Listen to the audio devotional above, and/or read the written devotional below.
ZEAL
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
The apostle, here, presents the sound reason and necessity for the sovereignty of God in salvation in the rejection of Christ’s gospel by sincerely zealous Jews. Paul should know, since he was more zealous than any of his kin in opposing the gospel (Phil 3:6). Apart from God’s efficacious grace to awaken a sinner to Christ’s impeccable righteousness, the sinner will not submit to God’s righteousness because he or she is ignorant of the righteousness of God. God’s unwavering, stalwart righteousness in Christ cannot come to the forefront of the sinner’s thoughts since he or she is seeking to establish their own good works. Before the Lord Jesus saved us by His grace, we were likewise, though we may not have been quite aware of the Law of Moses as the Jew is. We looked at ourselves as if we weren’t “that bad.” Or we justified ourselves by comparing ourselves to others. And when we did something beneficial for another, there was never a thought of honoring God by the deed or reverencing Him in the act. The unbelieving Jew, in ignorant zeal, created an idol out of his own righteous deeds. They followed the nth of the letter of the Law, proving to themselves that they were good enough; yet, the Scriptures which contained the Law, testified of the Lord Jesus Messiah unto eternal life (John 5:39). Paul amplifies how blinded the unbelieving Jew was by their ignorance when he quotes Isaiah:
But of Israel He says, “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” Romans 10:21, cf. Isaiah 65:2-5
We, therefore, thank God for Christ Jesus and His sovereignty to save the ignorant, idolatrous, zealous souls like Paul, and even the ignorant, idolatrous, complacent souls like me. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
God’s righteousness is far above
Man’s most zealous acts;
Christ’s works exalt our God in love,
Where our best deeds have lack’d.
Online Bible Audio/Reading (ESV)
1 Samuel 12; Romans 10; Jeremiah 49; Psalm 26-27
