Read Romans 9
Key Verses 30-31: “What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. “
Observation: This idea fits perfectly in line with Paul’s total thoughts. It fits with what he refuted in the Galatians, it fits with what was said in Acts over the controversies concerning circumcision. There is great consistency in the truths of the New Testament on this subject matter and much of the New Testament surrounds this subject. Does the kingdom come by faith or by works? Does the kingdom come by trusting in Jesus or trusting in the law? We can frame this a million ways. Does the kingdom come by salvation or by following a whole set of standards laid out by the church? This is still an ongoing struggle in the church today, yes you accept Jesus at some glorious point of salvation but then you have to meet the expectations, you have to live above sin, you have to act a certain way, you have to do certain things and not do other things. This is exactly where the New Testament church was struggling and here is another HUGE insight: it was not just about coming to faith but staying in faith – in fact, staying in the faith was a bigger issue than coming to faith. The Jewish Christians were trying to impose a whole bunch of Jewish laws on the new gentile Christians if they were to really remain in Christ. The same thing happens today, you’ve come to Jesus great! Now here are all the rules you have to follow.
Application: It is not that rules are not important to follow and I would like to say this is a huge grey area, but it really is not, it is a matter of the heart and motivation. If my motivation to follow the rules is to keep my salvation or prove my salvation or gain my salvation then I am falling into the Jewish sinkhole. If my following the rules is out of love and devotion to God, if following the rules is simply because it is the right thing to do that honors God, then my motivation is right.
Prayer: Father, help me to be the best version of myself. I want to surrender my will to you because I know on my own, I cannot become that but as you (Holy Spirit) whisper in my ear I get closer and closer to that.
