30 What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 10 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.
I don’t know what exactly to say with this post. There are two obvious questions from Romans 10:2.
First, is my own zeal in any way misdirected when it comes to my relationship with the Lord? Am I in any way trying to maintain my relationship with Papa myself? Am I legalistic? Of course not… I hope. However, a deeper question arose as I wrote this. I have to ask myself this question: Am I in any way trying to maintain my relationship with Papa under my own strength at all? Ahhh! That’s not such an easy question to tackle.
IF I am attempting to keep my relationship with Him under my own strength, my own tactics, my own plan, my own (fill in the blank), then as Romans 10:3 says, I “...don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself…” and I am attempting to live under my own set of rules, a.k.a. Law. That’s a good first question from that passage.
The second obvious question to me is this: Who has God put in my life that are enthusiastically running with misdirected zeal? I could list a few. This may be my first workout with my new spiritual weapon (see “Off to the prayer gym…” that I posted several days ago). I believe Father wants me to intercede for them and come away with His perspective on the situation and how I should or shouldn’t respond.
How does all this relate to the divisions of the church we call “denominations”? Are there denominations, and even faiths, that were spawned out of misdirected zeal?
I am reminded of a story a friend of mine told me. When he was at the Naval Academy, while training in the Marine Corp, they were shooting cannons. He told me how just being a half an inch off in the aim of the cannon could result in the projectile being hundreds of yards and even miles off course. This could be deadly to your own in the midst of a war.
How different is misdirected zeal? One slightly askew thought – not too far different than mainstream initially – leads to another slightly off step. Before you know it you are somewhere miles off of the original trajectory. It too could be deadly to those around you. Look at Jim Jones. He was – at one time – a ferverent preacher and passionate follower of the Lord. Somewhere his zeal misled him and his followers. What about David Koresh? From the reports I remember, his zeal, let him and his followers die a brutal death.
Dad, may my zeal always be guided by your word. Never let my passion for you get ahead of you.