Romans 10:1–4 (NKJV) — 1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Many people have a head knowledge of God. Head knowledge is good. But head knowledge does not save. One must move the head knowledge to heart knowledge. Jesus said in Matthew 7:22–23, ”Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
Head knowledge is deceptive. Head knowledge seeks worldly wisdom. Head knowledge moves according to the wisdom of this world. “If it feels good, do it” is the philosophy in head knowledge. Head knowledge leads to self-righteousness. It submits to self-righteousness, not God’s righteousness.
God’s righteousness is Jesus Christ. It is opposed to man’s righteousness and man’s way in reaching God. The believer in Christ does not have to work his way into God’s presence. One does not have to make the sacrifices to please God. But the believer is willing and does submit to the righteousness of God.
Many have a “Passion”, zeal for God. The passion is misdirected. It is a passion that has become synchronized with worldly philosophy and thought. It is the idea that God wants everyone to feel good and therefore give into the lust of this world. It is the thought of allowing false theology garnered by the world to creep into the learning process without allowing God’s Word to filter out false belief.
Warren Wiersbe writes, “Israel was ignorant of God’s righteousness, not because they had never been told, but because they refused to learn. There are many “educated” professing Christians. They are educated in the ways of the world but totally ignorant of God’s Word.
I pause here because of great remorse running through my mind. I have for decades witnessed to people about Jesus as Savior so they could have eternal life and go to heaven when they die. Nothing wrong with this. I wonder how many I witnessed to ever developed a “love relationship with Christ?”
Paul writes in Philippians 3:10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
How many, how many walk around having just enough knowledge of Christ to get them into Heaven without ever experiencing the “power of His resurrection” in their lives? Maybe the message is more about a relationship than Heaven.