Romans 9:30-33 – Faith, not works

Topic: Faith not Works

Reading: Romans 9:30-33

Introduction and Overview

One of the greatest challenges we have as humans is that we feel the need to have to DO something. We are driven by the need to work, believing it is by what we do that we gain whatever we seek, be it money, status, privilege, or simply food on the table.

Works and working are part of our DNA. But like so many things, what is natural to human thinking is contrary to God’s thinking.

God did not establish the processes for salvation based upon works. He did it on the basis of faith, not works. Doing it by faith and not works makes the realisation of salvation possible for all people. Not everyone has the same capacity for works, but everyone has the same capacity for faith. Everyone can believe in the words of God and so receive salvation.

But what we see in these words is that when the Israelites received the law, they did what people always do. They thought that salvation was based upon keeping the letter of the law. That is, as if it was based upon works rather than faith. Even under the law there was the need for faith and the recognition of God who gave the law. So, let’s look at these scriptures in more depth.

Key points from reading:

1. It is by faith, not works that we will be saved.
2. Doing the works of the law will not save us if they are mechanical and not based on faith.
3. Learning to follow the path of faith, not works is a stumbling block for many today as it was in early Bible times.

Discussion:

1. Scripture: Romans 9:30
   • The law was given to the nation of Israel by and through Moses, beginning with God giving him the Ten Commandments shortly after they left Egypt. They were instructed to keep the commandments, but with reverence and love towards God. And in fact we see that when the Pharisees and lawyers asked Jesus which was the greatest of the commandments in the law, Jesus stated that to love God with all of your being was the greatest, and a close second was to love your neighbour as yourself (Read Matthew 22:35-40).
   • Love was the keeping of the commandments, and as Jesus stated in the scripture above, all of the commandments that were given, and there are more than six hundred and fifty of them, are dependent on the foundation of love. And to love God requires faith, as it says in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Faith, hope, and love are inextricably entwined in each other and the three work together in harmony towards salvation.
   • Not that works of the law, and even the law itself, is not included in that statement. It is love, along with faith and hope that underpins the law. Works of law do not lead to faith, hope or love, and works of the law without faith, hope and love is empty. And that is what we are seeing in these words in Romans 9:30-33.
   • The Gentiles did not have the laws of God. But when they received the words of those who preached Jesus, they accepted His words and followed His teachings and received the free gift of righteousness by faith. By contrast the Israelites who had the law rejected Jesus and His teachings believing that the law was their promise of salvation. They believed that by keeping the works of the law they were righteous. But it is a false belief because it presumes that they earn righteousness by keeping the law, rather than receiving God’s gift of righteousness by believing His words.
   • And this fallacy continues down to today. Many in the church assume that they must stick to the law and the Ten Commandments and do the works of the law, such as tithing, fasting, and not eating certain foods or wearing certain garment, in order to receive God’s grace and salvation. But they miss the point that keeping th works of the law actually separates them from God’s grace as this scripture says in Galatians 5:4, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” Trying to be justified or righteous under the law will cut you off from God’s grace. It is by faith, not works that we are righteous, and this is the free gift of God not through anything we do, but by His love, kindness, and grace.
2. Scripture: Romans 9:31
   • It is in this verse that we see the dilemma faced by all humankind. Israel pursued righteousness through law by attempting to keep the works of the law. But they failed because God’s law is perfect, and man is not. No man has the capacity to keep God’s law perfectly because we are imperfect.
   • But they deceived themselves into believing they were righteous under the law because they did the works of the law. Consider the parable teaching that Jesus gave that goes to the heart of this matter.
     
     9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)
     
   • The Pharisee in the parable above was following the works of the law by fasting and tithing according to the law, and he did it perfectly. But he showed no love as his comments about others showed. Instead, he was glorying in his own self-righteousness and pride, rather than seeking the grace of God. Whereas the tax collector sought God’s mercy and revered God as greater than himself and put no faith in his own works of the law.
   • Self righteousness by keeping the works of the law with approaching the law by faith, hope, and love is no righteousness at all. The only true righteousness is that which is given by God through faith in what He has done in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and walking in His words and His ways.
3. Scripture: Romans 9:32-33
   • In these words we see the mention of the “stumbling stone.” The Israelites stumbled over the stumbling stone because of their desire to be righteous by keeping the works of the law rather than through faith. Righteousness by faith is the stumbling stone they fell upon because they could not accept that God would make a person righteous without them having to DO something. They could accept you could be made righteous just by believing the words of God.
   • And it is the same today. Much of the church has rejected the fact that righteousness is by faith because they believe they have to work and do the works of the law to be righteous. And yes, it is important that we do what is right, which means we will keep the requirements of the law. But it is not by keeping the requirements of the law that we will be made righteous in the sight of God. It is ONLY by faith that He declares us righteous.
   • Today, the ministers in churches preach about righteousness by faith, but they don’t practice it. They speak the words, but don’t understand what they mean or how they work. If they did, they would not insist on a path based upon keeping the law and the Ten Commandments. If they understood righteousness by faith, they would not condemn their congregations as being sinners and lawbreakers when God has set people free from their sins and set them free from the law, as was discussed in these studies back in Romans chapters 6 and 7.
   • It is by faith, not works that we are justified, or made righteous, in the sight of God. The stumbling stone that people trip over is understanding the faith we have in Jesus Christ sets us free from the law and takes away our sin. Jesus is the stumbling stone as it is by rejecting the righteousness by faith that is offered in Him that people miss the point. Faith, not works is the only way to righteousness.

Key Takeaways:

1. Keeping the works of the law, such as fasting and tithing, does not make us righteous in God’s eyes. In Christ Jesus we have been set free from the law and from sin, not by our works, but by faith in God’s grace.
2. The church today has stumbled over the stumbling stone of faith because they think too often that righteousness is to be found by keeping the works of the law. The law binds people, but faith sets them free to serve God.
3. Trying to be righteous under the law will separate you from the grace of God. The only true righteousness that exists is the free gift of righteousness given by God when we believe Jesus is our Saviour and that God raised Him from the dead.

Prayer Points

1. Pray to the Lord for understanding of His righteousness and how to follow His ways rather than the self-righteousness that many seek in doing the works of the law. And ask God to show you that it is by faith, not works, that we are made righteous.
2. Pray and ask the Lord to guide your mind and understanding of these things so that you can find the truth of these matters and not fall into the trap of following works of law. Faith, not law is the only path to righteousness.