What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. (Romans 9:30-32)
We've studied this repeatedly, because we want to make sure we don't ever fall into the trap of believing that salvation is attained through works. Salvation is only attained through faith in the Word of God, Christ Jesus. Paul stated previously that, I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; (Romans 9:2-4)
The Israelites thought that by striving to keep the law to the letter, they would be saved while the rest of the world would be lost. Jesus taught them the truth when he said, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. ... But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. ... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (Matthew 23:2-37)
The works of the law are good because Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot [dot of i] or one tittle [cross of t] will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)
The works of the law were to serve as a guide for how we are to live holy lives, because it is written, “Be holy, for I [the Lord] am holy.” (I Peter 1:16) But throughout scripture, God told the children of Israel that He was going to send His Prophet, the Messiah, His Son. He first told them this through Moses saying, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,... And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)
"But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:20-22) From Moses until the manifestation of Jesus in Bethlehem, God spoke and fulfilled every single prophecy concerning Christ's coming.
And when Christ started His earthly ministry, He told the Jews, “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. (John 8:37-42)
"Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:43-47)
How sad, the children of Israel, God's chosen people, who were given the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises, knew the law and the words of scripture, but refused to believe and hear the Word of God when He came among His brethren according to the flesh. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”[Isaiah 8:14, 28:16] (Romans 9:32-33) They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (I Peter 2:8)
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4) Paul makes a very important point, that we can have a zeal for God, but still end up not being saved because our zeal is based on our own works. Yes, For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26) But, by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Jesus made this very clear when He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" (Matthew 7:21-23) How can someone have a zeal for God and still end up being lost? Because they didn't believe the Word of God, all of it. The Jews believed the law, but they didn't believe the prophecies. Some churches today only teach the New Testament but not the Old Testament. We have to believe the entire Word of God and believe in the Word of God, for the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” [Leviticus 18:5] But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” [Deuteronomy 30:12] (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” [Deuteronomy 30:13] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” [Deuteronomy 30:14] (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:5-8)
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” [Isaiah 28:16] For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” [Joel 2:32] (Romans 10:9-13) Jesus is the Only Way to God! He is the Prophet God told Moses He would send to His brethren, but even though only a remnant of the children of Israel will accept salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, the rest of us have the same opportunity to confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. Call on the name of the Lord and be saved, today!
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