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What We Believe and Why
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THE TRUTH ABOUT ROMANS 10:13

This is a most misused text. It is seldom rightly divided as II Tim. 2:15 says we should.

Some basic understandings of the Scriptures are necessary to understand this text. In this message we shall endeavor to show you the truth of this passage in its proper perspective.

I. Let me first show you the way this scripture is so commonly misused:

A. There are many who use this verse of scripture in an effort to show a lost man how he may have eternal life; In other words they tell the lost alien sinner to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved:

1. It is from this that the idea of prayer salvation has arisen.

2. Also the idea of "praying thru."

B. The very next verse soundly disproves this interpretation of the verse:

1. Rom. 10:14 The very next words are "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" You would do well to try and answer that question.

2. The point Paul is making is that they cannot call upon him in whom they have never believed.

C. Nowhere in the Scriptures is an alien sinner ever asked to pray that he might have eternal life:

1. In fact, that an alien sinner cannot pray or call upon the Lord at all, is well established in the Bible:

a. John 9:31 "Now we know that God heareth not sinners. . .

b. In Ezek. 20:31 God tells wicked Israel "Asllive, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.

c. Prov. 15:29 says, "The Lord is far from the wicked.

d . Job. 27:8-9 Job shows God will not hear the cry of wicked hypocrites.

e. Of wicked men, David said in Ps. 18:41, "They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not."

2. Solomon made it clear that God will not honor the prayer of unconverted men when he said in Prov. 15:8, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord."

D. The one thing that God tells alien sinners to do is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ:

1. John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life."

2. John 3:36 Jesus said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.

3. Acts 16:31 Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

4. Rom. 1:17 says, "The just shall live by faith."

5. I defy anyone to show that God ever propagated any other method for justifying the lost except faith.

E. Except a sinner believe, there is absolutely no hope for him:

1. Listen to the Scriptures:

a. John 3:36 Jesus says, "he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

b. John 3:18 "he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

c. John 8:24 Jesus himself said, "if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

d . II Thes. 1:8 God himself shall appear "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."

2. Regardless of whatever else you do, including praying, you shall die a hell bound sinner if you do not believe in Jesus Christ: Acts 4:12 and John 14:6.

F. One thing is certain, this Scripture (nor any other) is not telling any alien sinner what he must do to have eternal life.

II. To understand this scripture properly, you must realize that the Bible speaks of being saved in three distinctly different senses:

A. It speaks of being saved from the penalty of sin, which was accomplished thru Christ dying for us as our good shepherd:

1. This is missing Hell and gaining Heaven.

2. Such verses as John 5:24, John 3:36, John 3:16 referto it.

B. It also speaks of being saved from the dominion of sin, which is accomplished thru Christ living for us as our great shepherd:

1. This is having the strength to live an honest and upright life in this world, despite the temptations of Satan.

2. Such verses as Phil. 2:12, Jam. 1:25, and Rom. 6:13 refer to it.

C. Then, the Bible speaks of being saved from the presence of sin, which shall be accomplished through Christ returning for us as our Chief shepherd:

1. This is the day when He shall return, and we shall be caught up to Heaven out of the reach of Satan's temptations.

2. Such verses as Romans 5:9, Philippians 3:21, and Revelation 21:4 refer to it.

D. Whenever you hear the Bible refering to being saved, you must understand the sense in which it is being used, if you are to understand the truth of the verse;

1. This is rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

2. If you don't do this, you are likely to use a scripture, which is showing a believer how to be saved from the temptations of old Satan, to try and show a man who is lost how to be saved from Hell:

a. Well, it can't be done.

b. God's plan for Christian, victory is quite different from his plan for saving the alien sinner.

III. This text is not a scripture showing an alien how to be saved from the penalty of sin; it is a scripture showing the believer how to be saved from the attacks of old Satan upon his Christian life:

A. That's in absolute harmony with the teachings of the Scriptures as a whole:

1. To Christians out of fellowship with God, he says call upon him:

a. I John 1:8-9 tells backslidders to "confess" their sins for forgiveness.

b. Acts 22:16 Ananias said, "arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

c. Ps. 51:4 That's what David did to get right with God.

d. Acts 8:22, Peter told Simon to pray that God would forgive him.

2. The right of prayer is the blessed and exclusive right of believers:

a. John 9:31 says, "if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

b. Prov. 15:8 says, "the prayer of the upright is his delight."

c. Mt. 7:7-8 to them he says, "Ask, and it shall be given you."

d. Ps. 145:18 says, "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

B . What a blessed privilege for a son of God:

1. To call on Him and find His grace is sufficient for every Christian, II Cor. 12:9.

2. David exemplifies the truth so well in Ps. 22:12-21.

3. The ravages of Satan are sometime too great to bear; but then we can run to God in prayer:

a. Ps. 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

b. It is this blessed truth which Paul is pointing out in Rom. 10:13.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"