Today, we are going to continue with Paul and a part of his message to the Romans. Despite the fact that Paul wrote this message approximately 1,970 years ago, we need to remember that the Word of God is alive; and by the work of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God speaks directly into our hearts today. All we need to do is simply submit to the Holy Spirit and allow God to speak to us so we can follow His path.
Throughout Scripture, Jesus is referred to as the Rock of our salvation, the Cornerstone of our faith, and the Foundation of God’s Church. In today’s passage, we see the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, yet by their faith they were made right with God. At the same time, the people of Israel were trying extremely hard to be seen as right with God by keeping the law, yet their good works caused them to stumble right over the “Rock” in their path, “Jesus”, Who fulfilled the law. We see Paul quotes Isaiah, whose prophetic message, from approximately 700 years earlier, spoke of Jesus and warned Israel not to miss Him.
Friends, God’s righteousness in our lives comes directly from our faith in Christ Jesus, not by our works. Yes, you and I need to be people who are connected to Christ, who are actively growing in our faith, who are operating by the Fruits of the Spirit, and who are proactively sharing the love of Christ and the message of His saving love with others, but none of that is by our own good works. You and I can actually be just like Israel and miss operating by the work of the Spirit in faith. Think about it, we can rely too much on our good deeds to make us look or feel good, we can use our religion to make us sound good, or we can leave Jesus out of conversations and/or actions and become self-righteous. We need to be constantly examining our faith, by ask the Holy Spirit to stir within us Truth, to reveal areas that are secured to Jesus, our Rock, and giving praise for those areas; then, we also need to be asking the Holy Spirit to reveal areas within us that need change and refinement because they are secured to ourselves. We want to be made right with God all of the time.
Romans 9:30-10:4 (NLT)
Israel’s Unbelief
30 What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,
“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble,
a rock that makes them fall.
But anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”
10:1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.
Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for softening our hearts so that each one of us could come to You for our salvation. Holy Spirit, we need Your wisdom and daily guidance, so we operate by faith, and not by our own good deeds. Help us to live by the Fruits of Your Spirit so that we are producing more and more of them within our lives so that we are able to share them with others. We want to be vessels that share Your love and Word with others today, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.