9With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it.G3004G225G1722G5547G5574G3756G3450G4893G4828G3427G4828G1722G40G41512My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending griefG3754G3427G2076G3173G3077G2532G88G3601G3450G25883for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.G1063G1473G2172G846G1511G331G575G5547G5228G3450G80G3450G4773G2596G45614They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.G3748G1526G2475G3739G5206G2532G1391G2532G1242G2532G3548G2532G2999G2532G18605Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.G3739G3962G2532G1537G3739G2596G4561G5547G5607G1909G3956G2316G2128G1519G165G2816Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God's people!G3756G3634G1161G3754G3056G2316G1601G1063G3756G3956G1537G2474G3588G3778G24747Being descendants of Abraham doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted," though Abraham had other children, too.G3761G3754G1526G4690G11G3956G5043G235G1722G2464G2564G4671G4690G25648This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham's children.G5123G5043G4561G5023G3756G5043G2316G235G5043G1860G3049G1519G46909For God had promised, "I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."G1063G3778G3056G1860G2596G5126G2540G2064G2532G4564G2071G520710This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins.G1161G3756G3440G235G4479G2532G2845G1537G1520G2192G2257G3962G246411But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes;G1063G1080G3380G1080G3366G4238G5100G18G2228G2556G2443G4286G2316G2596G1589G3306G3756G1537G2041G235G1537G256412he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, "Your older son will serve your younger son."G3754G4483G846G3187G1398G164013In the words of the Scriptures, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau."G2531G1125G2384G25G1161G2269G340414Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not!G5101G2046G3767G3361G93G3844G2316G3361G109615For God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose."G1063G3004G3475G1653G3739G302G1653G2532G3627G3739G302G362716So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.G686G3767G3756G2309G3761G5143G235G2316G165317For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth."G1063G1124G3004G5328G3754G1519G5124G846G1825G4571G1825G3704G1731G3450G1411G1722G4671G2532G3704G3450G3686G1229G1722G3956G109318So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.G686G3767G1653G3739G2309G1161G3739G2309G464519Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?"G2046G3767G3427G5101G2089G3201G1063G5101G436G846G101320No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?"G3304G5599G444G5101G1488G4771G470G2316G3361G2046G4110G2046G4111G5101G4160G3165G377921When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?G2228G2192G3756G2763G1849G4081G1537G846G5445G3739G3303G4160G4632G1519G5092G1161G3739G1519G81922In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.G1487G1161G2316G2309G1731G3709G2532G1107G846G1415G1107G5342G1722G4183G3115G4632G3709G2675G1519G68423He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.G2532G2443G1107G4149G846G1391G1909G4632G1656G3739G4282G1519G139124And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.G3739G2532G2248G3739G2564G3756G1537G2453G3440G235G2532G1537G148425Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, "Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before."G3004G2532G1722G5617G2564G3450G2992G3756G3450G2992G2532G25G25G3756G2526And, "Then, at the place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God.'"G2532G2071G1722G5117G3757G3739G4483G846G5210G3756G3450G2992G1563G2564G5207G2198G231627And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, "Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved.G2268G1161G2896G5228G2474G1437G706G5207G2474G5600G5613G285G2281G2640G498228For the LORD will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality."G1063G4931G3056G2532G4932G1722G1343G3754G4932G3056G4160G2962G4160G1909G109329And Isaiah said the same thing in another place: "If the LORD of Heaven's Armies had not spared a few of our children, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah."G2532G2531G2268G4280G1508G2962G4519G1459G2254G4690G302G1096G5613G4670G2532G302G3666G5613G1116
Israel’s Unbelief
30What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God's standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place.G5101G2046G3767G3754G1484G3588G1377G3361G1343G2638G1343G1161G1343G3588G1537G410231But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.G1161G2474G1377G3551G1343G5348G3756G5348G1519G3551G134332Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.G1302G3754G3756G1537G4102G235G5613G1537G2041G3551G1063G4350G3037G434833God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, "I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."G2531G1125G2400G5087G1722G4622G3037G4348G2532G4073G4625G2532G3956G4100G1909G846G2617G3756G2617
Romans 10
10Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.G80G1699G2588G2107G2532G1162G4314G2316G5228G2474G2076G3303G1519G49912I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.G1063G3140G846G3140G3754G2192G2205G2316G235G3756G2596G19223For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.G1063G50G2316G1343G2532G2212G2476G2398G1343G5293G3756G5293G1343G23164For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.G1063G5547G5056G3551G1519G1343G3956G4100
Salvation Is for Everyone
5For Moses writes that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.G1063G3475G1125G1343G3588G1537G3551G3754G444G4160G846G2198G1722G8466But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven' .G1161G1343G1537G4102G3004G3779G2036G3361G1722G4675G2588G5101G305G1519G3772G5123G2609G5547G26097And don't say, 'Who will go down to the place of the dead' (to bring Christ back to life again.)"G2228G5101G2597G1519G12G5123G321G5547G321G1537G34988In fact, it says, "The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." And that message is the very message about faith that we preach.G235G5101G3004G4487G2076G1451G4675G1722G4675G4750G2532G1722G4675G2588G5123G4487G4102G3739G27849If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.G3754G1437G3670G1722G4675G4750G2962G2424G2532G4100G1722G4675G2588G3754G2316G1453G846G1537G3498G498210For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.G1063G2588G4100G1519G1343G1161G4750G3670G1519G499111As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."G1063G1124G3004G3956G4100G1909G846G2617G3756G261712Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.G1063G2076G3756G1293G5037G2453G2532G1672G1063G846G2962G3956G4147G1519G3956G1941G84613For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved."G3956G1063G3739G302G1941G3686G2962G498214But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?G4459G3767G1941G1519G3739G4100G3756G4100G1161G4459G4100G3739G191G3756G191G1161G4459G191G5565G278415And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"G1161G4459G2784G3362G649G2531G1125G5613G5611G4228G2097G1515G2097G1816But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "LORD, who has believed our message?"G235G5219G3756G3956G5219G2098G1063G2268G3004G2962G5101G4100G2257G18917So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.G686G4102G1537G189G1161G189G1223G4487G231618But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: "The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world."G235G3004G191G3378G191G3304G846G5353G1831G1519G3956G1093G2532G846G4487G1519G4009G362519But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, "I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles."G235G3004G1097G3378G2474G1097G4413G3475G3004G1473G3863G5209G3863G1909G3756G1484G1909G801G1484G3949G520920And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, "I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me."G1161G2268G662G2532G3004G2147G2212G1691G3361G1096G1717G1905G3361G1905G169121But regarding Israel, God said, "All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious."G1161G4314G2474G3004G3650G2250G1600G3450G5495G4314G544G2532G483G2992
Psalms 137
137Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem.H5104H894H3427H1058H2142H67262We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees.H8518H3658H6155H84323For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn. “Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!”H7617H7592H1697H7892H8437H8057H7891H7892H67264But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?H7891H3068H7892H5236H1275If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp.H7911H3389H3225H79116May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.H2142H3956H1692H2441H5927H3389H7218H80577O Lord, remember what the Edomites did on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem. “Destroy it!” they yelled. “Level it to the ground!”H2142H3068H1121H123H3117H3389H559H6168H6168H32478O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.H1323H894H7703H835H7999H1580H15769Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!H835H270H5310H5768H5553
Dublin, OH
. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.G1063
