Is Everyone Who Says They Are A Christian Truly A Christ Follower?! Romans 9:6-9

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Romans 9:6-9

"6 Well 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! 7 Being 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. 8 This 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. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

In chapters 9-11 Paul 

In chapters 1-8, Paul lays the foundation of how both Jews and Gentiles are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and how nothing can separate them from God's love in Christ Jesus. 

Now, in Romans 9 through 11, Paul deals with the problem associated with the condition of Israel. What does it mean that Israel has missed its Messiah? What does this say about God? What does it say about Israel? What does it say about our present position in God? - Guzik

Paul has great sorrow in his heart that his fellow brothers and sisters, who are Jewish, have rejected Jesus' love for them. In fact, he would have given away his own salvation if his brothers and sister could be saved. 

Paul makes the argument that just because someone is a descendant of Abraham doesn't make them a member of God's family. He cites cases where one member of a family is a chosen son and the other not, like Abraham's sons Issac and Ishmael and Issac's sons Jacob and Esau. 

So what does that mean for Christians? I think you could say the same thing. Just because someone is born into a Christian family doesn't make them a Christian. Just because someone says they believe in Jesus doesn't necessarily mean they are a Christian. There are a lot of nominal Christians in the world, meaning they are Christian in name only. 

A Christian is a follower of Jesus. Sometimes in the American church we had made becoming a Christian simply saying a prayer to accept Jesus as Savior to prevent us from going to hell and going to heaven instead. But while salvation is by grace through faith, making an emotional decision like this doesn't necessarily mean I'm saved.  God chose us we did not choose him and appointed us to go and bear fruit. John 15

If fact Jesus describes the Good News as, "Repent for the kingdom of the heavens it at hand." Jesus never reduced the Good News to a individual transaction of someone saying a certain type of prayer. Jesus preached and taught what the kingdom of God was like, then manifested it in the supernatural miracles he did. Then, he made the kingdom available to all those who were willing to seek it and live in by faith in Him. 

In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, Jesus describes the type of life his followers can experience if they seek his kingdom and his righteousness first. Matthew 6:33 The things Jesus describes there are not an impossibility but only attainable through the supernatural power of Christ working through us as we seek Him each day in His kingdom. 

Let me be clear only God knows who is saved, or not saved. But if someone claims to be a Christian and there is no evidence in their life (or as we say fruit) of being a Christian they may similar to these physical only descendants of Abraham. 

So let me ask you this, are you living as a son or daughter of God? Are you living as a follower of Christ? Do you seek the type of life he demonstrated when he lived on earth? Do you live a life like Jesus would if he were you? 

Many Christians have missed out on the abundant life Jesus has for them because they reduced following Jesus to a verbal transactional prayer to make sure they went to heaven instead of hell. This is why you see some Christians living no differently than other people in the world. They never really intended to live the life Jesus has prescribed and commanded us to live in the power of His own Spirit. 

The church has been equally guilty. We have been more interested in getting members to fill out our rosters and their giving to fill up our bank accounts than making disciples. We measure success by how big our buildings or staff are, rather than how many actual followers of Jesus fill our pews. 

Paul was passionate about his fellows Jews that they would not miss out on the fulfillment of the promises made to their Father, Abraham. Let's be as passionate about how we live such lives as Christ's ambassadors that others would seek the Good News of God's kingdom available through Jesus RIGHT NOW! We don't convert anyone. We share the life of Christ with those we develop relationships with so they may see the abundant life in Christ and want it too.  

The abundant life in Christ is a superior way of living because it is given to us by the smartest man who has ever lived. Don't miss it!