Romans 10:1-4 (KJV)

1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3. 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.
4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Paul has a burden for the people of Israel. He tells us twice he is praying for them (Romans 9:1-2; 10:1). Paul makes an interesting statement about the Jews of his day: "I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge" (v.2).

1. Truth Is Far More Important than Passion . . .
   There is nothing wrong with people having a zeal for God and a passion for religion. However, as Paul testified of the Jews, passion or zeal without knowledge is deadly. Truth is objective, not subjective. So the question is "What is truth?" (John 18:38). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life . . ." (John 14:6). The Jews stumbled over Christ (9:32). You couldn't question their zeal, but you could their knowledge. This is why admiration of the zeal of the Mormons, Muslims and others is fruitless. "Zeal without knowledge is like a wildfire in a fool's hand" John Trapp.
2. Trust Is Far More Important than Performance . . .
   Once again, Paul examines why the Jews had such a problem with the gospel. "They, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (v.3).
   1. People are ignorant of God's standard.
      "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
      The Jews were ignorant of God's perfect requirement. In their minds they said: "We can do a pretty good job of living up to God's standard as a people."
   2. People are ignorant of their status before God.
      "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). The Jews were ignorant of this truth. In their zeal to establish themselves "holy" they missed Christ.
   3. People are ignorant of what it means to submit to God.
      It is coming to the place in your life where you realize that everything you offer up to God is tainted with sin. It is coming to the place where you renounce all trust in anything you do or say and, by God's grace, trust in Jesus Christ alone. When a person stumbles over Christ and refuses to submit to Him it is because: "Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through their ignorance because of the blindness (hardness) of their heart" (Ephesians 4:18). Only a broken person would ever be able to say, "I can't, but He can, and did!"
3. Transparency Is Far More Important than Pretense . . .
   Once the grace of God has brought the gift of salvation to a sinner in need of Christ, the soul of that sinner is humbled. He comes to the place where he can say boldly: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes" (v.4). If Christ is the fulfillment, the epitome, the climax, the sum expression and end of the law, then I am free to acknowledge my own sin and stake my life in Christ. Show me a gospel church and I'll show you a people who are free.
   Show me a law-oriented church and I'll show you a people in bondage.