But this morning, what we're
going to do is we're going to talk about, and the title, as
you can see here, is what about Israel? What about Israel? What about them as far as today,
as far as the gospel, as far as salvation? Does God still
see them as his chosen nation today? So we're going to go over
some things this morning that I hope that will clarify some
of these questions that we might have about that. Up to this point,
Paul had emphasized that salvation and justification before God
had nothing to do with a person's physical pedigree or their ancestors,
neither would circumcision or a person's efforts at keeping
the law for salvation. Salvation was and is totally
of God's free sovereign grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ,
based entirely on his shed blood and imputed righteousness. This
salvation totally excludes a sinner's works of law, and it excludes
any efforts that the sinner might do or might not do to be righteous
and holy before God. The reason that all works performed
by the sinner are excluded is that they fall short of what
is required by God, which is perfection. This is what God,
what he has to have is perfection in every way. This might sound
foreign to most people when I say that, but you must be righteous
or totally right before God in order to stand before this holy
God at judgment. Paul had made it clear that neither
Jew nor Gentile can be saved by works of law, and that if
any sinner is saved, if God saves any sinner, whether they be a
Jew or Gentile, it must be by grace alone, through faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ. As far as salvation is concerned,
the Jew has no advantage over the Gentile. As far as salvation
is concerned, they have no advantage over the
Gentile. And of course, this raises some questions concerning
the Jews and their relationship with God. The nation Israel had
such a prominent place in God's plan and purpose of redemption
and in the history of redemption was not Christ himself, a Jew
according to the flesh. Did not God promise to save all
Israel? The answer is yes. So let's look at some verses
that deal with this subject. Look at Isaiah 45 verse 17, where
it says, but Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting
salvation. You shall not be ashamed nor
confound it, world without end. Also in Romans 11, 26, And so all Israel shall be saved,
as it is written, and this is quoted from Isaiah 59, 20, these shall come out of Sion,
or Zion, the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob,
or as Isaiah 59, 20 stated it, that turn from transgression
in Jacob. Once again, the answer to the
above question, did not God promise to save all Israel, is yes. God did promise to save all Israel.
How then, the question is, how then can we account for the sad
fact that the majority of the nation rejected Christ and perish
in unbelief? Was not God able to fulfill his
promise to save them? Was he unfaithful to do so? Was
his promise not effectual or did it not accomplish what it
was intended to accomplish because the nation would not cooperate
with God. As we begin this chapter nine
here this morning of Romans, my hope is that we'll get a better
understanding of the differences between physical Israel and spiritual
Israel. The Apostle Paul gives us a little
peek at the differences when he says in Romans 9, 6, not as though the word of God
had taken none effect, or has failed, for they are not all
Israel, which are of Israel." Now that last statement that
I just made makes it clear that when God speaks of saving all
Israel, he's not talking about saving the entire physical nation
of Israel, but he's talking about saving all of spiritual Israel,
both Jew and Gentile. As the book of Revelation here
in Revelation 5, 9 says, and they sung a new song saying,
thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof.
And thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by that blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation. This is what
we're talking about when we talk about Jew and Gentile and that
God saves all Israel, all spiritual Israel, out of every kindred
and every tongue and people and nation. Paul also answers these
questions when he speaks of Jacob and Esau, which were both physical
Israelites. Look at Romans 9 beginning at
verse 11. For the children, just talking about Jacob and Esau,
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God, according to election, might stand not of
works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, or Rebekah,
the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have
I loved, and Esau have I hated. As I said, Both Jacob and Esau
were Israelites, but God chose to save Jacob and have mercy
on him and not on Esau. You might ask the question, well,
why did God love Jacob? Scripture is clear that God did
not love him based on anything that Jacob did or might do in
the future. Because verse 11 says that he
had not even yet been born or done any good or evil. The answer
to why God loved Jacob is that Jacob was in Christ. There is
no love of God for sinners outside of Christ. Jacob being in Christ
and that everlasting covenant of grace made before time in
old eternity, which to me, just a way of saying it was before
this world was created, in that everlasting covenant of grace
wherein the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit coveted to save a
people. And those that God elected to
save, determined to save, were put in Christ before this world
was created in that covenant. Christ became their surety, their
representative in that everlasting covenant. He stood in their place.
He took on their responsibility. All that they owed, the debt
that they owed, it became his debt to pay. And in time, in
time, in the fullness of time, Christ came. And he did all those
things necessary for those that God had given him. And those
that God loved from everlasting. He always loved them. As you
can see in these verses, both Jacob and Esau, as I said, were
Israelites. but both of them wasn't saved.
Here Paul vindicates the sovereign purpose and will of God and provides
God and proves God to be both able and faithful to all his
promises to Israel. He shows again how that salvation
is by God's sovereign grace in Christ. And if God had not chosen
some, if God had not chosen some out of this fallen race, fallen
race that fell in Adam. None of us would be saved. I
thank God for showing mercy on some. Let's look at what scripture
says concerning Pharaoh. Y'all remember Pharaoh and that
God had raised up him as way back as we think on Pharaoh with
the children of Israel that were in bondage and as they with Moses
left Egypt Romans 9 beginning at verse 15 says, For he, for
God, saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then, it is not of him that willeth. It is not somehow or
another that you will yourself in favor with God, nor of him
that runneth. It doesn't have anything to do
with your works in any way, anything that you do or don't do. But
it's of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I
might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. Therefore, hath God mercy on
whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth. Salvation
is of the Lord from the beginning all the way to the end. Let's
go ahead and now begin with Romans. As we look at Romans 9, we'll
first of all read verses 1 and 2, where it says, I say the truth
in Christ. This is Paul. He says, I lie
not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
that I have a great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. Some may conclude that Paul was
too hard on the Jews, because of his strong stand against those
who promoted self-righteous religion. Some might even conclude that
Paul hated his own people because he hated this false religion
that he was once in. This was far from the truth.
It is true that Paul hated any and every notion of a salvation
by works and the self-righteousness that it promotes. After his conversion,
after Paul was converted, He hated any and everything that
did not exalt Christ and Him crucified, but rather exalted
the flesh. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 2,
beginning at verse 1, where Paul says, and I, brethren, when I
came to you, came not with the excellency of speech or wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony of God. for I determined not
to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified."
Even though Paul had great knowledge as far as human literature and
of nature and things of this world, yet he was determined
not to make it known unto them or to make anything else the
subject of his ministry. He says, I determined not to
know anything among you or except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
The Apostle Paul was determined not to compromise God's gospel,
not even for his closest friend, his relatives, and especially
his friends in his former religion. And why did Paul, according to
Romans 9, the last part of verse 2, have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in his heart? Well, he knew what his kinsmen,
according to the flesh, believed. He had believed the same thing
most of his life until God opened his eyes. First of all, he knew
that they were trusting in their works, their works of law, specifically
circumcision. Look at Galatians 5, beginning
at verse 1, where Paul says, stand fast, therefore, in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. And be not entangled
again with the yoke of bondage, Behold, I, Paul, say unto you
that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For
I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he's
a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you. Whosoever of you are justified
by the law, you have fallen from grace. You can put anything that
you might want to put in the place of circumcision here when
Paul mentions it, this and these verses here, you can put your
church going, going to church every time the door opens, going to church on a particular
day, as some religions do. They think that God shows favor
to them because they go on church on a particular day. You're giving,
you're praying, or even your faith, or your believing, any
of those things, if you do any of these things, thinking that
in some way, to some degree, that God looks favorably on you,
and that God's gonna save you based on these things, then Christ has become of no effect
unto you. Paul, had been a master of legalistic
religion, self-righteous religion, and a great persecutor of the
followers of Christ. Let's look at some of the things
that Saul, or the Apostle Paul, Saul as he was called prior to
God saving him, some of the things that he did before he was converted. Look at Acts 8, beginning of
verse 1, and Saul, was consenting unto his or Stephen's death.
And at that time, there was a great persecution against the church,
which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered abroad
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen,
these were some of the Christians here, Devout men carried Stephen
to his burial and made great lamentation or expressed great
sorrow over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of
the church, entering into every house and hailing or dragging
men and women, committing them to prison. And in Acts 1, beginning
at verse 1, says, and Saul, yet breathing out threatening and
slaughter, against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high
priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues,
if he be found any of this way, or any of these that profess
Christianity and belief in Christ, whether they were men or women,
he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Also in Galatians
1, beginning at verse 13, For you have heard of my conversation
in times past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted
the church of God and wasted it, and profited in the Jews'
religion, above many my equals in my own nation, being more
exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. The Apostle Paul
says later in Philippians 3 in verse 7 that he counted all these
things that he profited. in his former religion, he counted
them lost for Christ. Now, then the apostle mentions
many more things that profited him in the Jewish religion before
God saved him. When he says in Philippians 3
and beginning of verse 4, though I might also have confidence
in the flesh, if any man thinketh that he might wear off, he might
trust in the flesh, I more. circumcised the eighth day of
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of Hebrews,
as touching the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting
the church, as we just read, touching the righteousness which
is in the law, blameless. Now, God, however, had changed
Paul's heart in Philippians three, beginning at verse seven, when
Paul states this. But what things were gained to
me? All these things that we've been mentioning about Paul in
his former religion. All things that were gained to
me, he says, those I count at loss for Christ. Yet Atlas, and
I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things and do count them but done, that I may win Christ
and be found in him. not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, a righteousness which is of God by faith. Paul was
brought to see how the perverted religion of the Jews was deadly.
It was deadly to their souls and to the souls of their converts.
He did not want them to perish in their sins. This is speaking
of his kinsmen, according to the flesh. He desired their salvation. Paul's desire for his kinsmen
according to the flesh is stated clearly in Romans 10 beginning
at verse 1 where it says, brethren, this is his brethren according
to the flesh, kinsmen according to the flesh. My heart's desire
and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according
to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believe it. Now Paul expresses his love for
his kinsmen according to the flesh. and his desire to see them come
to Christ for salvation, righteousness, and eternal life. He expresses
his love and desire for them in the strongest terms to show
the sincerity of his heart. He did not joy in their rejection,
but he desired their salvation. His grief over them was great,
and his sorrow was continual. He loved them, but he would not
compromise the glory of God in Christ to count them saved. He was their kinsman in the flesh,
but not in the spirit. For he had no religious fellowship
with any who denied Christ and the glory of his finished work
on the cross. Look with me at Galatians 6,
beginning at verse 14. where Paul says, but God forbid
that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world,
for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace on them and mercy, and upon the Israel of
God. Even though Paul loved them and
desired their salvation, He would not speak peace to them in their
unbelief. He exposed them for what they
were. They were lost, they were self-righteous, and they were
ungodly idolaters. They did not know the true God
and the true Christ of the Bible. And of course, this brought persecution
upon Paul from his own countrymen, these kinsmen according to the
flesh. In Romans 9 verse 3, Paul says,
for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for
my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. The apostle Paul
knew that he could not take the place of sinners for their salvation. Christ is the one and only substitute
of his people who was made a curse for him. It was Christ's death
on the cross that saved us from our sins and revealed God to
be a just God and a Savior. Paul, however, is expressing
his love for his kinsmen. His love for them was so deep
and intense that he states he could wish himself separated
from Christ if it would mean their eternal salvation. This
is the most difficult thing for us to understand that Paul has
said here. But Paul was speaking by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. Moses said practically the same
thing back in Exodus 32, beginning at verse 31. And Moses returned
unto the Lord and said, oh, this people have sinned a great sin
and have made them gods of gold. Yet now thou wilt forgive their
sin. And if not, blot me, I pray thee,
out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto
Moses, whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out
of my book. An old writer, John Gill, says,
and I quote, concerning these particular verses here, Moses
asked for this, not as a thing that was either desirable or
possible, but to express his great affection for these people
and also his great concern for the glory of God. and rather
than either should suffer, he chose, if it was possible, to
be deprived of that eternal happiness he hoped for and should enjoy. That's what John Gill stated
about these verses. Perhaps we can understand something
of this kind of intense love if we consider our children or
our grandchildren Either way, Paul greatly desired the salvation
of his kinsmen. And in telling them the truth,
and that's key, he was not their enemy, but he was their friend.
Let's look at what the book of Proverbs says about a faithful
friend. Proverbs 27 verse 6 and verse
9, verse 6 says, faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the
kisses of an enemy are deceitful. In verse 9, ointment and perfume
rejoice the heart, so does the sweetness of a man's friend by
hearty counsel. And in Galatians 4 verse 16,
am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth.
If we really care, And if we're concerned with the souls of our
friends and our relatives, we will tell them the truth. We
pray that God, when this time comes, that he'll give us, give
us what we need. As we, we do this and we tell
them the truth because we know in most cases, uh, it's going
to make them angry. They're not going to like what
you say. But if they're one of God's elect, they'll be so thankful
that you told them this truth. Be so thankful. Our last verse
this morning in Romans 9, 4, the apostle Paul makes a statement
in verse three that we just read when he says, for I could wish
that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh. Then he begins to identify his
kinsmen according to the flesh here in verse four, where he
says, who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption
and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and
the service of God and the promises. Paul begins here to show how
the Israelites, his kinsmen, according to the flesh, were
totally accountable for their unbelief. especially in light
of the awesome privileges they enjoyed under the old covenant. Paul says, who are Israelites?
Paul's kinsmen in the flesh were Israelites. This name refers
to the descendants of Abraham through Jacob. It means prince
of God. God changed Jacob's name to Israel. Look back at Genesis 32, 28,
and we'll see that. It says, and he said, Thy name
shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince hast
thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And this was a picture of God's
grace in saving sinners by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the
Prince of Peace, according to Isaiah 9, 6. For it says, for
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government
shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. Christ is the one who established
peace with God and sinners, as he settled all matters on the
cross to save his people from their sin. God's people, both
Jew and Gentile, whom he saved by his grace, are all princes
by virtue of their union, their union with and the redemption
by Christ, who is the Prince of God. As I said earlier, Christ
became my surety and all those things that he did, he did in
our place as our substitute. And all those things that he
did for us, we are the adopted children of God based on our
union with Christ and his work on the cross. This message that
I'm completing right now is a part of a two-part message entitled, What About Israel?
And we're going to pick back up at verse four and continue
with it with our next study, But, um, I hope that, uh, when
we get through with these, these two studies here, that, that
we'll get a better idea. And most of us here pretty much
know these things, but, uh, as it goes out on, in our web, on
our websites and that we have, uh, we we're hoping that, um,
God will use it, uh, for his, his glory for the exaltation
of Christ, our savior. and to exclude boasting in the
center. Amen.