Romans chapter 9. Our brother
Henry Mahan wrote these words in regarding to these opening
verses of Romans chapter 9. He said, the Jews looked for
a Messiah. You can read that in John chapter
40 through 42. The Jews looked for a Messiah.
But they expected the Messiah to restore the nation of Israel
to world prominence. Remember, there was a time when
Israel was More powerful than anybody around, God had fought
for Israel for years and conquered many nations. Now Israel was
under the rule of Rome and being squashed by the power of Rome.
They expected the Messiah to come and release them from that
dominion of Rome and return them to the prominence of the world,
to restore the great kingdom of David, as it were. and to
confer upon Israel great favor with God. They had felt God had
left them and was no longer favorable of them. If any Gentile participated
in this glorious kingdom, it would be by the becoming of a
Jew. You'd have to convert to Judaism. It is obvious that they
did not understand the sacrifices and the types, for they did not
see the Messiah coming first as a lamb, as a sin offering,
and a savior. They read the Old Testament Scriptures,
they referred to His triumphant and glorious second coming, the
eternal kingdom of righteousness, and they applied it, they applied
those writings to His first coming and to their nation alone. But
Christ came as it was written, the Lamb of God, the righteousness
of God, the atonement and the sacrifice for sin, for Jew and
for Gentile. You can read that in Romans 10
and also Ephesians 2. How did the Jews respond? With
very few exceptions, they rejected him and his message. You can
read that in John and Acts, John 1 and Acts 13. As a result of
their greatest sin, the rejection of Christ, they have been blinded,
and the gospel preached to the Gentile nations. That's what
we read in Romans 11, verses 7 through 10. We'll read that,
we'll look into that a little deeper when we get to that point.
The Gentiles, in great number, believed the gospel and were
saved. The Jews, for the most part,
abide still in unbelief. And this is what is on Paul's
mind as he writes the following words. Are you with me in Romans
chapter nine? Look at verses one through three.
I say the truth of Christ. Now remember, this is on Paul's
mind. He knows that the Jews have left the gospel They are
more interested now in their ceremonialism, their works of
themselves, their own self-righteousness than they are of the righteousness
of God. And God has sent men now into the Gentile nations.
He says, I say the truth in Christ. I lie not. My conscience And
as those children of God, we know that God sees our consciousness. He sees upon our hearts. So when
Paul is talking about these words, when he says these words, he
knows that God is looking upon his heart. He can tell you in
truth. I'm lying not. I truly feel this way. I'm burdened with this thought. I lie not, my conscience also
bearing witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and
continual sorrow. in my heart, for I could wish
that myself were cursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen,
according to the flesh." He loved his brethren of the flesh so
much, so much so, that in his own thoughts it was, Lord, take
me and put me back where I was, if that's what it would take
to give you this one that I love. I understand that. I got two
children who don't want anything to do with God, just as I did. They want nothing to do with
God. I was thinking about this this morning. This may seem harsh. When I came to the Lord, folks,
I was not in a good way. I was a grown man crying in a
pain that I have never felt before, in a pain that was so deep that
it rocked my soul. One of my children is is, in
my opinion, on her way to a great sorrowful moment. I pray. And this is what I mean by this. I pray that this, that she is
going through, will bring her to her knees in tears and cry
out, God help me. Would it be worth it? Would it
be worth it for our child to go through such pain? Yes, it
would be. If the end result would be to
be with the Lord, absolutely. It's hard to see, but I would
give anything for her. And that includes my salvation. I would give anything for that
dear lady there. That's what Paul is crying out here. He's
crying out, Lord, I love these people so much with everything
I have. We're praying. For our lost loved
ones, our loved ones who still walk in darkness. God, if it
be your will, break them, break their hearts. Cuz only God can
do that, folks. Only he can break our hearts
to drive us to look into him. Paul says, for I could wish that
myself were a curse from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen.
according to the flesh. Now I want you to consider with
me, if you would, three things in these verses. What a solemn
vow Paul is saying here. He says, I speak the truth as
a Christian, as one who believes God. He says, I do not lie. And he declares the Holy Spirit
to be his witness. God, you know I love you. You
know I love you because you look upon my heart. What I'm about
to say in my prayer to you, Lord, you know it'd be from my heart,
because you are the almighty, the all-knowing, the all-witnessing. Paul's vow is sincere because
it's a vow according to God's will, according to who he is. Secondly, we see the sincere
affection for the people. Paul was happy in Christ, but
when he thought of his Jewish brethren in the blindness that
they were in, in the unbelief that they walked in, it caused
him a great sorrow. Listen to these words of Romans
10.1. We'll look at this again in a
deeper way when we get there. Brethren, he said, my heart's
desire. This is Paul crying out again
to his brethren. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer To you, my brethren, is this, that you might be saved.
It's that they might be saved, my own brothers and sisters,
my own children, my own mother, my own sister, my own brother. And thirdly, we see a startling
statement. If Paul, being separated from Christ, could secure anything,
if it could secure their salvation, he expresses his willingness.
Moses almost said the very same thing. Would you turn, hold your
place here and turn over to Exodus chapter 32. I want you to see
what Moses did. Moses almost said the exact same
thing here. Exodus chapter 32. Lord, if it be, if it would be
possible, Lord, if it would be possible, save my family. Let me be accursed. You realize
that that's what our Savior prayed for us. let me be a curse for
them that they might be saved. Over in Exodus chapter 32, we
see in verse 31, and Moses returned unto the Lord and he said, oh,
this people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of
gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive
their sin, and if not, blot me. I pray thee, out of thy book
which thou hast written. That's almost the exact same
thing we see Paul's writing here about in Romans chapter 9. Lord, save my brethren. Help
me, Father. Look back in our text again,
this time at verse 4 of Romans chapter 9, it says, Who are Israelites,
speaking of his brethren, those that are just like me, those
who at one time God were blessed of you, those who are Israelites,
to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants,
all those promises that you made the people of Israel, the sons
of Jacob, and thy giving of the law, and the service of God,
and the promises. Paul is identifying the people
of whom he speaks. He says, my kinsmen, the very
descendants of Abraham. You see, folks, the adoption
was theirs. Not spiritual adoption, which makes men joint heirs with
Christ, but they were God's chosen nation. He chose them out of
all the world. He separated them from all of
the idolatry that was going on in the world. Remember when Noah
was on the earth? Remember that? How many souls were not following
idolatry at that time? Eight. Eight souls did not bend
the knee to Baal. and God saved them in the ark,
a picture of his son, the Lord Jesus. Israel was a picture of
the spiritual people of God. In Deuteronomy 7, verses 6 through
8, we read these words, for thou art a holy people unto the Lord
thy God. He's speaking of Israel. He's
speaking of the people of God, the people that were chosen out
of the world. For you are an holy people unto the Lord thy
God. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto
him, Phil, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you." Notice
that the writer, the prophet, very clearly describes election. He did not set his love upon
you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than
any other people. For you were the fewest of all
people. But because the Lord loved you, and because you would
keep He would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers,
that the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed
you out of the house of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh, king
of Egypt. The glory of God was theirs. They had the oracles. They had the temple. They had
all the pictures that pointed to the coming Messiah, the Christ. 1 Samuel 4, verse 22, and she
said, The glory departed from Israel, for the ark of God is
taken. Christ was taken away. The people
of Israel no longer saw God. Instead, they began to see their
own righteousness. Each generation, it got worse.
Each generation, it waxed worse, until finally, the candlestick
God had removed from the people. This glory was the presence of
God in their midst, the tabernacle, the ark, the cloud, et cetera.
The covenants of Abraham and David were theirs. The law, the
giving of the law was theirs. The law was given to Israel at
Sinai. The service of God was theirs. This is the service of
the tabernacle, acceptable, an acceptable way of worship. Listen
to Hebrew, you know, turn over to Hebrews chapter nine. Let's
look at Hebrews chapter 9, one of the gifts that God gave the
people of Israel. In Hebrews 9, beginning at verse
1, Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine
service and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made, the first, wherein was the candlestick,
and the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary.
And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the
holiest of all, which had the golden censer, and the ark of
the covenant, overlaid round about with gold, wherein was
the golden pot, that had manna, and Aaron's rod, and that budded,
and the tables of the covenant, All these things they had, all
these oracles of God pointing them to Christ and all they could
see was their own works. God had not enlightened all the
people of Israel. And over the cherubims of glory,
verse 5, shadowing the mercy seat of which we cannot now speak
particularly. Now when these things were thus
ordained, the priest went always into the first tabernacle accomplishing
the service of God. But into the second went the
high priest alone. Again, the picture of our Savior,
our high priest, he went in alone once a year, not without blood,
that which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people.
The Holy Ghost is signifying that the way and the holiest
of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was
yet standing. And then we get this, the Lord
tells the writer to the Hebrews very clearly, which was a figure,
all of those things was a figure for the time then present, and
which were the offerable gifts and sacrifices that could not
make man, make him that did the service perfect and pertaining
to the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks and
diverse washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time
of reformation. But Christ, being come in high
praise of good things to come, verse 11, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not
of this building. The people of Israel, they had
all their promises. All the promises of God were
theirs, if. Not all of Israel at that time
saw that as, well, if I could do this, I'll be loved of God. No, there were many at that time
Even though it was a remnant compared to the whole group of
people, there were many who still knew that they could not do those
things, and sought a better promise. The promise of the seed. Christ. Christ is the seed of promise.
Look at verse 5 back in Archaic, Romans chapter 9. Speaking again
of those who had the oracles of God promised to them, all
that was promised to them, yet they could not say whose are
the fathers, and of whom is concerning the flesh Christ came, who is
over all, God bless forever, amen. Now from this nation came
the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David,
and all the others that we read about in Hebrews chapter one.
But an even higher honor of the Jewish nation was that concerning
of His flesh, the flesh of Christ, the coming of God manifest in
the flesh. Christ came from their camp.
He is a direct descendant of David. You can read about that
over in Matthew chapter 1. It says, for who is over all,
God blessed forever. That's what we just read in Romans
9-5. This is one of the most distinct statements of our Lord's
deity there is in all the scriptures. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is
over all. He's over everything. He is our
sovereign. He rules everything by the power
of His will and for His good pleasure. That includes the salvation
of men. That includes my salvation. He
ruled over that. from beginning to end. I was
saved when he thought of me and before the world began. I was
saved when he came to this earth as a man in the flesh and laid
down his life for me and died in my stead. I was saved then.
I was saved this morning when I woke up, opened up my eyes.
I'll be saved tomorrow morning when I wake up again, whether
it be here or whether it be with my Lord in heaven. Folks, we're
saved to the uttermost by our Lord and Savior. He is over all,
and He is blessed forever. In John 10.30, our Lord says,
I and my Father are one. In Hebrews 1 verse 8, we read
this, but unto the Son, He saith, thy throne. Now this is God the
Father speaking God the Son. Thy throne, O God, is forever
and ever. A scepter of righteousness is
the scepter of thy kingdom. Verse 6 of our text, we read
this, not as though the word of God have taken none effect,
for they are not all Israel, is what Paul is telling us. That's
what I mentioned a moment ago. All those folks that God blessed
throughout all that time, throughout all the days of David and Joseph
and Moses, all of those days when there was Israel, not all
of them trusted in their own righteousness. There were some
who believed God. There were some who believed
that those ordinances pointed to Christ, the Messiah. Not all
Israel. They are not all Israel, which
are of Israel. The unbelief of Israel and their rejection of
God does not mean that his divine purpose has failed, nor that
the promises of God were not effectual. For it is not only
the natural descendants of Abraham who make up the true Israel of
God, but those who believe in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles. Look back at Romans chapter three.
Romans chapter three. What do we read in verse 29 and
30? Romans chapter three in verse
29, is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, seeing
it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith and
uncircumcision through faith. Our God is the God over everything.
He's God over all, and God has blessed him forever. His promises
do not fail. Look over Romans chapter four.
Romans chapter four, verses nine through 12. upon the circumcision only or
upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned
to Abraham for righteousness." Now, Abraham was before circumcision
ever started. He came to God before circumcision
was ever started. Circumcision didn't start till
Isaac was born, the promised child. Blessed is the man to
whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness
in upon the circumcision only, upon the uncircumcision also,
for we say that faith is reckoned unto Abraham from righteousness.
Verse 10, how was it then reckoned when he was in circumcision or
in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. For he received the sign of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being
uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that
believe. Though they be not circumcised,
that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. Do you see spiritual
Israel? Spiritual Israel are those who
are circumcised of the heart. Those who have had that old stony
heart that says, I will not have this man to rule over me. Removed. I once said, fixed. God didn't fix anything. He cut
that old stony heart right out, just like circumcision is cutting
the stone of a man. He cut it, removed it, discarded
it, and gave us a new heart of flesh. Verse 12, and the father
of circumcision to them who are not of circumcision only, but
also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham. What did Abraham What was his
faith? His faith was, I believe God. He believed God is why he could
take Isaac up to the top of that mountain to sacrifice him. He
said God promised him and he believed God's promise. In the
steps of faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet
uncircumcised. The promise of redemption was
to Abraham and to his seed, the seed who is Christ. Listen to
these words of Galatians 3.16. Now to Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as
of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. That's not my opinion, is it?
That's God's Word. That's in Galatians 3.16. There
are many Jews who are not Israel and many Gentiles who are of
Israel. That's what we read in Philippians 3.3. For we are the
circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in
Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Back in our text
in verse 7 of Romans chapter 9, we read these words. Neither
because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. but in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. We have an illustration in this
case of Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was not of Israel, though
he was a direct descendant of Abraham. Did you know that Ishmael
is the birth of Islam? Ishmael, Islam. Ishmael was the
birth of the religion Islam. He was not of Israel, though
he was a direct descendant of Abraham. And the error of the
Jews was that they thought they were children of God by being
the children of Abraham. This natural sonship that they
spoke of was only a figure of spiritual sonship of all of God's
believers of all nations. Back in our text, we read in
verse eight, that this, 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. Our title for today is the children
of promise. Are we the children of promise?
The sum of this is all this, that men are not the children
of God because they are children of Abraham, nor because they
are the children of believers. nor because they are descendants
of any flesh at all, but they are children of God, who are
children of the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus, who are born
again. Turn over to John chapter 1.
Let's read verses 11 through 13. John chapter 1. We read in
verse 11. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. That's Israel. That's the Israel
of the world. That's the religions of the world.
That's the religions of works. That's the religions of self-righteousness. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not, but as many as received him. That remnant,
those elect, chosen of God before the world was, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name. which were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God." Folks, the true people of Israel are those who believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ with the heart, the new heart given
to them, the gift of faith that God has given them. God has a
people, He calls us a holy nation, For we were chosen in His Son,
who is holy, holy, holy. We were chosen in Christ. To
these people, to you and I, He has given His presence, His blessings,
and His inheritance forever. That's what we read in 1 Peter
2, verse 9-10. It says, But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people
that ye should show forth. the praises of Him who has called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Isn't that our
witness? Isn't that our witness to the world around us? That
we were called out of the darkness we once walked into, into His
marvelous light. Which in times past were not
a people, it speaks of us, but we're now a people of God, which
had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. National
Israel is a type of this holy nation. The people who make up
this holy Israel are not so because they are people from whom God
created or because their name was named written or because
they named the name of God as their father, nor was it because
they go about in a form of worship, but they are the sons of God
who are chosen of God and are children of true faith. Ishmael
and Isaac illustrate this very fact. Both were sons of Abraham
by natural descent But only one was chosen of God. God has a
chosen people out of every nation, every kindred, every tongue.
Aren't you thankful that he's called some folks here out of
rescue to hear and believe him?