CHAPTER 9

1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Paul says here he has "great heaviness and continual sorrow" for his "kinsmen", the physical descendents called Israel.

Notice his statement concerning "truth" in verse 1.
He is not swearing; he is simply stating the truth in him that is attested by two imperatives:
First, his "conscience."
That inner voice which tells us when we are right or wrong.
Second, the "witness" of "the Holy Ghost" with his conscience.

Whether or not conscience comes from an innate quality planted by God at birth, or by societal standard taught to us from birth does not matter.
What matters is we HAVE a conscience!
And, it TELLS us when we are right or wrong!
But, when we have a conscience AND the Holy Spirit (through salvation), then we have a DOUBLE empirical knowledge of right and wrong!

The Word of God guided by the Holy Spirit of God, is alive to Christians.
And it searches the inward parts of the soul, distinguishing between right and wrong.
(See Hebrews 4:12)

Now, concerning verse 3.
If YOU could save an entire nation, millions and millions of people, by being "accursed from Christ" for them, WOULD you?
I don't think so!!
Having KNOWN Christ, I could not imagine existing in eternal hell WITHOUT him for ANY reason!
And, I certainly believe Paul felt the same way.

The word "from" in verse 3 is translated from the Greek apo, and CAN MEAN with!
This is the context in which I believe Paul was writing.
He could desire, even prayerfully, that he would be acccursed WITH Christ FOR his brethren.
And he WAS!!!
They hated and despised him after his conversion.
They stoned him, arrested him, made a plot to kill him!
(See Acts 14:19, Acts 16:19, Acts 23:13-14)

But even through all of this, Paul LOVED them, and wanted the BEST for them...he wanted JESUS for them!

Because they were "Israelites" (verse 4).
And to them God had given:
"the adoption" - adopted as God's family who would bring forth the Savior through them; (See Deuteronomy 7:6)
"the glory" - The Shekinah glory cloud led them through the wilderness; (See Exodus 40:35-38)
"the covenants" - the covenant promises given through Abraham and his descendents; (See Genesis 15:5, Romans 4:18)
"giving of the law" the ten commandments and all the laws written by Moses.
"the service of God" - they were servants of God, freed from slavery and brought into the Promised Land; (See Leviticus 25:42)
"and the promises" the main promise was of the Savior to be born through them. (See Isaiah 9:6, and Micah 5:2)

Christ DID come (verse 5) "as concerning the flesh" of the Jewish nation.
And, He is "over ALL things".

Jesus was born OF the Jews FOR all mankind according to the promises of God!
And He is LORD over ALL!
This is a very emphatic statement from Paul concerning the Diety of Christ.
Jesus is the 2nd Person of the Trinity.
To Him belongs ALL that God has! (See Matthew 28:18)

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.

Isaiah wrote that God said, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

Isaiah had also written, "But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end." (Isa 45:17)

But Paul knew that ALL Israel is MORE than just physical descendents of Abraham! (See Romans 2:28-29)
And ALL Israel SHALL BE saved! (See Romans 11:26)

"But the children of the promise are counted for the seed!"
Physical Israel was the family through which God promised a Savior for the world!
Those who surrender to Christ are made PART of that family, and become HEIRS to the PROMISE!
(See Galatians 3:29, and Titus 3:7)

God seeks those who worship Him in Spirit, not in heritage or deeds! (See Philippians 3:3)

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Never forget, God KNOWS!
He knows the END from the beginning!
He knows the HEART of man!

There is certainly no "unrighteousness" in God!
The unrighteousness is with MAN!

God looks at the person, and knows the end from the beginning.
He KNOWS if one will surrender to Him and be saved.
See the discussion on Rom. 8:29-30. (See Romans 8)
And EVERYONE needs God's "mercy" in order to be saved!

Therefore, salvation cannot be purchased or earned!
It is based solely upon God's view of the person's life from beginning to end!

In verse 13, it is clear that God knew from the beginning (before Essau & Jacob were born) that Jacob would be a deceiver at the beginning and a willing servant at the end.
He also knew Essau would be a selfish person, and after being deceived would have a hard and unforgiving heart.

Before you were born, God knew your beginning and your end (and everything in between).
What is He seeing in you?

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

God knew Pharoah also.
He placed Pharoah in position as king of Egypt so that God's Name "might be declared throughout all the earth."

And, God knew Pharoah would never relent or repent!
Therefore, He was justified in helping to harden Pharoah's heart.

God always knows.
And, God always prepares with righteous judgment!

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Let me just say, it is NEVER God's will that ANY man refuse salvation and perish!
It IS God's will that ALL men repent and be saved! (See 2Peter 3:9)

Since God KNOWS, His will is NEVER imposed upon any man contrary to what that man wills for himself!
God directs a man's life according to the choice that man will make about Him.

God uses His power justly to raise one person to "honour, and another to dishonour."

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

God "endures" (never condones) the evil man does.
Even those whom God knows will become "vessels of wrath", He endures.

But, in the end, God will "will make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory!"
There WILL BE a judgment day!
God will deliver those who chose to live for Him to eternal glory.
God will deliver those who chose NOT to live for Him to eternal damnation.

Again, it depended upon (at the beginning) the person's own choice!
When God delivers His "wrath" upon men, it is not because He desired to have it so.
It is because He MUST because He is JUST!

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

Gentiles may be (and are) called to serve God as well as Jews.
God obviously has not chosen ALL Jews to be saved. (See the distinction concerning Essau above (vs 13))

Circumcision does not make a person saved.
Being a Jew does not make one saved.
Baptism does not make a person saved.
Remember, God looks at the heart!
And, God KNOWS!

Salvation is OPEN to all who "call upon the Lord" (Romans 10:13)!
When a person's heart calls out to God in repentance, and surrenders his/her will to God, THEN
God's MERCY is poured out and brings salvation never "to be repented of" (or changed) (See 2Corinthians 7:10)

Verses 25-26 above refers to (Hosea 2:23).
There God prophesied that there would be OTHER people besides Jews being saved.

Even in the law given to Moses, God made provision for Gentiles to be saved. (See Exodus 12:48, and Numbers 9:14)

God ALWAYS intended to call people to be saved, regardless whether they were Jew or Gentile.
God has no obligation to bestow salvation upon any descendent of Abraham.
It is just and right for God to accept ANY who surrender to Him as Lord!

27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

In Genesis 22:17 God promised Abraham his "seed" (descendents) would be as many as the stars in the heaven and the sand on the seashore.

That would take TIME!
But no matter how MUCH time it would take, it is NOTHING to God.
Therefore, God will make a "short work" of the earth!

God lives in eternity! He is not bound by time.
Time is a creation of God.
Therefore, ANY time (1 day or 10million years) is a "short work!"

And only "a remnant" of Israel will be saved!!
For ALL are unrighteous sinners and deserve eternal death. (See Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23)

But God HAS CHOSEN those who desire to live with Him both today and forever.
They are that remnant, whether they be Jews or Gentiles.

Notice Paul says "Except The Lord of Saboath had left us a seed..."
That word "left" means let remain, or preserved.
God preserved those who surrendered in faith so that OTHERS might have an opportunity to be saved.
God is STILL preserving those who have surrendered in faith so that others might have the opportunity to be saved.
For it is by Christians that the Gospel of salvation through Christ is proclaimed.
And, "Faith cometh by HEARING, and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17)

Were it not for God's MERCY upon repentant sinners NONE would be saved! (See Psalm 14:3)

30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Many Jews sought to ATTAIN righteousness by deeds of the law.
But NONE could KEEP the law!
Some of them indeed sought to PLEASE GOD by faith, and were GRANTED righteousness, for instance Abraham. (See Genesis 15:6)

ONLY those Gentiles who have sought to please God by faith have been granted the righteousness of God!

Both the law AND the prophets told of a Savior to come who would be God in flesh. (See Deuternomy 18:15, and Isaiah 43:11)
THIS Person, Jesus, would be the "stone which the builders refused". (See Psalm 118:22 See also Matthew 21:42)

Faith in Christ is the ONLY way to receive righteousness from God!
It is a quality only He can bestow, because He IS righteous.
He is the Creator, the LawGiver and the Savior!
He is God's "building block" to mankind.
ONLY by faith in Him can ANYONE receive righteousness.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.
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