"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."
When Paul, in today's quote, said, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." He could have just as rightly prayed for many who erroneously call themselves Christians today.
Most all religious isms today believe that, after having repented and accepted Christ as savior, in order to remain saved one must live a sinless life for the remainder of his/her existence here on earth, or, he/she must pray for forgiveness immediately after each inevitable "sin". They obviously never consider that if that were to be true, Jesus died for nothing more that to give the world a second chance at abiding by the old laws that so miserably failed the Jews.
Paul's letter to the Romans very clearly establishes that mankind will NEVER live above sin and that the only means by which the lost can achieve the righteousness required to gain eternal life is by having the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed into them through faith in Jesus Christ crucified so as to have the the inevitable sins they DO commit, not merely forgiven, but JUSTIFIED.
In today's lesson, Paul so very truthfully said, "For I bear them" (The Jews and today's Christianity) "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."
It's understandable that humanity, with their pompous, self-inflated egos, want desperately to be a part of, and to be able to take credit for, their own salvation. But, that is not now possible, nor was it ever,nor will it ever be.
The only means by which a lost soul can receive salvation is through the righteousness of God imputed into him/her by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ crucified. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)~
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