Category Archives: Romans

The Gospel – that is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ – should have a profound effect on our lives. Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf is the strongest expression of God’s love for us and of His mercy.

Because God has shown us His love and mercy, we also ought to show love and mercy to others. In his inspired letter to the followers of Christ in Rome, the Apostle Paul writes in chapter 12, verses 9 through 21, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate one to another; in honor preferring one another; not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer; contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

In this passage Paul lists several things which we ought to do because God has shown us mercy. He says that love must be sincere – it must be more than words. God’s love compelled Him to act. His love for us was so strong that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from our sin. In the same way, our love should also compel us to serve others.

If we have this kind of God-like love what will it prompt us to do? One of the characteristics of love is that it hates evil. In another place Paul writes that, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6 NIV) Therefore, if we have love, we will shun evil and do what is good. It will cause us to put the interests of others ahead of what benefits us.

Love will also prompt us to serve God. The more we consider and reflect on God’s love the more willing we will be to serve Him. Awareness of God’s love helps us endure the hardships and disappointments of this life. God’s love gives us hope. Hope brings joy. Because we hope, we can be patient when we suffer. Just as we like to talk to people we love and who love us, God’s love for us and our love for Him prompts us to speak to Him in prayer. We can share our worries, sorrows, our hopes and our joys with Him.

Love also enables us to serve other people. Paul writes that we should be hospitable – inviting others into our homes for fellowship and meals. We should also help our fellow believers by participating in their physical and material needs.

However, we should not limit showing love to only fellow believers. Paul writes that we should not curse, but bless even those who persecute us. In doing this we follow the example of Christ. The Apostle Peter writes, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:21-23 NIV)

Loving others and putting their interests first causes us to empathize with them. We will rejoice with them when they receive blessings. Similarly, we will mourn with them when they are in sorrow. When we understand and empathize with what others experience, it will help us to live in harmony with them.

Reflecting on God’s love and mercy will not only cause us to act in certain ways, it will cause us to refrain from other things. Paul writes that the followers of Christ should not be proud. Earlier in this letter he demonstrated that we have nothing to be proud about. All of us are sinners. None of us can save ourselves from God’s wrath by doing good works. The only way we can be reconciled to God is through His mercy. In view of this, we should not be conceited or too proud to associate with others since we need the same grace and mercy as they do.

When someone wrongs us, our natural tendency is to take revenge and do wrong to them. But Paul writes that the followers of Christ are not to repay evil with evil. Instead we are to do what is right. Instead of stirring up trouble and dissension, as far as it is possible, we are to live in peace with everyone. Though it should be our goal to get along with everyone, unfortunately this is not always possible. Jesus brought a message of love, forgiveness and reconciliation, yet people abused and crucified Him. If they did that to our Lord, it should not surprise us if we find it impossible to be at peace with some people.

What should our response be to people who refuse our efforts to be at peace with them? Paul writes that instead of taking revenge we should do what is right and good. Why should we refrain from taking revenge? The reason is that God reserves revenge for Himself. When we take revenge instead of giving the situation to God, we are exceeding our authority. We act as if we are the judge when it is God who rewards and punishes each of us according to what we have done. God knows all; He is all powerful; He is just. He will avenge the wrongs done to His children far better than we ever could.

Instead of taking revenge, we are to respond with acts of kindness. When we take care of our enemies needs, it causes them remorse. As Paul said earlier in this letter, “…God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.” (Romans 2:4 NIV) Our kindness reflects God’s kindness and can have the same result. It is a practical example of the principle Paul states, that we are to overcome evil with good.

The theme of the first 11 chapters of the Apostle Paul’s inspired letter to the followers of Christ at Rome is God’s mercy in granting salvation to sinners. Without God’s mercy, all of us would perish because we fall short of God’s expectations and standards.

This raises a question. How should we respond to the mercy God extends to us? The Apostle Paul answers this question beginning in chapter 12 of his letter. In verses 1 and 2 he writes, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Paul writes that we are to give our bodies to God as living sacrifices. This is something which he already said in chapter 6, verses 13 and 19. What does it mean to give ourselves as a sacrifice? In the Law of Moses, God instructed the Israelites to kill animals and burn their bodies on the altar as a sin offering. The idea was that God would accept the animal’s life in place of the person. The punishment for the person’s sin fell on the animal. In reality, the life of the animal was not enough to pay for sin – only the life of the sinless Jesus Christ could do that. Scripture tells us that the sacrifices required by the Law of Moses only postponed the penalty for sin.

In contrast to those subject to the Law of Moses who were required to sacrifice animals, the followers of Christ are to offer themselves as sacrifices. The difference is that in Christ we do not kill ourselves. Instead, we offer God our living bodies. We do not become holy by performing religious rituals, but by dedicating our lives to Him. We do what He wants us to. We worship, not by killing an animal, but by doing God’s will. We live the way He wants us to.

How do we know God’s will? Paul writes that we will know God’s will when we change our thinking. We must learn to think differently than our our society or the world around us. Our minds must be renewed. What Paul is saying is that we must change from an attitude of selfishness to an attitude of service. We must stop thinking about what will benefit us and start thinking about how we can help and serve others.

This transformation in how we think includes a change in how we think about ourselves. In verses 3 through 8 Paul writes, “For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; or service, let us give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching; or he who exhorts, to his exhorting: he who gives, let him do it with liberality; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Paul tells us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. To put it another way, we need to rid ourselves of pride. We need to evaluate ourselves honestly. We have not produced the abilities we have on our own. Ultimately, even our faith – that is our ability to believe – comes from God. Whatever talents we have, they are a gift which God has given us by His grace.

Paul uses the metaphor of a body to remind us that we are not self-sufficient. Just as the parts of our physical bodies depend on each other in order to function properly, we need the abilities and talents of other believers in the body of Christ, that is the church. Each person’s gifts are different and all are important.

In answer to the question of how we can become living sacrifices, Paul mentions several of the gifts God has given to us and how we ought to use them to serve. Some people have the gift of prophecy – that is communicating revealed truth from God. If a person has this gift, then he should speak and communicate God’s word faithfully – that is in a manner which is true to the faith. He should not allow his emotions or his own love of speaking to control what he says.

If a person has the gift of serving – that is helping those with physical or material needs – he should not let the needs of others go unmet. Instead he should meet their needs.

The next gift Paul mentions is teaching. This refers to the ability to explain God’s word to others and showing how it applies to their lives. If a person has this kind of insight into God’s word he should not keep it to himself. Instead, he should guide others into the truths he has discovered.

Some people have the gift of encouragement. Those who do should use their gift to build up those who are discouraged, comfort those who are in sorrow and stir the hearts of people to act on the knowledge and truth they know.

Still others have the gift of giving. This refers to private benevolence. They not only recognize when other people have a financial need, they are usually good money mangers and have the ability to help. Paul writes that people with this gift should give generously.

Another gift is that of leadership or administration. Unfortunately, there are many people in leadership positions in the church who are idle and indifferent. They want the benefits of the position but not the responsibility. However, Paul writes that someone with the gift of leadership must govern diligently. He is to do the work with zeal and devotion.

Similarly, if a person has the gift of mercy, he should do such things as visiting the sick not out of a sense of begrudging duty, but joyfully. He should be a blessing to those he serves.

In view of what Paul has written we all need to ask ourselves the question: What gift do I have and how can I use it to serve?

We enjoy stories in which the characters overcome seemingly impossible odds. They face a situation which threatens to overwhelm them or destroy them and there is no way out. Then, when hope is almost gone, the consequences of a choice made much earlier change the situation and provide a solution.

We like to read about such things, but don’t enjoy it when we are caught in similar situations. Unfortunately, we are in exactly this kind of dilemma spiritually. Our sin separated us from God. There was absolutely nothing we could do to restore our relationship with Him. However God, in His mercy, chose to make a way for us. By submitting ourselves to the Savior, Jesus Christ, our relationship to God is restored. He adopts us as His children.

In his inspired letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul explains that even though the Savior came through the Jewish people; even though the Israelites were God’s chosen people, the majority of them chose to reject the Savior. As a result they are in a situation where it seems there is no way out. Paul uses the metaphor of an olive tree to explain their predicament. God has cut the natural branches, that is the Israelites, off of the tree and grafted wild branches, that is non-Jewish people, into the tree in their place. Yet even so, the Israelites are not without hope. Though God has cut them off, they can still be grafted back in again.

In chapter 11, verses 25 through 32, Paul continues his explanation, “For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant to them, when I will take away their sins.” Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.”

Paul cautions his readers not to become conceited. Just because God grafted non-Jewish people into the place the Israelites once occupied, it does not mean that non-Jews are superior to the Jews. It is true that the Jews became hardened, but the hardening is only partial. In what sense? In previous verses Paul wrote that a remnant remained. In other words, though most Jews rejected Christ, many accepted Him. Paul himself was a Jew. So were all of the other Apostles. Christ’s first disciples were Jews. In the beginning, the church was composed entirely of Jews. It was Jews who proclaimed the Gospel message to non-Jews.

Another sense in which the hardening of the Jews is partial is that it is limited in duration. Paul writes that the hardening will last only until “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”. There is controversy over what Paul means. Some think that he is saying that when all the non-Jewish people who will accept Christ have done so, the hardness of the Jews will break. Others think that when the majority, or at least a certain number, of non-Jewish people have accepted Christ, the Jews will also. However, the most likely meaning is that the hardness of the Jewish people will break after Christianity is regarded as non-Jewish. When the Jewish people see the blessing of forgiveness of sin which God grants the non-Jewish followers of Christ, it will, as Paul stated earlier in verse 11, move them to envy – they will desire that blessing for themselves and will turn to Christ to obtain it.

As Paul wrote earlier, the Jewish people tried to please God through their own efforts. They tried to obtain righteousness by following the Law of Moses. However, the time will come that they will realize that the only way they can receive the forgiveness of sins and true righteousness is the same as anyone else – through Jesus Christ.

Does the fact that the Jews, for the most part, rejected Christ make them enemies to those of us who do follow Christ? In a sense, yes. Anyone who rejects the Savior is also opposed to those who accept Him. You cannot reject one without rejecting the other. Unfortunately, history is full of examples of people bearing the name of Christ who have persecuted the Jewish people for this very reason. To do so, however, is totally against the spirit of Christianity. Jesus told His disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:43-45 NIV)

Paul also reminds us that God’s call has not changed. God chose the Israelites as His special people. He gave lasting promises to the patriarchs. God has never revoked the promises or His call. Though at this time the majority of the Jewish people may be enemies to those who follow Christ, God still loves them and will show mercy to them.

How will this come about? Just as the Jews’ disobedience resulted in God’s mercy being extended to non-Jewish peoples, the obedience of non-Jewish people proclaiming the Gospel will result in mercy being shown to the Jews as well. All of us, Jew and non-Jew alike have sinned and disobeyed God. Through Christ, He shows mercy to us all.

When Paul contemplated God’s mercy, it caused him to break out in praise. In verses 33 through 36 he writes, “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?” For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.” Does God’s mercy move us to praise?

It is probably true that almost all people live with a sense of failure. Very few of us are able to accomplish everything we would like to do. Even the things we do accomplish rarely reach the level of perfection we would like. In a more profound sense, we fail to reach our full potential. We are not the people we know we ought to be. We know that there is still room for growth in our character. For example, we are not as wise as we should be.

We not only fail to measure up to our own ideals, we do not reach the standards God has for us. In his inspired letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul writes, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NIV) To put it another way, our goodness is less than God expects of us, our love falls short of God’s standard and our righteousness is incomplete.

God chose the nation of Israel to be His special people. It was through them that the Savior, Jesus Christ came. Yet, the Israelites failed to fulfill God’s purpose and expectation for them. Though Christ came from them, for the most part they refused to accept Him. They tried to obtain righteousness by their own efforts instead of through faith in Christ as God intended. Christ became a stumbling block for them and their unbelief hardened them so they could no longer see or hear the truth.

This raises a question. Are the Israelites now beyond hope? Can they never be redeemed? In chapter 11, verses 11 through 24 Paul writes, “I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree; don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”

Earlier in his letter Paul wrote that God brings good out of all situations for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). In this passage we see an illustration of this. God intended the Israelites to accept Christ. However, their disobedience resulted in salvation coming to the Gentiles. For example, Paul said this to the Jews in the city of Antioch when they rejected the Gospel, “…We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46 NIV) Paul writes that he hopes seeing Gentiles receive salvation will stir up envy among the Jews so that they will seek it as well.

Even though God brought good from the Israelites’ disobedience, it was not the same good as would have occurred if the Israelites had obeyed. It is true that God wishes everyone, including the Gentiles, to be saved. While the disobedience of the Israelites did bring salvation to the Gentiles, their obedience would have been even more beneficial. Paul writes that their obedience will bring even greater riches to the world. The difference is so great that he likens it to life from the dead. There are many in the world who hate the Jewish people and long for their destruction. In reality, we ought to pray that they will accept Christ. When they accept Him, the whole world will benefit from their obedience.

Though the Gentile peoples benefited from the Israelites’ disobedience to the Gospel, there is also a danger. It is easy for non-Jewish people to become proud of the fact that they now occupy the place which God intended for the Jews. Paul uses the analogy of an olive tree to make his point. It’s like the tree’s natural branches were cut off and branches from a wild tree were grafted into the tree in their place. The wild branches need to remember that they do not support the tree. Instead it is the tree which supports and sustains the branches. What Paul means by this is that in regard to the history of God’s redeeming work, the Jews owe nothing to the Gentiles. In contrast, the Gentile peoples are deeply indebted to the Jews. It is the Jews who preserved God’s holy word through the centuries. It is to the Jews that God revealed the promises of the coming Savior. Christ was born to a Jewish woman. Christ’s disciples were Jewish. Jews are the ones who first proclaimed the Gospel. As Jesus said, “…salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22 NIV)

With this in mind, Paul issues a warning. If God cut off the natural branches of the tree, that is the Israelites, when they proved unfaithful, why would He spare the Gentile branches He has grafted into the tree if they become unfaithful? Inclusion into the tree should not generate pride, but a reverent humility. God has allowed the Gentile peoples to participate in salvation not because they are better than anyone else, but because of His kindness. Unless the Gentiles continue in God’s kindness, that is unless they continue to have faith in the Savior, they too will be cut off.

The natural branches, that is the Jewish people, have been cut off from the tree. Is there any hope of them being grafted back in? Don’t branches which are separated from the tree die? Paul indicates that it is no harder for God to graft the natural branches back into the tree than it is for Him to graft in branches that didn’t belong. Earlier in his letter Paul wrote that we all, both Jew and Gentile are dead because of our sins. God gives us new life in Christ. If the Jews do not persist in their unbelief, God will graft them back into the tree. The question is: will the Israelites come to believe in Christ?

We humans have the tendency to let the principle of “collective guilt” influence our actions. For example, if a foreign government does something we don’t like, we will insult or harass a person from that country even though he had nothing whatever to do with the incident, has no influence over the policy of his government and disagrees with what it did. In the same way, it is not uncommon for people to vent their displeasure on a whole community for the actions of one of its members. What is even worse is when a whole community is punished, not on the basis of actual guilt, but because of a rumor that someone might have done something.

We can be thankful that God does not act this way. He is just. He judges people based on the facts, instead of unfounded assumptions. Further, He does not hold anyone responsible for the actions of another. Speaking through the prophet Ezekiel He said, “The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.” (Ezekiel 18:20 NIV)

There is a good illustration of God’s justice in the Apostle Paul’s inspired letter to the church at Rome. In the letter Paul reminds us that the Israelites are God’s chosen people. He entrusted His word to them. It is they who received God’s promises of a Savior. It is through them that Christ came. In spite of the promises, the Israelites rejected Christ when He came. What was God’s response to this?

In chapter 11, verses 1 through 10 Paul writes, “II ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God didn’t reject his people, which he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.” But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” David says, “Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Bow down their back always.””

In this passage Paul emphasizes that God did not reject all of His people, the Israelites. If He had, then God would have rejected Paul as well, because Paul was an Israelite. In the previous chapter Paul wrote that not all the Israelites accepted the good news about Christ. They chose to disobey the message they heard. Fortunately, God does not condemn an individual because of what his relatives do. God still accepts those who accept Him, in spite of the disobedience of others. To say it another way, God only rejects those who choose to reject Him.

It is not always easy to discern the difference between those whom God choses and those He rejects. For example, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…” (Matthew 7:21 NIV) In contrast, Paul writes about himself, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy… (1 Timothy 1:12-13 NIV)

How can God accept a violent, blaspheming persecutor while rejecting those who call Jesus, Lord? Didn’t Paul already say in chapter 10, verse 9, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”? (NIV) Jesus gives the answer to this question when He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21 NIV) It is not enough to say that Jesus is Lord, we must actually allow Him to be our Lord. God knows ahead of time who will do His will and who will merely pay Him lip-service. It is on the basis of this foreknowledge that God chooses. He knew that Paul would accept the message about Christ while others of his fellow Israelites would not. Scripture records that God spoke to Paul through another follower of Christ, “…The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.” (Acts 22:14-15 NIV) Paul spent the rest of his life obeying God’s call.

Choosing to accept Jesus as our Lord is not always easy. It is especially hard when it seems that all those around us have chosen to reject Him. We can become very lonely and discouraged. Paul gives the illustration of the prophet Elijah. As far as Elijah knew, he was the only person left who had remained faithful to God. Not only that, he remained faithful at the risk of his life. However, when Elijah complained to God, God revealed to him that there was a remnant of 7,000 others who still remained faithful.

It was the same way with the Israelites of Paul’s day. Though the majority chose to reject Christ, a remnant accepted Him. This remnant were the ones God chose. They were chosen not because of their own works of merit but by God’s grace – by what God did for them in Jesus Christ.

The more we reject something the more insensitive to it we become. The Israelites rejected God’s work through Christ, because they tried to obtain righteousness through their own efforts. As a result, they were hardened. Paul quotes Isaiah and David to make the point that having chosen not to see Christ they became blind to Him. Having chosen not to hear, they became deaf to the message. They were trapped by their own unbelief. Having rejected faith in Christ they were condemned to remain burdened by their sins. What about us? Are we still trying to earn salvation? Are we blind and deaf to the message of Christ?

Businesspeople face a two-part problem. First, they must provide a product or service which others are willing to buy. Secondly, they must let others know that the product or service is available. For example, suppose someone starts a restaurant. His kitchen may be spotlessly clean. He may use only the finest ingredients in his dishes. His recipes may be healthier and tastier than anybody else’s. He may serve large portions. His prices may be cheaper than other restaurants. He may provide swift and efficient service. Yet, if nobody knows that his restaurant exists, he will not have any customers. Somehow he must tell people about his restaurant before they will come and eat there.

The same truth applies in spiritual things. People cannot accept or believe what they have never heard. In his inspired letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul demonstrates that the only way to obtain forgiveness of sins is by believing in Jesus Christ and confessing that He is Lord. In chapter 10, verses 14 and 15 Paul asks the question: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they
hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!””

Earlier in this letter, Paul pointed out that Jesus sacrificed Himself on our behalf. Though He was righteous, He took the penalty for our unrighteousness on Himself. He paid our debt that we might be free. As wonderful as this is, it is not enough. People have to hear about Jesus and the sacrifice He made before they can believe on Him. They cannot call on His name or confess that He is Lord if they do not know who He is.

What is the process by which people come to find out about Jesus and the salvation from sin which His sacrifice makes possible? Paul writes that it is through preaching. It is not possible for us to witness Jesus’ sacrifice with our own eyes. We cannot see His burial and resurrection for ourselves. These events occurred almost 2,000 years ago. Therefore, the only way we can know about them is by someone telling us – whether through the written testimony of the book we call the New Testament, or by means of the words of someone who has already believed.

Throughout history many have come proclaiming messages of their own devising. But this is not the case regarding those who proclaim Jesus Christ. They have been sent. They have an obligation to tell others about Christ. Before ascending to heaven Jesus told His disciples, “…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV) If we claim to follow Christ are we telling others about Him?

If the followers of Christ have an obligation to tell others about Him why, then, does not everyone come to faith in Him? In verses 16 through 21, Paul explains. “But they didn’t all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly, “Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” But I ask, didn’t Israel know? First Moses says, “I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation, with a nation void of understanding I will make you angry.” Isaiah is very bold, and says, “I was found by those who didn’t seek me. I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.” But as to Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.””

We know from our own experience that not everyone believes in Christ or accepts Him. As Paul writes, this is true even of the Israelites who were God’s chosen people. If faith in Christ comes from hearing, then why did the Israelites not believe? One possibility is that they did not have the opportunity to hear. While this may be true of other peoples, it cannot be the case with the Israelites. The Jewish Scriptures, that is the Old Testament, are filled with prophecies about the coming of Christ and His redeeming sacrifice. In addition, many Israelites personally witnessed Jesus’ ministry, His death and His resurrection. Not only that, Paul and the other Apostles made a special effort to preach the good news about Christ in the Jewish synagogues wherever they went. As a result of all these things, the Israelites cannot claim ignorance as their excuse for not believing on Christ.

If ignorance is not the reason the Jewish people refused to believe in Christ, is it possible that they did not understand the message when it was preached to them? This cannot be. As Paul points out, even people who are not Israelites understood and accepted Christ even though they did not have the advantages that the Jewish people had. If Gentiles can understand the Gospel then, surely, the Israelites are capable of understanding it as well.

God desires everyone, regardless of race and cultural heritage to come to faith in Christ. Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah to explain that God reveals Himself and the message of Christ even to those who were not seeking Him. Unfortunately, this is another reason the Jewish people rejected Christ. The fact that many people who are not Israelites believe in Christ stirred up anger and envy in the hearts of the Israelites. How could God grant salvation to those who are not His chosen people? This envy and anger should have driven the Israelites to accept Christ as well. Unfortunately, they turned away.

This brings us to the real reason the Israelites refused to accept and believe in Christ: they were obstinate and disobeyed. They heard the message. They understood it. Yet, they chose to disobey it. They clung to the idea that they could save themselves by their own efforts rather than submitting to to Christ. What about us? Have we heard the good news about Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf? Do we believe it? Have we submitted ourselves to Christ and confessed that He is Lord?

There is a saying that, “Ignorance gets us into trouble and pride keeps us there.” The reason pride often prevents us from escaping the situation we are in is that we don’t like to admit that we are wrong. We don’t like to confess that we have made a mistake.

In the Old Testament there is an excellent example of how pride can prevent us from accepting a solution to our problems. A man by the name of Naaman suffered from leprosy. He went to the prophet Elisha in search of a cure for his disease. Elisha told him to go wash himself in the Jordan River. Instead of being pleased at such a simple solution, Naaman became angry and left in a rage. “Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?”” (2 Kings 5:13 NIV) Fortunately, Naaman set his pride aside and listened to his servants. He obeyed what the prophet told him to do and was healed. You can read the story in 2nd Kings, chapter 5.

Just as pride almost kept Naaman from being cured, our pride can keep us from being cured of our sin. We like to think that we are capable of saving ourselves. We want salvation, but we want it on our own terms. Instead of accepting the simple solution that God gives us through Jesus, we insist that we earn our way into heaven by our own mighty deeds of righteousness.

In his inspired letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul describes the difference between these two attitudes. In chapter 10, verses 5 through 13, he writes, “For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.” But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down); or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)” But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart”; that is, the word of faith, which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

In this passage, Paul contrasts two means of obtaining salvation. The first is by keeping the Law of Moses. Paul quotes Moses to establish the fact that if someone keeps the Law perfectly, he will live. As human beings we like this approach because it keeps salvation in our own hands. We save ourselves by our own efforts. No matter how difficult the task, we can do it by ourselves. Our pride tells us that, if necessary, we can scale the heights of heaven or plumb the depths of hell. We don’t need any help.

The problem with this approach is that there is only one person who has been able to keep the Law perfectly – that is, Jesus Christ. Scripture says that Jesus, “…has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 NIV) As for the rest of us, Paul has already said in this letter that we have failed, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NIV)

If keeping the Law of Moses cannot save us – because we have already broken it – then how can we become righteous in God’s sight? Paul writes that it is through faith. Faith does not require us to scale heaven’s heights and return with a Savior. Jesus has already come to earth and ascended back to heaven on our behalf. Faith does not require us to plumb the depths of hell and bring someone back from the dead. Jesus has already risen from the dead and now lives in God’s presence to intercede for us. Faith is not some distant object which we can only obtain after traveling through arid deserts. Instead, it is as near as our own hearts. Faith is not some unpronounceable spell in an obscure language. Instead, anyone is capable of expressing his faith in his own words.

What is this word of faith, this good news which we must believe and proclaim? Paul writes that we must have a heart-felt belief that Jesus rose from the dead. In another place Paul explains more fully, “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved… For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NIV)

If we truly believe that Christ died for our sins and then rose from the dead, it should cause us to also recognize and accept the position which God has given Him. We must not only believe, we must confess that Jesus is Lord. The literal meaning of the word Paul uses, which we translate “confess” is “to say the same thing.” In this case, we are to say the same thing about Jesus that God does. God has declared that Jesus is Lord, therefore we also must declare that Jesus is Lord. He is our ruler. It is to Him that we owe our allegiance.

This brings up a difficulty. Paul is writing to people in the city of Rome. The proclamation that “Jesus is Lord” would have immediately brought to their minds the oath of allegiance that Roman citizens were supposed to make. They were supposed to say, “Caesar is Lord.” To confess Jesus as Lord was to invite torture and death. Paul assures the people to whom he is writing that confessing Christ will save them. As he had already said in chapter 8 of this letter, they may have to endure the sword. Nevertheless, their confession will save them. God will never let those who trust in Him be put to shame.

This promise is not restricted to the the Jewish people – those who used to be under the Law of Moses. The promise is for everyone, both Jew and Gentile, who calls on or confesses Christ as Lord.

When a painter paints a picture the paint does not have any right to say what kind of picture he should paint. When a potter forms a utensil the clay does not have any say in what kind of pot it ought to be. Further, the painter and the potter can destroy their work if they so choose. The paint and the clay have no right to complain about it. Though this is obvious to us regarding the things we make, we object when the same principle is applied to us. God created us. He has the right to make us however He likes and He has the right to honor us or to destroy us if He so chooses. Nevertheless, we object and say that God is not just when we find ourselves under His condemnation.

In his inspired letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul points out that God is not unjust. Not only does He have the right as our Creator to do whatever He chooses to do to us, He only condemns on the basis of His foreknowledge of how we will respond to Him. God gave us free will. We have the choice to do what pleases God or to defy Him. In addition, God gives us the opportunity to be reconciled to Himself. Those who choose righteousness, God glorifies and brings into His own household. Those who choose self over God, become objects of His wrath.

God chose the Israelites to be His people. Yet the Israelites did not fulfill the purpose for which God chose them. Therefore, God chose to reject most of them. Why did this come about? In chapter 9, verse 27, through chapter 10, verse 4 of his letter, Paul explains: “Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved; for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.” As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.” What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness. Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone; even as it is
written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.” Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

In this passage, Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah who likened the situation of the Israelites to that of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God destroyed those two cities because of their sin. The prophet Ezekiel writes that in addition to sexual perversion, the people of Sodom were arrogant, overfed and had no concern for the poor (Ezekiel 16:49). The same passage from Isaiah which Paul quotes, says that the Israelites had a similar attitude. They were guilty of bloodshed and injustice to the poor and disadvantaged. If God punished Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin, why would He not punish the Israelites for theirs? It is true that God called the Israelites to be His own people. But belonging to the nation of Israel did them no good if they refused the purpose for which God called them – that is to be righteous.

The same principle holds true for us. For example, some think that because they call themselves Christians, they have a license to act however they like. Christ’s sacrifice will cover whatever sin they commit. In a sense, people who think like this are right – Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient to pay for all sin. However, we cannot use His sacrifice as an excuse to sin. Christ died so that we will not sin any more. Claiming the name of Christ will not help us if we ignore the very purpose for which Christ died.

Though God became angry with the people He had chosen, He did not leave them without hope. He assured them through Isaiah that a remnant would be saved. In addition, God extended His mercy beyond the Jewish people. What is the difference between the Jews and Gentiles? Both tried to obtain righteousness. Except for a remnant, God rejected the Israelites while showing mercy to non-Jewish people. The difference is that the Jewish people tried to obtain righteousness through the Law of Moses rather than by faith in the One who gave the Law. To put it another way, the Israelites depended on themselves and their own ability to keep God’s Law. In contrast, the Gentiles recognized that they did not have the ability to keep the Law. Instead they put their faith in the Savior whom God sent.

This is the crucial difference. God sent Jesus Christ into the world to pay the price for our sin. The Israelites, to whom the Savior was promised and through whom the Savior came, for the most part refused to accept Him. Jesus did not meet their expectations so they rejected Him. As the prophet Isaiah said, it is as though they tripped over a stone and fell as they were walking along. It was the Gentiles who welcomed and accepted the Savior, even though they had never had the benefit of the Law.

Paul brings out another important point. Zeal or enthusiasm is not enough to please God. There are many people who are very religious and are even willing to give their lives for their religion. However, their zeal for God will not save them. This is the mistake the Jews made. They had zeal for God, but their zeal was not based on knowledge of God or their own condition. They attempted to please God on their own terms instead of His. They did not submit to Him.

It is good to have zeal, but our zeal must lead us to submission. Our zeal must never blind us to a true knowledge of our spiritual condition. We must know that we cannot save ourselves. We must know that we need a Savior. We cannot depend on our own righteousness. We must know the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Inequality is an undeniable fact of life. Some people have much, others have little. Some have the opportunity to receive a good education while others do not. Some enjoy good health, others are crippled or suffer chronic illnesses. Some people live in areas of the world which enjoy peace, while others face social unrest, terrorism or war.

Some types of inequalities are even more difficult than these to understand or accept. For example, why do some righteous people have to endure suffering while wicked people prosper? The Psalmist wrote, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man;… Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.” (Psalm 73: 2-5, 13-14 NIV)

The inequality the Psalmist saw is not limited to wealth and material things. In his inspired letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul writes that God chooses some people and rejects others. He shows mercy to some and hardens others. Some He saves, others He rejects according to His own purpose and will. Inevitably, this raises questions about God. Is God just? How can He condemn anyone if it is He who hardened them so they cannot respond to God’s offer of salvation? How can we be held accountable for our actions if God made us the way we are?

In chapter 9 of his inspired letter, verses 19 through 26, Paul answers these objections. He writes, “You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.” “It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ There they will be called ‘children of the living God.’””

The first answer to the accusation that God is unfair is that God is the Creator. Whether we like it or not, the maker of an article has the right to make it however he pleases. An artist can paint whatever he likes. Paul uses the illustration of a potter. A potter chooses to make some pots for use in the kitchen, others for use in the restroom. He might make some which have no practical use at all; they are merely pleasing to the eye. Does the clay from which the potter forms these vessels have the right to complain about into which kind of pot it is made? Of course not! In the same way, we have no right to complain if God makes us for a certain purpose. He is not unjust even if He shows mercy to some people and hardens others. We have no legitimate complaint even if God chose to create us for destruction while, at the same time, He chose someone else to participate in His own glory.

But does God really create some people for destruction? Though God would be perfectly justified in creating people however He likes, the Bible assures us that God, in fact, created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27). In other words, God did not create us for destruction, but to be like Himself.

Why, then, are some people the objects of God’s wrath? Why does He harden some and prepare them for destruction? In chapter 8 of this letter Paul already pointed out that God chooses what will happen to people on the basis of His foreknowledge. Because God is outside of time, He knows what we will do in the future. He knows who will draw near to Him in love and who will turn away from Him. God chooses who He will destroy and who He will glorify according to the decisions we freely make.

Paul writes that God, “endured with much patience vessels of wrath” (verse 22). If God’s intent is to merely destroy these people, then why is He patient with them? Why does He tolerate them? One reason Paul mentions is so that the objects of God’s mercy will recognize and understand the riches of His glory. Often we do not recognize the value of a gift until we see the alternative.

However, there is another reason God puts up with the wicked. The Apostle Peter writes, “…He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV) God does not destroy anyone lightly. He loves us so much that He gives everyone, no matter how wicked, the opportunity to repent and turn to Him.

This agrees with what Paul says. God calls everyone, regardless of his background to become part of His household. In the past, only the Jewish people were known as the people of God. Now, through Jesus Christ, Jew and non-Jew alike may be included in God’s people. God gives even those who are under His wrath, the opportunity to change. If they repent, He will transform them into something new. Paul quotes from the prophet Hosea to illustrate this transformation: those who were not loved are now God’s loved ones. Those who were not His people now are His people.

This transformation is drastic. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV)

What category are we in, those who are under God’s wrath or those whom He will glorify? Are we chosen for destruction or for mercy?

One of the messages of the Apostle Paul’s inspired letter to the church at Rome is that there is nothing which can separate the followers of Christ from God’s love. No matter what the situation is; whatever dangers or persecution they may have to face, there is nothing in all of heaven or earth which can prevent God from bringing good out of it for those who love Him.

While this is certainly true concerning the followers of Christ, what about the Jewish people? Aren’t they also God’s people? Didn’t God enter into a covenant relationship with them? Now that Christ has come are they excluded from God’s blessings?

In chapter 9, verses 1 through 18 Paul writes, “I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh, who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises; of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel. Neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children. But, “In Isaac will your seed be called.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed. For this is a word of promise, “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” Not only so, but Rebecca also conceived by one, by our father Isaac. For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls, it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.” Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.”

In this passage we see the depth of Paul’s love. He was willing to give up his own place in heaven if by doing so it would bring salvation to his people – the Jews. In this he followed the example of Christ. Scripture says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”” (Galatians 3:13 NIV)

It is true that unlike Christ, we are sinners and therefore cannot redeem anyone from his sin. But how much are we willing to sacrifice so that others have the opportunity to become reconciled to God? Are we willing to lay down our lives for them as Christ laid down His life for us?

Paul points out that the Jewish people are the ones who should have received an inheritance from God. They are the ones who should have received the fulfillment of God’s promises. After all, the promises were originally made to them. God made a covenant with them to make them His own people above all others on the earth. Not only that, Jesus Christ’s human ancestry is from the Jewish people.

Since the Jewish people had all these advantages, why have so few of them received the blessings God promised them? Did God’s word fail? Not at all. Paul points out that not all of the descendants of Israel are considered Israelites in God’s sight. In other words, not all of the natural descendants of the Jewish patriarchs belong to God. For example, Abraham had more than one son, but God chose to reckon Abraham’s offspring only through Isaac. It is Isaac who is the son God promised to Abraham. In the same way, God chose to fulfill His purpose through Jacob rather than Esau – even though they both were born to Isaac.

The same principle applies today. Not everyone who wears the name of Christ really belongs to Christ. Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23 NIV) All of us who claim to follow Christ need to ask ourselves whether God has really chosen us or whether we are merely deceiving ourselves. Will we really share in God’s blessings?

However, this raises another question. Isn’t God unjust when He chooses one person over another? Shouldn’t everyone have the same opportunity to share in God’s blessings? Later in this chapter Paul will explain the reason for God’s choice. It is not arbitrary. In these verses, however, Paul reminds us that it is God’s right to choose whoever He likes. God does not have an obligation to show mercy to anyone. As Paul already demonstrated earlier in the letter, all of us have sinned. All of us deserve God’s wrath and judgment. If, instead, He chooses to show mercy and compassion to some, He can do so. He does not need permission from us or anyone else. The Creator has the right to do whatever He likes with His creation.

There is an important lesson in this: God is not obligated to save anyone. It is not our good works or anything we do which saves us from God’s wrath. Our salvation is entirely dependent upon God’s choice to show us mercy.

God not only shows mercy to some, He chooses to harden others like He did to Pharaoh during the time of Moses. In both cases, God chooses to show mercy or to harden so that His power will be displayed and His name proclaimed throughout the earth.