Paul continues to tackle the apparent unfairness of God's salvation. Why do those who eagerly seek God not find him, and why do those who supposedly don't do anything instead receive salvation? It's like the story of the prodigal son; the son who runs away gets the welcome party, while the son who works hard gets nothing. What's going on, God?
Paul had reason for his question. As he said earlier in chapter 9, Paul loved his people to the point of willingly giving up his salvation if they could have theirs, if it were possible. Jesus felt the same way, seeing a nation so lost, and wanting nothing more than to gather them up and love them (Isaiah 6: 9-10, John 13: 34-35).
We're no different in the 21st century. We're like Israel; we work to gain purpose, or identity, or transcendance, or any other thing. The religious work for God, not realizing that it's Satan's biggest trap. From the very beginning, God told the Israelites that what he was commanding them was not so high up that they have to find someone to go into the heavens (as they did with Moses at Mt. Sinai), or to swim to the depths of the sea to find God. "No!" God said. He was right there with them. (Deut. 30: 11-14)
God calls salvation by works a stumbling block. In fact, it's not even "salvation by works," it's life with God! It's so easy, as Christians, to fall into the trap of doing things for God. God calls us to obey him, yes, but that obedience is but a means to have a relationship with God, not an end. He wants, as he did with other "sinners" to have dinner with us. He doesn't want to be served; heck, even washed our feet for us! And he grieves when we try to serve him instead like a servant and a master of enjoying alongside him as friends.
Case in point, I've been thinking about music-making at SCBC. As I've said to anyone who would listen to me, God's angelic choirs can make music a million times more divine than anything we can produce. Personally, I find it foolish to make music for God as if we're giving him gifts (when in fact we're grumbling about having to go to rehearsal, or having to practice, etc.). Why don't we enjoy life, and music, alongside God?
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