Zeal Isn’t Enough
While a person must know very little in the way of Bible trivia to have a saving faith in Christ, it is possible to have a great deal of faith in something that does not save as well. Paul found himself in just such a situation when trying to reach the Jewish people in his time.
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
Romans 10:1-2
These were people who were very serious about serving God. They wanted to please him and gain his favor. However, they lacked knowledge that was vital to that goal and refused to accept it when presented!
This is a very real threat to everyone. We need to be very serious to know God as he has revealed himself to ensure we’re not trusting in something or someone else!
God of Righteousness
What is it they didn’t know about God?
For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Romans 10:3
They didn’t understand God’s righteousness and demonstrated that truth openly, because they believed they were right before God! If they truly knew the righteousness of God, they would have recognized their guilt and that their only hope was in a savior.
They had taken the commands of God and built them up, making them even more strict in their own eyes than those given to Moses to ensure that they would be right before God. However, anyone who knows the perfect righteousness of God would know that even their attempt at adherence to the law was insufficient to make a person godly.
In one sense, they had heaped up heavy burdens on others. In another, they didn’t acknowledge the true weight of the law. It is not enough to pay lip service with all the ritual and avoid the very worst. While many of these men had never committed adultery physically, Jesus revealed that their wandering eyes betrayed the adultery in their hearts. While they had never laid hands on another man in malice, their fuming hatred for another showed the murder in their hearts.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Matthew 5:21-22
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:27-28
Who Could Be Right?!
By God’s standard of perfect righteousness, then, who could possibly be good enough? If that’s the question on your mind, than you understand what these men refused to. You understand that God’s judgement is just on all men, because all have sin in their very heart.
It’s not as hopeless as it might seem, however. Paul wasn’t only telling them the burden of their sin. He was trying to get them to understand their need.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Romans 10:4
They had been trying to follow the law and could not achieve the intended righteousness. However, there was one man who did. That man is the Christ, Jesus. Only through the righteousness of God, which he made available through his life, death, and resurrection, can any of us hope to stand before a perfect God without judgement.
Modern Ignorance
This same ignorance exists today, and not just among those who follow any one faith! Anyone who believes they have done enough good because they’ve done more good than bad or because they have followed a list of rules strictly is in the same situation these men were.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t eat meat, drive an electric car, pray 5 prayers a day, attend church every Sunday (or Saturday), or make regular sacrifices of time, money, or the lives of livestock. You haven’t done things well enough to be right before a perfect God.
Any standard that you can live up to is not God’s standard. If you’re honest, you know you’re either living by your own standard or already know you’re not good enough.
This is why it was necessary for God to humble himself, taking on life as a human being in our fallen world to live the life we could not and die the death we deserve in order to redeem a people for himself. Only in Christ can anyone be reconciled to God.
Praise God that he is perfect and praise him also for making a way for us to have a right relationship with him! It’s past time to lay down all of our own standards and humbly place our faith in Christ.
