Suggestions for leading a study:
Pure Understanding
Text: Romans 10:1-15 (NIV)
Discussion Questions:
-Read
verses 1-4. Were the Israelites lacking
in the desire to seek after God?
-Do
you think that in today’s world some people think that the desire to have some
kind of spirituality is enough to be saved?
How would these verses speak to that attitude?
-What
does our spiritual fervor need to be based on, according to verse 2?
-According to verses 3 and 4, how does Paul say that we can really
“know” and submit to God’s righteousness?
-Read
verses 5-7 which describe a type of
zealousness for God that requires some kind of heroic effort on man’s part in
order to reach him. Now read verse
8. How does that compare?
-Do
you think that in today’s world there are types of spirituality that seem to
require a lot of effort in order to reach God?
What would Paul have to say to people like that?
-Read
verse 9. What 2 things are really
required for salvation? How are both of
these true for you?
-Read
verse 10. Why is it important that your
confession of faith be both external and internal (mouth and heart)?
-Some
people would say that faith in Christ means to believe in something without a
real basis in fact. How does verse 11
create a different definition of what faith in Christ is?
-Read
verses 14-15. What four things are
necessary for someone to come to the point of making a saving confession of
faith?
This is a lesson about the basics of what does and does not
save us, as well as a challenge to do our part in helping others come to the
point of making a saving confession in Christ for themselves.
-Read verses 1-4. Were the
Israelites lacking in the desire to seek after God?
The
text says that Paul believes in regards to the Israelites that they were
“zealous for God.” Clearly, there was
no lack of desire there in their efforts to seek a relationship with God.
-Do you think that in today’s world some people think
that the desire to have some kind of spirituality is enough to be saved? How would these verses speak to that
attitude?
This
is meant to generate a discussion around the common notion that “it doesn’t
matter what you believe, as long as you believe in something.” In today’s world, any kind of spirituality
or spiritual quest seems to be largely validated by society as good enough to
qualify you as a spiritual person.
Obviously, Paul would believe that a spiritual quest that actually
results in salvation must be based on something more objective and specific
than that. The essence of what that
might be is contained in the next question.
-What does our spiritual fervor need to be based on,
according to verse 2?
Real
knowledge is the key, according to Paul.
Just having some spiritual fervor isn’t enough—that fervor must be based
on objective truth.
-According to verses 3 and 4, how does Paul say that we
can really “know” and submit to God’s righteousness?
These verses describe the wrong way and the
right way to achieve righteousness through your relationship to God. The wrong
way is to try to establish your own. In
the case of the Israelites, that was through obedience to the law. The right way is believing in Christ. That
would especially work for the Israelites since he is the end, or
completion, of the law. The principle
would apply for anyone who was attempting to achieve right standing before God
in whatever way. Believing in Christ
trumps them all.
-Read verses 5-7
which describe a type of zealousness for God that requires some kind of
heroic effort on man’s part in order to reach him. Now read verse 8. How
does that compare?
In
Deuteronomy 20 Moses describes achieving righteousness as “not too difficult or
beyond your reach.” These statements
about bringing Christ down from heaven or up from the grave are metaphors for
those types of attempts. Paul is saying
in verse 8 that such efforts are not required, because God himself has done
what is necessary to come near to us through Jesus Christ.
-Do you think that in today’s world there are types of
spirituality that seem to require a lot of effort in order to reach God? What would Paul have to say to people like
that?
Here
is another discussion question about how people today attempt to have a
workable spiritual life. While some go
for the “whatever” approach, some attempt to gain God’s favor through good
works, being a good person, going through the correct motions at their church
or whatever. Paul wouldn’t think that
works any better than anything else.
-Read verse 9.
What 2 things are really required for salvation? How are both of these true for you?
Confessing
Christ as Lord and believing in his resurrection are the two essential elements
in this ancient confession of faith. Allow
for some time for the group to consider and verbalize their own response to
this, because it takes on a variety of forms.
Remind them that making Christ Lord is not just acknowledging his
divinity, but allowing him authority over your life. Some people may have had a lot of baggage in terms of sin that
they had to give up while others might simply have had to commit themselves to
serving him rather than their own desires.
As to the resurrection, some people may have just taken that on faith
and some may have had to be convinced by the evidence. Try to help the group understand that all
these are valid so long as they arrive at the same place.
-Read verse 10.
Why is it important that your confession of faith be both external and
internal (mouth and heart)?
Christ himself did not just remain a spiritual reality, but showed himself to the world through his humanity and his sacrifice on the cross. In the same way, we must make our faith both on inward and outward reality if we want it to be real. Can we really say that Christ is Lord if we are unwilling to announce that fact to the world?
-Some people would say that faith in Christ means to
believe in something without a real basis in fact. How does verse 11 create a different definition of what faith in
Christ is?
Just a bit of a side bar to underscore what the Bible means by believing in Jesus. It doesn’t mean that we are willing to agree with a principle for which we have no evidence. Scripture is very clear that God “proved” the reality of who Christ was through his resurrection. Faith in Scripture is always a decision as to who you have decided to trust. That is something very different from believing in something that you cannot really know is true.
-Read verses 14-15.
What four things are necessary for someone to come to the point of
making a saving confession of faith?
In
reverse order; believing in Jesus, hearing about Jesus, being preached to about
Jesus, and someone being sent to do the preaching.
-What do you think your part should be in that process?
A
challenge for people to consider their own role in evangelism. After making it very clear what it really
takes to be saved, Paul underscores the importance of getting the word out so
that people can make a saving confession of faith in Christ. These rhetorical questions are meant to
challenge whoever read this epistle to not be complacent and think that this
was just going to happen. The understanding
that people can only be saved through faith in Christ requires a fervent commitment
to intentional evangelism. We should
all be challenged to commit to whatever we can do to aid that process, from
helping send missionaries to our own personal witness and work in the church to
reach out to the lost.