Pray For The Salvation Of Others!
“Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of
the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:
1-4
Paul's heart's desire and concern
for his fellow countrymen, Israel, was that they might be saved, and
come to the knowledge of the truth of the way of salvation.
They knew about God, and had heard
about God, and they talked about God. They feared the wrath of God,
and had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. They were
trying to establish their own righteousness by their good works and
trying to appease God and give God a reason for saving them, not
realizing that the righteousness of God is so great and far above
anything they could ever imagine and achieve, that no one but God
himself could measure up to it. They could not see that Jesus, the
Christ, was the only person who could and did fulfill all the
requirements of the law of works, and was willing to impute his
righteousness to them if they would only believe, and confess him as
their Lord.
Our heart's desire for all our
relatives, friends, and loved ones is that they might be saved. Many
of our friends, relatives, and loved ones will tell you that they
have heard about God, they know about God, and may believe that God
exists and fear the wrath of God; consequently, they are going about
trying as hard as they might to establish a record of righteousness
with God by their own good works that will please God, and earn them
a place in God's heaven.
If we want our friends, relatives,
and loved ones to be truly saved and enjoy the blessings of eternal
life in heaven with God, somehow we must reach them with the true
message of salvation. God will not be satisfied with anyone's good
works or good deeds and will not be influenced by them, because none
of our good works and deeds can measure up to his righteousness which
is in Christ. Christ alone could measure up to the righteousness of
God, and is willing to impute his righteousness to all who will
believe for their salvation. He paid the debt that is owed to God
for our sins, and none of us can, by any amount of good works or good
deeds, pay for our sins, for we are all sinners, both Jew and Gentile
alike.
The only way that anyone can be
saved is given to us in verse nine of Romans chapter 10. “That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.”
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