Thought for Today - July15, 2024

 Pray For the Salvation of Others.
By: Robert A. Searles

    "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 then 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 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."