Bible, Heaven, Reaching, Righteousness, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

UNREACHABLE?

ROMANS 10:6

“But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: ‘DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, “WHO WILL GO UP INTO HEAVEN?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down),”

Wow, what a verse. When I first read this, I was thinking, Paul, what in the world are you saying? That’s why it is always good to look at context and background of verses. Otherwise, you may establish a belief that is contrary to Scripture. Let’s dig into this verse and see the meaning behind it. I know you won’t be surprised in the end.

Paul quotes part of a passage from Deuteronomy 30:11-14. This verse comes at the end of Moses’ leadership of the Israelites. He is giving them some last words before he leaves them. Paul applies these verses to our Christians faith, even though he knows full well Moses’ intentions for these words. I believe it is important for you to see the full passage, so here it is.

“11 ‘For this commandment which I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it far away. 12 It is not in heaven, that you could say, “Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us, and proclaim it to us, so that we may follow it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you could say, “Who will cross the sea for us and get it for us and proclaim it to us, so that we may follow it?” 14 On the contrary, the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may follow it.’”

APPLICATION

Moses was basically saying God was not out of their reach. Many thought God was way out there and beyond their reach. This thought was portrayed in Job, when Zophar the Naamathite responded to Job in Job 11:7 “‘Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?’” He was rebuking Job’s last remarks in chapter 10. This was the prevalent thought among the Jews. God was not easily accessible.

I love how Paul applies this to our Christian faith. The last words of the verse which are in parenthesis needs a little explanation. When Paul writes, “(that is, to bring Christ down),” he is saying we didn’t need to go up to heaven and bring the Messiah down. He came willingly. God came to us. Emmanuel, God with us. It wasn’t our efforts that brought the Savior. God willingly gave us His Son.

As we approach Easter this week, I pray you will take some extra time to reflect on what Christ did for you. He allowed Himself to be scourged and crucified. He allowed His body to be buried in a borrowed tomb. But…then He burst through on Resurrection day. Don’t approach next Sunday lightly. We could not have manufactured our salvation. God produced His Son to pay the price for us. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Thank You, God, that You are always within reach. I do not have to stretch too far because You are always near.

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Bible, Law, Perfection, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

PERFECT OBEDIENCE

ROMANS 10:5

“For Moses writes of the righteousness that is based on the Law, that the person who performs them will live by them.”

Have you ever known a perfectionist? I have known a few, and they were all miserable people. Why? Because no one is perfect. As hard as you try, you are going to make mistakes. I was always taught by my dad to do a job right the first time. He set high standards for his children. But he never demanded perfection. If we did our best, he was proud of us. However, he didn’t tolerate slacking off on a job. Whether that was house chores, yard work, school or in our part time jobs, he wanted us to do our very best.

Paul is referencing a passage from Leviticus 18:5 in today’s verse. “‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them; I am the LORD.’” God demanded obedience to the law. Only by keeping each and every one of His commands was the Jew able to achieve righteousness. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, they could never achieve this. Paul knew that. He had tried. Only when he found Christ (or should I say, Christ found him on that Damascus Road) was he able to achieve righteousness. Not from anything he did, but only through Christ’s righteousness.

APPLICATION

I love what Benson says in his commentary about this verse. “As if the apostle had said, Moses, by showing that the law requires exact and perfect obedience for righteousness, (an obedience impossible to be performed by us in our fallen state,) may thereby convince us that righteousness is not to be attained by our own works, but only by faith in Christ.” That pretty much sums it up.  

There are a couple of words in today’s verse that deserve to be pointed out. The first is “performs” which is the common Greek verb poieó, which means to do or make. Here it is used as a participle. Perhaps it could be translated “having done these things” which ties it to the second word “lives.” In other words, having kept all the requirements of the law and thereby achieving righteousness by the law, the Jew could live by them. Sounds easy? Not so much.

Aren’t you glad we don’t have to achieve anything to receive the righteousness of Christ. Sure, we need to strive to follow all of God’s commands from Genesis to Revelation. But God knows we will never be able to achieve perfect obedience this side of heaven. Yet He loves us still. God is a perfect God of an imperfect mankind. Any perfection we achieve in following His commands is only because of His perfect Son in our lives. Amen?

Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect Son, Jesus, Who lives in and through me.

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Bible, Completeness, Fulfill, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

THE END OF THE LAW

ROMANS 10:4

“For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Coming to the end of something can be either rewarding or sad. Take for instance, finishing your college degree is a very rewarding accomplishment. Getting that diploma with all the pomp and circumstance that goes with it can be a milestone in your life. In contrast, coming to the end of a relationship can be depressing and hollow. But life is full of endings, isn’t it?

Today’s verse has been the topic of much disagreement in the scholarly world. Some say this verse meant that Jesus ended the ceremonial law while others say it refers to the moral law. But I tend to agree with Barnes here that “by faith in Christ the same end is accomplished in regard to our justification, that would be by perfect obedience to the moral law.” The Jews were trying to reach this perfect ending by perfectly obeying the law, which we know is not possible. It was like the goalpost kept getting moved. It was like they would take two steps forward and one step back (or vice versa). Paul states here that Jesus was the fulfillment of the law that they were all searching for. His righteousness was the answer.

APPLICATION

How can we apply this truth to our lives? Well, let me ask you a question. What are you trying to do to gain righteousness? Well Carl, I go to church every Sunday. I give ten percent to the church. I rescue little kittens off the street. Okay, that last one was pushing it, lol. But you get the picture. We try to accomplish something that has already been accomplished. We don’t need to do a thing to gain this righteousness. We simply accept it as a gift from the Father once we place our trust in His Son.

The Greek word for “end” is telos. It is used extensively throughout the New Testament and is defined as end, completion, and even purpose. This last definition fits well in today’s verse. Christ was the full purpose of the law. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Christ wasn’t God’s plan B in case His plan A failed (the Mosaic Law). No! God planned from the beginning to supply the perfect purpose, His Son Jesus. He was the only remedy for fallen man.

When you come to the end of yourself, you find you need a purpose. I have a friend who has a son who is trying to find his purpose in life. He currently has no motivation to do much of anything. I told my friend that his son needs purpose. Every man needs a purpose. God has given us that. Jesus is the ultimate purpose, the ultimate end result. He is the only provider of righteousness. Trust Him with that and tell others how they can find their end in Him.

Lord God, thank You for giving us the telos in Christ. He fulfills us all.

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Bible, Disobedience, Obedience, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture, Subjection, Submission

SUBJECT YOURSELF

ROMANS 10:3

“For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”

Obedience is so simple yet so hard. Do you agree? I mean, how hard is it to drive the speed limit? Not hard at all, but how many of us actually obey the speed limit signs? There have been times (I’ll admit not a lot, lol) when I drove the speed limit. What happened? I almost got blown off the road by all the other motorists. I got honked at for “going too slow” even though I was driving the posted speed. So, what did I do? I sped up, thereby breaking the law. I wasn’t being obedient.

Paul points out in today’s verse that the Jews just did not want to “subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” The Greek word used there for “subject” is hupotassó “from hypó, ‘under’ and tássō, ‘arrange’) – properly, ‘under God’s arrangement,’ i.e. submitting to the Lord (His plan). (HELPS Word-studies) It’s a fairly commonly used word in the New Testament (used 48 times). It basically boils down to being obedient.

APPLICATION

I love how Paul uses the word in 1 Corinthians 15:27-28, where he uses it six times. “27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” 

Jesus, Who is part of the Trinity, willingly subjected Himself to the Father. Wow! If Jesus, Who was and is God, could subject Himself, why can’t we? We’re even told to “subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21) In 1 Peter 5:5 we read, “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders;” I could go on and list numerous other verses using hupotassó, but I think you can see the importance of obedience and subjection in Scripture.

Is there something in your life which the Lord is asking you to submit to Him? It could be your career choice. How about that man or woman you are dating? It could be your children. That’s a hard one. Whatever it is, just obey the Lord. Subject yourself to His Will. Let Him show you what He would have you do. Joy never precedes obedience. Mark that down. But once you choose to obey, joy will follow. Choose obedience today.

Father, I will obey You because You love me and promise such joy in my obedience.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Knowledge, Romans, Scripture, Truth

TRUE KNOWLEDGE

ROMANS 10:2

“For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.”

Some things are just not understandable or relatable apart from first-hand experience. Take for example, I cannot explain to you fully the stench and odor of a pig pen. My Uncle Hugh Lee was a farmer and always had a few hundred pigs that he raised for the market and for butchering himself. One particular pen of pigs contained this great fishing pond, but you had to go through that pen to get to the pond. Try dodging pigs, pig mess and mud puddles created by pigs while carrying fishing poles and tackle. And doing that on a hot summer day in South Georgia only raised the stink level.

Now, why in the world would I bring that up? Well, I had to experience that myself to fully understand it. Paul’s verse today says the same thing about the Jews. Listen, they had head knowledge about God. They even had “zeal for God,” but they did not have that experiential knowledge of God through Jesus. To them God was like my father used to describe God – the old man upstairs. It wasn’t until my dad got saved at 80 years of age that he gained that knowledge of Jesus which framed his world his last four years.

APPLICATION

The word Paul uses here for “knowledge” is epignōsis. It “denotes an experiential, relational, and transforming knowledge. It is more than data acquisition; it embraces recognition, acknowledgment, and personal appropriation of truth revealed by God. In the New Testament it is always anchored in divine initiative and always bears moral and spiritual consequences.” (Topical Lexicon)

I love how Peter uses this word right after he goes through that long list of things you should apply to your life (2 Peter 1:5-7). In verse 8 he writes, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The TRUE knowledge! That’s epignōsis. You can only gain true knowledge of Christ by getting to know Him personally and intimately. That was something the Jews were against.

In 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Timothy 2:25; 3:7 and Titus 1:1, Paul uses the phrase “the knowledge of the truth.” This is something we seek and will find. Matthew 7:7 promises that. Seek Him first! He wants to disclose such hidden truths to you, truths which the world cannot understand, and you cannot explain. Just like the stench of a pig pen cannot be put into words until it experienced firsthand, neither can the true knowledge of God until you yield to Him. Keep yielding.

Father God, You promise to disclose more and more to us through Your Word and Your Spirit as we give ourselves completely to You.

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Bible, Israel, Pharisees, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

A SIMPLE PRAYER

ROMANS 10:1

“Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.”

Do you have people for whom you are praying for their salvation? I have several, many of them in my family. I would not name them because I love them. But I pray for them to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, to discover the freedom they can have by coming to their Savior. Truly, I cannot think of a person that I wish would not be saved. God’s Word is plain. It says whosoever will.

Paul has been discussing thus far in Romans the problem the Jews had in receiving Jesus as their Messiah, their Lord. He can relate to them, being a Jew himself. He has tried in his missionary journeys to reach the Jews, even though God’s calling on his life was to the Gentiles. He says it is “my heart’s desire.” He longs for their salvation. The Greek word used there is eudokia which means Paul’s earnest and sincere wish.

APPLICATION

But then he goes a step further and says, “my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” Paul didn’t just wish this. He sought God on their behalf. Probably, in his daily prayers he asked for his nation to come to Jesus. He probably called out names of Pharisees with whom he served. Perhaps he named certain Jewish towns or settlements. All we know for sure is he prayed to God for their salvation.

I have to be honest. There are certain people I pray for daily to come to Christ. Others I lift up on a weekly or monthly basis. I do that my calling out their names. I try not to throw out some blanket prayer about salvation for the world, even though that is fine. I want to put their name on the end of my tongue and deliver it up to God. I am thinking of one specific person right now (I just paused to pray for their salvation). You can do the same.

Make a list of people you want to see come to Jesus. And then make it a habit to lift them by name to Him. Ask for God to send His Holy Spirit to convict them and draw them to Himself. Ask God to reveal Himself to them in some specific way. Ask God to use you to speak truth to them and love them to Jesus. This is not rocket science. It’s pretty simple, but it’s hard to be committed to it. Make this part of your daily Quiet Time. I can’t wait to hear from you what happens.

Father, I lift up those for whom I have been praying for their salvation. May today be their day of salvation.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Scripture, Cross, Romans, Isaiah, Trap, Offense

THE ROCK OF OFFENSE

ROMANS 9:33

“just as it is written: ‘BEHOLD, I AM LAYING IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.’”

Have you ever watched the reality show Alone? Participants are put out into wilderness environments with only limited articles which they are allowed to take with them. Those who are experienced in those kind of settings will usually take things to make snare traps to catch rabbits or other animals. Snares work in a variety of ways, but many rely on a stick or rock which moves to trigger the trap. They are not always successful, but when they are, these participants have much needed food.

Paul uses a Greek word in today’s verse which has that same picture. The word translated as “offense” is skandalon. It “is the native rock rising up through the earth, which trips up the traveler, hence, of Jesus the Messiah, to the Jews who refused him” (Souter); “properly, the bait-stick of a trap, a snare, stumbling-block” (Abbott-Smith); “the stick in the trap that springs and closes the trap when the animal touches it” (HELPS Word-studies) What or who is Paul talking about? As mentioned yesterday in verse 32, Jesus is that stumbling stone or rock of offense.

APPLICATION

Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16 both refer to the same “rock of offense. We read in 8:14, “Then He will become a sanctuary; But to both houses of Israel, He will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” You are probably more familiar with 28:16 which reads, “Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed.”

Jesus, plainly put, really stumped the Jewish religious crowd. For one they couldn’t understand why God would extend any kind of salvation and righteousness to the Gentiles. After all, they were not a part of Israel and therefore were not God’s chosen people. Secondly, this salvation through Jesus was just too easy. All it required was faith. They didn’t have to DO anything to gain it.

The cross of Christ still trips people up. It is still the skandalon for many. What can we do about that? Well, we can tell them our story of redemption through that cross. We can tell them how Jesus has changed our life. We can show them how to approach the cross and receive forgiveness. Most traps are meant to be avoided. But the “trap” of the cross is a gentle one. It does not harm. It does not take life. Quite the contrary. It gives life. It embraces you. Share that with those who fear it. Share that with those who seem to walk around it. It will change their life.

O, loving Father, I give You praise that I fell into the “trap” of the cross so many years ago where You have kept me safe.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Faith, Romans, Scripture, Stumbling, Walking, Works

THE STUMBLING STONE

ROMANS 9:32

“Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though they could by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,”

I have mentioned before that I have pretty bad neuropathy in my feet caused by the chemo I had while going through my stem cell transplants. This means I can’t feel my toes very well and therefore have to be very careful when walking on uneven surfaces. Even rugs in my house can cause me stumble if I am not careful. Stones and rocks outside are even worse. That’s a shame because I really like to walk in the woods. I’m always careful, but there is always the chance that I could take a fall.

The word used by Paul here for “stumbling” is proskomma which literally means “a stumbling, an occasion of stumbling.” (NAS Exhaustive Concordance) The word is used six times in the New Testament, each time by Paul except for its one use by Peter in 1 Peter 2:8 where he quotes the same passage Paul does in tomorrow’s verse. Proskomma paints a picture in today’s verse of something that tripped up the Jews. Look at this description of the word. “The stone on which they stumbled was Christ, and especially His Cross…the Cross offended them because, as interpreted by Paul, it summoned them to begin their religious life, from the very beginning, at the foot of the Crucified, and with the sense upon their hearts of an infinite debt to Him, which no “works” could ever repay.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament)

APPLICATION

So, you may be thinking What has that got to do with me? Well, let me tell you. What is it about the Gospel that trips you up? What has caused you to doubt your faith? Is there something in your life right now that is causing you to stumble in your walk with Christ? Or is there something in your life that is causing someone else to stumble? Paul warns us about this last one in Romans 14:13. “Therefore let’s not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this: not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s or sister’s way.”

Just as the Jews stumbled over the fact that Jesus, Who died on a cross, was the Messiah, we too stumble over simple truths in His Word. We don’t want to believe certain things. We don’t want to submit to Him in all aspects of our lives. These are stumbling blocks for us. But if we walk in His footprints, we know we will never stumble. When you’re walking through a minefield you want to step exactly where the one who knows where they lie is stepping. Jesus knows all the minefields the devil is laying for you. Step in His steps.

The Topical Lexicon describes proskomma this way, “The gospel divides humanity. For those pursuing righteousness ‘as if it were by works,’ Christ becomes ‘a stumbling stone’. The offense arises because grace nullifies self-effort; yet those who receive Him find secure footing.” Find your secure footing today. 1 Corinthians 3:11 tells us that Jesus is the firm foundation. Build your life on Him, and you can avoid those stumbling stones of life.

Thank You, God, for helping me step securely.  

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Scripture, Righteousness, Perfection, Law, Romans, Righteous

DON’T PURSUE THE WRONG THINGS

ROMANS 9:31

“however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.”

Too many people strive after perfection only to fall short time and time again. Their motive is driven by their belief that they must do something themselves to achieve this. But no one is perfect or ever will be perfect. Only one perfect human being ever walked this earth – Jesus. The good news is He doesn’t expect perfection from us even though we are told to “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

This was the problem with trying to achieve righteousness by following the Law. Paul knew that. He had tried to gain this righteousness by perfectly adhering to the requirements of the Law. The problem was if you could keep the whole Law and fail in just one, you were guilty of failing the whole law. The word translated as “arrive” is phthanó which is used seven times in the New Testament. It has various meanings but generally means to attain or arrive at. We’ll look at some of the other uses later.

APPLICATION

Matthew Henry says of this verse, “The Jews talked much of justification and holiness, and seemed very ambitious to be the favourites of God. They sought, but not in the right way, not in the humbling way, not in the appointed way. Not by faith, not by embracing Christ, depending upon Christ, and submitting to the gospel. They expected justification by observing the precepts and ceremonies of the law of Moses.” That’s why the Jews struggled with the fact that the Gentiles who gave their lives to Christ achieved what they had been pursuing through simple faith.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he has a section in chapter 3 that talks about his pursuit for perfection. Take a minute and read Philippians 3:12-16. It ends with these words, “however, let’s keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.” He acknowledges the journey of faith includes a process of sanctification, but states that we need to live in what we have already attained. What does that mean? It means, I believe, that Paul knew his righteousness did not depend on what he could achieve. He could never achieve perfection. But Jesus saw him and sees us perfected in Him. Hallelujah!

In Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20 phthanó is used to describe what Jesus taught about the kingdom’s arrival. The Topical Lexicon says, “Jesus declares that His exorcisms prove the kingdom’s present arrival, not merely future hope. Phthanō underscores immediacy: the reign of God has already overtaken His hearers.” You can celebrate your attainment of God’s righteousness in your life today. Know your identity in Him and strop pursuing things you think will gain you a perfection not necessary in the eyes of God.

Lord, I love You and thank You for seeing me as perfected already through Your righteousness.

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Bible, Gentiles, Gentleness, Good, Peace, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

WHAT ARE YOU PURSUING?

ROMANS 9:30

“What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith;”

Before Christ radically transformed my life and gave me a desire to pursue Him over all things, I was like every other guy out there. Before Christ, I pursued everything that could give me pleasure. I won’t mention those here, but you can figure that out. After Christ, I still pursued enough of the world to keep me from developing that deep, intimate connection with Him. But…when He transformed me through the obedience to His Word (special thanks to Every Man A Warrior), I became a man, although not perfect, who was pursuing Him and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)

The word used by Paul for “pursue” is diókó which has a description to include a hunter chasing a prey. If you have ever tracked a deer in the woods, that’s the picture here. The hunter does not give up finding his prized prey. He will climb hills, forge streams and even climb over boulders and trees to get to it. Paul was saying in today’s verse that the Gentiles (as a group) had not pursued righteousness that way in the past. But those who have tasted of the righteousness of God have now obtained it through faith. Praise God!

APPLICATION

Diókó is used 45 times in the New Testament. We can’t possibly look at every single instance. However, we can look at a few things we are told to pursue. First, look at 1 Timothy 6:11 that says, “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” That’s a pretty good list of things to pursue, isn’t it? I love how Paul said at the end of that list to pursue gentleness. That is something that most, if not all, of us need to pursue more.

Then the writer of Hebrews writes in 12:14, “Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” Now this is a toughy! Paul adds a little clarification of that later in the book of Romans in 12:18. He says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people.” Sometimes our best efforts at peace are thwarted by those with whom we are trying to make peace. Pursue it anyway.

Finally in 1 Thessalonians 5:15, Paul tells us, “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people.” The word “seek” is diókó. Pursue what is good, not for yourself, but for others. That’s what a real man does. He pursues what is good for his wife and children and grandchildren. He sacrifices for them. I pray that every man reading this today will pursue God passionately and with abandon so he can pursue all the things God has for him.

O God, I will pursue You. I will chase after You knowing that You will always be there for me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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