ROMANS 10:13-15 C. H. Cayce We are always willing to give what views we may have on any passage of Scripture. If we are not right we want to be. The passage Elder Screws asks our views on is one much relied on by the whole Arminian world to prove that no one can enter heaven without first believing on Christ, or believing the gospel, and that therefore the gospel should be preached for this object— hence, that no one can be saved in heaven where the gospel is not preached. The passage reads: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Verses 16, 17 and 18 read, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.”
The apostle starts out in this chapter by saying, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 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.” This shows us clearly that Israel, or the Lord’s people, were under consideration, and not unregenerate or alien sinners. Many of God’s people now, the Israel of God, are ignorant of God’s righteousness, and are going about to establish their own righteousness. They seem to expect to reach heaven on their own obedience or right doing. They are not submitting themselves to the righteousness of God. They are ignorant of the way of salvation. They have zeal, but not according to knowledge. The zeal is all right, but it is expended in the wrong way. The zeal is of God, but false teachers lead them astray, and they are zealous in the inventions of men, endeavoring to establish their own righteousness, instead of being zealous in what God commands and requires. They have been taught the doctrines and commandments of men by false teachers, hence they are ignorant of God’s righteousness. Although this is true, yet they have an experimental knowledge of the Lord in the pardon and forgiveness of their sins, for the apostle says in verse 8. “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.” The same apostle says, “We preach Christ crucified.” The same Christ that is preached by the true minister dwells in the heart of His regenerated people by the Holy Spirit. This being true, there is an agreement or harmony in the experience of the child of God and the gospel, good news, glad tidings proclaimed by the minister of Christ. So when the child of God hears this glad tidings, there is a witness within testifying to the truthfulness of what he hears — hence the comfort and encouragement in hearing the good news. It bears witness with what we have experienced. All this shows clearly that the first work is the inward work of grace the Lord performs in the heart, the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. That is the first thing requisite to calling on the name of the Lord. If this is not the first thing necessary, then one must call on the name of the Lord from the heart while he yet has a bad heart. If the heart is changed, or made good, in order that he be able to call on the name of the Lord from a good heart, and those who have a good heart are in a saved state, or are children of God, then it is too late for him to call on the name of the Lord in order to become a child of God. That those who have a good heart are children of God is very evident from the Saviour’s teaching in Matt. 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Then if they do not call on the name of the Lord from a bad heart, the heart must be made good first. If the heart is made good before they call on the name of the Lord, they have the promise before they call that they shall see God. Then their calling on the name of the Lord cannot be in order to their seeing God or entering heaven. But if God’s children were calling on the name of the Lord instead of missionary boards, men, and measures invented by them, they would be saved from many of the gins, snares, and pitfalls set by men to delude, deceive and seduce the Lord’s children and to draw disciples after them.
Certainly, they will not call on Him in whom they have not believed. Inwardly, or experimentally, deep down in the soul of all the Lord’s children, there is a cry which goes out to the Lord, having been taught a lesson experimentally which cannot be taught any other way. But outwardly, or doctrinally, or practically, they do not call on the name of the Lord unless they believe the doctrine of God our Saviour. And to believe the doctrine in its fullness it is necessary that they hear it. Then, “how shall they hear without a preacher?” If the Lord had no use for the preachers He would not call and send them out. Surely, the Lord has a use for His ministers. He commands [pg 208] them to teach; to feed, to comfort His sheep. In order that the minister do this, the subject to be taught or comforted must first be a living subject.
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” The preacher usually preaches the power that sent him. If he is always preaching about money, telling about how many souls are going to hell because they lack money to send the gospel to them, or if the burden of his discourses is money, it is evident money is the moving power or authority for his going. If he preaches the power of man, it is evident he is sent by the authority of man. If the power of God and love and mercy of God is the burden of his discourses, it is evidence that God sent him. Yes, the Lord sends His ministers. They are not to be sent by a board, church, society, men or set of men. “Pray the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest.” This is the language of the Saviour as recorded in Luke 10:2. Why pray the Lord of the harvest, if the men are ready and willing, and can’t go, because the people will not give?— the Lord has called, the college has qualified, and the board, or society, or association, or church, can’t send because the people are too stingy and covetous! May the Lord deliver us from such a theory! Truly, the harvest is plenteous and the laborers are few. There are many laborers, but oh how few are the true and faithful ones. Dear brethren, do you realize how few they are? Then “pray the Lord of the harvest, that He would send laborers into His harvest.” The Lord does the sending— and how shall one preach the truth if the Lord does not send him? “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.” His walk must be in harmony with his preaching. If he preaches the truth, but lives a life not harmonious with his preaching, then his preaching will have no good influence. Did you ever hear one preach in whom you had no confidence because his walk was not right? Did you enjoy the preaching? His preaching was not glad tidings to you. His walk must be upright if his preaching benefits those who know him. Oh, how beautiful should his walk be! How caref“l the minister of the gospel should be of his walk. If his walk is such as becometh sound doctrine, and the doctrine he preaches is sound, then the hearts of the saints are comforted, edified and built up, and the Lord’s little children are united together in love and fellowship, and there are no divisions. Oh, that the Lord would send forth true and faithful and humble laborers into His harvest! The Primitive Baptist, November 19, 1907.