Romans 9
COMMENTARY:
: 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. (331 “accursed” [anathema] means an oath, solemn, a votive offering, anything devoted to destruction, anything devoted to evil, or excommunicated.)
DEVOTION: Paul loved his fellow Jew. He loved them so much that if it was possible he would rather be sent to hell for eternity, so that, all his fellow Jews would become followers of Jesus Christ.
We know that this was impossible because every individual has to make a personal decision to follow Jesus Christ. It is not a group decision it is an individual decision.
We find that only a remnant of Israel is going to be saved because of their personal choice. Many of them thought because they were descendants of Abraham they were going to heaven no matter what. They were wrong. Being born into a Jewish family doesn’t give them the right to be born into the family of God.
This is a problem today. Many people who think they are believers because they had believing parents are wrong. Some think that because their family was a member of a church and they are a member of the same church they should get into heaven. They are wrong.
Many of us would rather we go to the lake of fire if our children can only go to heaven. Every parent wants their child to become a believer if they are genuine believers. This doesn’t happen all the time.
I know a family where the father was a pastor and his son followed with a profession of faith and attended the same church the pastor preached in and was a good Christian. He had sons who were raised in the church but none of them followed the LORD as adults. It broke the father’s heart. He said he did everything he could right but they still were not following the LORD. He would have rather seen his sons go to heaven but that is not what is going to happen.
Every person has to make a proper decision to follow Jesus. No one can go on someone else’s apron strings.
CHALLENGE: Learn from Paul that each of your family members or members in your church has to make a genuine step of faith to become a genuine believer on their way to heaven.
: 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (93 “unrighteousness” [adikia] means iniquity, unjust, wrong, a deed violating law and justice, doing what is unjust, sin, wrongdoing, offence, or fraud.)
DEVOTION: We live in a generation that likes to use the word “unfair” in about every sentence. They want everything to be fair. They want everyone to have the same things. They want everyone to have the same opportunities. They want everyone to have the same pay. They want everyone to have the same education. They want. They want. They want.
Paul is trying to teach that some people are chosen before the foundation of the world because God knew how they would act in their lifetime before they lived their life. It is hard for us to understand.
We find that today we have many people who can look at the parents of a child before he/she is born and tell you how smart they will be. They can tell what habits they will have. They can tell what genes they will give to their children. Usually they are right.
However, God is always right. HE can cause people from families that these people tried to say would turn out one way and HE can know they to turn out different. HE doesn’t judge by human standards.
HE can say that He loves someone before they are born because HE knows how they will turn out. HE can say that HE will not love another child from the same parents because HE knows how they will turn out.
HIS omniscience beats our human mind ALL the time. Trust in the LORD and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge HIM and HE will direct your path.
CHALLENGE: God is never unfair – HE is always Holy.
: 20 Nay but, O man, who aret you that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why, have you made me thus? (4110 “formed” [plasma] means molded, fabrication, or the thing molded by a potter.)
DEVOTION: Paul is dealing with our understanding of who God is and how HE works in the lives of people. He is looking into a doctrine that we don’t completely understand. The doctrine is the election of God concerning those who are chosen to follow HIM.
God is the potter and we are the clay. Some of the clay is chosen to be a vessel of honor. Some of the clay is chosen to be a vessel of dishonor. What is the difference? God is not found in time, we are. Time means nothing to HIM because HE knows the beginning from the end.
Some people are going to heaven and some are going to hell for eternity. Those who are “elect” are going to heaven for eternity. They were chosen before the foundation of the earth.
What about those who are not “elect?” Did they have a chance? This chapter tells us that God was “long-suffering” toward those who are “vessels of wrath.” Who are the “vessels of wrath?” They are those who harden themselves against God and HE gives them over to their choice. Pharaoh was an example of someone who hardened his heart regarding the releasing of the children of Israel from Egypt. The Jews of Jesus’ day on this earth were an example of those who rejected HIS message and therefore were not chosen by God to be HIS followers. Christ was the stumbling stone they were not willing to accept.
Remember HE does know the future. HE does whatever HE wants with humans but NO human being can stand before HIM on judgment day and say that they were not given an opportunity to be a follower of HIM. They chose to disregard HIS message and warning to them.
CHALLENGE: We don’t know who the “elect” are, so we have the responsibility to witness to all those we come in contact with on a daily basis as the Holy Spirit gives us direction. Obey HIS leading!!!
: 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believes on HIM shall not be ashamed. (4348 “stumblingstone” [proskomma] means offence, and obstacle in the way which if one strikes his foot against he stumbles or falls, that over which a soul stumbles i.e. by which is caused to sin, occasion to sin, or one who eats something that causes someone else to fall into sin.)
DEVOTION: Jesus Christ was both a stumbling stone and a rock of offense to the leadership of the Jewish religion. They had moved away from follow the LORD to following the rules of the LORD. They had become external followers instead of internal believers.
They thought they were on the right road to heaven and Jesus had to inform them that they were not. They could not depend on their birth right as Jews. They could not depend on the Law of Moses to get them into heaven. They could not count on their works.
God sent prophets in the Old Testament that taught them that the Messiah was coming. Jesus didn’t fit what they thought the Messiah would do. Jesus taught like none of them taught. Jesus wanted an internal change but they were just looking at external change. Jesus wanted them to store their treasure in heaven but they were storing it on earth. They wanted their rewards of praise on earth when the LORD Jesus Christ taught them to do everything in private and the Father would reward them in public. They wanted the praise of men over the praise of God.
Jesus was a revolutionary in the sense that he taught us that we were to reach people one at a time and the kingdom of God would grow. Our responsibility is to be like Jesus. We need to reach people one at a time. We need to follow them up with good instruction, so that, they can win one at a time. That is how the kingdom of God will grow. One person at a time!
We seem to think it is our responsibility to change culture by condemning those who are not following the Bible. It will never happen. Jesus did it the right way and we need to follow HIS example.
CHALLENGE: Are we doing something that is causing someone to sin because they are watching us instead of listening to the LORD?
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