If I were to have asked my logic teacher that question,
he would have replied, “How are we doing what?” For the
rest of us, it is a question that expresses the desire to know whether
or not we are making progress against the struggles of life. Are we
accomplishing our goals? It is an important question because it implies
that we have set goals, and that they are worthy of being reached.
The apostle Paul opened the tenth chapter of Romans
by commenting on the state of the Jewish nation. The Jews were religiously
zealous, but they refused to accept Jesus as the Christ and His New
Law as the standard of righteousness. They had, instead, adopted their
own version of God’s Old Law as their system of righteousness
and were lost. Paul then pointed out that the Jew’s real problem
was that they did not believe God, because “Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom.
10:4).
Had the Jews truly believed God they would have accepted
Jesus as the Christ. He was prophesied of in the Old Testament (Isa.
7:14; 9:1; 11; 49; 52; 53; Hos. 11:1; Jer 31:15). His deity was demonstrated
among them (Acts 2:22). His death, burial, and resurrection proved He
is the Messiah (Luke 24:25-27). The Jews claimed to believe the Old
Law, yet they rejected the logical conclusion of the Old Law: Jesus
of Nazareth is the Christ.
Maybe you are wondering what the deity of Jesus has
to do with setting worthy goals. Notice again the words of Rom. 10:4.
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that
believeth.” This Greek word translated “end” can mean
the finishing point or culmination of something. However, it also has
a slightly shaded meaning. It can, and, in this case, does mean that
Jesus was the “goal” or “aim” of the Old Law.
The Old Law pointed toward Jesus. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after
that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal.
3:24-25). For approximately 1500 years the Old Law had as its goal the
bringing of a people to the coming Savior. That was truly a noble and
worthy goal.
What about us today who do not and have not ever lived
under the Old Law? Consider 1 Peter 1:9, “Receiving the end of
your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” Today man has faith
generated in his heart as a result of a study and understanding of God’s
Word (Rom. 10:17). That faith moves him to repent of his sins and to
conform his life to God’s Standard. That faith moves him to confess
the name of Christ. That faith moves him to be baptized into Christ.
But, that is not the “end” of faith; it is just the beginning.
The end (culmination, completion, finishing point) is the same as the
end (goal, aim) of our faith. It is salvation. It is standing before
the righteous Judge on the last day and hearing, “Well done thou
good and faithful servant.”
So, how are we doing? Are we still on track to reach
our goal? Are we still pointed in the right direction? Are we still
“on target”? Let us be sure we do not lose sight of our
end (goal, aim) before reach the end (finishing point) of life.
