Either Stumble or Walk By Faith

Sunday, August 08, 2010 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments

Romans 9:30, What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." 33 As it is written:  "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

The Bible says that so long as Israel did not place their faith in God, but in their own righteousness, that they stumbled. Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone, the foundation of God's kingdom, and the basis of everything righteous, becomes a stumbling stone and a barrier to those who do not walk by faith. This text states that the Gentiles, or non-Jews, obtained something which many of the people who were originally chosen of God did not receive.

The lesson is this: We are not entitled to something if we are unwilling to trust God and live by faith. Religious heritage and pedigree cannot replace walking by faith. It seems that God is determined not to honor religious works. He sent Jesus to save us, give us a new heart, and help us to renew our minds so that we can trust His word and exercise faith in doing genuine works.

As verse 33 states, we who trust in God "shall never be put to shame."