Paul's conclusion about God's decree

[瑤翰 김요한]

Paul's conclusion about God's decree (Romans 9:30-33)

Matthew 5-7 speaks of the absolute ethics of heaven.

This is a word that must be fulfilled, and only then can one become a citizen of heaven.

Therefore, only when the Beatitudes are fulfilled sequentially can one become the salt and light of the world and become a righteous person of a higher level than the righteousness of the scribes or pharisees who followed the deeds of the law.

Through this, we gain complete righteousness that leads to the perfection of God in heaven.

To do so, by repeating the Lord's Prayer, Christ becomes a treasure, and by not serving both God and wealth, we develop into people who seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

Such people do not fall into the hypocrisy of criticizing others, do not give holy things to dogs or become fools who throw pearls to swine, but ask, seek and knock on the Holy Spirit.

If we do not do this, we cannot become a good tree that bears good fruit.

Therefore, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and perform many mighty works in your name? But the Lord says, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

The reason why it is illegal is because  there is no one hears the word and do build a house on the rock, but instead become foolish people who build a house on people, and the house eventually collapses.

It is an illegal building built on people, not a house built on a rock after hearing the Word.

In this day and age, there are more illegal building of religion than we think.

“What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness” (Romans 9:30-31)

A. Israel was left out, and the Gentiles who did not seek righteousness gained righteousness.

That righteousness is not the righteousness that comes from the works of the law, but the righteousness that comes from faith.

Those who try to gain righteousness through the works of the law are idolaters who put themselves in the position of God, and they blaspheme the divinity of God as God by glaringly ignoring the sacrifice of the Son's death and being raised.

The problem is not just Jews, it is impossible to count how many modern-day Jews there are.

If a person says that the sign appears is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is a lie and at the same time, he or she is standing in sin because he or she is like a Jew under the law.

Israel, who pursued the law of righteousness, did not reach that law of righteousness.

Actions will never reach your goal.

No matter how hard you try, it's not enough.

It's like a baseball player sliding to reach the base but not being able to touch it and being out.

By believing in Christ as Lord, who gave himself on the cross for our sins and rose again to become our righteousness, we obtain righteousness and have peace with God, and finally reach a faith that allows us to look upon and rejoice in the glory that we fell short of because of our sins (Romans 4:25-5:2)

That is why it is so important to obtain righteousness by faith.

Q. What happened to Israel, which relies on action?

“Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the  works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone.” (Romans 9:32)

A. ‘Wherefore?’ means why it happened that way.

Israel did not rely on faith in Jesus Christ as their savior.

This means that they did not believe in the will of God’s word.

Because the living Holy Spirit is with the written Word of God, when we believe, the Spirit and life of Christ work to enable us to put the Word into practice.

Therefore, only those who have the secret to practice the verbs of the Bible with the support of the Holy Spirit are justified by faith.

So Augustine said that the Holy Spirit has a preceding work and an accompanying work.

This means that the Holy Spirit motivates us when we believe the Word and also gives us the power to do it.

However, to will on act means to believe in one's own will.

God does not look at a person's zeal or appearance, but at the source of their strength.

God's sovereignty or his own sovereignty?

This is the difference between Christianity and Judaism.

Stumbling on that stumblingstone means stumbling and falling.

It also means that you fell into trap.

This means that they waited for the Messiah but stumbled at Christ.

They were completely absorbed in the stone temple of Jerusalem and could not even dream of the body temple that the Lord had built.

The Jews do not understand the words of the Lord when He looked at the stone temple and said, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’ (John 2:19).

The disciples also knew about the body temple when the Holy Spirit was present within them.

 “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and a rock of offense; and whosoever believes on him shall not be shamed’.” (Romans 9:33)

Behold! He places a stumblingstone in Sion, but that stone is a rock of offence and confusion.

The Rock of Moriah and the site of Solomon's Temple. Now it is the Omar Mosque.

The Jews were unable to escape this stone and are still standing and crying at the Wailing Wall.

He who believes in Him will not be put to shame; this is Christ. (Matthew 16:16)

It speaks of the difference in faith between those who try to build a temple on a visible rock and those who believe in and accept an invisible rock.

Because without the Word there is no faith, and without faith there is no righteousness, anyone has no choice but to be biased toward the righteousness of works based on human zeal.

Even now, the word that cannot be nourished, continues to strengthen human will.

It is the responsibility and mission of ministers to only allow the Word of God to work on people.

So, 2 Corinthians 3 explains the difference between ministers of the letter and ministers of the spirit.

The problem is that just as prosecutors seem to be more powerful than lawyers in the world, the problem is that teachers of the law written in the letter, that is, teachers of good and evil, are always treated with respect.

However, the external glory of the spiritual ministers who preach the gospel, save souls, and serve to fulfill the word according to the work of Christ working within them appears very shabby.

That representative is the Apostle Paul.

There is externally nothing to be  proud of.

For ministers, it is not important what I do for God, but what comes first is knowing how God uses me for his glory.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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