The elect Israel among national Israel, whom Paul desired and prayed for their practical salvation from going about to establish their own righteousness (much like many of these Christian forums, who seek to be justified by their own works, be it faith, baptism, etc.) he now will give a testimony that they indeed have a zeal of God, yet he said clearly, that this zeal is not based upon true, biblical knowledge (just as we ourselves see among folks who profess Jesus Christ, yet they put trust in their own righteousness, above trusting alone in Jesus Christ and his obedience and faith for our legal justification before God.
How does one truly submit to the righteousness of God that is revealed in the gospel from a man that has faith, to another man that has faith? By faith in the holy scriptures, by denying any and all powers of the sinner's ability to produce righteousness which is approved by God in order for God to be just and the justifier of him that believes and trust solely in Jesus Christ. I'm trying to be a brief as possible and still make teh truth as plain as possible.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.
Jesus Christ is God’s totally different way of justifying men as righteous before a righteous God. This is not new information: Paul had already taught it (Rom 3:21-26; 4:23-25; 5:1-19; 8:1-4). It is a divine transaction by God’s choice of Jesus Christ for our righteousness (2nd Corinthians 5:18-21).The Law of Moses, so far from being a means of justification, was God’s means of condemnation.
The Law was "our"~not the the world's schoolmaster to instruct in condemnation, and for us to look for the Saviour (Galatians 3:21-29). Once a child of God understands the schoolmaster, then he is no longer under him as the means to instruct him in seeking justification solely through Christ's obedience and faith, and not in any works of his own!
The Law was only a shadow of Christ’s coming and made a remembrance of sin (Hebrews 10:1-4).
This is not new information: Paul had already taught it (Romans 3:19-20; 5:20-21; 7:7-24).
Jesus was the end of the law for righteousness practically when He died and atoned for the elect.
The law was never a legal way of righteousness, neither by intent nor ability (Galatians 3:10,21-22).
The law was a schoolmaster for US to show the way to God closed under Moses’ covenant (Hebrews 9:1-10).
It was only intended to last until the One should come to fulfill and end it (Galatians 3:23-25; 4:1-7). Hearing of Christ’s finished work, elect believe and enter into rest from their works (Hebrews 4:9-11).
One covenant ended and the other began with Jesus Christ (Luke 6:16; John 4:20-24; Hebrews 9:10).
The end of the Law here is in the believer’s conscience, not in heaven, for that was already done.
The Law was never intended to save anyone by design or performance, so neither had an end.
Jesus put the Law away by fulfilling it twice, positively by fulfilling it, negatively by its curse.
The gospel good news of grace frees the conscience of the elect (Hebrews 9:9,13-14; 10:1-4,22)
To every one that believeth.
The only way that the good news of the gospel can help a working Jew or Gentile is to believe it. Until one believes the gospel (he must hear to believe), he will remain ignorant of justification.
God justified the elect in eternity by His covenant for them in Christ, but they did not know it. Jesus the Second Adam justified the elect fully and finally at the cross, but they did not know it.
They needed to believe the gospel to know a finished justification and stop Law works for it.
The issue is not how will they believe if they hear, but rather how can they believe until they hear! Paul took up the gospel fact shortly, reasoning from confession back to ordination (10:14-15).
Because they are elect, they can and will believe, but he had to get it to them (2nd Timothy 2:10). Because elect, eternal glory is guaranteed, but they need gospel salvation (Ist Corinthians 15:2; Ist Timothy 4:16).
It is a divine transaction by God’s choice of Jesus Christ; we only believe it (2nd Cor 5:18-21).
The issue is not that the elect must believe in order to be just before God, but to know they are just.
Of course, Arminians believe and teach that dead sinners achieve everything by their faith.
Calvinists are close, for they believe and teach various degrees of instrumentality and means.
Abraham’s standing before God did not change in Genesis 15:6, but Abraham was reassured! This verse is not conditional but rather descriptive of evidence of justification to lay hold of it.
God’s actual, literal, or legal mercy and compassion are without willing or running (Romans 9:15-16)!
Our assurance and evidence of justification – of being just before God – is by faith in Jesus Christ. The matter under consideration here in this chapter is faith in the gospel record of Jesus Christ. It is the gospel that reveals God’s righteousness to those with faith to demonstrate it (1:16-17).
We will stop and come back until we reach verse 17 the Lord willing.
