Prepare: Who are you to blame God for your sinfulness?
Read: Romans 9:19-33
God can deal with us in any way He likes. He is the Potter (Jer.18:1-17)! If God still wants to save men who will obey Him, Jews or Gentiles, is that not His right? If He has to damn those who harden themselves, may He not do so without our criticism? Verses 25-27 speak about the prophecies concerning His people and the Gentiles.
Why has Israel not attained the righteousness she sought so long? Because she sought it not by faith, but by works of the Law and because she stumbled over the way her Messiah came. The Jews were ignorant of God's way of righteousness by faith in Christ (Rom.3:25-31;Gal 2:16). They went about to establish their own righteousness by works. They attained not to the Abrahamic covenant, which stands alone on the principle of grace through faith. They set all their efforts upon the Law of works and imagined they were justified by outward observance of rituals. When the gospel came along offering free salvation to Gentiles as well as Jews on the basis of grace and faith without Law, they were offended and rejected it.
Messiah came not as a mighty prince and a conqueror whom everyone will be willing to trust in, but as a man of sorrows, humility and death. Many will think it disgraceful to trust in such a person for salvation. In spite of this, whoever trusts in Him will not be ashamed of Him or be confused but be saved.
Respond: Israel's rejection of Christ did not ruin God's plan. His mercy endures forever.
Read: Romans 9:19-33
God can deal with us in any way He likes. He is the Potter (Jer.18:1-17)! If God still wants to save men who will obey Him, Jews or Gentiles, is that not His right? If He has to damn those who harden themselves, may He not do so without our criticism? Verses 25-27 speak about the prophecies concerning His people and the Gentiles.
Why has Israel not attained the righteousness she sought so long? Because she sought it not by faith, but by works of the Law and because she stumbled over the way her Messiah came. The Jews were ignorant of God's way of righteousness by faith in Christ (Rom.3:25-31;Gal 2:16). They went about to establish their own righteousness by works. They attained not to the Abrahamic covenant, which stands alone on the principle of grace through faith. They set all their efforts upon the Law of works and imagined they were justified by outward observance of rituals. When the gospel came along offering free salvation to Gentiles as well as Jews on the basis of grace and faith without Law, they were offended and rejected it.
Messiah came not as a mighty prince and a conqueror whom everyone will be willing to trust in, but as a man of sorrows, humility and death. Many will think it disgraceful to trust in such a person for salvation. In spite of this, whoever trusts in Him will not be ashamed of Him or be confused but be saved.
Respond: Israel's rejection of Christ did not ruin God's plan. His mercy endures forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment