Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd. P.O. Box #3762 Gillette, WY 82717 (307) 686-1516

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

CHRIST, THE END OF THE LAW

(Romans 10:1-5) 6/29/08

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

I. ISRAEL’S SALVATION WAS UPON PAUL’S HEART (10:1)

A. Paul Prays for Israel’s Salvation (1)

1. This is the second time Paul used the term “brethren” (adelphoí - fellow believer or fellow countryman) for Israel. The context is very clear that chapters 9, 10, and 11 are referring to Israel and not the church.

2. Though Paul may be softening the blow of his words, he still exposes his heart and prays for the people of Israel as he did in 9:1-3.

3. Paul understands that God is sovereign in His mercy and hardening (9:18), Israel has rejected the Messiah (9:32-33), and God will restore Israel in the future, but He is still burdened for their salvation. Salvation (sotería), which can mean physical “deliverance” (He 11:7) refers here to spiritual deliverance from the penalty of sin. Paul has used this latter sense of the word “salvation” five times in the book of Romans (1:16; 10:1, 10; 11:11; 13:11).

II. ISRAEL PURSUED SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS (10:2-3)

A. Israel Possessed a Zeal for God Without Knowledge (2)

1. Paul bears witness to the fact that Israel had a zeal for God. He himself was an example of unprecedented zeal (zếlos - Eng. zealot) for God before he became a Christian (Ac 7:58; 8:1-3 cp. Ac 21:28-31 cp. 21:39-22:4).

2. However, Paul states that their zeal is without “full knowledge.” He does not say that they have no knowledge of God or His Law. Rather, he maintains that their knowledge was not full or complete (epignōsis - epi - upon & gnōsis - knowledge; i.e. knowledge upon knowledge). Epignōsis expresses a more thorough participation in the acquiring of knowledge on the part of the learner (Pr 2:5; Ho 4:6; 6:6 cp. Ep 1:1; 1Ti 2:4).

B. Israel Sought Their Own Righteousness and not God’s (3)

1. What was it that the Jews did not fully understand? They did not fully understand (agnoéō - not know) the concept of God’s imputed righteousness.

2. However, they sought to establish their own righteousness by attempting to keep the Law. Paul spoke of their self-righteousness in the previous chapter (Ro 2:17-24; 9:31-32). Such righteousness has been opposed already in the epistle to the Romans (Ro 3:21, 28).

3. Therefore, they did not submit themselves (hupotássō - arrange under, subject) to God’s plan for salvation and His imputed righteousness.

a) God’s imputed righteousness is by faith (Ro 1:17).

b) God’s imputed righteousness had been revealed by the Law and the Prophets (Ro 3:21).

c) God’s imputed righteousness has no distinctions (Ro 3:22).

d) God’s imputed righteousness was made possible through Christ’s death (2Co 5:21).

III. THE LAW HAS COME TO AN END IN CHRIST (10:2-3)

A. Christ is the End of the Law (4)

1. When Paul stated that Christ is the end of the Law, he did not mean that the Law was of no value. He had previously stated that the Law was “holy, righteous, and good” (Ro 7:12).

2. So in what sense is Christ the end of the Law?

a) The Law’s righteousness has come to an end for the believer.

(1) Christ is the end of the law “for” (eís - “with the result of”) righteousness.

(2) The person living by the Law cannot merit righteousness before God.

(3) Christ has become the believer’s righteousness through His death on the cross (1Co 1:30 cp. Ga 2:21).

b) The Law’s judgment has come to an end for the believer.

(1) Every violation against the Law of God that a believer has committed has been paid for by Christ (Col 2:14).

(2) Christ has taken the believer’s judgment and condemnation (Ro 8:1).

c) The Law’s system has come to an end for the believer.

(1) The believer has been saved by grace and is no longer under the regulations of the Law for acceptance with God.

(2) Christ has brought the believer into His grace and he lives under grace (Jn 1:17).

B. Those who Practice the Law Live by the Law (5)

1. In vs. 5, Paul explains why the Law must come to an end for the one who receives the righteousness of God. Paul alludes to Moses’ writings in Lev 18:5 that a man who attempts to achieve righteous by keeping the Law will have to live by all the standards of the Law.

a) The problem is that the man who lives his life trying achieve righteousness by keeping the Law will have to face the Law’s righteous judgment (Ro 2:12). In order to be righteous according to the Law a man must be perfect and cannot stumble in one point (Ja 2:10).

b) Scripture tells us that everyone has already stumbled and there is none righteous, no not even one (Ro 3:10). Therefore, everyone who lives his life trying to achieve righteousness by the Law will be punished by the Law because none are righteous.

2. As was mentioned, the Law is not at fault since the Law is holy and good. But man is sinful and cannot keep the Law (Ro 7:16).

3. The Law reveals man’s sin to him (Ro 7:7) and therefore reveals his desperate need for a Savior (Ga 3:24).

4. Therefore, Christ is the end (telos - completion or termination) of the Law in the sense that the Law’s objective was completed, which was to show God’s righteousness, man’s unrighteousness, and to lead man to Christ’s righteousness.

a) This means that the Law as a demanded obligation has come to an end because Jesus has fulfilled its demands and imparted His righteousness to those who believe. Christ has freed believers from its tyranny. (Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary, elec. ed.)

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Man’s Salvation Must Be Our Heart’s Desire

1. All too often, we are caught up with everything in our busy lives and our burden for the lost fades.

2. I believe we should take time to contemplate the lost, pray for the lost, and seek to share the gospel with the lost. In doing so, God will give us the burden in our hearts for those who do not know Christ.

B. Zeal Is Not A Substitute For Salvation

1. There are many who believe their zeal for the Lord will save them.

2. Zeal is good, but only when there is a saving knowledge of the Lord’s death on the cross (Phil 3:4-9).

C. The Believer Now Lives By The Spirit

1. If Christ is the end of the Law for the believer, then how is he supposed to live?

2. Paul has already answered that question by saying: 1) Those who have trusted Christ have the Spirit - Ro 8:9; 2) The Spirit imparts righteousness - Ro 8:4; 3) The believer walks in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter - Ro 7:6.