Romans 9:30-33 – “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.  Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

The following was part of a message by Henry Mahan on what it means to be saved by grace alone – “Do you know what the most difficult thing for a Son of Adam, (a human being) to do? The most difficult thing, and I’m not talking about something foolish in the material or physical world, I’m talking about something that pertaineth to life, that which pertaineth to God, that which pertaineth to the spiritual life, that which is real life. The most difficult thing for any human being to do, that which an unbeliever cannot possibly do–and that which a believer finds most difficult? Do you know what it is? It is to believe in, completely trust and look only to, Jesus Christ for justification.  I will guarantee you that it is the hardest thing you will ever be called on to do. To believe only, to trust only, and to look only to Christ. – I didn’t say to look to Christ or believe in Christ – I said only – only so that nothing else enters in to the slightest degree. Nothing else affects your look, your trust, or your confidence only to Christ and Christ alone not only for your justification, but for sanctification and for a full acceptance with God. The Galatians couldn’t do it. The Colossians had trouble doing it. The Philippians were rebuked for not doing it.”

Last time we saw that it was God’s privilege to extend salvation to the world, and that His plan was for a Spiritual people, not a physical one, that would be saved by Jesus Christ alone.  The physical nation of Israel was a means of displaying the mercy and grace of God and His steadfast love.  If you look in the Old Testament, you will see picture after picture after picture of a disobedient people, enslaved, that God chooses to have mercy and grace to forgive and draw to Himself.  Instead of placing their faith in God alone, the people of Israel began to think that it was something within themselves, either by their nationality or by their works that merited their salvation.  The root of this of course is sin.  Man does want to submit themselves to God and His mercy.  That is the root of the gospel, we are not saved by anything in ourselves – even our faith to believe is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).  This is the stumbling stone Israel could not overcome, and it is why only a remnant of the physical nation of Israel were truly saved.

If someone comes to tell me that they have believed on Christ at some point in time, and do not struggle with trusting in Him alone today, they are the one most likely to have never trusted at all.  There is no greater struggle, than to accept the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:18 – “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  To trust completely on Christ, is a daily exercise – to look to Him alone as our righteousness is a daily pleading with the Lord.  The people of Israel were very religious, moral people, and their religious morality (and attempting to achieve a righteousness of their own, instead of trusting in God alone) was what kept them from coming to Christ.  We must all put to death every ounce within us that seeks to be self-justifying.  We are all sinners.  Not just kind of bad – to our core.  We don’t need to be cleaned up, we need to be a new Creation.  We can’t do it.  God doesn’t ask us to, He simply says to look to Jesus.  Set your mind on the finished work of Jesus (Col 3:2) and believe.

Jesus told this parable to illustrate in Luke 18:9-14  “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

Brothers and Sisters, if we ignore the daily battle to trust in Christ alone, we will soon find we have drifted away into the same religious morality that Israel had.  That pathway leads to death.  Instead, let us look to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, alone for our salvation.  Let us ascribe unto Him, all glory and honor for salvation and all things.  He alone is worthy, and all who humble themselves before Him will be exalted on the last day.  Our hope in Him is secure; for what is a stumbling stone for many, is the foundation of eternal life for us.

Grace and Peace,

Adam

Romans 9:25-29 – “As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”  And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.”  And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”

Last time we saw that God has the right over His creation to do whatever He wills.  We, as part of God’s creation, do not get to question Him – since we owe to God our very being and He is not obligated to us in any way.  Some see this as harsh, but it is the very fact that God does not owe us anything that makes His love towards us so amazing.  God would have been right and just to condemn all of us as sinners to display His holiness, but God’s love and mercy are shown to those whom God has ordained to be “vessels of mercy”.  Many of us would read this and cry out against the justice of God, but God’s answer to us would be the same as His answer to Job when he pursued the same line of questioning in Job 38-40.  The problem with man is illustrated by their very desire to ask that question of “fairness” against God.  It stems from man’s desire to have the world center and revolve around them instead of the glory of our Creator.

Now, we are moving from God’s privilege to have mercy on whom He has mercy (to save whom He will) to God’s privilege to save those from the whole world and not simply among the physical nation of Israel.  To understand this, you have to understand that the people of Israel were expecting a Messiah to come, remove Roman rule and restore Israel’s place as the ruling world power, and rule over the physical nation of Israel.  God’s plan was different.  Israel’s greatest need was not the removal of Roman rule, but the removal of the sin that ruled their hearts.  Further, that need was not limited to the physical nation of Israel, that need was universal, and God’s plan was to call a people to Himself from every tribe and language and people and nation from the Earth:

Revelation 5:8-10- “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

God’s plan was never about a physical people, it was always for a Spiritual people, who were God’s chosen not because they were physical descendants of Israel, or even by their own will, but by the will of God.

John 1:11-13 – “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Christian, I wonder if you feel the weight of God’s setting His love upon you.  Do you see that you are not owed anything by God, including salvation?  God’s holiness extends infinitely beyond our own understanding of the word “good”, “just”, moral”, and “righteous”.  If you are owed salvation for your own works or even your own “will”, it is no longer by mercy, grace, and love, that you receive salvation, it is your wage.  It would have been just for God to condemn all of the physical nation of Israel along with the rest of the world, but God has a plan for a remnant, to save a remnant from their sin and reconcile them fully to know and love our Creator God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Brothers and Sisters, if you love God today, if you are looking to Him for salvation, trusting in His death, burial, and resurrection alone for salvation, you are the remnant of God.  You bring nothing to the table, but God draws you to Himself because He IS merciful, He IS full of grace, and He IS loving.  The glory of God shines brightest that His love is not contingent upon anything from us, but is given as a free gift.  As you think about where you are today, the things that occupy your mind and time, does the love of Christ frame your thoughts?  I hope it does.  Your contentment, peace, and ability to love and serve others is directly tied to your heart’s satisfaction in the finished work of Jesus.

Grace and Peace,

Adam