Faith or works? Earn or gift? My effort or God's effort? It is so easy to blur these lines and stumble over this stumbling stone. Israel stumbled.
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone (30-32).
Abraham and the patriarchs launched the people of God 'in faith'. From the very beginning there were temptations to run after other gods. Faith is never easy and it does take effort but over time, as the faith got codified, a new enemy slipped in. The enemy… my effort, my work, my keeping of the rules/law, me, my…
The focus shifted from faith or trust… to rule keeping. Outwardly these opposites can look similar, but internally they are polar opposites.
Growing up my family went to church every week. It is what we did. For me God was going to get me if I didn't go to church. I didn't attend out of love; I attended out of fear and was checking off worship a thing 'to do'. And while at church I was rarely mentally present, I was just putting in my time earning my church credit for the week.
Now in my life attendance at worship is a drive for me because I want to be with others worshiping my Lord. I am present and engaged. Love not duty motivates my attending.
From the outside these two behaviors looks similar but internally there is a radical difference… faith and love vs. duty and work.
Israel stumbled over this work/faith stumbling block but they are not alone. As my own life shows, Christians & churchgoers can stumble over this very same stumbling stone…
Right now God is calling me to a gut check. My faith actions…are they motivated by faith or duty, love or personal effort?
How about you???
Oh, Lord, help me to keep my eyes up, on You, looking ahead so that I don't stumble over the stumbling stone. I pray this is Jesus, my Lord's name. Amen.
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