Romans 10:1-17 | MISSIONARIES FOR CHRIST

Synopsis Throughout -8, Paul has tied the history of salvation with the history of humanity. He’s told the story of God’s great redemption plan for Jew and Gentile alike. And while Romans 10:1-17 is couched within a larger discussion of -11 and builds a specific argument about , Paul spends some time here on missions.

This passage can tell us a lot about what it looks like to be a missionary for Christ. We often think “missionary” means a very specific thing, but perhaps not. We are all missionaries, called to tell other people about . This isn’t always in a foreign country (though sometimes it is). And it doesn’t always entail preaching (though sometimes it does). But being a Christian does mean we are on a mission. And the mission is quite literally one of life and death.

The reading is Romans 10:1-17. ​ ​

The win this week is to understand what this passage has to say about missions: ​ 1. Every Christian is a missionary 2. Our individual missions might each look different.

On Mission

Read Romans 10:1-17

Commentary I mentioned earlier that this passage is taken from a larger argument about the salvation of Israel. But it also has a lot to say about telling other people about Jesus. Let’s look at what this passage has to say about missions and our role as Christians.

First, it says that all Christians are missionaries. Charles Spurgeon said “Every Christian is ​ ​ either a missionary or an imposter.” No matter where you are, you are on mission for Christ. Check out Romans 10:9. Paul says “If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and ​ ​ believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Part of being saved is declaring with your mouth. We talk about Jesus. We call Jesus Lord. Not money. ​ ​ ​ ​ Not America. Not the latest social justice fad. We declare to a lost world that Jesus is the answer. As Paul points out in Romans 10:14-15, people aren’t usually saved by ​ ​ supernatural, divine intervention. Paul says how can people believe unless other people are sent to tell them the good news? News doesn’t make it anywhere if it doesn’t have a carrier, it doesn’t matter how good it is. We are the carriers and bearers of good news. Whether it be in Sub-Saharan Africa or in China or to our classmates in the row behind us in our Econ class, we have good news that is designed to be spread around the globe. After giving our lives to Christ, this is our primary mission on this earth. This mission is more important that what major we pick or career we choose. It is the only eternally-worthwhile mission. ​ ​

Second, we learn from this passage how people are saved. People are saved by grace, ​ ​ through faith, as Paul says elsewhere. Paul uses the term “believe” here, in Romans ​ 10:9-10. We are to believe in Christ. But what does that mean? Believing in something is not ​ ​ ​ simply belief that a thing exists. When I believe in a person, I trust them. I can believe that ​ ​ ​ ​ God is real, but that doesn’t mean I believe in God. Paul is implying a wholehearted ​ ​ acceptance of the message of Christ and to believe in who he says “he was and is and is to come.” We are trusting in Christ. When we bring the message, then, we are not just looking for intellectual assent (even demons can give this; see James 2:19). Our task is to show the goodness and beauty of Christ and to draw people to him, not just belief that he exists. ​ ​

Third, we learn from this passage that each person preaches the message differently. In ​ ​ Romans 10:17, Paul tells his readers that faith comes through the preached “word” of ​ Christ. The Greek word for “word” here often does mean spoken word, but it doesn’t have to. St. Francis of Assisi is popularly quoted as saying “Preach the gospel always and if necessary use words.” Preaching the gospel is more than what we think of as actually “preaching.” You don’t need a seminary degree to be a missionary. But you do use your passions and skills to show and tell people Jesus. How we do that will be specific to us. Paul even says in 1 Corinthians that he would become “all things to all people to win them for Christ.” Paul was willing to strategize and interact with people on their own level to show them the beauty of Christ and the message of love and salvation. Though the way we communicate the message might look differently, the message doesn’t change.

Lastly, we learn from this passage our main mission is to show people Christ. Sometimes, ​ ​ though rarely, missions can turn into just “doing good” for other people. It’s more than that. It’s to point others to Christ. We see what Paul does in Romans 10:4. In a section about ​ ​ Israel, he says that Jesus is the culmination of the law. He does this elsewhere (see and :12-21) too. He is using the Jewish worldview to tell the story of Jesus, relating the gospel message to them. As he says in Romans 10:12, “everyone who calls on ​ ​ the name of the Lord will be saved.” Salvation is found in Jesus alone. This is the message ​ ​ that we are sent out into the world with. We don’t water it down or change it. We give it as it is.

A final reminder when it comes to missions is that we humans cannot save people. Only the Spirit of God can do that. The Spirit convicts a person’s heart. As we see in this passage, our role is to be a bearer of good news, but we cannot force acceptance. Paul learned this message throughout his own life. Some towns accepted him and his messages—other towns tried to kill him! Our role as missionaries is imperative but not the ultimate factor in another person’s salvation. Only God can save people. We can’t save ourselves, and we shouldn’t presume to be able to bring salvation to others by ourselves.

Questions

In verse 2 Paul says that they are zealous for God but it is not based knowledge. What does this mean?

According to Romans 10:9-13, how is a person saved? Is this all is takes to be truly saved? How do Christians complicate this message?

According to Romans 10:14-15 people are not saved unless people are sent to preach to them. Does this mean that everyone is going to hell unless we preach? What comes to mind when you hear the word “preach”?

Paul says in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes from hearing the message.” What does he mean by this? How did you originally receive faith? How can we increase our faith?

Application Questions

What are some reasons why people do not accept the gospel message?

What do you think the most effective form of evangelism is? Why? Who are some truly inspiring evangelists that come to mind?

Do you think that preachers who preach on the street corners on or on campus are having a positive impact for ? Why or why not? (Remember to be respectful in this discussion, as this can be a controversial issue)

Have you seen anybody model a missional style that you think is the right one?

What do you think about short-term mission trips (i.e. one week mission trips)? Are there disadvantages or advantages to those?

Not every Christian is called to overseas missions. How do we continually have a missionary mindset that goes beyond our own context?

What happens to a person who dies who has never heard the gospel?

What mission contexts are you in right now?

What is meant by the quote “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter?”

What does it mean to “believe in Jesus?” ​ ​

What are creative ways to share the gospel message that would be most likely to reach a college audience in particular?

Should you always be talking about Jesus, all the time to every person? Is there a line? Where is it?

I had a friend who is a missionary in Haiti tell me once: “I think all people are called to missions. It takes a special call to not go into missions.” Do you agree?

Resource Toolbox

“On the Death of Elizabeth Eliot” 5 Trends in Global Missions Tim Tennent - An Invitation to World Missions ​