a zeal for God

      Romans 10:2,3 contains one of the most tragic lines in scripture.  Speaking of the Jews, some of the most religious people on the planet, Paul says,  “For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”
     What a tragedy.  To know of the true God, to try to worship Him, to perform all kinds of religious works thinking that they were serving Him, and yet all that zeal be of none affect.  It was worthless, even damning, because the Bible says that to him who has been given much, much shall be required.  And the Jews had been given every advantage and yet failed to follow the Lord fully.
     Paul says their downfall was failing to understand God’s righteousness, what God required to be holy and acceptable.  Instead, they offered up another standard – their own.  In effect, what they ended up doing was defining God according to what they wanted God to be like, rather than what God actually is like as depicted in His Word.  And the end result of that is a form of idol worship.  A god made in their own image, according to their perspective of righteousness.
     Unfortunately, Israel fell short of God’s standard.  They stumbled over the stumbling stone -  that stone being a Savior.  They didn’t really want a Savior.  In their self righteousness they didn’t really consider themselves sinners.  So what was the point of  a Savior?  They wanted an idol, that would work as a talisman when they could use some help or good luck, but would stand mutely on a shelf when not needed.
    But  lest we look down on the poor ol’ Israelites, we would do well to remember that Israel is a picture of the church.  What happened to them was for our example (1 Cor. 10:11).  Today the church is often guilty of the same attitude towards God.  We have dumbed down God in an attempt at making Him relevant, and in the process have stripped Him of all holiness, rendering Him little more than a genie who is manipulated by our faith to bless us and help us on demand.  Then when we are out of our jam, we place Him back on the shelf and hit the mute button until we need Him again.  Jesus Christ has become the means to an end, rather than the end of our means.  Paul says, in Rom. 10:4, that Christ is the goal, He is the end.  And the goal is for our righteousness.  To be holy.  Set apart unto God for righteousness.
     The problem with the church today is not that we aren’t relevant enough to the world.  The problem with the church today is we are too relevant to the world.  We are neither light nor darkness.  We are a nice muted grey.  Unbelievers are way too comfortable in the pew.  And believers are way too comfortable in the world.
     It’s was prevalent in the church in Corinth as well.  Here’s what Paul had to say to the Corinthian church. 2Cr 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial (Satan), or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.  Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.  And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.