ROMANS 10:5-10 THE WORD As I consider the impact of the Gospel on the Jews as a people chosen by God who wanted them to be a kingdom of priests, I wondered why the law which condemned them, had such a hold on them. They knew they were incapable of keeping it to the letter. They knew it did not give them life. It seems like there is something in us, that no matter how plainly a matter is explained to us, we want "to feel good about ourselves" and "do things our way." The purpose of the law, even laws made by men for that matter, is to let people know what is right and wrong and to warn them of the consequences of wrong choices. Knowing what we are capable of within ourselves, the law is a warning of judgment that follows sin. By giving the Jews a written law that made clear who they really were, God had given them a special method to look in faith to the coming Messiah, so they would put their faith in Him, not in themselves.
But they got sidetracked by their own ideas of the holiness of God and what kind of worship they wanted. The Holy God who gave evidence of Himself in lightning, thunder and earthquake, followed by the giving of the law on tables of stone, impressed them with the holiness of the law, not the purpose of the law. Instead of the words written on the stone, they paid attention to the signs. They wanted the same evidence of signs from the Lord Jesus when He was here to prove He was the Christ. The only one He gave was the sign of Jonah: the death, burial and resurrection of Christ proclaimed in the Gospel. They were wanting another person like Moses to go up to God and then bring Christ down with him. They wouldn't accept the fact that the Lord Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, already here in the flesh, to save them.
The quotation Paul uses to emphasize "the word" is from Moses himself in his final state of the nation address. Moses made the point to those who were using the law almost like a national "good luck" charm, that the written word of the law was always near each one of them, in their mouth and in their heart to point them to Christ. The answer to their questions is right where it always has been - "the word is nigh thee." Any Jew who would confess Jesus to be his or her Lord publicly, and would personally believe God has raised Him from the dead - would be saved.
The deity and authority of Christ, even over death, was the important thing for a Jew to confess. They would have known of the "miracle worker" from Nazareth, but more than that was needed to show evidence of saving faith. This is true also of us all, but to the Jews it drew a line between them and the law, and put them on the side of the faith-principle God had always wanted from them. Jews knew the way of righteousness through the law - the word was near them. Now they had to make confession of Jesus as Lord, as to salvation.
The Gospel preached to the Gentiles goes directly from being awakened to, and repentance of, sin - to the sacrifice of Christ for our sin - the Gospel message. The Jews were asked by Christ Himself to confess Him publicly before men and He would confess them before the angels in heaven. The Holy Spirit in these verses makes the same point for them now. Confession with the mouth follows the exercise of faith by those who are elected by God.
There is a difference of a little sort between the Gentile and the Jew. Gentiles lived in a darkened state, but by the law the Jews knew God had a plan ahead for them that through them as a chosen nation - The Christ, their promised Messiah would come bringing God's salvation.
When one is justified by faith, they have come to understand The written word of the law was given to show the condemnation of man, Who by nature wants things done his way giving him a sense of satisfaction; Not willing to accept that faith is what justifies, not by his works or actions.
But now in a public proclamation of faith personally in Christ alone - The one who confesses Jesus as Lord, admits it is not what he has done. Through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the way to be justified - We live eternally accepted by God, based on the fact that for us Christ has died.
Now justified by faith alone, we live in freedom without condemnation. The result of what He has done, is that He gives us freely His full salvation. Saved from sin, and death, and hell; saved to be forever in heaven. Saved from the power of sin in this life; justified completely by His grace that is given.
"Father, I have been greatly refreshed this morning by thoughts of being saved, justified and forgiven. I praise Thee for the blessing of Thy written Word. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."