Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
A Zeal for God
"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:1-2).
The Jews could not be saved by the righteousness they perceived they were gaining by following the law of Moses. In Romans, Paul urged them to understand they could be saved if they removed the veil from their eyes that was blinding them.
Many legalistic people have a zeal for God, but they do not have that zeal according to the knowledge of God's Word. Conversely, some believe they can live however they want because of God's grace. They form Christ into their own image, and their zeal for God is a god of their invention. However, unless both groups follow the God of the Bible, their zeal is in vain.
Likewise, today, there are people with vague spiritualism. They say the gospel is about a relationship, not about a religion. This is wrong. It is definitely about religion and also about a relationship. It is about a God we have a relationship with, but his words dictate the terms of that relationship. To think that we have some relationship with God apart from his Word is utterly foolish, blasphemous, and wicked.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it" (Matthew 5:17). Christ has fulfilled the law and conquered death. He justifies us before God if we believe in his name, evidenced by a life that lives according to his Word.
There is only one way to be right with God: through true belief and surrender to the gospel of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the scriptures.
The Jews ignored God's righteousness. The law is God's character, and we are not like God. That is what the law was meant to show us: to produce deep dependence and gravitation toward the salvation of the Messiah. Scripture says, "None is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). Yet the good news is that the narrow road to redemption is found in Christ alone.
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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