Paul is addressing the Jews at the Church of Rome in this
chapter. This chapter speaks of what becomes of the Jews if they don’t embrace
Jesus and the gospel, it tells of the Father’s promise and talks of the consequence
of Israel’s rejection of Christ.
This chapter contains harsh words and a stern warning.
It seems like it has nothing to do with us Christians; it is
about Jews rejecting Jesus, ‘this concerns Jews, not us’.
This chapter shows great concerns for the nation and people
of Israel. Paul wasn’t speaking of wrath or condemnation but was heartily
troubled for the many enemies of the gospel, the Jews. He was trying to bring
them to a place of understanding and belief.
For this, Paul had great heaviness (Romans 9:2); he doesn’t
rejoice over the rejected Jews but wants them to be saved. He backs this with a
serious implication (Romans 9:3) showing a very high pang of affection for his
countrymen.
What do we think of people of our same ethnic background who
are lost?
It might begin with our own family; our spouse, our
children, our uncle, our aunty…
Do we have the same sorrow for the people of Israel Paul had
for our own people?
This is something we can pull out of this chapter; when we
see our people rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ, do we judge them, do we
condemn them or do we love them?
Here Paul is so forgiving towards the Jews.
For some of us it is easier to speak to those outside than
our own family. Do we shy away from it?
Here Paul has shown sorrow for his own blood, his own
people. That should speak to us, to you, to me.
We are all connected to some part of the world as Paul is
connected to Israel.
We are all connected to some people something we ought to
thank God for. But do we have a heart for our own people? That was Paul’s
heart.
We need to speak with boldness but in love. The words of
Paul sound harsh to the unbelieving Jews but love is apt to sound bold.
Do we speak highly of our own people or do we speak down?
When are we going to bless our own people? When?
One day, we may be called to a mission field and it may just
be where we came from.
Paul will be content to forbear his own happiness to
purchase the happiness of his people (Romans 9:4)
But we have to remember, he was rejected by his own people
and they wanted his head. Yet Paul loved them and that’s very hard to do.
Paul was standing in a place where he was rejected yet
didn’t call them enemies but ‘my own race’.
Let’s bring it home; we may have been rejected by friends,
family. We won’t call them enemies but our people. And that’s the love of
Christ.
Even if we are mocked or persecuted we need to be concerned
for the spiritual good of our relations.
The Word of God is taking us to a place of forgiveness, of love
and of embrace (not of rejection).
We will still call these people our people and call on God
to help us love our people.
Paul is talking of the Israelites, speaking out of love,
pain and compassion.
They received (Romans 9:4-5) 1st: adoption, 2nd:
glory, 3rd: covenants, 4th: the receiving of the law, 5th:
the temple worship (service of God), 6th: the promises, 7th:
patriarchs (fathers) and the 8th: Christ! He was of kin to them.
We have some place we come from and love that part. We need
to love our own people to extend it to others and overflow to others.
Romans 9:15 is very harsh and here is Charles Spurgeon
Devotional on this verse:
In these words the
Lord in the plainest manner claims the right to give or to withhold His mercy
according to His own sovereign will. As the prerogative of life and death is
vested in the monarch, so the Judge of all the earth has a right to spare or
condemn the guilty, as may seem best in His sight. Men by their sins have
forfeited all claim upon God; they deserve to perish for their sins--and if
they all do so, they have no ground for complaint. If the Lord steps in to save
any, He may do so if the ends of justice are not thwarted; but if He judges it
best to leave the condemned to suffer the righteous sentence, none may arraign
Him at their bar. Foolish and impudent are all those discourses about the
rights of men to be all placed on the same footing; ignorant, if not worse, are
those contentions against discriminating grace, which are but the rebellions of
proud human nature against the crown and sceptre of Jehovah. When we are
brought to see our own utter ruin and ill desert, and the justice of the divine
verdict against sin, we no longer cavil at the truth that the Lord is not bound
to save us; we do not murmur if He chooses to save others, as though He were
doing us an injury, but feel that if He deigns to look upon us, it will be His
own free act of undeserved goodness, for which we shall for ever bless His
name.
How shall those who
are the subjects of divine election sufficiently adore the grace of God? They
have no room for boasting, for sovereignty most effectually excludes it. The
Lord's will alone is glorified, and the very notion of human merit is cast out
to everlasting contempt. There is no more humbling doctrine in Scripture than that
of election, none more promotive of gratitude, and, consequently, none more
sanctifying. Believers should not be afraid of it, but adoringly rejoice in it.
Don't forget to check the church website:
Chalk Farm Baptist Church website (chalkfarmbaptistchurch.org)!
God Bless,
Chalk Farm Baptist Church Youth
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