Thought On This Chapter
ROM 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my
conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
ROM 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in my heart.
ROM 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from
Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Paul had clearly shown in previous chapters of this
letter that Jews and Gentiles were both guilty sinners. He had shown that
being a Jew did not give them any advantages to being saved. They were
just as guilty before God as anyone else. He had shown that it is
impossible to work your way to heaven and that the only way a man can be
justified before God is by faith in Jesus.
Some then might accuse Paul of being hard and ceasing
to care about his countrymen. The truth was that Paul had a heart for his
fellow Israelites. He had a great heaviness and continual sorrow in his
heart for them. He greatly desired for them to see the truth and get
saved. He often went and preached to them first and then went to the
Gentiles when he was rejected.
His love for them was not reduced when they rejected
him. He still cared for them even after they rejected him, stoned him, ran
him out of town, and even tried to get him killed.
ROM 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from
Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
If it was possible Paul would have been accursed from
Christ for their sake. Paul had a great heart for his kinsmen.
ROM 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God
for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Paul desired and prayed that they might be saved.
Paul's love for them demanded that he tell them the truth. Love demanded
that he tell them that they are sinners in need of salvation and that salvation
is only to be found in Christ Jesus. His love for them drove him to tell
them of the love of Christ even if they rejected it and struck out at him for
it.
If we really love someone, our love demands the same.
We don't really love someone if we let them continue on their way to hell
without trying to tell them how to be saved.
Thought On This Chapter
ROM 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of
offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
The rock of offence is Jesus. Many people in the
world (most in fact) are offended at the name of Jesus. Even in Dearborn
Michigan you can get arrested on a public street for handing out the gospel.
All you have to do to offend some people is simply believe in Jesus. And
they will say horrible things about you and if given the opportunity they will
persecute you. There are those who claim Jesus, but they will not tell
others. They are ashamed. However, the Bible says, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Others will openly profess belief
in Jesus in the church house, but no where else. Why? For many they
do not want to bear the reproach that comes from those who are offended at the
name of Jesus.
Christians in America, you had better get ready and
make up your mind now. Will you stand for Jesus or will you be ashamed.
What is happening in Dearborn could be coming to your town
very soon.
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King James Bible Main Index:
ROM 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
ROM 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
ROM 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
ROM 9:4 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;
ROM 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
ROM 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
ROM 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
ROM 9:8 That is, 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.
ROM 9:9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
ROM 9:10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
ROM 9:11 (For the children 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;)
ROM 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
ROM 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
ROM 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
ROM 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
ROM 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
ROM 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
ROM 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
ROM 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
ROM 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
ROM 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
ROM 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
ROM 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
ROM 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
ROM 9:25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
ROM 9:26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
ROM 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
ROM 9:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
ROM 9:29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
ROM 9:30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
ROM 9:31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
ROM 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
ROM 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
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Once again Paul discusses working your way to heaven verses accepting the
righteousness of Christ.
ROM 9:30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles,
which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the
righteousness which is of faith.
Paul says that the Gentiles did not follow after
righteousness but they have attained righteousness. The righteousness of
faith.
ROM 9:31 But Israel, which followed after the law of
righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Israel followed after the law of righteousness but they
did not attain it. In fact no one can attain it. No one can live up
to God's perfect standard. Some might get a little closer than others, but
all fall far short.
ROM 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that
stumblingstone;
The reason that they failed to attain righteousness is
because they sought it by the works of the law and not by faith. This is
also a stumblingstone to many today.
ROM 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a
stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed.
The stumbling stone is Jesus. He is a rock of
offence. Man wants to work his way to heaven because it lifts him up in
pride. He can say look at what I have achieved. To accept what Jesus
did for your salvation, a man has to humble himself. He must realize that
he cannot save himself.
This goes against the pride of man. Accepting
salvation as a free gift is an offence to man's pride.
Paul goes on to say that whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed.
Someone who gets saved will not be ashamed to say so.
If they are ashamed to speak up, then they are offended by Jesus' salvation.
But the Bible clearly says that those who believe will not be ashamed.
Only God knows the hearts of men, but if someone is
ashamed of salvation, then there is reason to doubt that they ever got saved.
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