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Romans 10:1-4 by Joe La Bianca Brothers, my heart?s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God?s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. God laid in Zion the stumbling stone of Jesus. God did not say that He put the rock of offense in another place, only in Israel. The stumbling stone is said to be lying in the Jewish homeland because Israel tries to attain salvation by works of the law, and not by faith in Jesus alone. Israel finds it hard to let God save; instead, Israel tries to save itself. The legalistic church also tries to save itself, and so Jesus has now become a stumbling stone for much of the so-called church. The legalistic church has abandoned the gospel for fellowship with Israel, and has thereby made Jesus Christ its enemy. Those who are unsaved are outside of God?s blessing and fellowship. The unsaved are in this miserable state because they do not believe in Jesus. Paul prayed that Israel would be saved. He prayed this because Israel was unsaved. Since Romans 10:1 clearly says that Israel is unsaved, how can anyone call Israel ?the chosen people?? How can God?s people be unsaved and under His curse? Obviously, they cannot. The chosen people of God is now the church. This truth is revealed in many places in Paul?s letters. If Israel is still God?s people, then why does Paul petition God for the salvation of Israel if Israel was saved? Israel needs salvation today. They need to be delivered by the blood of Jesus just as the Gentiles are. Salvation is the same for everyone. We must all come to God by faith in Jesus apart from works. This gospel, preached by Paul, was the reason why Israel sought to kill Paul. When you hear the phrase, ?Pray for the peace of Israel,? it doesn?t mean to ask God for a cessation of earthly war. It means to pray for the salvation of Israel, for the peace with God that can only come from simple faith in Jesus? cross. Israel has a zeal for God. Their fervent enthusiasm for God is not based on knowledge, however. Israel has no recognition of the truth, and so despite their sincerity, they are yet unsaved. This shows us that no amount of sincerity can make us right with God. Even though people think they are correct, this doesn?t make them correct. This is what it means to be deceived. If someone?s genuine feelings can save them, then Jesus is not necessary. But we know that Jesus is the only Savior, and so feelings, however sincere, can never save from hell. If Israel cannot be saved because of its sincerity, then no heathen nation can be saved without the gospel, even though they truly believe in their false ideas of God. Sincerity does not save, Jesus does. A person can be sincerely wrong. Goodness can only come from God, for only God is good. Israel tries to set up human goodness out of ignorance. Legalists of any ilk are also guilty of this error. People cannot be good. To obtain one?s own goodness, separate and alone, is impossible. In order to be saved, people must submit themselves to God?s goodness, and let themselves be made good by faith without works. This is the gospel. This is the truth. If someone does not know of God-given goodness, acquired by simple faith in the cross, they will try to establish their own righteousness through ignorance. But there is no such thing as private righteousness. All goodness comes from God, and is freely credited to the believer. Seeing that goodness is not private, meaning that it does not belong to any particular person, we must seek goodness from outside of ourselves. The gospel is God?s way of imparting goodness to people. Hearing and believing produces goodness. Not just hearing anything, or believing anything. We must hear the one thing needful. We must believe the one thing needful for salvation. Jesus and Him crucified is the one thing needful. Hearing of Christ and trusting in that story produces salvation. Following the law of Moses does not produce salvation. Christ is the end of the law, in order that there may be righteousness by faith. If the law was not concluded, then real Christianity could not exist. Hearing and believing, and the very existence of such a wonderful salvation mechanism, necessitates the end of the law. Christ set out to fulfill the law for us, and after living the only sinless life, He laid down that perfect life in our place, as payment for sin. This satisfies God and clears the believer of all guilt. To try to appease God with human effort is a denial of all Jesus has done. Jesus terminated the law after He accomplished it. The perfection has come; we need not try to improve upon Jesus. So rest in Jesus, and let Him save you from everything that defiles body, soul, and spirit.

Bump? Don't mind if I do!

Don't try to save the saved ones, better go to the real archives and provable facts.

Hi Joey: Some Theological Debate/Dialoge? I have 'heard' the Jesus' Gospel Words say something like "My Disciples aren't those that talk and talk about My Teachings, but those that put Them in Practice", and "For their Workings You will know them". And for me the 'Spirit of God' and the True is sensed in the Inside of our Soul (specially the 'Heart' zone), as E.F. Schumacher says in his Book 'This I Believe' (and he not only speaked, but Also Do very Good Constructive Material Works). And You, Friend - apart of "Preaching" - What do You do for to Build "The Kingdom of God" (The Kingdom of Wisdom, Love & Material Sufficiency for All in this Earth) ?!

Hi Piedro, Romans 10:14 says, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher?" When you and I are dust, this message of the cross will be the most important thing to us. About my good fruit, When Jesus was judging the sheep and the goats, the sheep did not recall all the good things that Jesus said they did. The goats said they did good works when Jesus said they did not. If I were to tell you of my good fruit, it would only be more words. You will have to get to know me to form an opinion. We are both Americans, I north and you south. Let me know if you are ever in Gettysburg.

I'd rather be with those, that don't judge, the way you explain, Joey. A certain arrogance is unsurpassed. And that kind has killed many (and caused big harms), that were just doing for peace, and dancing free, sorry to say. People are not sheep, people are people, originally free under the sun. We need no dictators.

I agree - Only Friends supporting & learning from each other. Some Ramdon Thoughs: Hi Joey! For me also is interesting to do some Bible & Gospel's Exegisis (Interpretations). (Also I have read on Buddhism & writings of Islam's Mistics, the Sufies - And on Aboriginal Indian People of North America). It's interesting, but as also Saint Paul said "our erudition will be nothing if we lack Charity" (Love between us and other Human Beings: Compassion, Compression, Solidarity, Friendship). Your Blog dissertations remember me a little to study more some Themes in the Gospel, needed I think for to talk with some rich and powerful Chilean men that say they are Christian about now proximatelly sploding Social & Environment Problems. I like very much the Christian View of the'Kingdom of God' of which talked Jesus and (scuse me)() think, for example, How to do Reality here the exortion of "Not be afraid of what we will eat in the future and give it as the Birds to the goodness of God" (I think with 'Forest Gardens' distributed in all places, from which I talked in anotherThread). Althoug I think the Bible & the Gospel& the Koran & the Sutras are only Human interpretations of the Teachings of great Human Beings (of the Writers), I have learned of those scritures (and of many more writings & cultural materials); and intent to sense (of course attentive to normal reality) that called the mysterious presence of the subttle reality of the 'Living God' that it seems to me the pure & natural world - and the 'Ecological Laws',that for me are the 'Laws of God'- manifest more. And that -it is seeming to me - is a door open to all to the perception of the wonder of 'our' Planet Earth. Hope we will learn how to Live well here in the Future.

Thanks Piedro, For me the Bible is far less important than what is contained in the Bible. What I mean is, within the Bible is the Gospel. The Gospel is about the work of Jesus. Teachings are secondary. Everyone wants wisdom. That's fine. But wisdom cannot heal our sin. This planet is also temporary. When you believe in the cross of Jesus, that is the eternal thing in this world. Heaven and earth will fade away, but the word of Jesus, which is the Gospel, will never fade away. This is the Gospel, Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. Piedro, can you tell me that you believe this.? If yes, you are SAVED!!

There was this man on the beach in full freedom, when another man came, to tell him, that he could work for him. The second man promised him, to get enough, to afford to go to beaches like this and feel free. . . Guess, what the first man answered, if anything? Some people are extremely busy (and stubborn) to bring owls to Athens, as we say. (Athens is seen to be full of owls anyhow, thats why) . . .

huh?

What?s stopping you? It?s really easy to be saved. Is it because you can?t admit that you have sinned? Maybe you?re thinking of it in a wrong way. Don?t compare yourself with man. Compare yourself with God. Then you will see how short you fall. Then you will know you need Jesus to give His righteousness to you.

We will rock you, rock you little snake. We will keep you snug and warm! Hurry up and activate your prayer capsule.

He can be cryptic too. Read between the lines!

Of course, its easy to be saved, once you get rid of old trousers, that may have fitted some time ago, lol. what is stopping you from seeing this? I think, the buddha-nature, inherent in everyone says more than enough. So does the 8 fold path, if you ever heard about this one, or the term: be here now (not then or never). Sorry, YOU may be fixed on Jesus, we all now this by now, but that does not mean, that others also HAVE to. If its your way, then be it so, but it must not be put onto others, if they walk another way. Thats what killed many, and made many cry, when forced upon them, forgotten? If you go on this way, you will be amongst those, who forcefed and killed. . . Let it be, Joey! Give it a break. Imagine

You seem to link killers with Christians. The person who hurt you was a false Christian, by name only. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. But I would be letting your spirit die if I didn't tell the good news. Live in Christ. For Jesus came to give us life, and more abundantly. Don't you know that without faith in Jesus your spirit is not alive. We are dead in our sins until Jesus gives us the new birth, when we believe. Supper is almost ready. Do you know that song from Foxtrot? It's all about the book of Revelation in the Bible. I think Peter wrote the words to that song. The meaning of title, "Supper's Ready " is a reference to the wrath of God.