Romans 10
Moses’ Description of the Law
The First Commandment and Greatest Commandment
In Deuteronomy 6
Moses tells the people, God has a great land with great possessions
A great life He wants to bless them with, they are to do first
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Jesus, the Son of God, who came from Heaven with a message said
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.
Matthew 22:37-38
Moses said, No, the word is very near you;
it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. Deuteronomy 30:14
Paul says it this way
But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:8-10
What confession is in your mouth?
What do you believe in your heart?
Justification and Salvation come from our love of God
And the word of faith that transforms our lives
Moses’ Description of the Law
For most of us,
we do not think of the law of Moses.
As we read the New Testament…
We read over the verses that speak of
the law very quickly.
Paul says…
Christ is the end of the law
so that there may be righteousness
for everyone who believes.
Romans 10:4
If Christ is the end of the Law…
Why would it be important to us?
It becomes important for many reasons.
To understand history…
Everything from creation to the death, burial and resurrection
were types and shadows to help us understand God.
Another reason the law is important…
Is it is good.
The law was good.
And Jesus did not come to remove it…
But fulfill it.
We understand the life of righteousness
because Jesus demonstrated a life of obedience to the law.
Sadly, human nature looks to the law
as a way to obtain righteous by works.
Paul quotes Moses’ description in Romans 10:5-8…
Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law
Romans 10:5
The quote is from Deuteronomy 30:11-16…
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
Moses describes the law as…
…is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
Deuteronomy 30:11
Why would Moses say this
when no one has ever been able to keep the law?
Moses says it is not distance that keeps the law from us…
It is not in heaven and we have to bring is down,
it is not across the sea.
It is interesting that Moses asked the question…
Who will ascend into heaven
or cross the sea to proclaim it to us?
Jesus was the One to do this for us.
But Moses said to the people of that day…
You don’t need someone to come from
heaven or cross the sea because…
The word is very near you;
it is in your mouth and in your heart
so you may obey it.
Deuteronomy 30:14
How is this possible?
Moses says…
For I command you today to love the LORD your God,
Love changes everything.
Love is the foundation.
If we miss these words…
Love the LORD your God…
We miss the point of everything.
The closest things to you are what you love.
The things you do are the things you love.
Without love for God you cannot…
walk in His ways,
and to keep His commands,
decrees and laws;
Deuteronomy 30:16
The law will teach you how to live,
but it is the Lord who loves us.
He wants to bless you and increase your possessions…
then you will live and increase,
and the LORD your God will bless you
in the land you are entering to possess.
Deuteronomy 30:16
As much as the law helps social order,
Moses shows us the law was about love.
Faith is believing,
it is an affection for something or someone.
We missed it if we are looking for the law…
The dos and don’ts in life.
Loving the Lord is not so difficult.
No, the word is very near you;
it is in your mouth
and in your heart
so you may obey it.
When you love God…
His Spirit is with you.
Out of love…
You will want to obey Him and do what is right.
You and I cannot work our way to God
by trying to obey the laws of God.
We must come the way described
in both the Old Testament and the New.
We must come to Him in love.
The First Commandment and Greatest Commandment.
In Deuteronomy 6, Moses tells the people…
God has a great land with great possessions.
A great life He wants to bless them with.
And of all the things they are to do, the first is…
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Jesus, the Son of God,
who came from Heaven with a message said…
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.
Matthew 22:37-38
Moses said…
No, the word is very near you;
it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
Deuteronomy 30:14
Paul says it this way…
But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Romans 10:8-10
What confession is in your mouth?
What do you believe in your heart?
Justification and Salvation come from our love of God…
And the Word of Faith that transforms our lives.
Scripture Reading
Romans 10:1-13 NIV
10:1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
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