Welcome back to the final day of Week 1 of this new series, working through Part 2 of the Not Ashamed of the Gospel Bible Study from HelloMornings.
Today's Scripture passage is Romans 9:30 - 10: 4 ...
30 What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” 10 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.
In this passage, Paul explains where the Jews went wrong - their unshakeable belief that it was the keeping of the Law that purchased their right standing with God, but as Ali Shaw says in today's devotional: "they didn't understand that following the Law was an expression of faith that looked to the fulfillment of God’s promises - the Savior, Jesus Christ!"
That's why both Peter and Paul refer to Jesus as a "stumbling stone". 1 Peter 2: 4 says "You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor." Many, both Jews and Gentiles, had rejected Jesus as the Messiah because He did not fit their mental image of what the Savior" should" look like.
But as 1 Peter 2: 6 says: 'As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.”'
In other words, salvation comes through faith in Christ alone!
What wonderful news this is! Since we could never earn our salvation no matter how hard we tried or how hard we worked, we can rest and revel in the beautiful promise of Ephesians 2: 8 - 9: "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
Amen, and thank you Lord!
Photo credit: Wham3622