Romans 10:1-4

                                                             Romans 10:1-4

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

 

The most important thing that anyone can know is how to be saved.  People have many different convictions about salvation and how they can attain it.  Unfortunately, there are many false teachings about salvation.  Paul writes to confront these false ideas about salvation and how it can be attained and then make the truth of the Gospel clear.

 

SALVATION IS NOT BY ZEAL FOR GOD: The nation of Israel demonstrated great zeal for God.  So much zeal that they were willing to crucify Jesus and persecute the followers of Christ because they did not fit into their evaluation of what God desired.  This is why Paul says that their zeal was not based on knowledge.  Paul had first experience with this kind of zeal since he was one of the instruments of persecution that Israel used to enforce their convictions about God.  Zeal without truth is dangerous.  It is vital that we be zealous for God, but our zeal must be based on the truth of God’s Word and in the spirit of God’s love.

 

SALVATION IS NOT BY WORKS OF LAW: Due to Israel’s ignorance of the righteousness of Christ, they sought to establish their own righteousness based on obedience to the Law of Moses and all of their own interpretations of that Law.  Only Jesus has perfectly obeyed the Law both in letter and in Spirit.  The only way that righteousness if available to men is by the gift of God’s grace in transferring Christ’s righteousness to us.  It is important for us to follow the teachings of Scripture, but there is no way that any of us can meet God’s standard apart from Christ.

 

SALVATION IS BY FAITH IN CHRIST: Paul states that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.  This does not mean that Christ annulled the law or in some way rejected the law.  It means that he perfectly fulfilled the mandates of the law and by His death fulfilled the requirements of the law. When Christ makes His righteousness available to all who believe on Him, He is fulfilling the law.  The law required death because of sin.  Jesus died though He was innocent of all sin.  His death paid the price of sin before God and satisfied the demands of the law.  We cannot keep the law, but we can place our faith in Jesus who did.

 

APPLICATION: Be zealous for God but according to the knowledge of Scripture.  Follow the teachings of the law and all of God’s Word but not out of some delusion that any of us can earn salvation by doing so.  Bow in thankful worship before the Lord Jesus Christ who perfectly fulfilled the Law.  Trust in Him for salvation and share that glorious message with everyone everywhere.

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