Lesson 433

(Lesson 433)(10-22-12) Romans 10:1-11, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

It is my prayer that every lost soul read the lesson within these few verses. God's plan for the salvation of the lost cannot be made clearer than what Paul demonstrates in these few sentences.

In referencing the Jews of his day, Paul could just as easily have been speaking to the majority of religious "isms" today. Seeing that almost all "faiths" ironically abandon "faith" and set out to earn their salvation through their ability to live within the rules of the "law". In doing so, they try to do enough "good works" so as to be worthy of God's eternal redemption. Just as Paul says here, "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.", Again, just as the Jews of Paul's time, though they sincerely believe that Jesus lived, many today either will not accept, or fail to understand that Jesus, through His supreme sacrifice, became righteousness for us. Jesus did away with all the rules of the law so far as our salvation is concerned, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

We, the saved, are no longer judged by whether or not we break the rules of the old law, we are only judged as to whether or not we believe that Christ was the only begotten Son of God, and that He died the death of sin on our behalf. There are NO other qualifications!~