#DailyDevotion The Righteousness Of God Is Given To Those Who Trust Jesus
Rom. 9:30-10:4 30What does it mean? Non-Jewish people who didn’t search for righteousness found a righteousness we receive through believing, 31while Israel, pursuing a Law with its righteousness, didn’t find it. 32Why? They didn’t try to get it by faith but thought they could get it by works. They stumbled over the stumbling block, 33as the Bible says: “I’m putting in Zion a Stone they will stumble over and a Rock they will fall over. But if you believe in Him, you will not be disappointed.” 10Fellow Christians, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is to save the Israelites. 2I can testify they are zealous for God but don’t understand. 3Not knowing the righteousness God gives, and trying to set up their own, they haven’t submitted to God’s righteousness. 4You see, Christ is the end of the Law to give righteousness to everyone who believes.
We need to reach back into chapter 3 of Romans where Paul says, “20Therefore not one person will be declared righteous before God by doing what the Law says, because the Law teaches us to recognize sin. 21But now God has shown His righteousness apart from the Law. The Law and the Prophets tell about it. 22This righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ comes from God to all who believe. There is no difference. 23 All have sinned and come short of God’s glory. 24 They are declared righteous freely by His grace through the ransom Christ Jesus paid to free them.” Then a few verses later in chapter 4:3 he writes, “Abraham believed God and so he was counted righteous.”
It isn’t as if the LORD in the Torah didn’t teach a righteousness by faith. The Jews though were seeking to be righteous before the LORD by obeying the Law. If they had believed the LORD, if they had believed his promises, then they would have been declared righteous and would be obeying the Torah through faith. When the LORD came to them as one of them, one with their flesh, as Jesus of Nazareth they would not put their trust in him. Despite the sign, wonders, miracles, the healings, the feeding of the thousands and yes, even rising from the dead, many did not put their faith in him and in that faith be declared righteous.
The non-Jews, the Gentiles, hearing the good news of Jesus Christ, “They are declared righteous freely by His grace through the ransom Christ Jesus paid to free them,”(Rom. 3:24) they believed him. Jesus is the Stone in Zion they stumble over and the Rock they fall over. To be truthful or rather more complete, he seems to be that for a number of people who aren’t Jewish either. Man it seems wants to initiate his relationship, his righteousness before God via works. The Father wants man to be in relationship with him through faith in his son Jesus Christ.
Paul’s and our greatest desire is all the Jews come to understand and know their Messiah Jesus of Nazareth and receive the righteousness of faith. They do not know or understand the righteousness of God and try to set one up on their own. Many non-Jews seek a righteousness through works as well. The will not submit to the righteousness of God which is through faith in Christ Jesus. As it is, Christ is the end to the Torah to everyone who believes. He is the fulfillment of it for all people including the Israelites. Everyone who puts their faith in Jesus as their atonement and righteousness of God are declared righteous for Jesus’ sake.
Heavenly Father, grant us your Holy Spirit that we may know and understand your righteousness which is through faith in Christ Jesus, be declared righteous and made righteous through the same. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.