Romans 9:32-33

Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame" [Isaiah 8:14; 28:16].

V32-33 – The Jews did not pursue righteousness by faith; thus they stumbled. Paul says that the Jews rejected salvation first because they sought it the wrong way, by works instead of receiving it through faith, and second because they rejected the Savior, Christ crucified. Paul is saying that there is a wrong way to seek fellowship with God. That thought is contrary to our generation and culture. Our twenty-first century culture figures, if a person is seeking God, God is happy with that and will reward that person. Paul says there is a right way to seek fellowship with God – by faith in Christ – and there is a wrong way – any other way, but most notably by works of law. When Paul said in Romans 3:11 that no one seeks God, he meant that no one, on their own, seeks God in the right way.

Now, people who seek salvation, people who seek right standing with God by works usually make two additional mistakes. First, they underestimate their own sin. They do not see themselves as sinners in the way that God sees them as sinners, in the way that Scripture reveals their sinfulness. They discount their sin and see themselves as basically good people. They compare themselves with “bad” people and note that they are not as “bad.” They think their sins are certainly less displeasing to the Lord than those of “bad” people. They think, “Surely I have not been so bad as to deserve God’s judgment in condemnation!” Second, they underestimate the cost of salvation, the cost of grace. They think that by doing more good things than bad things, they can keep the scales tipped in their favor, as if more good than bad is all that matters when it comes to salvation. And Paul says, “That’s impossible, because Christ Himself is the price that the Father has paid for salvation.” So salvation is the costliest thing in the world, even though it is freely given, and the one who desires to save himself by works doesn’t consider those things.

Now, in the second half of v32, Paul says, “They stumbled over the stumbling stone.” Paul is saying here that Israel could not accept Christ and His cross. There are always people who are looking for a way into fellowship with God that goes around the cross. They want a relationship with God, but only apart from Jesus Christ and His cross. There is no such thing. Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. That is not a popular thing to say. Paul is asserting here that there is a wrong way into fellowship with God, by one’s own works, merits, or efforts, apart from Jesus Christ, and there is a right way, by faith alone, in Christ alone. Moses prophecies that this exact scenario would come about in his great song from Deuteronomy 32:21: “They made Me jealous by what is no god and angered Me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.” The Jews of Paul’s day were envious and angry that the Gentiles were grafted in. We’ll elaborate more on the ideas of jealous Jews and grafting as we get into chapters 10 and 11.

Why would religious people reject salvation? Because they trust in there own goodness and discount their need of God’s grace. That’s why someone would reject salvation. Remember, the gospel is offensive, foolishness to those who are perishing. The idea that salvation is by grace alone, that we’re all sinners in need of Jesus Christ to die for us in order to be saved, is the most offensive message in the world if you’re a natural man. It offends your pride, because it says that you’re such a sinner that you need a Savior like that to save.

And then in v33, Paul gives an Old Testament quote predicting that Christ would both be a stumbling block and the way of salvation—that many would take offense at Him, but also that those who trust in Him would be saved. In other words, Jesus would simultaneously be rejected by His people, the reason for their taking offense, and at the same time, the very heart of salvation of those who believe in Him. “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” There is the negative side; Jesus is going to cause some to stumble. Here’s the positive side, “and the One who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.”

The Jews did not believe on Christ for His righteousness as the goal of the law. They did not see “Christ for righteousness to everyone who believes” as what the law taught—what the law was aiming at. They missed the biggest point of the law. The law was saying, in its larger, long-term message: “You must look beyond the law for a perfect righteousness to be provided by God in due time. You must look beyond your obedience to the law for a perfect righteousness that God will provide.”

The question was this: Why do some reject salvation? Because they refuse to acknowledge their need and they refuse to put their hope in Jesus Christ alone. Why does a person come to salvation? Because, by the grace and mercy of God, their eyes are opened by God to see both their sin and their Savior, and so they trust in Him.