In The Word
Read: Romans 9:1-13
Deep Concern for Israel
9 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my countrymen, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and daughters, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the temple service, and the promises; 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants shall be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” 10 And not only that, but there was also Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Today we hear the heart of the evangelist Paul. His desire was that his kinsmen, the Jews, would realize that Jesus is the Christ and would stop rejecting Him. In fact, it is this rejection that caused great sorrow and grief to Paul. I can envision him pleading with God to open their hearts to the point that, if he could, he would have given up his eternal inheritance for their salvation. This rejection of the awaited Messiah was the problem. But what caused this rejection? Paul clarified that just because they were the descendants of Abraham and Isaac did not ensure that they would be the children of God. Nor did the Word of God fail in its promise, but it was the unbelief of the individual that proved to be the problem. God fulfilled His promise to provide the Chosen One. It was down to the chosen people to believe in Him. Paul lamented over those who, by unbelief, rejected their own salvation in Jesus the Christ.
This same division exists in our lives today. By faith we chose to be children of the promise or the children of the flesh. We have all been given access to God through Jesus Christ, but we must enter by faith. I, like Paul, desire every person to become a child of God, but it is not a choice I can make for others. What personal choice have you made today? Choose by faith to be a child of the promise and not of the flesh.