Romans 9:1-16
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy
I was always confused when I would read in the gospels where Jesus would say that He came for the "lost sheep of Israel". How was a Jew "lost" in the Old Testament? Theirs is the adoption, patriarchs, the law, the glory of God revealed, the covenants, the temple worship, the prophetic promises, and the genetic line to Jesus. Were there some who just decided all this sacrifice stuff is "for the birds" and they just decided to be cultural Jews at best? Certainly there were some of those and I'm sure Jesus came for them. Even more so, however, would be those who were following Moses rather than Abraham - those trusting their following of the law for salvation rather than by faith believing, like Abraham, that God would send the deliverer that their sacrifices were only pointing to. Paul gives a hint to the fact that those are the "lost Jews" when he says that he wished that he could take the curse for them. Whenever we see the word 'curse' it usually points to the law because the law can only bring curse. Thus, these were people who were trying to be saved by works rather than by faith. These were the people that by their own effort like Abraham and Hagar or Esau pushing his way out first were trying to earn God's blessing.
We today also have lost sheep of ______ (insert your town's name) They are people that have just given up on religion and have embraced secularism. Or they are people who do believe in God but have decided that the way to getting to Him is by being "good" (however their present society defines that). Do I have the same passion to see them find salvation in Christ by faith that Paul did? Not nearly! Paul is willing to spend an eternity in hell if he could trade his soul for theirs. Now that is hyperbole because he knows he can't but I wouldn't even consider that. I so rarely even plead for the souls of people in prayer. I pass up opportunities all day to tell people about Christ. I guess I would say I'm perfectly content and ecstatic that I am saved and my family,too, and that is good enough for me to my shame.
Lord, give me the kind of love for people that You had that moved you to give Your Son for the lost. Give me the kind of love for the lost that Paul had that he would trade his eternal life for. Amen
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