Romans 9 - Who Are the Children of Abraham?
9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
God’s Sovereign Choice
6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
In chapter 9, Paul interrupts the flow of his teaching to address the issue of his Jewish brothers and sisters, who had not yet come to believe in Jesus. Paul's deepest desire is that they would experience the same salvation and transformation he had experienced. In fact, he is so passionate about them coming to Christ, he is willing to forego is own salvation if it would mean they would be saved.
Paul points out that the Jewish people were the chosen ones. They were chosen from all people groups to be given God's covenants and promises. God chose them to be His daughters and sons and set apart the Jewish boys through the rite of circumcision, distinguishing them from all other people.
God initiated his first covenant with Abraham and promised to bless Him and make His name great. Through Moses, the Israelites received the Ten Commandments, which set them apart from all other nations. Next, David was chosen by God to be the King over Israel.
Importantly it was through Abraham and David's lineage that the future Messiah would come. God chose Mary to give birth as a virgin and Jesus the Word became flesh. But as we know the Jewish people rejected Jesus and the promise of God's salvation through him. The gospel then went out to the Gentiles, mainly through the apostle Paul.
So a natural question Paul was answering for the church in Rome was "What happened to all of the Jews?" Did God forget about them? Did they lose their status as the chosen ones? And to this Paul answers both "yes" and "no".
God had not forgotten the Jews, in fact most all of the churches Paul wrote to were made up of Jewish Christians. It was mostly the Jews in Jerusalem, especially the leadership (Sadducees and Pharisees), who had rejected Jesus. The general population was mixed in reaction to Jesus, but they were swayed by the religous leaders to the point where they all cried, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" at his trial before King Herod and Caesar.
Most importantly, Paul redefined what it meant to be a child of Abraham. The Jews used this term to advocate for their favored status, whether they rejected Jesus or not. They were arguing that because they were physical descendants of Abraham, the promises applied to them only.
But Paul clarifies this point by saying it is only those who have faith in Jesus, who are children of Abraham. He calls them "children of the promise". When God called Abram in Genesis 12, God said he would be a, "blessing to all nations". God's plan all along was to guide all people back to Him through His Son.
One of the big questions in the church is the question of "predestination". Paul answers this question pretty clearly in this chapter. The children of the promise is synonymous with those who have been predestined by God. I think these verses make it clear,
Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
At the end of the day, we don't know who God has chosen, and who He hasn't. That is why we look at everyone as a child of God, that Jesus died for. We know God doesn't want any to perish but all to come to eternal life. But we also know there are many who will reject Jesus.
The only question we can answer for ourselves is, "Am I a child of God marked by the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit forever."
If you believe this, then you are one of God's chosen ones. If you don't know the answer to this question, God loved you so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for your sins. If you were the only person who lived on this earth, Jesus would have died for you!
Jesus, thank you that you came from heaven to earth to show us the full extent of the Father's love. Thank you that we were included in this plan when we heard the word of truth and came to believe that you are the Son of God and Savior of the world. Amen.
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