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Chapter 10:14-17 (ESV) - 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? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 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.
Question to consider: What does it mean to obey the gospel?
After establishing that Christ was the word that came down from heaven and up from the grave, and that the righteousness that He offers comes by faith that is believed in the heart and confessed with the mouth, Paul made the argument that it is impossible for people to make this profession of faith unless the gospel is preached.
At the very beginning of this letter, Paul confessed that he was not ashamed of this gospel because he, along with everyone else, fails to obtain the righteousness that comes from perfectly keeping the Law. Since Christ kept the Law perfectly, took our sin upon Himself and paid our death penalty, He now offers His righteousness to all who would receive it.
This is a message that needs to be shared repeatedly— not just periodically to inform the lost, but even to the church because we constantly forget it. We beat the drum of “do more” or “be better” or “try harder” and then give bullet points on how we can live this out. The purpose of law is not to give a “Ted Talk” on how to improve our earthly lifestyle and relationships. The purpose of law is to show us our need for Christ. If a church continually shows people their need for Christ without delivering Christ to them, it is a cruel church indeed. People get either crushed under the weight of it or fool themselves into thinking that their striving has earned them a special favor with God.
In reference to sending people out to proclaim this righteousness that comes through hearing and is received in faith, Paul quotes from Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” This prophecy was the introduction to God’s promise of sending a servant who would be pierced for our transgressions.
This good news (gospel) was to go out into all nations (not just the synagogues). Jesus commanded it when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
But as Paul (and Isaiah) pointed out, not everyone obeys it. Salvation cannot happen if the gospel is not preached, but even when it is preached, not everyone will “believe and be baptized” according to Christ’s command (Mark 16:16). Paul used this as an intro to his concerns regarding those among his own brethren who have rejected Christ, but the final idea for today is that our response to those who disobey is to continue to preach, for faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Dear heavenly Father, please cause us to rightly use the Law to help people see their need for Christ instead of trying to crush their spirits or act hypocritically. May we not be discouraged when people reject that message but persevere in revealing Your grace and mercy to them until they can see Christ and praise His holy name. Amen.