Misdirected Zeal and God’s Way of Righteousness

Romans 10:1–4 (NLT)

Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. ² I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. ³ For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. ⁴ For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Message

Today, Paul continues after explaining “Why Israel stumbled, and the Gentiles believed” (Romans 9:30-33).

Paul himself is an Israelite, and he longs and prays for the people of Israel to be saved (1, 1 Timothy 2:3-4). Paul knows their enthusiasm for God, but it is misdirected zeal (2). To help them understand why their zeal is misdirected, Paul has laid the foundation throughout the previous chapters of Romans.

Their problem is written in verse 3:

They don’t understand God’s way of making people right with Himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.

Then, what is God’s way of making people right with Himself? It is believing in Christ (4^b).

Why?

Because Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given (4^a).