly the early church affirmed the deity of Christ by using the term “Lord.” “Jesus is Lord” was an early Christian confessions of faith. To say “Jesus is Lord” faithfully and genuinely reflected the presence of the Holy Spirit in one’s life (1 Cor. 12:3). Paul also noted that eventually “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11). Second, Paul said becoming a Christian means to believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. The combination of believing and the “heart” might surprise some readers today. The Greek verb rendered “believe” includes an intellectual component, but Paul knew it included the aspects of trust and commitment as well. To Jews especially the “heart” was not merely a muscle that pumps blood. The heart was the center of a person’s identity and decision-making. Belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was central to early Christian preaching. Many Jews believed in the doctrine of a general resurrection of the dead at the end of time. The Pharisees accepted this teaching, but the Sadducees rejected bodily resurrection (Acts 23:8). Many Jews and Gentiles, however, rejected Christian preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. Paul focused on the crucial nature of belief in Jesus’ resurrection in 1 Corinthians. “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). Verse 10. In this verse Paul repeated the two aspects of becoming a Christian, but he reversed the sequence. Here he mentioned believes first, followed by confesses. This pattern partly reinforces the mutual relation of the inward conviction, believing with the heart, and the outward expression, confessing with the mouth. Paul did not outline all aspects of the Christian life. Most of Romans 12–15 deals with topics related to discipleship. Certainly for Paul affirming Jesus as Lord implied a total commitment to Jesus. Any and every decision in the disciple’s life should be based on New Testament teaching.

DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 66): What are the implications of confessing Jesus as Lord? (Alternate: What does the dual response of “believe” and “confess” indicate about salvation?)

GUIDE: Ask members to turn to PSG page 66 and summarize the first section regarding “easy believism.” Beginning at “Submitting to Christ’s lordship …” read aloud the last part of the paragraph to highlight this section: Confessing and believing are not a form of “easy believism.” Far from it. “Easy believism” teaches grace without repentance, salvation without commitment. Many want Jesus to save them from hell, but they don’t want to live for Him. But we cannot accept Jesus as our Savior without embracing Him as Lord. Submitting to Christ’s lordship is essential for salvation. When we confess Christ as Lord, we are essentially saying, “Jesus, you alone are sovereign. You alone have all power. You alone are my Master. Therefore, I surrender my life to you My life is no longer mine—it’s yours.

67

THE POINT

To be saved, I must trust in Christ.

STUDY THE BIBLE Romans 10:11-13 10 minutes

Romans 10:11-13 11 Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him

will not be put to shame,

READ: Invite a volunteer to

12 for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since

read Romans 10:11-13.

the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be

SUMMARIZE: Who is able to confess and believe in Jesus? Anyone and everyone (PSG, p. 66). The word everyone demonstrates the openness of God’s call to salvation. God makes no distinction between people; He desires for each person to be saved.

LEADER PACK: Item 3: “Quote from D. Martyn Lloyd Jones” (also on PSG page 67): “The gospel is open to all; the most respectful sinner has no more claim on it than the worst.” Use this quote to conclude your summary to answer the question: who is able to confess and believe in Jesus?

68

S e ss i o n 5

saved. Salvation is available to all who call on Jesus. Verse 11. Paul here quoted Isaiah 28:16. Isaiah had said “the one who believes will be unshakable,” but Paul, perhaps using the Greek translation of Isaiah, said the believer will not be put to shame. Paul likely meant that a believer who is totally dedicated to following Christ will not face condemnation at a time of judgment. Verse 12. Paul returned to his emphasis that God had only one plan of salvation for all people. God did not have one plan for Jews and another for Greeks (Gentiles). Racial bias was prominent in biblical times, just as it surfaces regularly today. Paul often noted that followers of Christ shared a unity that transcended traditional ethnic distinctions: “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). He made a similar comment in Colossians 3:11. God did not play favorites with different ethnic groups. He had chosen the Hebrews as His covenant partner, but they were to help bring others to a knowledge of Him. Israel should be a “light to the nations” (Isa. 42:6). After Peter witnessed to the Roman soldier Cornelius, Peter realized “God doesn’t show favoritism” (Acts 10:34). Paul knew God is rich to all who call on Him. God’s richness is directed to all kinds of people. Paul’s emphasis on God’s graciousness or generosity in His dealings with sinful humanity might startle some people today. Unfortunately some people seem to have the feeling God is stingy or tightfisted with people. They have a legalistic understanding of God, thinking God only rewards those who obey Him. While

it is true God blesses believers in many ways, God is a God of grace who “wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Although God loves the world (John 3:16) and did not develop distinct plans of salvation for Jews and Gentiles, He does expect humans to respond to His offer of salvation. God “is rich to all who call on Him.” What does it mean to “call on Him”? God is not pleased with mere curiosity about who He is; God wants a full commitment to Him. Verse 13. Paul then quoted Joel 2:32. Simon Peter had quoted the same verse on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit had empowered the disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 2:21). In the context of Joel’s prophecy the Lord would have referred to God the Father. Paul, however, meant a sinner should call on the name of Jesus as “Lord” (Rom. 10:9). Bible scholars note that Paul clearly was thinking of Jesus as divine here. 4 To call on the name of Jesus means to make a total commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Accepting Jesus is not, to use an old phrase, fire insurance. Jesus wants committed disciples, not mere admirers or “fans” in the popular sense. In the first century some people apparently thought of the name Jesus as the key to magical power. When some exorcists tried to use the name Jesus without a sincere commitment to Him, the evil spirit mocked them (Acts 19:13-16). Faith in Jesus is certainly more than mere intellectual assent to some facts about Jesus, though we need to acknowledge key theological truths. Paul regularly highlighted the resurrection of Jesus as crucial to Christian faith. Faith also includes our emotions and will. To believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior means to trust Jesus. Any deep, long-term commitment includes an element of trust. Ideally we will grow and mature as Christians over a lifetime as we trust Jesus to guide us in making other key decisions. If you are not yet a believer, perhaps this session has helped you see the need to make a choice about Jesus. Deciding to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you will ever make. If you need someone to help you make this decision, your pastor or some other mature Christian will be glad to help you. Perhaps this session will encourage you to share your faith in Jesus with others who need to know Him. You may not be a missionary and church planter and you might not write letters to churches, but you can share a verbal witness to family members, friends, and co-workers. Paul’s emphasis on “confess with your mouth” (Rom. 10:9) might refer to such verbal sharing with those who need to know the gospel.

GUIDE: Use Bible Commentary 4 to share with the group what it means to call “on the name of the Lord.”

DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 67): How has the gospel transformed your life? (Alternate: What is involved in calling on Jesus’ name for salvation?)

DO: Invite volunteers to share their responses to the activity on PSG, page 68: “Jesus Is Lord.”

69

THE POINT

To be saved, I must trust in Christ.

LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes

GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: To be saved, I must trust in Christ. Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 69; see text to the right). Invite group members to think about which application speaks most to their needs.

Wrap It Up GUIDE: Emphasize that, although God makes no distinction between people, and He desires that all come to a saving relationship with Him, we must confess with our mouths “Jesus is Lord” and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead to receive the salvation He provides. SAY: “The decision to confess and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord is the most important decision you ever will make.” PRAY: Thank God for sending His Son, who made the way for us to be saved and have a relationship with Him forever.

70

S e ss i o n 5

LIVE IT OUT Romans 10:9 has become my “go to” verse to explain how a person becomes a Christian. “Confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,” and “you will be saved.” How will you live out the truth of this passage this week?

>> Accept. If you have not yet believed in and confessed

Christ, do so. Trust Him for forgiveness and turn to Him for a new life. Read the inside front cover of this book for help.

>> Invite. You know others who have not yet trusted in

Christ. Invite them to come with you to your Bible study group. They will see Christ in the Scriptures and in the lives of those who trust Him.

>> Start. Help launch a new Bible study group with the

goal of reaching those not already in a group or in your church. A Bible study group is an excellent way to get people into God’s Word, discuss their questions about faith, and discover the truth of Jesus Christ.

You’re going to make around 70 decisions today. Include one that is life changing.

ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/KEN TOUCHTON (3/28/11)

SHARING THE GOOD NEWS

new believer confesses his or

Jesus has done all the

her faith in Christ. This act of

work needed to secure our

confession, a confession that

forgiveness and eternal

leads to repentance of sin, is

life, but we must make the

an essential part of a believer’s

decision to trust and follow

spiritual life. As Baptist theologian

Him.

W. T. Conner wrote, ‘It [repentance]

The archways on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. A Muslim legend holds that the scales of good and evil will be hung from the eastern arcade on the Day of Judgment.

“The concept of ‘confession’ is an important part of a Christian’s experience. Many Christians correlate confession with the beginning of the Christian life. The acknowledgement of our status as sinners and our profession of allegiance to Jesus express integral aspects of Christian conversion. The New Testament, however, does not limit the role

is an attitude that belongs to the

Each week, make yourself

Christian life as a whole. The initial

available either before or after

act of repentance is the beginning

the session to speak privately

of a life of repentance.’

with anyone in your group

“The Greek verb for the act

who wants to know more

of confession is homologeo. This

about becoming a Christian.

compound word derives from

See the article, “Leading

two other Greek words: homo,

Someone to the Greatest

meaning ‘like,’ and logos, meaning

Decision of All,“ on page 2 for

‘word’ or ‘thing spoken.’ The Greek

guidance in leading a person

verb for the act of confession,

to Christ.

then, has a range of usages

Remind group members that

including ‘promise,’ ‘agree,’ ‘admit,’ ‘confess (sins),’ and ‘publicly declare (that one is something).’” The excerpt above is from the article “To Confess: A Word Study” (Fall 2008), which relates to this session. More Biblical Illustrator articles are available that relate to this session. See page 7 about Biblical Illustrator.

page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ.

of confession to the beginning of the Christian life, when the

>> Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid (MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesFor Life). >> Grow with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog (lifeway.com/groupministry). >> Additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesFor Life.com/blog. 71