Introduction

When we come to chapter 10 of Romans we find ourselves in a very different environment from that of Romans 9. It has been said that Romans 9 deals with God's sovereignty and Romans 10 deals with man's responsibility. In a broad and general sense this is a true contrast but it needs some qualification. As we shall see, the chapters are not contrasting but complimentary.

What we have in chapter 9 is a defense of God's faithfulness and righteousness in His covenantal dealings with Israel. God's word of promise, we are told, has not failed even though Israel is in mass fallen and perishing. God's word has not failed because His covenant promises operate along the lines of sovereign election (in sovereign mercy and in sovereign severity).

What we have in chapter 10 is an explanation of Israel's unbelief, ignorance, disobedience and obstinance in contrast to God's lovingkindness in giving them His word of promise.

The compliment of chapter 9 with 10 is this: God exercises sovereign election (bestowing sovereign mercy and extending sovereign severity) upon a disobedient and obstinate human family (Jew and Gentile) which man for man shrugs its shoulders in the face of His love. Nonetheless, God stretches out His hands with the gospel as it is carried forth by His people. It is a missionary text (how shall they hear without someone sent?) that is grounded in the sovereignty of God. In other words, evangelism is first and foremost the work of God in carrying out His sovereign purposes.

This brings us to the dual topics of the sovereignty of God and evangelism presented here as the sovereignty of God and the evangelism of Jew and Gentile. But they combine into the sovereignty of God in evangelism with a stress on God. What I want to say is captured in the title for this message: "The Outstretched Hands of God." God stretching out His hands to sinners is the primary fact in evangelism and missions.

Therefore, the human activity of evangelism is the context of the divine (sovereign) activity of inviting sinners to the gospel feast. In our extending of the invitation, God extends the invitation. But we want to make patently clear that in this God is not dependent on us; we are fully and totally dependent on Him.

From this emerges some basic features of evangelism that are mentioned in Romans 10 and that are not ruled out by God's sovereignty. These are 1) the guilt of sinners, 2) the way of salvation, 3) the overture of grace, and 4) the concern of Christians.

1A. The guilt of sinners

Paul deals with both Jews and Gentiles with emphasis on the Jews.

1B. Israel

The Jews conducted themselves with misinformed zeal (v. 2) coupled with self-righteous insubordination to God (v. 3). They used the law as a merit system to earn the favor of God and to receive righteous standing before God as a debt owed to them by God (vs. 4-5; cf. Rom. 4:4). They did not believe the good news preached by the prophets (v. 16). They were disobedient and obstinate in direct contrast to God's outstretched hands of invitation, promise, and goodness (v. 21). This accents their unteachableness, flagrant ingratitude, and rebellion.

2B. Gentiles

In language similar to Romans 9:30, Paul explains the sinfulness of the Gentiles that is the backdrop of their coming to know God. They were no nation, they had no understanding, they did not seek the Lord, and they did not ask for Him (10:19-20). They were used to make Israel envious and angry as part of God judgment on Israel. They evidence sovereign mercy given to those who found what they did not seek. Interestingly, all who call will be saved (v. 13, all who ask and seek will find-Sermon on the Mount) but here explicitly none seek or ask. This is how sovereignty and responsibility are interfaced: God reveals Himself to those who do not seek Him or ask for Him and by this introduction of Himself, by this call, they come to know Him, seek Him and ask for Him. The Gentiles, you and me, are called (9:24, even us). Think of your conversion. Why did you call out to the Lord seeking Him? It was in your heart to do this. How so? It was in your heart by God's effectual working in you by the gospel.

The point of this in the flow of these chapters is that election, mercy, hardening are not irrespective of guilt, and sovereignty does not rule out or operate irrespective of guilt. Rather, sovereign election, sovereign mercy, and sovereign severity presuppose both a religious arrogance and an irreligious indifference among Jew and Gentile. In either case (of mercy or severity) one thing is patently clear: the recipients are guilty sinners. This is presupposed in evangelism. The need is great and would be hopeless except for the fact that God is the great Evangelist who introduces sinners to Himself.

2A. The way of salvation

Salvation is near not far away. We are to tell the lost that if they acknowledge in their hearts and declare with their mouths that Jesus Christ is the risen Lord, then they will be saved (10:9). The way of salvation is not like this: "give your consent for Him to be Lord of your life, let Him be Lord of your life, allow Him, permit Him." This is not the duty to the gospel outlined in the Bible. This is not Bible-evangelism.

Instead, the way of salvation is found in the heart-felt acknowledgment that Jesus is the risen Lord. He does not become Lord by our consent. This is the way of justification and the answer to the pain of shame and a troubled conscience (10:10-11). With heart and mouth we believe and confess. Faith manifests itself in confession. One place of this is in the confession, the pledge, the commitment to discipleship that is made in baptism (Matt. 3:6; 20:19-20; Rom. 6:4; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the faith-baptism unit presented in the NT. Thus we call people to believe and confess the Lordship of Christ in baptism and in life (not at the altar).

In our witness we may tell people what Christ has done for us (cf. Paul testified to his conversion repeatedly as recorded in Acts). But the emphasis here is that we tell people what He has done and who He is and we tell them to acknowledge Him and in this way find salvation, justification, and peace of conscience.

3A. The overture of grace

We have already hinted at this point. Some things can be said about it.

1B. It is God's overture of grace.

Through Isaiah, God says, "all day long I have held out my hands" (10:21a). This is a heartfelt overture. It expresses longing and desire. It has the persistence and tenacity of a deep rooted desire: it is all day long. It is an overture of grace for God stretches out His hands as a gesture of invitation and promise. It is not quenched by the disobedience and obstinance of those to whom the offer is extended. The people close their eyes, stop their ears and harden their hearts and God abides with outstretched hands.

2B. It is God's universal overture of grace (10:18)

The "whosoever wills" of Scripture (here in 10:13, everyone who calls) emphasize the universality of God's heartfelt overture. "Whosoever will" is not a statement regarding the ability of people to believe. Instead, it is a promise to all who believe (how they believe is another story). God says to sinners, "why die in your sins? whoever believes, whoever calls will be saved."

3B. It is God's overture of grace through us.

Jesus preached the gospel to the disobedient world of Noah's day, to those captives in sin. How did He do this? He did it through the witness of Noah. We proclaim the word (10:8). The message is spread by preaching (10:14-15). As we witness, God gives the overture of grace.

4A. The concern of Christians

Paul shows us that love from us to the neighbor is not ruled out by the doctrine of God's sovereignty. The opening verse is an example to us (10:1). Two things are here: longing and depending. When he thinks of his kin his heart is filled with desire that they be saved. This is consciously before God and it is conjoined with prayer to God for their salvation.

The sin is great and the situation is desperate. But Paul is not filled with despair, abandonment, hopelessness or melancholy. Rather, as his desire is stirred up, his prayers rise up.

An aid in cultivating this control of what could be an overwhelming desire, of what could become a heart sickness, is Deuteronomy 29:29 and the dependence of prayer fixed firmly on the Lord. The things revealed are the facts of sovereign mercy and severity. The things revealed show us our helplessness but ground our hopefulness. The secret things belong to God. If we cannot pray for the lost, if we have no concern, then we have probably entered in where we do not belong. Thus, you can't be thinking like this: "how can I ask God to save someone who may not be elect." You are out of bounds. That is confusing the secret things with those revealed.

God is good, faithful, righteous, sovereign and loving. We must fix our hope in Him. He shows us that He desires the salvation of sinners even those He chooses to harden (Ezek 33:11; 2 Pet. 3:9). This is the deepest motivation underpinning our desire. And it encourages us to express our desire and dependence to the Lord in prayer, specifically in the prayer for the salvation of the unsaved whether they be religiously arrogant or irreligiously indifferent.

Evangelism is first and foremost an attitude expressed in prayer and reflective of the desire of God.

Applications (as to the gospel task and its cultivation)

A. From Isaiah 52 quoted by Paul in Romans 10, we have some applications this task.

1) It is a privilege to proclaim the gospel.

This is the case for minister (the pastor/preacher) and it is the case for the ministers (all those who know the Lord). It begins in the home and spreads to the nations. In this task we have beautiful feet (Isa. 52:7).

2) Proclaiming the gospel is truly good news (peace, good tidings, salvation, and God's reign as sovereign, 52:7). This is a privilege that has depth. It is a task of profound dimensions.

3) In this task that we fulfill by both lip and life, by both word and example, God is at work (52:10). God calls people to Himself though human proclamation of the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14). We do not go alone and we will not be defeated because He goes before us and He follows after (52:12). The great commission is given by the One who has all authority.

God is a missionary, the Missionary. He will not fail. He uses frail vessels of dust to accomplish His work. He does not depend on these frail vessels. They depend on Him. If some become high-minded like Jonah and refuse to do a task that God has purposed for them, then God will send the whales of chastening to spew them out onto dry land with feet running in obedience. Jonah is a warning but also a comfort and encouragement. We are frail as He was. But God is gracious and will see to it that the task of evangelism is accomplished and He has every one of His lambs in the fold safe and sound (all given to me, Jesus says, will come to me). We need to be willing, grateful, bold and dutiful to our task of evangelism by word and by life. It is a matter of beautiful feet, of profound heights and depths, and we are not alone.

B. How do we faithfully cultivate loving service to our sovereign Lord in His task of evangelism, to be co-laborers with Him?

1) It begins with desire.

There are two things we can do to cultivate this desire. a) Look at the need of others. Look and ponder and see how desperate the need truly is. b) And look at God's desire which is the ultimate example for Christian living to be like our Father and to be His image. Desire that is fashioned in this way leads to dependence and prayer. If weighed in truth, these things can lead no where else.

2) It is advanced by action.

As we ponder the gospel and learn its richness we have a fire stirred up in our souls. We cannot keep it in. We are blessed in heart and lip. The hot coals placed on Isaiah's lips burned the dross from his soul. You have not spent enough time with the Lord pondering the treasures of the gospel if you have nothing that you want to talk over with others, with wife, with husband, with mom and dad, with brother and sister, and with friends and neighbors. When we share these treasures, the Lord gives us more to relish and more again to share. Even in the presence of our enemies, God causes our cup to overflow.

May God enable us to stretch out our hands to the disobedient and obstinate with our eyes fixed firmly on Him in order to follow His example of evangelistic love.