After Pentecost (Proper 14 ) | Year A | Romans 10 | TJ Torgerson
In Romans 1-9 Paul shows us how God has been faithful to the Israelite people. God kept his promise to create a people that belong to him. However some were missing out on this promise because they were not pursuing God by faith as Abraham did but they were pursuing God through their own righteousness.
This week we look at Romans chapter 10. Paul understood that God’s word had not failed. God had been faithful to the people of Israel, but Israel’s’ pursuit of God had been misguided. In verse 1 of chapter 10 we see that this was difficult for Paul.
Romans 10:1 NET
1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites is for their salvation. 2 For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not in line with the truth.
Paul’s desire was that his people, the Israelites would come to the truth. Paul could relate to their misguided zeal because he once found himself in the same place. (Gal 1:14, Phil 3.6)
It is great to be full of zeal and passion for our faith. It is also probably important that we are passionate about our faith. However, Zeal is not the most important. Sincerity of heart, Zealousness of action, Passion of speech, pleas of emotion In and of themselves are insufficient. Zeal is only effective and beneficial when it is coupled with truth.
Take a look around you. There is a lot of zeal. There is a lot of emotion and passion. But it seems that there is very little desire to get to what is true. Take for example Peter Boghossian’s YouTube channel. Peter travels the world asking questions. He sets up on seven lines a sidewalk. These lines act as a scale that moves from strongly disagree to strongly agree. He starts people off on the neutral line makes a proposition and everyone moves to their line. The propositions range anywhere from “Aliens are living among us” to “biological males should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports.” Peter then ask for reasoning from participants along with other follow up questions. There is much zealousness around some of the topics. So much Zeal in fact that sometimes simply bringing up the topic is problematic, let alone asking follow up questions. Onlookers will call him names simply for bringing up a topic for discussion. To them there is no room to ask questions, no room to get to truth or understanding. Just Zeal. Zeal regarding something can stand in the way of getting to the truth. But zeal cannot replace truth. I read a story once about a small anti Government militia in Uganda during the 80’s. The group was called “the Holy Spirit Movement” On one occasion 700 men from “The holy Spirit movement” attacked an Ugandan Military outpost. During the attack the men used rocks as weapons, throwing them at the Ugandan soldiers. They wore very little clothing and had oil spread all over their bodies.
At the end of the attack 200 men from the Holy Spirit movement were killed and many more were taken as prisoners.
Puzzled by the lack of clothing, oil and rock throwing the prisoners were questioned and one of the prisoners explained that the reason they were throwing rocks is because their leader blessed the rocks and promised they would explode like grenades. The reason they were not dressed and covered in oil is because the leader promised that the oil would make them bullet proof. The soldiers of the Holy Spirit Movement were zealous, but they were zealous for a lie and the result was death and imprisonment. Paul’s people, the Israelites had similar misplaced zealousness. It was not founded on God but on themselves. Zealousness over their own ability to accomplish and achieve. Somewhere along the line they replaced faith in God with faith in self.
Romans 10:3 NET
3 For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Paul says that his fellow Israelites have put their own righteousness over and above all else — EVEN GOD. They elevated it to the point where they didn’t need God — God was just a footnote — All they needed was their rule book and their will power.
The Law was supposed to lead them to Christ, yet somehow in their twisted up thinking the Law led them to kill Christ.
Likewise we, in our messed up brains, can read the bible and become more judgmental and hateful rather than the more loving and Christlike. (in essence killing Christ in us). Scripture was given to us to lead us to salvation — Knowing God — Loving God — Loving Others
Augustine said, ““Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought.”
Have you ever held the Bible in your hands like a sword ready to strike down the first person who steps out of line.
• You didn’t wear the right clothes to church (They are not fancy enough, they are too fancy (The list of reasons people will stab you with their Bible is long and typically inconsistent))
We create a make believe standard of perfection that no one (not even our selves meet) and when people do not live up to it we destroy them and attach a bible verse to it so it seems holy, good, and godly.
I have attended Pentecostal/charismatic churches. Filled with emotion and running around dancing in the aisles and everything else that goes with it.
I have also been to traditional churches that sing hymns and have limited outward expressions of emotion. One church would call the other legalistic and full of empty tradition. The other would call the one full of hype and empty emotion
What each church had in common was that Neither of them ever set foot in the other church or met the people they were cutting down. and both churches had a bible verse or doctrine or something to back up their criticism.
My point is that The Jewish people that Paul was talking about (his people). were missing the point of the Law — just like sometimes we can miss the point of scripture. That point is Christ. Paul says in verse four
Romans 10:4 NIV
4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
The culmination of the Law is Christ If we do not end up there then we are just spinning your wheels. The purpose of the law is to bring people to the real life flesh and blood — dead buried resurrected real person of Jesus. To love and follow Jesus — to know his forgiveness being brought to a new life. The Law leads to Christ and in Christ --righteousness has come us. Christ has come! We don’t need to ascend to heaven looking for the word of God — looking for righteousness — Because he came to us.
We don’t need to go looking for it in the depth because - Christ has risen!
The Righteousness of God has already been given to us — it is in our midst — it is in our mouths — it is in our hearts (Romans 10:6-8). It hasn’t come through meticulous rule keeping and will power it has come through Christ. And so We believe in our heart that Christ is truly risen and we proclaim that he is Lord. (Romans 10:11-13)
God is already pleased with you. You do not have to earn it. He already loves you. He already has given his life for you. If there was any more he could give up to show you his love He would. He has already defeated death. He has already forgiven you. He has already made(and is making) a new creation. That is truth worth being Zealous about.
The shower is already running we just need to get in!
Now reader go and share the good news of Christ (Romans 10:14-15)
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