Title: Passion without knowledge/Romans 10:1-21
Contents
Hymns: 427, 466
Text: Romans 10:1-21
passion without knowledge
The Israelites had a religious zeal that was unmatched by any other people.
However, this zeal was far from God's will, and it was a passion that came from a misunderstanding of the law. So I set the wrong goal and ended up sprinting. I say this more clearly and powerfully because it was Paul who had the experience of going to Damascus with the wrong words. Unlike the righteousness that God requires, the Jews did their best to stand up for their own righteousness. I did not realize that a right relationship with God can only be achieved through Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment and completion of all laws. We often get so caught up in our religious zeal that we forget the very essence of the faith we should have. Passion without the knowledge of God and without personal fellowship with God is like chaff that is blown away by the wind and is easily blown away. In order for my zeal to be sublimated into a more mature and beautiful image, I must first seek the Lord's will.
*** Salvation in the mouth and in the heart (vv. 5-13)
The people of the Old Testament did not reach the level of holiness that God required, only vaguely thinking that if they obeyed the laws of Moses and lived according to them, they would have a right relationship with God. But now the way of faith has been opened in Jesus Christ, and that faith is sufficient for salvation. In order to walk the path of faith, it is no longer necessary to put forth all kinds of penance and toil. Salvation was fully provided by Christ. 'Mouth' is the channel through which we express our feelings. If you confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth and believe in your heart that Christ has risen, salvation is guaranteed and a right relationship with God is formed. If you call on the name of the Lord from the center of your heart, no matter who you are, you will be saved without discrimination. Do we live a life of acknowledging Jesus as Lord through all our expressions of life, including our lips?
*** Feet that bring good news (verses 14, 15)
Paul, who declared that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, now logically explains step by step how noble and necessary 'evangelists' are. To call on the name of the Lord, you must first believe in Him, and to believe in Him, you must first hear His name. Also, in order to hear the name, someone must preach it, and the one who preaches it is sent by God. God sent evangelizers to save mankind with the gospel. Therefore, the feet of an evangelist are worthy to be praised as beautiful. In our society, there is a pervasive individualistic tendency to care only about things related to oneself and dislike others. Even we should not neglect preaching the good news or neglect the preachers of the gospel because we think only of ourselves and sell our hands only for our own salvation. How much do we remember those who preach the gospel for our salvation, and how do we help them?
*** Israel disobedient (verses 16-21)
The Jews clearly heard the word of God and knew it, but they did not obey it. The decisive mistake of the Jews was that they had heard the Gospel but rejected it because of their hardened heart. God had already spoken through Moses that God's hand would be transferred to the Gentile nations. However, the Jews did not obey and rather disobeyed God's will. Nevertheless, with his endless love, God constantly stretches out his hand of salvation, waiting for them to return. We, too, always listen to God's Word and live by receiving strength from it. But do we not reject God's demands through our self-will or disobedience? Even if you sin against God, do you not make every effort to justify your sin by using the cross of the Lord as an excuse? Did you know that God is still waiting for us at this level?