The Stumbling Stone

THEME: Paul followed up his in-depth instruction on the sovereignty of God in salvation by reminding his readers of the responsibility of man in salvation. Starting in v. 30 all the way through to the end of Chapter 10, Paul made it clear that Israel was still responsible for her rejection of the gospel. God is not at fault for not choosing all the Jews to be saved, but it is the Jews who are at fault for not believing a person is saved by placing their faith in Christ rather than by being a good person and doing good things. The fact that the Jews make up such a small percentage of God’s people in the present church age is not because they are un-elect but because they are unbelievers. In these verses, Paul borrowed the image of a stone from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and likened Christ to a rock over which the Jews stumbled because they stubbornly refused to admit they couldn’t earn salvation by their own works and failed to simply rely on the work that Christ accomplished through His exemplary life and substitutionary death. This is a reminder to all of us that those who pursue salvation by their own effort will be destroyed by Christ but those who pursue salvation by faith in Christ will find rest in Him and He will be the foundation on which to build their life.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” These questions are designed to help you apply today’s message to your life. We encourage you to thoughtfully answer these questions and discuss your answers with others. For more information about joining a Grow Group that uses these questions as the basis for weekly discussion, prayer, and accountability, please call the church office at (936) 582-1977.

1. What can you learn from Paul’s example in Romans 9 and 10 about the importance of keeping God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility in perfect balance?
2. How would you counsel someone who is stuck in their unbelief and doesn’t feel like they can do anything about it unless God has chosen them for salvation (cf. Rom. 10:13; Jn. 3:16)? Is it possible to know whether or not you are one of God’s elect (cf. 2 Thes. 1:2-10; 2 Pet. 1:5-11)?
3. Read 1 Peter 4:3-4. How is this an accurate description of the pursuit of every unbeliever?
4. Read Luke 18:9-14. How is this an accurate illustration of the self-righteous mindset of most Jews? What is the irony Paul pointed out between the Gentiles and Jews in Romans 9:30-32?
5. Read Galatians 3:10 and James 2:10. Why is it impossible for anyone to get to heaven by keeping the Law (cf. Gal. 2:16)?
6. Read Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 8:14, 28:16, Daniel 2:34-35, Matthew 21:33-44, Acts 4:10-12, 1 Corinthians 3:11, Ephesians 2:20, and 1 Peter 2:6-8. Who is Jesus Christ to you? Is He a stone to trip over and be destroyed or a rock to trust in and a foundation on which to build your life?
7. Thank God for sending His Son to live the life you failed to live and die the death you deserved to die so you could be made right with Him and have the hope of heaven. Ask Him to use you to help others who are trusting in their own effort to trust in Christ alone for their salvation.