Romans 9:30-10:4: The Vanity of Zeal

Romans 10:2, 4.. "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge...For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

Christianity is not the only religion that requires obedience. In fact, every religion requires obedience. Islam requires that one prays at certain times a day in a certain way, as well as fasting and tithing. Catholicism requires that one repents of his sins to a priest and actively participate in mass. Many of these things sound like Christianity. So what makes us different?

We find the answer to this wonderful question within Romans 9:30-10:4. Here, Paul is contrasting the Jews with the Gentiles. The Jews, who had been given the law (Romans 9:4), have used it in order "that [it] would lead to righteousness" (Romans 9:31). However, we have learned in previous chapters that the law cannot lead to righteousness, but rather that it can only lead to the awaking of conviction and therefore the life of death (Romans 7:7, 13). The Jews thereby "did not succeed in reaching the law" because they "did not pursue it by faith, but [rather] as if it were based on works" (Romans 9:32). The Jews have "stumbled over the stumbling stone" (Romans 9:32) by attempting to use the law of God for their own righteousness.

However, there is a second group of people that Paul talks about: the Gentiles. The Gentiles are us, those who are not within the line of Israel. Paul says of the Gentiles that they "did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, righteousness by faith" (Romans 9:30). The Gentiles have attained righteousness, but not by seeking it by their own efforts, but rather seeking it through Christ.

Ultimately, in these verses we find a vanity of zeal. Now, let me be clear here. We surely ought to be zealous, that is, zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). However, there is great vanity and pointlessness in zeal if it is motivated by our own doings instead of submission to Christ. The Jews were some of the most zealous, religious people of all time, yet they did not obtain salvation (that is, those who did not pursue God by faith). However, those who submitted to Christ's righteousness instead of seeking to obey the law on their own obtained eternal life (Romans 10:1-3).

Here's the point: it is not those who strive and work for eternal life that obtain it, but rather those who realize that they cannot obtain it on their own, who instead turn to Christ. We will never obtain righteousness unless we turn to Christ, for "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4). Therefore, we must turn to Christ.

So, have you been pridefully zealous? Once again, we ought to be zealous for good works, but are you zealous for good works for you, or for God? Are you striving to obtain and continue your own salvation in your own power so that you might get the glory, or have you recognized and responded correctly to the vanity of zeal?