Audio commentary on this verse

Note 1 at Rom. 9:30: Paul is saying that this is the conclusion or the summary of his point in this chapter.

Note 2 at Rom. 9:30: This is another one of Paul's radical statements. People who are not seeking to be righteous can become righteous? How can this be? The answer to this question lies in God's grace.

By grace, God has provided righteousness for everyone, regardless of their actions. If a person will believe and receive this gift, God will reckon him righteous. This is what happened to the Gentiles. They had a reputation for not seeking God (Eph. 4:17-19 and 1 Pet. 4:3) and yet the Gentiles as a whole accepted God's gift of salvation while the Jews as a whole, who were seeking after God, rejected His gift. The reason for this is given by Paul in verses 32-33 (see note 5 at v. 32, below).

People who don't understand God's grace will always be confused and unbelieving that a person who hasn't lived a morally good life can be righteous in the sight of God while a morally good person can be unrighteous in His sight. Righteousness is based on faith, not actions (see ref. d at this verse).