The Free Call
The Free Call
Romans 10:5-21
In the days before cell phones, in the days before caller ID, in the days when people couldn’t screen their phone calls for telemarketers, I was trained to answer every phone call growing up, “Hello, Kiehn Residence.” I would pick up the phone, say my line, “Hello, Kiehn Residence.” And wait. One fateful day I was with my two best friends and the phone rang, “Hello, Kiehn Residence.” “Yes, is Doug Kiehn in?” (Asking for my father). My parents were out of town and my grandmother was watching us so with a grin, I covered the receiver and told my friends, “Watch this.” “I’m Doug Kiehn.” This is my first fatal mistake.
It was a telemarketing call from a magazine company. They started asking me questions, “Are you a ford or a chevy man?” “I prefer Chevy, because I am like a Rock.” “Baseball or Football?” Baseball, Go Cubs! The questions went on like this for 10 minutes. Then they said, “Sir, you just won a new set of Ginsu Knives.” As a 16 year old, I didn’t know what those were, but they sounded cool. Things were looking up. Then she said, “Can you talk to my manager?” This is when the nerves set it. Something was wrong. I made an excuse and hung up the phone. I had a good laugh with friends and I thought it was over, but I was wrong.
The next day I was met by my grandmother in the driveway after school. “David, we need to take a walk.” This was my first walk ever with my grandmother so something was amiss. She begins, “David, a magazine company called back today. And they informed me that “Doug Kiehn,” ordered $1,000 a month worth of magazine subscriptions and because of the size of the order it needed to be verified.” My heart sang. This was not good. Thankfully, she smiled and said, “I canceled the order, but you have to be careful when you answer those calls.”
Telemarketers do not care who they call. They call anyone and everyone that they think will say, “Yes,” to their product. In the 1990s, you had to answer the call, and politely decline or accept the offer. Today, we receive calls from Spam Likely and can hit the red button never having to even hear the pitch (or the AI generated robot on the other end). I remember one day several years ago when one of our senior saints, Max Phillips, called me and asked if I knew a Spam Likely, because he kept getting called by him.
We all have received those calls. Telemarketers, Robocalls, Spam Likely will call everyone. They do not discriminate. They are not a respecter of persons. It is the same call for all. In a similar way, the call of the gospel does not discriminate. It is not a respecter of persons. The call goes out to everyone. The same call with the same message to all people. But the call is no mere sales pitch, but is an invitation to faith that leads to everlasting life.
As I have already laid out, Romans 9-11 is the mystery spot of Scripture. It brings us to the crossroads of God’s sovereign election and human responsibility. Paul does not answer every philosophical argument, but merely says in Romans 9:18,
So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
And today in Romans 10:13,
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Divine election and human responsibility. Spurgeon was onced asked how he reconciled them, he responded. “I wouldn’t try.. I never reconcile friends.” The call of God to man and the call of man on God. They are not in conflict. They exist in perfect unity in the mind of God. They both are true. God is sovereign in salvation and man is responsible to answer the call. We must answer the call of Faith.
The Call of Faith (10:5-8)
Paul was zealous for the Scriptures. The call of faith was not a New Testament invention. The call of faith began in the earliest pages of Scripture. In Romans 10, Paul is continuing to to teach Romans 9:6,
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
Remember those two words we want to govern our reading of Romans 9-11: anguish and assurance. We want to have anguish in our hearts for those who have not responded to the call and we want to have assurance for everyone who answers the call of faith. Paul continues to show how the Word of God has not failed because the Word has clearly taught that righteousness is by faith. Paul begins by quoting Leviticus 18:5 to show the mistake of Jewish believers. Romans 10:5
For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
We can’t be 100 percent certain on why Moses quotes Leviticus, but it seems verse 5 is highlighting the righteousness by doing while 6-8 highlight the righteousness by faith. The righteousness that is based on the law, or the righteousness that is based on works, requires that the person who is trying to pursue righteousness by doing the commandments must live by them perfectly. Those who reject the call of faith must live with the call of the law which requires perfect doing. As one scholar notes,
Yet human doing, imperfect as even the most sincere striving must be, is always inadequate to bring a person into relationship with God.
It is inadequate because it is not perfect. Our striving to obey the law will never lead to righteousness. The law requires perfection. I remember taking a 9 hour road trip with the family. I was behind the wheel the entire trip and after 5 hours I lost focus for 2 seconds and the tires hit the rumble strips. And my wife asks, “Are you ok?” And self-justification rises up in my heart, “Yes, I am fine. I have been driving perfectly for 5 hours. It was two seconds where I was not in the lane. I am fine!” But I am not perfect. I did not stay in the lane. See, righteousness by doing demands perfection. One 2 second drift into the rumble strips proves my driving is no longer righteous. And friends, you and I, have drifted more than 2 seconds from God’s perfect standard. It does not matter how long you stay in the lane, if you go outside at all, you are unrighteous.
Paul has already made this point in Romans by quoting Psalm 14:3,”There is none righteous. No, not one. No one understands; no one seeks for God.” One day read Romans and notice how many times Paul quotes the Old Testament. He is not inventing anything new, but simply teaching what has been written. Romans 10:6–8,
But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Paul doesn’t quote the first part of the chapter, but it would have been very familiar to the Jewish believers and he already alluded to it in Romans 2. Listen to Deuteronomy 30:6,
And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
God will circumcise the heart and people will live by faith. God is establishing his relationship with Israel by faith not works. It is an act of grace. His work of mercy. God came near to Israel that why may obey him and now has come near to them so they may know him through Christ. As one scholar notes,
As God brought his word near to Israel so they might know and obey him, so God now brings his word “near” to both Jews and Gentiles that they might know him through his Son Jesus Christ and respond in faith and obedience. Because Christ, rather than the law, is now the focus of God’s revelatory word.
No one could claim ignorance in the Old Testament on the will of God. God gave them his Word. Now, no one, Jew or Gentile, can claim ignorance on the call of God in Christ. The Word has come near to us. Hebrews 1:1–2a,
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
Paul quotes Leviticus to show the essence of the law and the inability of the ‘doing’ of the law and he quotes Deuteronomy to show the gospel of grace. Law and gospel have always been connected throughout salvation history. The Law shows our need for righteousness and the Gospel shows the free gift of righteousness through the promised Messiah.
The Word of God has not failed but the word is near you, in your mouth and heart. And this is the word of faith that Paul and the apostles, and now us, proclaim. It is the same word of faith seen throughout the pages of the Old Testament: Salvation through calling on the promised Messiah.
The Call of Forgiveness (10:9-13)
Paul lays out the call of forgiveness applying the revelation of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the promise salvation. The Word is near to us in Christ. In verse, Paul asks, “But what does it say?” What does the Word of God say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. Then he explains how one is saved today, Romans 10:9–10,
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
We confess with our mouth what is in our heart. Salvation is found in Jesus. Righteousness is found in Jesus. We call him Lord because we believe he is God. By confessing him as Lord, we are testifying he lived a perfect sinless life. We believe he obeyed God perfectly. He never drifted outside the lane. He obeyed the law perfectly. And yet he chose to lay down his life by dying on a cross. He died on a cross to pay for the sins of all that would trust in him. He took the full weight of God’s wrath to take the penalty of every sin, every wicked thought, and every evil deed for those would confess with their mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead.
Jesus did not just die for sinners, but he was raised from the dead. The resurrection is God’s proof that the sacrifice was accepted. The debt has been paid. Righteousness has come near. And it has come near for all who believe. Romans 10:11–13,
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
There is no distinction in Jesus. All who call on him will be saved. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, Jesus is the same Lord of all bestowing his riches on all who call on him. EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The call of God to man and the call of man on God.
Friend, if you are a non-Christian, God has been gracious to you today. He has allowed you to come to this place to hear this message so that you can answer the call. God is calling you to repentance and faith today. He is calling you to salvation. He is calling you to forgiveness and eternal life. He is calling to believe. He is calling you to trust him. He is calling you to Himself.
I do not know what you are walking in today. I do not know your sins. I do not know your shame, your guilt, or your regrets. But God does. He knows every single one. You can’t hide from him. And he is still calling you. He is calling you to call on him. He is calling you to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and to believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead. Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved. There is no distinction between Jew or Greek, between prostitutes or the proud, the greedy or gluttonous, the liars or the lustful, all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. All will be forgiven and all will be justified, if, and only if, you answer God’s call and call on him. If they repent of their sins, call on his name. Confess and believe in Jesus as Lord and you will be saved.
Beloved, God is so free to bestow his riches on all who call on him. Have you thought lately on how he has bestowed his riches to you? The riches of his salvation, the glories of his inheritance have been given to you. The promise of everlasting life and the pleasures of his right hand forevermore are yours in Christ. Not because of your doing but because of what He has done. Rest in Christ. Be assured of the finished work of Christ. And let's call others to join us.
The Call to the Fallen (10:14-15)
Beloved, we have a calling. Our calling is to call. People must call on the name of the Lord to be saved. Paul asks a series of How questions relating to the call of sinners to Jesus Christ. Romans 10:14–15a,
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? They won't call on him unless they hear about him. How are they to believe in Jesus if they have never heard? They won’t hear of Jesus unless someone preaches to them. How are they to hear about Jesus without someone preaching? They won't have someone preach to Jesus to them unless someone is sent.
God can save people anyway he wants but he chooses to work through human means. He works when Christians who have been called by God, call others to follow God. And we do not merely call them to follow God, but Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who lived and died and rose again. We call people to believe in the person and work Christ. And if we are going to call people to follow the gospel of Christ, we must know the gospel of Christ.
This is why from our children’s class, to our youth classes, to our membership interviews, we talk about the gospel. We practice sharing the gospel in two minutes. God created the world good, but man sinned and rejected God and is under punishment. God in his kindness sent Jesus Christ to save the world. He lived a perfect life and died on the cross, but three days later God raised him from the dead. So now, everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved from their sins and receive eternal life. This is what we are about as a church. We are all about the gospel. Our services walk through the gospel every week. We praise God for his character, we confess our sins and failures in the past week, we remind ourselves we are forgiven in Christ and submit ourselves again to his Word and desire to obey from the heart.
We do this so we would have gospel culture. And a gospel culture sends people out with the message of the gospel. I am so looking forward to our members meeting today because we get to talk about sending people from our body to those who have not yet believed, to those who have not yet heard of Jesus Christ, to those who need to call upon the name of the world. From Scotland, to Portugal, to Sweden, to India, to Colombia, and to Virginia, we will be praying for those who want to take the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to those who need to hear it so that they may call on the name of the Lord and be saved.
I recently flew back to Chicago and spent time with Coach Pic who led me to Christ. He preached the good news to me and I called on the name of the Lord. I love Coach Pic. I would do anything for him, because he brought me the good news. I have a deep affection for him, his family, his life, because when I was lost he helped me find Christ. Romans 10:15b,
As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Pic’s “feet” are beautiful to me. I’ll never forget the kindness of God to me through him. Beloved, we often think of how hard it is to share the gospel. We are worried about the awkwardness and how uncomfortable it is and how others may be offended. I wonder what would happen to our evangelism if we flipped the script on the evil one; instead of thinking about how hard evangelism is, we thought of the privilege it is. We get to have beautiful feet. (I know, I know, feet are not beautiful.) Don’t miss the analogy. We get to be the means that God chooses to help them call on him and experience eternal life. We get to help people move from eternal hell and judgment to heaven and everlasting peace with God. What a privilege!!!
I am so proud of our church and how many of you have been beautiful feet to your family and friends. I am proud of how you are willing to sacrifice your time and money to help others call on the name of the Lord. I am proud of our college students who have faithfully witnessed together two times a week on campus. I am proud of our students who have shared Christ with your classmates and had bible studies to point them to Jesus. I am proud of the parents who faithfully and consistently share Christ with their children. I am proud of you as you tell me about conversations you are having with your coworkers who are struggling with life and turning to you for answers.
Beloved, you have beautiful feet when you share the good news. Keep it up. It is not in vain. God chooses to use means to accomplish his purposes. He chooses to use those who have called upon his name to call others to answer the call of God in Christ. There are many fallen sinners in the world who need to call on Christ. I pray as a church we will continue to give our resources to train and send our best to those who are fallen and need to be forgiven.
The Call to the Faithless (10:16-21)
We will share the gospel with people who will believe and call on the name of Christ. And we will have many others who will hear the gospel but not believe in faith. Israel heard the gospel but did not believe in faith. Paul quotes Isaiah and Moses again to prove that the word of God has not failed for not all Israel belongs to Israel because it is the children who believe by faith in the promise who are true Israel. Romans 10:16–21
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”
Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. Israel heard the gospel in the Old Testament but they did not hear through faith.
Paul is refuting those who are saying the Word of God has failed. By no means. The failure has not been with the Word of God. The failure has been with the people who would not believe. God has been explicit from the Law (Moses) and the prophets (Isaiah) that all ethnic Israel is not truly Israel because they did not believe by faith. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.” Righteousness by faith is not a New Testament concept but it has always been the way of salvation. The Law exposes our need and grace meets our need. Our need has been perfectly met through faith in the gospel of Christ through his life, death, and resurrection.
The Word of God has not failed, but rather quite the opposite. The Word of God is doing exactly what it has promised. And God is not being harsh with Israel but he is being patient and kind and longsuffering to Israel. All day long God has held out his hands to his people and they have chosen not to call on him. They have chosen their own devices and to walk in a way that is not good. Has God rejected his people? Has the Word of God failed? By no means. The problem does not lie with God but with the people who would not answer God’s call.
Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. The call of the faith in the Messiah has been ringing throughout the pages of the Old Testament and now is ringing in the pages of the New Testament, will you answer the call? The Old Testament may not have had the ‘caller id’ on who the Messiah was going to be, but now, through the word of the apostles, it is clear who is calling. Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. All who answer the call of Christ and call upon his name will be saved.
God’s sovereign election does not erase man’s responsibility! Both are taught here in Romans. God saves whomever he wills and hardens whomever he wills and the free call of God is genuinely offered to all. The Scripture lay both before us. Romans 9:18,
So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
And 1 Timothy 2:3–5,
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
We must hold both in tension. Both are true. How do they make sense? Well, that is a mystery that God has chosen not to make clear in his word. Our job is to call people to Christ and to respond to the call of Christ. God is in charge of all the details. We must simply be obedient.
God extends his hand to all, to Jew and Gentiles. He extended them to Israel even though they would reject him time after time after time, for the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. But even in Israel some will believe. And now it is not just Israel but the Gentiles. I don't understand all the details of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, but I know both are true for both are in the Bible. And God never lies and cannot contradict himself. If God calls us, and we respond in faith, we will be saved. But if God calls, and we reject his word, we will be condemned. We have a choice to choose to answer the call and obey, or reject the call and perish.
God is continuing to extend his hands to the fallen and faithless in the world through the preaching of the church. We know Israel rejected what they heard, and we know that others will reject what they hear, but some will hear and believe. How can they believe unless they hear the preaching of the Word of Christ? And how can they preach unless they are sent? Many will deny the call but some will believe. Some will believe when we extend God’s gracious invitation to salvation and your once ugly feet will become beautiful in their eyes.
I wonder how many of you are like Israel. You have heard the Word of Christ, you have been called to believe, but you have not accepted the call. God has his hands extended to you. His arms are open wide but you remain indifferent. You want to stay in your sins. You want to stay in your rebellion against him. The problem is not with God, it is with your faith. His hands are open, but you must take them. We see the call coming in but it’s not Spam likely, but Salvation’s Possible. It’s not an unknown caller, but Christ Jesus, your Creator, the Savior, the Lord of the Universe, who is calling you to Himself.
Will you remain disobedient and against him? Will you continue to reject the call? Or will simply accept the call of God and call on his name and be saved? For if you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and confess with your mouth that Jesus was raised from the dead you will be saved. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. We can try to justify ourselves by the doing of the law or by the righteousness of faith. We can either answer the call joyfully now or reject the call and be forced to answer it later. One day we all will stand before God in judgment and we will either be accepted because we said Yes to the call of God in Christ or we will be rejected because we said No to God. Friend, the choice is yours. All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved, but you must call. He is calling you, will you accept it?