1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:1-11 KJV)
Israel Needs the Gospel
In this part of the chapter, the apostle shows the great difference between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith, and the superiority of the righteousness of faith. His goal is to persuade the Jews to believe in Christ, expose the sin and folly of those who refused, and justify God in rejecting them (Romans 10).
Paul begins by expressing his deep affection for the Jews (Romans 10:1-2). He offers both a good wish and a good witness. His heartfelt desire and prayer to God was that they might be saved—from the temporal ruin soon to come upon them, and from the eternal wrath that awaited unbelievers. This wish implied his desire for their conversion, for he could not pray that they might be saved in their unbelief. Though Paul preached against them, he still prayed for them, imitating God’s mercy, who “is not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).
His desire was sincere—it came from his heart, not as an empty formality, but as a genuine longing. The soul of prayer is the heart’s desire; cold wishes bring no answers. Yet this desire was not only inward—it was also his prayer to God. A desire that never reaches God is only a wish, not prayer.
He also bears them witness: “They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). The unbelieving Jews, though Paul’s bitter enemies, were zealous for God’s law, which they rightly believed came from Him. This teaches us to speak the best we can even of those who oppose us. Their zeal, however, was blind and misguided. Like those who “think they offer God service” while persecuting His people (John 16:2; Isaiah 66:5), their passion lacked understanding.
Their zeal was not according to knowledge because they failed to recognize that with the coming of the Messiah, the old system had reached its fulfillment. Jesus had given the clearest evidence of His divine mission, yet they refused to acknowledge Him. Their ignorance was willful; they shut their eyes against the light of the gospel.
Paul describes the nature of their unbelief: “They have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). They would not accept justification by faith in Christ. Unbelief is rebellion against the righteousness of God and resistance to His gracious offer of pardon. True faith requires humility and submission. The proud heart resists being indebted to free grace, unwilling to come as a spiritual beggar.
Two causes lay behind their unbelief. First, ignorance of God’s righteousness—they did not understand the holiness and justice of God or their need for a perfect righteousness to stand before Him. If they had, they would not have depended on their works. Second, pride in their own righteousness—they tried to “establish their own” (Romans 10:3), trusting in their observance of the ceremonial law and the merit of their works. Like the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-11, they exalted themselves instead of seeking “the righteousness which is through faith in Christ” (Philippians 3:9).
Paul then exposes the folly of seeking justification by the works of the law when Christ has brought in everlasting righteousness. The law was meant to lead people to Christ, not to compete with Him: “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). The moral law exposes sin and drives us to the Savior; the ceremonial law foreshadowed Him through sacrifices and purifications that pointed to the true atonement. When Christ came, the shadow gave way to the substance.
The moral law’s purpose—to bring people to perfect obedience—was fulfilled in Christ, for He did what the law could not do (Romans 8:3). Through His death, full satisfaction was made for our sins, so the law’s end was achieved. Therefore, righteousness and justification are now received through faith in Him.
Paul shows the superiority of the gospel over the law by comparing their principles. “The righteousness of the law” is described in Leviticus 18:5: “The man who does those things shall live by them.” The law required perfect obedience, and because of sin, this became impossible. The law’s severity was meant to humble people and drive them to seek grace. It was folly, then, for the Jews to cling to that impossible standard when Christ had opened a new and living way.
By contrast, “the righteousness of faith” is simple and accessible. Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:11-14 to show that the way of salvation is not distant or difficult. We do not need to ascend to heaven or descend into the deep to find Christ, for He has already come down, died, and risen again. Salvation is brought near to us in the gospel: “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Romans 10:8). Christ is near through His word, which we can read, hear, and believe. The gospel brings salvation to our very door, requiring not impossible labor but faith and confession.
This “word of faith” (Romans 10:8) contains the plain terms of salvation: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Salvation is offered freely, but on these two conditions—believing and confessing.
Confession means openly acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Savior, even in the face of persecution (Matthew 10:32-33). True confession flows from inward faith, showing love for Christ, courage, and self-denial. Believing in the heart means a sincere acceptance of the gospel, especially faith in Christ’s resurrection, which proves Him to be the Son of God and assures us that His sacrifice was accepted.
Paul adds, “With the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). Faith brings justification and sanctification—it purifies the heart (Acts 15:9) and secures our standing before God (Romans 5:1). Confession completes the act by honoring God publicly and confirming our faith before others. God, who made the mouth (Exodus 4:11), is glorified when we use it to confess Christ.
This confession leads to salvation because it fulfills Christ’s promise: “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will confess before My Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Faith lays the foundation of salvation; confession builds upon it. Thus, we give ourselves wholly to God—our hearts in believing and our mouths in confessing.
To confirm this, Paul quotes Isaiah 28:16: “Whoever believes on Him will not be ashamed.” Those who truly believe will not be ashamed to own Christ, nor will they be disappointed in their hope. Faith in Christ never leads to regret or disgrace. The believer will not make haste to forsake the faith in times of trial (Isaiah 28:16), nor will he be ashamed of a despised gospel. It is both our duty and privilege not to be ashamed of Christ, for He will never fail those who trust in Him (Romans 10:11).