IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS
Romans 9:16 It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
This verse goes against everything our carnal nature stands for. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s will, he respected the free will he had given them. They not only sinned against God, but passed it down from generation to generation. It continually shouts out, “I want my will to be done.” This is also seen in how we want to be forgiven and reconciled to God. It is funny because if someone sinned against us we would expect to have the say in how the reconciliation would come about.
Everyone seems to think that if they desire forgiveness and reconciliation bad enough no matter what religion or how they go about it God will grant their desire. Well, according to God it doesn’t work that way. We can cry before the Lord for years and it will not work. We can be ashamed for what we did and sware we will never sin again, but that won’t work either. We can starve ourselves to death and sacrifice all we have, but that will not work either.
The only way we can have forgiveness of our sin and become reconciled with God is to ask Jesus to forgive us and to come into our heart. There is no other way! It not through baptism, joining a church, singing in the choir or even becoming a pastor. It is God’s way or no way. While this may be simple in some regards, it is very difficult for many. It is this simple means of salvation by God’s mercy shown in his grace through faith in Jesus’ atonement that is a great stumbling block for many.
To this day it is still a stumbling block for Jews all over the world. This is why verse 25-26 points out that God while loving the Jews, rejected them and turned to the Gentiles all over the world. As long as the Jews and anyone else will reject Jesus, God will reject them. Their only consequence is to spend eternity in hell. God is not obligated to do their will. God doesn’t have to forgive anyone. We all have sinned many times sins, and in our heart we all knew better. The harder people set their hearts against Jesus the more they doom themselves to hell. God doesn’t have to send anyone to hell. People send themselves to hell by rejecting the Son of God.
The apostle Paul tells us that for years he pursued holiness by trying to obeying the Law of God. He was zealous for God, but it was only mislead. He pursued forgiveness and reconciliation with God not by faith but by his own efforts. It wasn’t until he submitted to God and the righteousness of Jesus that the frustration of trying to measure up to the law was finally fulfilled. Fulfillment came through what Jesus accomplished on Calvary's cross.
Now Christ has become the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Verse 9-13 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that your believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As scripture says, ‘Everyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
Have you come to the point of asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? If you have you don’t need to continue to try to be good enough. Jesus’ goodness has made you good enough. In the heart of God, you are all you need to be. What we all need to do is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to die for our sins, so we could be forgiven and reconciled back to you. We love you Jesus!
