St. Paul once again pleading for the salvation of Israel as he prays for them to be saved. According to Paul they are lost through their disobedience and disillusioned by their own zeal and lack of knowledge. He says of the Israelites that their ignorance may be seated in their own pride for he comments as to their establishing their own form of righteousness. History has a tendency to repeat itself and if one ignores it they fall prey to similar mistakes. "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf ,and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." (Isa.64:6) To ignore such a sacrifice and gesture of grace that Jesus accomplished on Calvary and by establishing your own remedy for righteousness seems to reveal an attitude of blatant willful disobedience.
They desired to please God only by their works while ignoring the teaching that God is ultimately pleased through faith in the shed blood of His Son. "And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Heb.11:6) This was also an example left to them by Abraham. (Gen.15:6) Therefore we could never please the Lord by keeping the Law because we would fail at it. This is why Jesus who was sinless died in our place. This is why we are saved by an act of God's grace apart from the Law, which we could never perfectly keep. Man is not a sinner because he sins, man sins because he is a sinner. So how does he escape from this sin?
Paul challenges mankind to surrender and their entrance to salvation is as close as their mouth and heart. He tells them to confess and believe. How simple just say the same thing about Jesus that the Father has said. Basically what we say in the creed at every mass. But not in a way that appears as mere repetition, but to truly believe it in your heart. The heart was believed to be the center of all thought, the house of the will, the most sacred part of a human being. Remember this is not for the faint hearted or those who want to keep one step in the church and one step in the world. You can't have only three dollars worth of God. If Jesus is not your Lord and Master then you must ask yourself if He is your Savior? But if one truly believes then one has the assurance of the promise in verses 11-13. This process for the Catholic is conveyed in the Sacraments of Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, and continually applied through Reconciliation and the Eucharist. The true Catholic is second to no other religion, for we have and apply the Full Gospel. We don't pick and choose what to believe about sacred scripture we apply all of it and we are grateful for the privilege.
His servants and yours,
Gerard & Yolanda Cleffi Directors
Oratory of Divine Love
Paul's basic point is that the Jewish law is not the source of "righteousness," that is, of people being acceptable to God. The only way to become acceptable to God is through faith in Jesus Christ. And that faith is based on Christ having suffered for us. It is not a faith that needs to be finished off by taking up the Jewish law. Indeed, he says, as far as any "righteousness" that could come from following the law he was blameless (Phil. 3:6). But he has set all that aside now that he believes in Christ and expects to receive true heavenly salvation from him (Phil. 3:20-21).
Pheme Perkins, Reading The New Testament, New York, N.Y./Mahwah, N.J., Paulist Press, Pg.156
Holy Spirit, come to me and increase my faith. Raise me beyond my confusion and doubts and give me an inner vision of truth and Your divine light. We cannot believe without You, so give me the courage to surrender to You.
Your mysteries are beyond the comprehension of my mind, but they are not beyond the acceptance of my will. Give me, then, O Lord, the grace to open my mind and heart to You. Then I shall believe, and my belief shall guide me in all the events of life. In whatever way Your providence provides, I shall be most desirous to share my faith in Christ with others in the most effective way. Amen.
Benedict J. Groeschel C.F.R., The Virtue Driven Life, Huntington, Indiana, Our Sunday Visitor, Pg.111