The Great Sending, Chapter 26

Reverand Dr. Russell Sommerfeld

Chapter 10 of Paul’s Letter to the Romans is a treasure chest for the Mission of God. What’s more, unpacking this treasure chest is like finding jewel after jewel from the Lord. It is not uncommon to become fixed on the brilliance of the shining Gospel mission of verses 14-17. Indeed, they glow with, “So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.” However, we dare not miss the strand of precious treasures of the Mission of God shining the way to God giving faith through hearing the word of Christ.

The treasures of Romans Chapter 10 really begin in Chapter 9 with verse 30. Paul asks and answers a question to demonstrate how the Mission of God brings His life-transforming treasures to people. Paul asks, “What shall we say, then?” Then, he answers: “The Gentiles (non-Jews) who did not pursue righteousness have attained it.”

Some treasure hunt!

Paul points out that the Gentiles (non-Jews) get what the Jews were pursuing, without hunting for it. What do they get from God? They receive righteousness by faith. God makes them right with Him and they can rely on Him by faith in Christ, not faith in themselves. The Jews, who had God’s covenant through which God chose to be their God out of undeserved love and gave them a worship pattern focused on sacrifice for forgiveness and a promised Savior, thought they had to make themselves right with God in order to attain righteousness.

However, the Mission of God is God showing people what it is to be right with Him. No one can make himself or herself righteous or perfect before God. We are always struggling, failing, falling, and dying.

Paul has set forth the greatest treasure there is: being right with God through Christ and receiving righteousness as a gift through faith. As Paul further unpacks the jewels of this treasure store in Romans 10, he makes known his heart’s desire for those who think they have to make themselves right with God. He longs for them to stop treasure hunting and simply enjoy the Mission of God to rescue them through the actions of Jesus Christ.

Before Paul further uncovers the shiny gems of Romans 10, he reminds his listeners of how useless fake jewels are. Trying to obey every single Commandment and thus shine bright with self-made righteousness is impossible. It cannot be done! Paul observes this would be like going up to heaven to get a hold on Jesus and bring Him down to earth, or to go down into the grave and drag Him to the surface. The Mission of God is Jesus coming to people on earth. He came to suffer, die, and come back from the dead to ultimately overcome death.

The jewel Paul calls “the word of faith” shines with brightness in our mouths and hearts through Jesus coming to us. We depend on what Jesus did with His perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. We can confess, yes, affirm confidence in Him because He gives us that confidence. In addition, He helps us to rely on Him, from deep within hearts. Indeed, this jewel of the Mission of God glows within us as our hearts are set right with God. The warmth of internal peace with God made by Jesus’s sacrifice is unlike any earthly contentment. It is a peace that surpasses human understanding. This fulfilling treasure of being made right with God does not stay in the heart only. It flows from the mouth with the brilliant glow of announced salvation in Christ alone.

And, even more, the Mission of God is to share this treasure with everyone. There is to be no distinction. When God inspired Paul to write to the Christians in the Roman congregation of the first century, Jews thought non-Jews had to become like them to receive the Mission of God. The emphasis was placed on what Jews and non-Jews alike had to do make themselves right with God. This is not the Mission of God. Our God is the Lord of all, giving away His treasures to all who call upon His name.
Even as Paul begins to unpack the treasures of the Mission of God with a question, he turns to four more “how” questions. These “how” questions form a dazzling chain where every link is directed to the treasure God is providing.

Link one: How can people call on God without believing God will hear?

Link two: How can people believe God will hear them if they
themselves have never heard of God?

Link three: How can they hear without someone preaching, yes, announcing God?

And finally, link four: How can the one who is to preach God’s message do so without being sent?

These four links directly connect to the work of the Mission of God. The Mission of God is faith coming from hearing, and that hearing is through the Word of Christ.

This treasure is so beautiful that even the feet of those who bring it are beautiful. The Mission of God has been the same from Old Testament through New Testament. Paul draws upon the so-called evangelist of the Old Testament, Isaiah the Prophet, to remind us of how the Mission of God has always been in place to share His treasure of good news. From the moment our first human parents ran from God to be their own gods, the Mission of God was at work to give humanity His treasure in Christ.

Not all will receive this Good News of being made right with God. Many will fail to rely on Christ and His gifts, wanting instead to make themselves right and seeking “treasures” apart from God. Still, as Isaiah was in service to the Mission of God, so is Paul announcing for God:

YesterdayTomorrow

Last WeekNext Week