Romans 9:30: What Shall We Say Then? That Gentiles Who Did Not Pursue Righteousness Have Attained It?

Romans 9:30
[30] What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; (ESV)

The Apostle Paul is a champion of the doctrine of God's grace. He knew that his proclaiming that all people are to be made right with God by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, and not by doing works of righteousness would be embraced by the Gentiles and would be a major stumbling block to the Jews.

The Jews had believed that righteousness was achieved by doing the works that the Law required. They viewed God's holy standard and wrongly felt that somehow they could be good enough by an accumulating of good works. They did not realize that the Law was given to show them how impossible it was to be made righteous by their own works.

The Gentiles, on the other hand, had done nothing but pursue their own personal pleasures. In Romans 1 Paul talks about the whole history of mankind. Gentiles worshiped creatures of nature. They engaged in all kinds of sexual immorality. They were under God's wrath for their pursuit of wickedness and their rejection of God.

If we view things from a Jewish perspective it is easy to see why the Jewish people would be upset that now the Gentiles are being declared righteous by their faith in Christ. They did not pursue righteousness, yet they have it. The Jews pursued righteousness and were made to go through the same way of faith that the Gentiles pursued.

Righteousness is by faith in Christ alone. For the Jew and for the Gentile. Are you pursuing righteousness by your own works? It will not work. Pursue Christ by faith.

Comments

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

Search This Blog