Romans Meditation Lesson 48

Romans Meditation Lesson 48

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” (Romans 10:1-7)

Paul begins this chapter addressing the Christians of Rome, to whom he is writing this letter. Paul’s tone is more personal towards them than at the beginning of the chapter, as he is writing to his brothers and sisters in the faith. Paul speaks to Israelites and Christian Roman citizens. Paul is a Jewish Roman citizen, and his desire is for all to come to salvation from the wrath of God’s judgment. Some of his readers have come to faith in Christ through Paul’s preaching, and some have come from other Apostles. The Roman nation mostly rejected Jesus as the Messiah, as well as the Jewish leadership. This is also the case in modern times. The Jewish leadership has also tried to silence Paul and the others who preach Jesus as Lord and Savior. Their rejection does not change Paul’s desire for them to receive God’s free gift of salvation through faith.

Paul respects the enthusiasm of the Christians in Rome. They show great love towards God by their obedience to the Word of God. Jewish people of Paul’s day were passionate in their worship of God. Paul was also passionate about the Jewish faith before being converted by his encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus. Paul’s was a tragic passion as he was a persecutor of the Church of Christ and those who followed the way. (Philippians 3:4-7).

Paul was saddened their zeal was not driven by an understanding of God and what He expected of them. As Paul was a Pharisee, he knew the Jewish traditions of the leadership and their knowledge of the scripture. With all their knowledge, they didn’t know Christ.

Paul expressed his desire and prayed the Jewish people would be saved. Paul knew their spiritual passion and admired it. But Paul knew their enthusiasm was driven by gaining knowledge. The most essential knowledge is knowing Jesus Christ and receiving His righteousness, as God requires perfect righteousness to be received on their own merits. They failed to understand no human can achieve perfect righteousness. (Romans 3:23)

They may be ignorant that God offers His righteousness to all who come to faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Whatever the reason, they had missed the key to being accepted by God and saved from His wrath. Their fault is that they set their own standard of righteousness based on what they thought God should accept. The approach they took was arrogant in respect to the perfection God requires.

Throughout Paul’s letter to the Romans, he proves that the law cannot save anyone, as no one can keep the law. The law was never meant to stand on its own, as it always pointed to Jesus Christ. It was God’s intention Christ would be the end of the law. Jesus kept the law, fulfilling the righteous requirement for all who would believe. Chapter eight of Hebrews further explains the idea of Christ fulfilling the law. This is the New Covenant established by Christ.

Paul refers to Moses, who wrote that a man who practices righteousness based on the law must live by the law. In the Old Testament context, it was the means for Israel to honor their relationship with God. (Deuteronomy 30:15-18). It also shows that no one can maintain this obedience when it comes to sin, salvation, and God’s eternal standard. (Galatians 3:24) “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

God repeatedly told Israel not to deceive themselves, and they were not given the Promised Land because of their own righteousness. God saw them as a stubborn and rebellious people. They received the Promised Land because it served God’s purpose of judging the wicked nations of that region. Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:12. “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?” God told Israel His command was not too hard for them. Paul uses this verse to say that faith in Christ is not too hard for them, as they already have the command in their hearts. “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14)

In the last verse, Paul says not to look to heaven for the Messiah as He has already come, and His Word is in their heart. Paul now says, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ to bring the Messiah up. Christ has already walked among them as Christ descended to the earth, died on the cross, descended to the abyss, and then ascended to Heaven.

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, April 22, 2024