Zeal is Not Enough! (Romans 10:1-4)

SCRIPTURE

Romans 10:1-4
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 (recognition, full discernment, acknowledgement). For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

COMMENT

Paul's heart is for Israel, and he desires that all Israel to be saved. He knows that they have a zeal for God, but he also knows that zeal is not enough. Is that not a frightening statement? But their zeal was misplaced, it was not based on a knowledge of God. He's not talking about some secret, gnostic heresy, he's talking about the truth one finds when God opens their heart to reveal Himself to them. Their zeal was based on what they could earn from God through obedience to the law. Paul has just spent the previous chapters trying to explain that salvation is not through obedience, but through faith. They, Israel, had sought righteousness through obedience, which makes it their own righteousness. God's righteousness comes through Christ, and the byproduct of that faith leads to obedience. There is such a huge difference in God's eyes.

Much like Paul, I think about the church, and how I wish that all could be saved. But my fear is that many in the church have the same issue as the Israelites, that they have a zeal, but not according to knowledge. They may have a different set of laws, but they still are trying to establish their own righteousness rather than submit to God's righteousness.

For some, perhaps the zeal is a result of wanting to be saved rather than wanting to be with God. But salvation is so much more than just not wanting to go to hell.

Christ is the end of the law. He is the end of trying to please God through our own efforts.  The result of trying to establish our own righteousness is anxiety, fear, mistrust, manipulation. Jesus said His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:30) Relax, trust, then obedience is a natural result, then the relationship will be a genuine relationship.