Romans 10:1

‘THE HEART’S DESIRE AND PRAYER’

‘Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.’

Romans 10:1

Observe, it begins with the ‘heart’s desire,’ and this issues in a prayer. The source of the prayer is in the recesses of the heart.

I. The Apostle’s desire.—I appeal to you, ‘Are you saved?’ Has that religion you profess given you peace with God? Has it brought you to know Christ as your Saviour? Many have just enough religion to make them miserable. Search and see what yours is. Has it brought you to Jesus?

II. Zeal without knowledge.—‘I bear them record, they have a zeal for God’—a noble testimony! Oh, to have a zeal for God! Would that we saw more of it. Would that there were less stagnation. But mark how the text goes on—‘but not according to knowledge.’ Do you not see it is possible to be very zealous about religion, and yet ignorant of God? Here were people who bore the high and holy name of Israel; people very religious, excessively zealous, and yet without God. How awful to think of religion without Christ; religion without a broken heart for sin; religion that has never taken man out of self into Christ. Religion without God—this is the terrible nightmare of multitudes. A zeal for God, but ignorant. What is your religion?

III. And what is the result of this ignorance?—‘They being ignorant of God’s righteousness’—Christ, the righteous One, coming into the world to take the place of the unrighteous one—‘they being ignorant’ of this, ‘ go about to establish their own righteousness.’ Man feels his need of a righteousness. He is not fit to stand before God. So he ‘ goes about’ his good deeds to quiet his conscience; he ‘ goes about’ his thoughts, comparing himself with an unreal standard. And what for? That he may get a righteousness on which he may rest. He tries to get a resting-place, but he cannot. And why? Because ‘they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.’ ‘ Submitted’—it is the bending of the soul to something it never had before. It is accepting, as a little child, Christ as our righteousness, and renouncing for ever every other trust.

IV. The remedy.—‘Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.’ Here is the remedy. The first word answers it all— Christ. Christ is the end of the law, the end of everything. Come and take Christ, and then you have it. Christ is a great Saviour. Take this Saviour as yours; and do it now. Submit yourself. ‘Come, and He will in no wise cast you out.’

Rev. F. Whitfield.