As it is written:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,

And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” vs33

Here is the gospel fact: Whoever believes will not be put to shame.

First, the Gentiles [non-Jewish sinners] obtained mercy, because they sought it by faith. Vs30, “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith.”

They didn’t try to keep the law, but they believed on Jesus. This is how you must be righteous too. “Not by works of righteousness that we have done,” is the testimony of Scripture [Titus 3:5]. We did nothing but sin, and God imputes righteousness by faith, so that we are forgiven, accepted, and our sin is not held against us [Rom 4:6-8].

This righteousness is perfection before God, so that He finds no fault in you and nothing left to punish.

People say, “But how can that be?”

1. Christ did enough, did He not? Dying accursed under the wrath of God: Doesn’t that JUSTIFY GOD to forgive sins? Can anyone in the court of heaven say, “You are wrong?” No, the accuser has been cast down, who accused us before God day and night [Rev 12:10]. Now, even the devils know that God is just to justify the ungodly.

2. The gospel is a display of God’s mercy! Yes, His righteousness is on blast, shining before all, and the strictest justice has been satisfied... But more than that, mercy is glorified also. The vilest sinner is forgiven, not because he works for it, but because God comes down in compassion!

Look at Jesus. What did you do to make Him leave heaven and rise from the dead? Nothing. We killed Him, and He pitied us. It is the highest exaltation of God’s mercy that He freely saves the guilty- not only giving us the scraps of heaven but the full benefits of beholding Jesus. CH Spurgeon said,

“Sinners are not merely permitted the scraps of mercy, but the very marrow and fatness of mercy. They are not allowed to sit and dip their feet in the margin of the stream, but they may wade in and find it a river to swim in: they shall not in heaven sit in the outer circle, but they shall draw near the throne and reign with Jesus.”

The story of the Prodigal Son would not be glorious - it would be just another human tale of an angry father with righteous retribution - if the father was not filled with compassion to the point of music and dancing [Luke 15:22-24]. This is God. He is utterly gracious to whoever believes.

Secondly, the Jews as a nation did not find this mercy. They tried to earn righteousness with God [Rom 9:31-32]. “But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that Stumbling Stone.”

They looked upon Him as stingy, rather than generous… mean, rather than forgiving… and they looked at the law as something they could perform, rather than trembling like Moses [Heb 12:21]. Unfortunately, they trusted in themselves and despised the Son, because their own righteousness was good enough in their vain imagination.

Paul says they stumbled at the stumbling stone, because they didn’t want salvation freely given. They wanted to earn it and deserve it. Pride made them reject Christ, and they still have no Savior!

Thirdly, look at the “whosoever.” It includes you and me. We don’t have to do anything but believe. “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Here are a couple of dangers:

(1) People think that imputed righteousness is all that we believe, but it is not! We believe the whole gospel- sanctification and redemption, forgiveness and obedience - and we trust Him to give us the fruit of a submitted life, bowing to His Lordship.

We are not trusting a part of the gospel but the whole thing, and in this, we are justified and fully saved.

(2) Believe without works and feelings. Many are waiting to feel peace, but you are trusting your peace, instead of God’s word.

I spoke to two people recently. One said, “Yes, but even the devils believe.” Yes, they do, but they were not promised salvation. There is no mercy, no Savior, and no gospel for them. You, however, by only believing have eternal life. The second person said, “What about good works?” You will do them: you are trusting Christ to give them to you, and they are included in salvation.

Eph 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.”

The issue, however, is do you believe the gospel without your works and feelings… without any change in you? If you do, then you are saved, and your change will come!

You have a new heart and the Holy Spirit. You have the promise that God will keep you. You have love for God and your neighbor, because everyone that believes is born of God and loves [1 John 5:1]. You have all things in Christ, not because you see and feel them, but because it is promised and God can’t lie [1 John 5:9-13].

This is the essence of the gospel: Believe on Christ, and you will live.