December 15, 2008

Seek Righteousness by Faith

“As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved." "And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘[You are] not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God." Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. For He will finish the work and cut [it] short in righteousness, Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth." And as Isaiah said before: "Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah." What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because [they did] not [seek it] by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."” (Romans 9:25-33 NKJV)

Faith in Christ is the only means to righteousness. Even Israel would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah if it had not been for the believing remnant. Even though God chose to work through Israel to provide shadows and types of what was to come in Christ, it was only those who were of faith that were saved.

Nothing has changed, and nothing will change, faith in Christ is the only means to righteousness. This is a good thing for anyone may be saved, Jew or Gentile. Salvation is not dependent upon your linage, but upon what you place your trust.

The Jews sought righteousness by the law. Today many fail to recognize they seek righteousness the same way. They don’t try to keep the ceremonial law or even the moral law, but a law they deem as righteous. It’s a fabrication designed to make them feel better. If one looks carefully at the law of God, and compares their life to it, then they will cling to Christ for mercy or distort reality because the law will condemn them.

It is true that we need to live holy lives, but live them because it’s right to do so. Don’t try to work your way into God’s favor. Only Christ has that position. However, you can be in Christ if you will believe and trust in His atoning work.