My dear reader, let me introduce you to a sublime thought.  A radical pronouncement.  Our text of consideration is Romans 10:1-13

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. ⁶ But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 12:1-13

In this text, we meet the Apostle Paul at a climax in his written argument of the Gospel presentation to the congregation of the saints at Rome.  Up to this point, Paul has been building on a consistent theme throughout the letter with respect to OC Law and the new Gospel righteousness now found in Christ by faith, alone.  See:  Romans 2:28-29, 3:19-22, 3:28, 4:5, 4:14-16, 5:20-21, 6:14, 7:4-6, 8:1-4, 9:30-32

It is here that Paul reaches the culmination of his argument with respect to the Law in chapter 10.  In a twist of expectation, we find that he does the same thing as John did in the opening of his gospel (John 1:1-2 + 14).  Paul is showing that the Law is now to be understood as that which has become INCARNATED.  Jesus, the incarnate Word, is the telos (10:4) or end goal of everything that the Law covenant pointed toward for righteousness.  Jesus IS the full and final revelation of the righteousness of God.  He is the incarnate Covenant Word.

In verses 6 to 8 we hear Paul quoting explicitly from Deuteronomy 30:11-14.  Paul is intentionally drawing from the “righteousness based on faith” theme found in that entire chapter.  However, he is doing something even more spectacular.  Paul is both Gospelizing and personifying the “Commandment” (30:11-13) as pertaining solely to Jesus.  Paul is presenting Jesus as the true righteousness of God, the “Commandment”, who came from Heaven and arose from the grave (ascended and descended)!   

Paul goes further.  He tells the saints that the “word in your mouth” to be confessed is Jesus himself as the risen Lord!  Paul is showing us that Jesus is the incarnate “Commandment” and the incarnate “Word” that we confess by faith.   And by confessing Him in this way (crucified and risen), all the righteous expectation of Deuteronomy 30 (and all the law) becomes credited to us freely, precisely because Jesus fulfilled all of God’s righteousness for us (Matt 3:15) and paid the law’s curse in full on the cross (Gal 3:13).

Dear saints!  Get this!  Paul’s intentional incarnation of the “Commandment” of Deuteronomy 30 as being the divine God-Man, Jesus, is of the greatest scandal to the law-keeping crowd (Romans 9:30-33).  But, why?  Because here Paul makes all of God’s righteous requirement of Deuteronomy 30 now FREELY and GRACIOUSLY available to anyone who truly believes in this glorious risen Son of God, who IS the incarnate Righteousness of God, even to the most despised tax collectors and prostitutes! 

“That we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

This incarnational view of the Gospel is both scandalous and grace filled.  When all of God’s righteousness is understood to be bound up in Jesus Christ the Righteous One, our faith-union to Him is everything!  He truly is “all and in all” (Col 3:11).

It is here in Romans 10 that the blessed Paul agrees with the beloved John:

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” – John 5:46-47

Paul is showing us that Moses wrote of Jesus Christ in Deuteronomy 30 when he wrote of the Commandment of God, the Word that is near us!

Beloved saints, Jesus is our incarnate New Covenant Word.  Our Righteousness.  He was foreshadowed in the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets.  But now, He is the very Commandment of God made flesh!

Love Him!  And glory in Him forever!  Amen.