Romans 10:4-10:13 - The Confession of Faith Brings Salvation

Calvin (1/19/02-1/21/02)

10:4: Footnote: "End" can take on a number of meanings, depending on the topic spoken of. It can indicate the termination of something such as life or evil (Mt 10:22b - The one who endures to the end will be saved. Jn 13:1b - Jesus loved His own who were in the world to the end.) It can indicate completion or fulfillment (Lk 22:37 - That which is written must be fulfilled in Me, "He was counted a sinner"; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.) It can indicate consequence or result (Ro 6:21b - The outcome of those things is death. 1Pe 1:9 - The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your souls. 2Co 11:15 - It is not surprising that Satan's servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, but their end shall accord with their deeds.) It can indicate primacy (1Pe 3:8 - To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, kindhearted, and humble.) If the law is viewed as an economy, then, it being introductory and imperfect, Christ is the perfection of that law. If the law is viewed as regards its moral character, Christ is the fulfillment of that law. Calvin and many others lean toward the perfection, but fulfillment seems to better fit the overall context. All of the Law was given to lead us to another righteousness, that found in Christ. However, we cannot properly apply the Law to Christ until we have been stripped of our own righteousness, recognized the true depth of our own sin, and come seeking the gratuitous righteousness that comes from Him alone. It was terrible abuse to the law to make it such an obstacle as it had become. They rejected Christ, the soul of the law, and held fast to the 'dead body of the letter.' None can truly understand the law, except they see it in reference to Christ.
10:5: To contrast the law with faith most effectively, Paul turns to the giver of that law, to show that from the start, it was not given so as to bind men to a dependence on works. The law teaches of faith, and the righteousness that comes only by faith. Law and faith are in harmony, even while being such polar opposites. As a teacher of true religion, Moses preached the Gospel to Israel, speaking of true faith and righteousness, showing the need for true repentance. He also provided clear descriptions of what the righteous life was like, and what God's feelings were regarding righteousness, and the opposite condition of sinfulness. In all this, Moses aimed to bring God's people to faith, recognizing the futility of their own strength in attaining to righteousness, and seeing their desperate need for the divine mercy and goodness of God that is Christ Himself. Yet the preponderance of Moses' writings declare the righteous life that God seeks for His children, and notes the benefits of obedience, and the severe punishments of disobedience. In this sense, Moses stands in opposition to Jesus. (Jn 1:17 - The Law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were made real through Christ Jesus.) Thus, the 'righteousness of the Law' in this current verse applies not to the full and complete teaching of Moses, but to that aspect which described God's view of righteousness. (Lev 18:5 - You shall keep My statutes and judgments, by which you may live if you do them.) It is not just temporal life, but eternal life that is in view. The promise, in light of the impossibility of keeping God's law, ought to serve to warn us of the unavoidable curse that our inevitable failure must bring. Israel showed itself foolish in thinking the promise must indicate the possibility of compliance, and so striving after the unreachable goal. God's promises are indeed not in vain, but those attempts we make to attain to the conditions of the promise in our own strength are. We ought to know our own deficiency, and flee to Christ.
10:6-10:7: (Dt 30:12-14 - The commandment is not in heaven, such that you need one to go retrieve it from there so that you can hear and obey. Nor is it in some far country, such that you need one to sail the seas to get it for you. No, the word is so near to you that it is in your own mouth and heart, so that you can obey it.) Does Paul, then misapply this passage? What Moses applies to the Law, Paul seems to apply to the promises. Had Moses meant only the rule of righteousness described in the Law, his words would be empty, for the Law was no more achievable for the knowing than if it had been in some far distant place. No, it is the full truth of God, the Gospel, that he speaks of, for no part of the Law is ever in our hearts until it is written there by faith. Even after that, the perfection of the Law is not found in any man's heart, but there is the Gospel there, offering pardon for our imperfections. The kindness of God, which Moses describes throughout this chapter of Deuteronomy, cannot speak of the law alone, for the impossible law itself was no kindness. Footnote: Paul transfers the words of Moses to the righteousness of faith, taking the words in substance, rather than taking them literally. Moses is not taken, in this case, as confirming the Gospel. Rather, his words are taken and applied in analogy. Moses had spoken of heavens and seas to intimate great distances. Paul, applies the phrases to Christ, bringing a new sense of spirituality to the passage. Paul does not seek to explain the Mosaic passage, but to apply it to his present subject. He, too, speaks of inaccessible places. The faith of the Gospel is sustained by the death and resurrection of Christ, which has obtained life and conquered death for us. Any doubt as may concern our eternal life in heaven, or the final destruction of the soul in death are removed by the fact of Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. To doubt our own estate would be to deny Christ's own death, and to deny His own place in heaven.
10:8: Great is the contrast between the righteousness of the law and that of the gospel. The one is distant, restraining us from coming near to itself. The other puts itself at hand, inviting us to 'be a fruition of itself.' In the word of God, we have a mirror by which to look upon heaven. Were we to look directly, it would blind and overwhelm not only sight, but the mind itself. How comforting to know that word to be as certain as reality! That word, the source of our calm faith in salvation, was declared even by Moses. The word that so comforts us cannot be the law, it must be faith, the Gospel message. The word of faith is the word of promise. It is the Gospel itself. Footnote: It requires faith, it is worthy of our faith, and it generates and supports our faith. The law demands works, but the Gospel requires only faith. Notice that it is the word that we preach. Paul identifies himself with Moses to show that there is no difference between their messages.
10:9: "Wherever the word of the Lord is, it ought to bring forth fruit; and the fruit is the confession of the mouth." In truth, the faith of the heart should precede the confession of the mouth. Yet, it rightly declares Jesus as the source and object of our faith. Footnote: The order of mouth and heart follows the order of the Mosaic passage being alluded to. Pareus notes that we cannot know of another's faith except by his confession of it. It is an order from the apparent to the hidden. (Ro 13:13 - Behave as in the day, not in drunkenness, promiscuity, sensuality, strife, and jealousy. Ro 15:13 - May the hope of God fill you with joy, peace, and hope by the Holy Spirit.) Note that in the following verse, the order is reversed to the logical order. Although only the resurrection is noted, this must never be thought as the sole matter of Christ's efficacy. It was His death that worked our redemption, and reconciled us to God. The resurrection brought victory over sin and death and Satan, resulting in righteousness, new life, and immortality. Where His resurrection is spoken of, it always includes His death. In the resurrection, we are reminded of Christ's purpose in rising. He had the power to raise Himself, yet the work is generally ascribed to the Father.
10:10: Footnote: It is not to be understood in this that righteousness results solely from the heart action, and salvation from the vocal. The two are inseparably connected. Righteousness and salvation are joined concepts. Faith and confession ought to be as well. We are just because we have believed God to be propitious to us in Christ. Faith is not a head matter, but a heart matter, a matter of 'serious and sincere feeling.' It is far from a simple notion, being rather firm and confident. It is not that our confession causes our salvation, but that God so orders things that the work of faith must find completion in confession. Faith without confession, like faith without works, is empty and dead. "No one can believe with the heart without confessing with the mouth: it is indeed a necessary consequence." Confession cannot be considered optional. How shall we claim the fire, "when there is neither flame nor heat"?
10:11: Isaiah's prophecy is brought forth again, showing that the inclusion of the Gentiles is in full accord with the Law. Footnote: The Hebrew is actually 'to make haste,' but the concept expressed by being made ashamed, or being disappointed is the same. The idea in the Hebrew was that haste leads to rash actions, which in turn lead to things we'll be ashamed of. Saul's sacrifice stands as an example.
10:12: As Creator of all, He will show Himself to all in His creation who will acknowledge Him as God. His mercy is infinite, and will extend to all who seek it. Footnote: God's riches include blessings, mercy, grace to pardon and cleanse, and spiritual privileges. "The wealth of our Father is not diminished by His liberality." So, there is no cause for envy between us.
10:13: Joel is brought to bear. A look at the context from which the passage is taken will show that he was prophesying about Christ's kingdom and God's wrath. It is in that context that this passage is written. Seeing as His grace will penetrate even to the pit of death, how then shall it be withheld from the Gentiles who yet live? Footnote: (Joel 2:32 - Whoever calls on the LORD will be delivered. On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem will be some who escape, as the LORD has said.) The Hebrew reads that they will be delivered, whereas Paul words it as saved. The idea is much the same.

Matthew Henry (1/21/02)

10:4: Christ having come with everlasting righteousness, it was foolish and unreasonable to continue seeking justification in the Law. The moral law sought the wound of sin, the ceremonial law was a shadow of the remedy, but the whole pointed to Christ as the true design. (2Co 3:7 - Although a ministry of death, yet the Law came with a glory so great that the Israelites could not look at Moses' face because of it, even as it faded. Gal 3:23-24 - Prior to faith, the law kept us in its custody, for faith had yet to be revealed. It was our tutor, designed to lead us to Christ so as to be justified by faith.) In Christ, the substance of which the ceremonial law was the shadow has come. The inability of the types to eliminate sin pointed up the need for another sacrifice that would. That sacrifice was made in Christ. The moral law required perfect obedience, but could not bring it to pass. Christ did. (Ro 8:3 - The Law was weak because of our flesh, so God did what it could not by sending His own Son in the flesh as an offering for sin. Thus, He condemned sin in the flesh.) The law is not destroyed, nor is its intent changed or lost. It's requirements have been fully satisfied by Christ, in His life and in His death. When we are humbled sufficiently to accept God's plan for our justification, the redemption offered us in Christ is applied, and we are justified indeed.
10:5: The righteousness of the Law lay in doing, and doing perfectly. (Lev 18:5 - You will keep My commandments and My judgments, for if a man does these, he may live. I am the LORD. Gal 3:12 - The Law is not of faith, but rather applies to those who perform the requirements of the Law.) The requirement is perfection. The performance must then be perfect, if righteousness is to be sought there. The rigors of the Law were designed to drive the people to the covenant of grace found in Christ Jesus. What folly to insist on the impossible path, 'when there was a new and a living way opened!'
10:6-10:7: Paul turns to the second law, Deuteronomy, so that Moses' own words might describe the righteousness of faith. (Dt 30:11-14 - This commandment is not too difficult, nor out of your reach. It is not in heaven, such that you require someone to bring it to you from there, so that you can hear and obey. It is not overseas, that somebody must travel far to bring it back where you can hear and obey. No it is so close to you that it is in your very mouth and heart, so that you can observe it.) The way of justification is not a difficult path, but a highway. (Isa 35:8 - There will be a highway there, the Highway of Holiness upon which the unclean do not travel, and fools will not wander. No, it is for him who walks that way.) We are not required to reach heaven so as to search out the divine counsels. Christ indeed went into the state of death, yet we don't need to seek Him in the grave. He has been there, and He is now in heaven, yet we need not work ourselves up over these matters.
10:8: The Christ we look to, Whom we received, is neither Him in heaven nor in the grave, but is Christ in His promise, shown and offered to us in the word of God. That word is not difficult to understand and believe. (Lk 17:21 - They will no longer say that the kingdom of God is over here or over there, for it is in your midst. Isa 59:21 - My covenant with them is that My Spirit and My word shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouths of your descendants now and forever. Jer 31:33 - I will make this covenant with Israel thereafter: I will put My law within them, on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.) This is where we must go to learn of Him, not to some far distant land, but to our own hearts. Our work is to look to our heart and our mouth. The Law required doing, but faith discovers the work all but done, and the little that is left made plain and easy in the word. We read it daily, and think on it daily. That word teaches us the precept of faith, and commands it of us as the condition for our justification, and it is itself the great tool by which faith is built in us.
10:9: The result of that word of faith is that we shall be saved. The requirements are simple: confess and believe. Profess your dependence upon Him openly, against all that this world may do to prevent you. (Mt 10:32-33 - All who confess Me before men, I will also confess them before My Father in heaven. But those who deny Me here, I will also deny them there.) This may seem no great thing, but the challenge increases as the hazards to life and liberty multiply. However, such a profession of faith is meaningless if the heart is not in it. Without belief, confession is a mockery. Since the resurrection was the declaration with power that Jesus was truly the Son of God, it is this that is the cornerstone of belief. This, God declared to be full evidence. This we must believe and accept.
10:10: In truth, the faith of belief in the heart must precede true confession in the mouth. It is more than bare understanding that is required. The will must give its consent. Faith brings that righteousness that both justifies and sanctifies. (Ro 5:1 - Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Ac 15:9 - He makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile, cleansing their hearts by faith.) Confession is made to God in our prayers and our praise of Him. It is made to men by open declarations of God's ways before man, especially where such confessions are in the face of persecution. (Ro 15:6 - With one accord and one voice, may you glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.) It is only fitting that the mouth should honor God, who made the mouth. (Ex 4:11 - Who makes man's mouth? Or who makes man deaf or dumb? Who decides whether he shall be blind or see? Is it not I, the LORD? Lk 21:15 - I will give you speech and wisdom, such that your opponents will be unable to refute you. Php 2:11 - Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Mt 10:32 - Every one that confesses me before men, I will confess before My Father in heaven.) Justification by faith is our foundation, but the building laid upon it is built by confession. So we see the terms of our salvation: a complete surrender of body and soul to God, this is that which we must do and live.
10:11: Here, Paul again quotes Isa 28:16. Those who believe will not be ashamed to confess Him whom they trust. Denial of Christ is sin (Mk 8:38 - Whoever is ashamed of me in this sinful age, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in glory with the holy angels.) The believer will not quickly run away from the sufferings that come. Though true religion be despised, he will not be ashamed to own it his. His hope in Christ will not be disappointed. Never will we find cause to repent of our trust in Him.
10:12: Jew and Gentile are on equal footing before God. (Col 3:11 - There is no distinction between them, for Christ is all, and He is in all.) It is not as though one God had created the Jews, and another the rest of the nations. One God created all, and He is the same to all His creation. When He declared Himself gracious and merciful, it was not only toward the Jews that He said He was so, but to all His creatures. His supply of goodness is inexhaustible toward all who call on Him. Indeed, we must do something to obtain this gift of His: we must call on Him. (Eze 36:37 - The LORD says, "I will allow the house of Israel to ask Me to increase their men like a flock.") For us, it remains only to ask in prayer.
10:13: No restriction is placed on the offer. Whoever will call on Him will He save. How is it surprising that His salvation is extended to the Gentiles as well as the Jews? Had not Joel foretold it? (Joel 2:32 - So it will come about: whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered. On Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, there will be those who escape the coming destruction, says the LORD. Among the survivors whom He calls, there will be those who escape.) The calling is prayer, the life of the Christian. Prayer "implies a sense of our dependence on Him, an entire dedication of ourselves to Him, and a believing expectation of our all from Him." [emphasis mine.]

Adam Clarke (1/21/02)

10:4: "Where the law ends, Christ begins." The law cannot save, but it leads us to the door of Him who can. Without the work of Christ, the law becomes meaningless. (Ps 40:6-8 - You have not desired sacrifices and offerings. You have not required them. But, I come. In the scroll it is written of Me that I delight to do Your will, My God, for Your law is in my heart. Heb 10:4-10 - The blood of goats and bulls couldn't remove sin, so Christ comes into the world saying, "Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but You have prepared a body for Me. The burnt offerings and the sacrifices for sin have not pleased You. So I have come (as was written of Me) to do Your will." In saying this, He has taken away the first order which was in the Law, and established a second, by which we have been sanctified. For He offered His body once for all.) The sacrifices of the law were never intended as true atonement, but as a type of the true atonement in Christ. As He ended the sacrifices, He ended the law as a means of justification, for that justification was the purpose of the sacrifices. In rejecting Christ, they rejected the very salvation which the law required.
10:5: Assuredly, Moses declared a law to Israel, and declared the need to obey it. (Lev 18:5 - You are to keep My statutes and judgments. As you do so, you shall live. I am the LORD.) Indeed, the law promised life, but who could claim a right to life on its terms, if they reject Christ? None has ever fulfilled the law so as to merit salvation. (Dt 27:26 - Cursed is the one who does not confirm the law by doing it. Gal 3:10 - All the works of the Law are under a curse because of that statement.) All have sinned, and so all have been cursed by that curse. If not for Christ, not one soul could be saved.
10:6-10:7: Since all are sinful, it should be clear that justification by works is not possible. Faith requires an object, and that object is Christ Jesus, because of His infinite merit. No man can, by his practice of the law, bring Christ back from heaven, nor up from the grave, yet both His death and resurrection are absolute necessity for salvation. To deny Christ is to seek another Messiah in His place, or else to deny that He has indeed been raised from death.
10:8: There is no need to seek far off for salvation, for the way has been made 'plain and easy.' By His death, Christ has honored the Law. By faith in His death and His resurrection, we may attain to that salvation. In the preaching of the Gospel, that way has been clearly declared, so as to be easily understood. So long as we will seek justification on our own terms, we will fail. We must submit to the method God has determined for us.
10:9: You must acknowledge Christ your only possible Savior, believing that it was for your own offences He died, and for your justification that He was raised. It must be upon Him alone you depend, if you would be saved.
10:10: One who truly believes will gladly and boldly confess his obligation to Christ the Redeemer, and of the remission of his sins through the blood. The Gospel plan is both simple and effective. The most zealous attention to the Law had failed to attain to its justification, yet all who believe on Jesus Christ are freely justified, and witness to the life they have so attained.
10:11: Whether it be despised or not, the Gospel gives all heavenly blessings to those who will receive it, in accord with the prophets of old. (Isa 28:16 - He who believes in that costly cornerstone I have laid will not be disturbed. Isa 49:23 - Kings will guard you, and princesses will nurse you. They will bow before you and lick the dust from your feet. So you will know that I am the LORD. Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame. Heb 11:1 - Faith is the assurance of attaining our hope, it is a conviction of those things yet unseen. Ro 1:16 - I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe, both Jew and Greek.)
10:12: All are welcome, none have special privilege. One way is made for all: faith in Christ Jesus, for He it is who made all and governs all; He it is who is rich in mercy to all that call upon Him.
10:13: All who call shall be saved. None who hears the gospel, and believes will be permitted to pray in vain. Joel declares it: (Joel 2:32 - whoever calls upon the name of the Lord [who is the Christ, Jesus our Lord] shall be saved.) He will be pardoned and purified, rooted and grounded in Christ, showing His virtuous light in the darkness he is called from, saved with all power to eternal life. Belief and the calling upon God are one and the same thing. One who does not believe will not call. Yahweh is Him upon whom we call. Jesus Christ is the name by which we call. He whom we call and He by whom we call are One, and the call is answered by salvation.

Barnes' Notes (1/22/02-1/23/02)

10:4: Faith is implied, for belief alone brings no benefit. The end is the completion or perfection of a thing, or its boundary, its result, its termination. It may also refer to the result of prophecy. (Jn 13:1 - Jesus knew His hour had come, in which He would depart the world. He had loved His own who were in the world unto the end. Lk 22:37 - I tell you that what was written must be fulfilled in Me. When it was said that He was numbered with transgressors, it referred to Me, and it must be fulfilled. 1Ti 1:5 - The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. 1Pe 1:9 - The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your soul. Ro 14:9 - To this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord of the dead and the living.) It is this latter idea of design or purpose that is intended in the current verse. The purpose of the Law was to lead to justification. This was also Christ's purpose. In Christ, the purpose of the Law has finally been realized. While we can see Christ as the fulfillment of the ceremonies, as the One who perfectly obeyed the moral law, and as that which the Law points to, the verse speaks simply of the united goal of Law and Christ: our justification. (Ro 1:17 - The Gospel is the righteousness of God revealed to faith, for the righteous man shall live by faith.)
10:5: (Lev 18:5 - You shall keep My statutes and judgments, by which the man who does so may live. I am the LORD.) Again, Paul moves to show that his doctrine was not some new creation, but a position long since established in Scripture. The righteousness Moses wrote of required a perfect obedience to all the requirements of the Law. He declared that which was due to any man who so obeyed, and as with any other law, each man is assumed innocent until shown guilty. However, Moses does not claim that any man had or would be found innocent of breaching God's Law. Scripture shows us no instance of such an innocent man. (Mt 5:19 - Whoever cancels the most minor of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise shall be least in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever keeps and teaches them shall be called great in that kingdom. Mt 7:24 - Everyone who hears My words and acts is to be compared to a wise builder who builds his house upon the rock. Mt 7:26 - Everyone who hears My words and fails to act is like the foolish man who builds his house on sand. Mt 23:3 - Do all that they tell you, but don't do as they do, for they do not do as they say. Mk 3:35 - Whoever does the will of God is My brother, sister, and mother. Lk 6:46 - Why do you call Me Lord, yet you don't do as I say?) In obedience, the righteous man finds happiness, both now and in the life to come. Obedience promotes not only order, but also health, purity, and benevolence. (Jn 5:24 - Truly, he who hears My words and believes God who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but passes out of death into life.) A look at Jewish writings shows that they, too, understood Moses to be speaking of blessings beyond this life. For the righteous man, the very act of obeying is a source of happiness, apart from any reward it may bring. This remains true for us today. Perfect obedience would still effect a man's salvation today, but such obedience has never been given to God except by Jesus.
10:6: No claim is attempted here, to say that Moses described the plan of justification by faith, yet his words are shown to aptly describe that plan. The passage quoted (Dt 30:11-14) declares Moses' words to Israel near the end of his days. Having declared the Law of God, and taught it clearly, he exhorted Israel to obey. To this end, he assured them that the Law was 'reasonable, plain, intelligible, and accessible.' It did not require long journeys or hours of research to discover what was required. All that was required had been set before them in easily understood words. Such travel and inquiry in pursuit of wisdom was not uncommon among the ancients, yet Israel need not pursue such a course, for Wisdom had come to them. What was true of the Law in Moses' time was true of the Gospel in Paul's time. To say in your heart is to think it so. The idea of searching heaven is a Hebraism denoting a most difficult, if not impossible task. (Job 11:7-8 - Can you discover the depths of God? Can you learn of His limits? They are as high as the heavens, what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol, what can you know?) Not so with the doctrine of the Law. Not so with the Gospel of faith. These were plain and intelligible. The application to Christ is not an attempt to lay claim to Moses' original meaning, but solely to relate the words to his own doctrine. They are appropriate to the subject of faith in Christ. No great work was necessary to bring down Messiah from heaven. He had already come. His coming was indispensable to the cause of salvation, but He has already come. We need not try to drag Him down to our aid.
10:7: The words of Moses are changed, but not the meaning. The change better expresses the language of faith. Moses spoke of remoteness, and the associated difficulty of obtaining wisdom from far places. Sea crossings were most dangerous undertakings in that day. (Job 11:9 - The measure of God's limits is longer than the earth, broader than the sea. Job 41:31 - He makes the depths to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a jar of ointment. Isa 44:27 - It is I who tells the depths of the sea to dry up. It is I who will make your rivers dry. Ge 7:11 - In Noah's 600th year, the fountains of the deep all burst open at once, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. Ge 8:2 - The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain restrained. Job 36:16 - He enticed you from the brink of distress, replacing it with a broad, unconstrained way. Your table was set with the fatness of life. Ge 1:2 - The earth was formless and void. Darkness covered the deep and the Spirit of God moved over the surface of the waters.) In the NT, the deep, the abyss, no longer referred to the sea, but rather to the pit wherein the wicked dwell eternally. (Lk 8:31 - The demons begged Him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Rev 9:1-2 - I saw a star which had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the bottomless pit, which he opened. Smoke poured out from that pit, like that of a great furnace, darkening the sun and the air. Rev 11:7 - When they have completed their testimony, the beast from out of the abyss will war with them, and kill them. Rev 17:8 - That beast was and is not. He is about to arise from the abyss and go to his own destruction. Those on earth, whose names are not in the book of life, will wonder at that beast when they see him. They will wonder that he was and is not and will come. Rev 20:1-3 - An angel came down with the key of the abyss, as well as a great chain. He took that ancient serpent, the devil, and bound him for a thousand years. He then threw Satan into the abyss, and sealed it closed over him, that he might not deceive the nations until that time was completed. After that, it is necessary that he be released for a short time.) The abyss is the opposite of heaven, deep and dark where heaven is high and light. Paul is not declaring that Christ descended into that abyss, but only that the difficulty of retrieving one from that place is not to be had with the doctrines of faith. Christ had already been retrieved from the dead. We need not seek to do so. To raise a man from death would be impossible, but such is not required of us for our justification. It is not by our efforts that we will be justified by Christ, it is simply by our belief, our faith in Him.
10:8: What, then, is to be done in this doctrine of justification by faith? It is no difficult thing, no deep secret, impossible to understand. It is near. It is easily obtained. Already, it is so well understood that you speak of it in common conversation. They are already a matter on which you meditate and reflect. By the preaching of the gospel, these things have been true among you. What Moses had said of the Law, Paul says of the Gospel, the Word of faith. (1Ti 4:6 - In thus teaching the brethren, you well serve Christ Jesus, being nourished on the word of faith and sound doctrine which you follow. Ro 10:17 - Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Heb 6:5 - You have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age. Heb 11:3 - By faith we know that the worlds were made by the word of God, that which is seen made of things invisible.) This was the matter preached by the apostles. This had been preached so often, in so many places, that for all it could be said to be near to them, requiring no further search.
10:9: Confession or profession is a speaking in agreement with another's position, in this case, God's. (Mt 7:23a - I will declare to them that I never knew them. Tit 1:16 - They profess to know God, but deny Him by their actions. Ro 1:22 - Professing to be wise, they became fools. 1Ti 2:9 - Let women be modest and discreet in their attire, finding their ornament in good works, as is fitting for a women claiming to godliness. 1Ti 6:12-14 - Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of that eternal life you were called to, of which you confessed before many witnesses. I charge you in God's presence, in the sight of Him who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pilate, that you keep the commandment completely until His appearing. 1Ti 6:21a - Some have professed but gone astray from the faith. Heb 3:1 - Brothers who share in the heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the High Priest of our confession.) It is a public declaration of our agreement with God on all that He has said; about Himself, about our own condition, about holiness and law, about the Savior and the Holy Spirit, about life and death, about grave and judgment, about redemption, about all such truths as He has declared. Openly acknowledge Christ as Lord. (Ac 2:36 - Let all Israel know as certain that God has made Jesus (whom you crucified) Lord and Christ. Php 2:11 - Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.) Acknowledge His right to rule the soul. But the confession is nothing unless it reflects the true opinion of the heart. The raising of Christ from death is put as the point of belief, for it is the crucial belief for the Christian. If it is true, then all that depends from it is true also, if not… (Php 2:8-11 - He was seen to share the appearance of man, having humbled Himself in obedience, even to the point of death on the cross. Because of this, God highly exalted Him, giving Him the name that exceeds all other titles, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee in heaven, hell, or earth will bow, and every tongue confess Him Lord, to the glory of the Father. Eph 1:21 - He is far above all rule and authority, all power and dominion, every title that man uses, not only in this age, but in the one to come. Ac 2:24 - God raised Him again, ending the agony of death, for death could not possibly hold Him in its power. Ac 2:32-33 - This same Jesus, God raised again. We all witnessed this fact. Therefore, having been exalted to God's right hand, and receiving from Him the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this at which you marvel for the seeing and hearing of it. Ac 17:31 - He fixed a day in which to judge the world through a Man He appointed. The proof of this appointment, He gave most conclusively to mankind by raising Him from the dead. 2Co 4:14 - He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and we shall all be presented together. 1Co 15:13-20 - If there is no resurrection then even Christ has not been raised. And if He has not been raised, then we preach in vain, and your faith is futile. Furthermore, we bear false witness of God, for we witness that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if the dead are not raised. If the dead are not raised, Christ is not raised, and if Christ is not raised, faith is worthless, our sins remain with us and all who have died in Christ have perished utterly. If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are most deserving of man's pity. But Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of all who are in the grave. Ac 1:3 - Christ presented Himself to the apostles alive, after His suffering, and gave many convincing proofs during several appearances to them over a period of forty days. Ever, He spoke to them concerning God's kingdom.) To believe the resurrection is inevitably to believe those truths that depend from it. The Gospel is ever the doctrine of salvation from sin and hell, and Paul shows that that salvation is easily obtained.
10:10: Genuine faith must influence the whole mind. (Ro 1:17 - The Gospel reveals God's righteousness from faith to faith, for the righteous man lives by faith. Ro 3:21 - God's righteousness had been manifested without the Law, yet this very manifestation is witnessed to by both the Law and the Prophets.) In God's plan, the moment of belief is the moment of justification. Sins are pardoned, and favor with God begins. Confession includes adherence to religious duty, declaration of God's truth at all proper times, and adherence to His ways in the face of all persecutions and trials as may come. Every gathering of Christians, every prayer meeting, every good deed, is an act of confession. Baptism, and a humble life of holiness are acts of confession. "In whatever way we can manifest attachment to it, it must be done." True belief cannot but show itself in our life and conversation. It is for this reason that Paul considers confession so indispensable to salvation. (Mt 10:32 - Everyone who confesses Me before men, I will confess before My Father. Mt 25:34-46 - The parable of goats and sheep. Actions either reflected the truth of their confession, or gave the lie to it. Lk 12:8 - Everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess before God's angels.) True religion is not present where there is not a willingness to confess Jesus as Lord. True repentance is not present where there is not a willingness to confess our sins. "There can be no true religion where there is too much pride, or vanity, or love of the world, or fear of shame to confess it." "The real feelings of the heart will be expressed in the life." (2Pe 1:2 - Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.)
10:11: Throughout Scripture, the doctrine remains the same: He who believes will not be ashamed to declare it. (Isa 28:16 - I lay in Zion a tested and costly cornerstone to be a firmly placed foundation. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed. Ro 9:33 - I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and offense, and he who believes on Him will not be disappointed.)
10:12: Isaiah said that everyone who believed would be undisturbed. This covers both Jew and Greek and every other nation. As regards God's plans for salvation, there is absolutely no distinction. This Paul has proved sufficiently in the first four chapters of this letter. (Ro 3:26-30 - He has demonstrated His righteousness in this day so as to be the just justifier of all who have faith in Jesus. All boasting is excluded by this law of faith. No room remains for pride of works, for man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law. God is not God only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles as well, for He who will justify the circumcised by faith, and He who will justify the uncircumcised through faith is One.) There may be differences between them, but not with regard to their sinful state, their need for justification, and the means provided by God: faith in Christ. None is more excellent than another in regard to justification in God's sight. In Jew and Greek, all mankind is represented, for the Jews took the Greeks as typical of all the Gentiles. The terms of salvation are the same to all. This concept brought every Jewish prejudice to the fore, every prideful thought came out at this idea. Thus, the apostles were ever careful to establish the truth of this fundamental. (Gal 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. You are all one in Christ Jesus.) The same God made both Jew and Gentile, and so was God to all, and He opened the path of life to all. (Ac 17:26-30 - From one substance He made every nation of mankind, determining their appointed times and boundaries, so that they should seek Him, in hopes that they might in groping for Him find Him, even though He is not far from any one of us. It is in Him that we live, and move, and exist, for we are His offspring. Knowing ourselves His offspring, we ought to know better than to think Him to be like these idols and images formed by man's art. But He has overlooked the period of our ignorance. Now, He is declaring that all should repent. 1Ti 2:5 - There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.) Both Jew and Greek should rejoice to know that the One God who made them has provided one means of return. God's mercy and goodness is more than is required by our present need. He has plenty for all and then some. (Eph 2:4 - God is rich in mercy, which shows in His great love for us. 1Ti 6:17-18 - Instruct the wealthy of this world not to trust in their riches, but in God who richly supplies us with all we enjoy. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. Jas 2:5 - God chooses the poor of this world to be rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom He promised to those who love Him.) To call upon Him is to pray, a distinguishing characteristic of the true Christian. (1Pe 1:17 - If you pray to the Father, who judges each man's works, conduct yourselves in reverence during your time on earth. Ac 2:21 - Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ac 9:14 - Paul had authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Jesus' name. Ac 7:59 - They stoned Stephen, but as they did, he called upon the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Ac 22:16 - Why delay? Arise and be baptized. Wash away your sins, calling on His name. Ge 4:26 - In the days of Seth and Enosh, men began to call on the name of the LORD.)
10:13: (Joel 2:32 - It will come to pass that all who call on the LORD will be delivered. On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem will be those who escape as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom He calls. Ac 2:21 - Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.) To call on His name is to call on Him. (Pr 18:10 - The name of the LORD is a strong tower into which the righteous runs and is safe. Ps 20:1a - May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! 1Co 1:2 - To all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Ac 22:16 - Why delay? Arise, be baptized. Wash away your sins, call on His name.) Having sinned against God, it is proper that we should confess it. As only He can pardon us, we ought to ask it of Him. In calling upon Him, we "acknowledge Him as our Sovereign, our Father, and our Friend." Our humility in calling on Him is assumed. He will not reject any who humbly come to Him seeking the eternal life and pardon that He offers.

Wycliffe (1/24/02)

10:4: Christ is both the goal and the termination of the Law as regards righteousness. Prior to Christ, the promise of righteousness was made on unattainable conditions.
10:5: The demands of Lev 18:5 (You shall keep all my statutes so as to live by doing them) left man in a tension, for no matter how great his efforts, yet he would fail of obeying all. Thus, the need for the sin offerings, and thus, no guarantee of eternal life was to be found in the promise of Lev 18:5. Christ, by His life and death, showed true righteousness, doing what man could not, and ending the tension of the Law.
10:6-10:7: Paul both quotes and comments upon Dt 30:12-14 in this passage. The 'it' that required no Herculean effort to retrieve was the commandment to love the Lord. Paul takes the passage and applies it to faith and Christ.
10:8: This is not to say that Paul claimed that a prediction of the righteousness by faith was made by Moses, only that the words fit the case. The aptness of these words of Moses to both covenants shows the compatibility of those two covenants.
10:9: Both the outward and inward response of the believer are covered, for 'inward conviction must find outward expression.' Belief in the resurrection shows that one knows that God had triumphed in the actions taken at the cross.
10:10-10:11: Belief and confession are both constant activities in the life of faith, both being matters of lifelong convictions.
10:12-10:13: Since it is this belief and confession that are required for salvation, it becomes evident that all distinction between men has been removed. To call upon the name is to pray to Jesus.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1/24/02-1/25/02)

10:4: In Christ is contained all that the Law demands. (Gal 3:24 - The Law was a tutor to lead us to Christ so as to be justified by faith.) The Law shows, but cannot give justification. It can only pursue a man to the asylum found in Christ.
10:5: The Law only recognized that justification which came of complete obedience to the Law.
10:6: There is no cause for the Christian to complain of the impossibility of his task, of finding Christ for himself.
10:7: (Pr 30:4 - Who has ascended into heaven and returned? Who has caught the wind in His hands? Who has clothed the waters in His clothes? Who established the ends of the earth? What is His name or that of His Son? You must know! Am 9:2 - They may dig to Sheol, yet My hand will take them from there. They may climb to heaven, yet I will bring them down. Ps 139:7-10 - Where can I go from Your Spirit or flee Your presence? If I ascend to heaven You are there, if I descend to Sheol, You are there. If I depart to the farthest reaches of the sea, even there Your hand leads me, and Your right hand holds me. Pr 24:7 - Wisdom is too high for a fool. Wisdom doesn't speak in the gate.)
10:8: Though Moses speaks of the Law, he speaks of it as it will be known when the commandment to love God with all their heart was written upon their hearts. Thus, it is fitly applied to the righteousness of faith, which is necessary for salvation. (1Ti 4:6 - You will be a good servant of Christ as you teach these things to the brethren, ever fed by the words of faith and the sound doctrine which you follow.)
10:9: In this verse, Paul sums up what the Christian understands from Moses' words. The confession may be of Jesus as Lord, or simply of the Lord Jesus. Either way, a true confession of the Lord Jesus must recognize Him both as Jesus and as Lord. (1Co 12:3 - No one speaking by God's Spirit can claim that Jesus is accused, nor can any claim that He is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. Ro 14:9 - Christ died and lived again so as to be Lord both of the dead and the living. Php 2:11 - Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Mt 10:32 - Those who confess Me before men, I will also confess before My Father. 1Jn 4:15 - Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God abides in God, and God in him. Ro 4:25 - He was delivered to death because of our sins, and raised for our justification.) In truth, confession follows belief, but the order is reversed here to align with the passage from Deuteronomy. (2Pe 1:10 - Be diligent to make sure His calling and choosing you. Continue to practice these things and you will never stumble.) Here, calling is put before election. Yet, election is clearly the first in order of time.
10:10: Confession of Christ's name, especially in the face of persecution, is 'an indispensable test of discipleship.' (Rev 21:8 - The cowardly and unbelieving, the abominable, and the murderer, the immoral, and the sorcerer, the idolater and the liar will all have their part in the lake which is the second death.) Here, the cowardly are those who failed the test of confession.
10:11: (Isa 28:16 - I lay in Zion a costly and tested cornerstone to serve as the foundation. He who believes will not be disturbed.) In the Hebrew, the thought is that the one believing will not run away as though seeking to escape danger. Thus, the security of the believer in that case was felt. Here, quoting the Septuagint, the wording speaks of a more solid security.
10:12: The saving grace that is found in Christ is abundantly rich, so as to be more than enough to save all who come to Him. (Ac 7:59-60 - They stoned Stephen even as he called upon the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit. He followed this by a prayer that the Lord not hold his death against them, and then died. Ac 9:14 - Paul has authority from the priests to bind any who call upon the name of the Lord. Ac 9:21 - They were amazed to hear him who was destroying all in Jerusalem that called upon the name of Jesus, and had come to Damascus to do likewise. Ac 22:16 - Why delay? Come be baptized and wash away your sins. Call on His name. 1Co 1:2 - Written to those in Corinth, sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, as well as any others who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord. 2Ti 2:22 - Flee from lust and pursue righteousness. Join with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart, and pursue faith, love, and peace. Ac 10:36 - He sent Jesus Christ (Who is Lord of all) to the sons of Israel. Php 2:11 - Every tongue should confess Him Lord to the glory of the Father.)
10:13: (Joel 2:32 - Whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered. Ac 2:21 - Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.) This is but one of many OT verses quoted in the NT, wherein references to Yahweh are applied to Christ, showing Christ's divinity. (1Co 1:2 - To those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord, wherever they may be. Eph 3:8 - To me, the least of saints, was given the grace to preach the unfathomable riches of Christ to the Gentiles.) The universal call supposes a universal proclamation, however offensive the Jews may find that idea. This proclamation Paul speaks to in the following verses.

New Thoughts (1/26/02-1/28/02)

I asked myself, when first coming through this passage, what the point was that Paul was trying to convey in verses 6 and 7. This, I think has become clear, as explained in the commentaries. What strikes me as somewhat more interesting at this time is, what did Moses mean? The words that are quoted are words Moses spoke relative to the Law. The Law, the impossible Law, an easy thing? How can this be? As I looked back at my prior notes, I see that this struck me last time as well. Now, I see a few new dimensions to the picture.

To begin with, we could restrict Moses to speaking of the definition of righteousness. The Law defines righteousness. It provides the only standard by which we can measure ourselves. That having been well declared, written down, and faithfully taught, it was not necessary for anybody to go to great lengths to uncover the knowledge. It was already done. It is certainly possible that Moses was so thinking when he spoke.

It is also possible that Moses was becoming a bit prophetic as he declared these truths. Throughout the Prophets, we read of a coming time when God would write His Law on the hearts of His people. That this time was yet to come suggests that it had not come yet, and yet Moses speaks of it as a present condition. Perhaps, then, Moses is standing in one of those places where present and future seem to combine.

However, I find a different key to the question when I look at verse 5. Moses writes of the man who practices righteousness. One of the definitions for practice says that it speaks to the meaning of the act vs. the means of the act. This sheds a somewhat different light on things. Moses was not contrasting two opposing viewpoints when he wrote. I'm not convinced that Paul is either. I think he was trying to show that the two viewpoints that people thought to be so opposite were more unified than imagined.

Calvin wrote of how Moses' words could not apply to the keeping of the Law, for the keeping of that Law was by no means made easy simply because we had defined for us what that Law was. No, if anything, it was made all the less possible to comply with, now we knew what was required. Before the Law, we could not break the Law. After the Law, we could not do otherwise than to break it. What, then, did Moses have in mind? Let me suggest that it was the meaning that he looked to. The means of the life of righteousness was still as far beyond mankind as ever, but the meaning was clear for them.

Transfer this to Paul. Is there more than one righteousness of God? No. Over and over, Paul has been careful to show that his teaching was not some new thing, but only a better understanding of what had always been taught. So, he reminds them what Moses had said about the righteousness of the Law (the righteousness of God). It was in the practice, the meaning of that Law that man would live. The meaning of the Law was faith. Faith was that which Moses had and knew, of which he could declare that no extraordinary efforts were required to obtain it. The rule was there. The rule was impossible to obey. But faith could answer it. That faith was already written on their hearts, it awaited no future day. That is the word of faith Paul was preaching.

Calvin writes that none can truly understand the law, except it be seen in reference to Christ. The meaning is not understood. The requirements are certainly understood, but the meaning behind all those requirements is lost. The meaning of the Law in large part is Christ! The meaning is that all have sinned. The meaning is that all are condemned, and need another means if they are to attain to righteousness. Knowing God to be a holy God, the meaning must be that there is another means provided. The answer must lie outside ourselves, for we are fallen.

One other thought along these lines… Matthew 23:3 rather jumped out at me in regard to this topic. There, Jesus is speaking regarding the Pharisees: "Do all that they tell you, but don't do as they do, for they do not do as they say." What is interesting is that Jesus did not condemn their teaching. He did not claim that what they were saying to do was wrong. What he said was their unwillingness to do what they themselves said was wrong! Jesus came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. The requirements of holiness are not set aside. The observance of God's commands is not now made optional. It is still in force. Do as they say. They describe to you the standards of holiness. In Matthew 5:20 Jesus declares that unless our righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees, we won't enter heaven.

Indeed, the only hope we have remains in the righteousness of Christ. But, if we don't even make the attempt, if we don't even seek holiness in our lives, how can we lay claim to anything that surpasses the Pharisees? If you love Me, you will keep My commands. That is the claim of Christ on our lives. What are His commands? They are the same commands God placed before Israel in the hands of Moses. Love God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. That, as Jesus told us, is the summary of the whole Law. What Moses took forty-plus chapters to describe, Jesus put into one sentence. That's the meaning. That's the intent of the Law. That's the purpose that drives the life of righteousness.

There's another definition that really caught my eye in reviewing the material on this passage, and that's the definition of distinction. The word means, among other things, the different sounds made by musical instruments. Now, anybody that's ever been to a concert hall, anybody that's ever listened to the most basic recordings of song, will know that each instrument has its own unique sound to contribute. Nobody is likely to mistake a guitar, say, for a drum. In this regard, each instrument's voice is distinct. However, we have been looking at the idea of unity that is reflected throughout this letter, that has been the overarching theme we have been following, and look how that unity finds itself in distinction.

Paul tells us that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Ro 10:10). Does he indeed mean to say that there is nothing unique about the sounds of each? I think not. Indeed, with instruments, one can, with sufficient training, hear the difference even between specific instances of the same instrument. God is most wonderfully trained, being the One who created these instruments that we are. Certainly, He can distinguish the most subtle of distinctions between each of us. What then does he mean?

Consider this: what defines music? A general consensus would be that music at a minimum consists of all the different instruments, however many there may be, contributing to a single structure of song. Their voices may vary. They may contribute differing notes to the whole, yet the goal of all involved is unified. All work to produce the song. There is a unity even in the distinction. Like the notes of a chord, each part is necessary for the single chord to be recognized.

What an awesome truth for us! Each of us has our own distinct voicing to add to the kingdom of God. Each of us has our own very specific contribution to make. Each of us has good works specifically prepared by God for us to do. Not for any other, but for us. And all serves to create a symphony that sings to the glory of God! There is no distinction. God loves each of us, and offers each of us the same salvation. Yet, there is a distinction. God tailors His providence to each of our needs. His methods for reaching me are not the same methods He uses to reach you. The specific deeds He seeks from me are not the same deeds He asks you to do.

But the result is a unified result. For, as each of us works to obey the specifics of God's commands for us, even aside from serving His unified purpose, we find a unity of result in ourselves. The very act of obeying God is a source of happiness for us. We require no reward or prize for having done what He asked. The doing is its own reward. The joy of serving Him in obedience is sufficient payment. Here then is the symphony that our distinct contributions have been creating: a service of obedience, to the glory of God. Those good works He has prepared for us to do are part of that symphony. They are the notes on the page that we are to play. But until we obey and do, they remain but ink spots.

This obedience to do as God has commanded is a large part of confession. Confession is but the evidence given to support the claimed belief. It is easy to say we believe in something. To demonstrate that belief, to live a confession of that belief, however, is only as easy as the belief is true. Upholding a deception is hard work. Barnes writes of this idea of confession, of living witness, in his notes. Every gathering, prayer meeting, or good deed is an act of confession. Baptism is a most visible act of confession. But the greatest act of confession is the humble life of holiness, for it is the evidence of an entire life.

"In whatever way we can manifest attachment to [Christ], it must be done." Every opportunity that presents itself ought to be used effectively. Every possible means we have of showing what God has done in us ought to be used. I'm drawn back again to Exodus 28:36, which speaks of the plate that Aaron wore on his turban, overhanging his forehead. On it was written "Holy unto the Lord." He could not but make manifest Who it was he served. It was written on his face. We are called into that same service, and Whom we serve should be just as blatantly written on our faces. No, I'm not suggesting that we all go out and buy gold-tone labels to apply to our foreheads, but true belief can't help but show itself in our life and conversation.

Look at the words of Calvin: "Wherever the word of the Lord is, it ought to bring forth fruit; and the fruit is the confession of the mouth." This is God's command for each of us, is it not? Go forth and make disciples. In not one of the manuscripts do we find this followed by 'if you feel led to do so.' No, that is our own addition. Like Moses, we want to beg off by declaring ourselves incapable and unworthy. Let another go, we'll even pay his way if that would help. But where is our fruit? The same answer God gave to Moses is the answer He has given us. Luke 21:15 records His reply to us. "I will give you speech and wisdom, such that your opponents will be unable to refute you." The work of faith, Calvin says, must find its completion in confession. Here, God once again provides our lack. I'll give you the words to confess, He tells us. What cause, then, do we have left not to do so?

Lord, I know once more I am writing to myself in this. I stand guilty as charged. I have been most cowardly when it comes to speaking out in Your name. Oh, we've been over and over the excuses any number of times. No purpose will be served by parading that list before You again. You have already answered the excuses. You have already promised that You will give the words, You will give the wisdom. Yes, and I know that the thought of Aaron's plaque is not a new thought either. This, too, I have sought from You before, that my love for You would be as evident as that plaque upon my face. Father, I know all too well how quickly piety fades in the face of the workday week. It is entirely to quick to depart. Show me, Holy Spirit, how to maintain the life of holiness, the life of separation, even in such a place as this.

By most unusual means, My God, You have spoken to me of the first step. You have combined the testimony of a co-worker with that of a fellow believer to show a matter of character that You desire to work on. I ask You, then, to work in me, oh Lord, to excise that cynical streak that I have held to for so long. I see now that it is idolatry, for I have allowed it to be my strength when You should have been my strength. Rather than run to the strong tower of my God, I have run to the acerbic wit of the tongue. I ask Your forgiveness for this. I ask that You would help me to cast that trait far away, that I might walk humbly before You in the sight of man. This I ask, not that I might be glorified, but that You might be glorified for the evident change.

How shall I claim the fire of God in me if 'there is neither flame nor heat?' How can a passion for You help but burst out of all confinement? You have pardoned me. You have purified me. You have placed me on the firm rock of salvation in Christ Jesus. You have filled me with glorious light and placed me in this dark place as a beacon. You save me with all power that I might stand as a torch lighting the way for those still lost in the darkness. Oh God! Don't let my pride shutter the light! Burn it out of me, oh God. So much vanity, so much fear for my reputation! This is most unbecoming for a child of God. The words of Barnes give me great cause to beseech You once more! "There can be no true religion where there is too much pride, or vanity, or love of the world, or fear of shame to confess it." I pray, then, that You would give to me the boldness to change. Give me, oh Lord, the strength to set aside my reputation and seek only Yours. Protect me from false humility, and give me a true humility. Help me, oh my God, to remember that I remain Corum Deo - before Your face - all the day long.