Romans 9:1-5 (KJV) I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 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; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

This Will Be A Long Introduction, But I Must Address The “Isms”

There have been a lot of misconceptions that have come out of a misinterpretation of Romans chapter 9. Some of these misconceptions have to do with what is called the “will of man and the sovereignty of God”.

• A Theologian named John Calvin (1509-1560) found some really great truths in the Scripture, but he also extrapolated certain doctrines out of the Scripture that – in my opinion – were not there. There are those who follow Calvin’s teachings called “Calvinists”.
• Another Theologian, Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) found some really great truths in Scripture, but he also extrapolated certain doctrines out of the Scripture that – in my opinion – were not there. There are those who follow Arminius’ teachings called “Arminians”.

Calvinism is not all wrong. Arminianism is not all wrong. As Christians we have brothers and sisters who adhere to one or the other of these “isms”. Me, I just try to stick with the Scripture.

Whether you lean toward Calvinism or Arminianism – or somewhere in between – to become a Christian is clearly presented in Scripture. The same Paul who wrote Romans 8 and 9 under the power of the Holy Spirit of God, this Paul also wrote in Romans 10:

Romans 10:9-13 … if THOU shalt CONFESS with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. {this is a quotation from Isaiah 28:16 & 49:23} 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED.

The same Paul who spoke of “predestination” and “election” also frequently spoke of “whosoever”. This same Paul wrote in:

Romans 5:18 (ESV) … as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

And Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:22 (KJV) … in ADAM ALL DIE, even so IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE.

And again Paul wrote in Hebrews 2:9 (ESV) Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the Grace of God He might TASTE DEATH FOR EVERYONE.

And again in 2 Corinthians 5:15 (NKJV) {Jesus} died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Of course we all know John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God doesn’t say “He so loved the ELECT”, but “the WORLD”. This is further amplified in the Apostle John’s writing of:

1 John 2:2 (NKJV) He Himself {Jesus} is the propitiation [hilasmos, the means by which sin is covered and remitted. Used also in 1 John 4:10] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

God Knows Everything

Now let me quickly and clearly say this. “God knows everything” (1 John 3:20). We do not know everything, but God does. God does not increase in knowledge as we do. He is OMNISCIENT, which means “all knowing”. “All things are open to the eyes” of God (Hebrews 4:13). “The WAYS OF MAN are before the eyes of the LORD, and He ponders all his paths” (Proverbs 5:21). The Bible says “The Everlasting god, the LORD, the Creator neither faints nor is weary. His UNDERSTANDING IS UNSEARCHABLE” (Isaiah 40:28). Our Lord Jesus said of God:

Luke 12:7 (NKJV) … My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

God knows and names all the stars. He knows the number of the hairs on your head. King David wrote of God:

Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

God knows everything about you. He knows what you’re going to eat for breakfast before you do. God not only knows, but controls. He says:

Isaiah 46:9-10 (KJV) Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

God is in control. God knows all things. All things will be according to His will, not ours.

Before I was ever saved, God knew that when He called me to salvation that I would come. God knew that I would be a preacher of the Gospel back when I was a scared, shy, introverted child that everyone picked on. But here’s the truth. God called, and I chose to come. God calls, and whosoeverwill comes. Jesus died for everyone on Calvary, whether you choose to receive Him as Savior and Lord or not. God knows who will and will not come. And if you come, the Scripture calls you “The Elect”, and the Church “The Called Out Ones”. But God offers salvation to everyone.

So What Is Romans Chapter Nine About?

Chapter Nine is about Israel. Our God, Who is ALL KNOWING and ALL POWERFUL, made a promise to Abraham. It is in God’s eternal purpose to raise up a nation called Israel, and through Israel bring the Messiah into the world to save “whosoever will”. It was never God’s intent to just save Israel – but to fulfill what He promised to Abraham:

Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV) … Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

When God makes a promise, you can take it to the bank! God told this childless Abraham that “I will make you a great nation”. But that Great Nation (which would one day be Israel) would not exist just for itself, but through Israel would come the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord. Because the Messiah would enter this world through the line of Abraham, “all the families of the earth shall be blessed”.

Yet Israel has largely rejected the Messiah. This upsets Paul – and he shares this with us:

Romans 9:1-2 (KJV) I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

Word Study: Paul write “I LIE NOT”. Here he uses the Greek pseudo, which means “to deceive by lies, to speak falsely so as to mislead”. Paul is speaking the “TRUTH IN CHRIST”. This is not his opinion that will follow, but Paul will share his heartache as an Apostle. Paul loved the Jews, loved Israel. Every Christian should love Israel, for the Messiah came to us through Israel. Paul was a Jew. All of the Apostles were Jews. All of the Bible, save the Book of Luke & Acts, was written by Jews. Those two books were written by the Gentile Physician Luke as the Apostles shared history with him. So Luke was, in fact, a Scribe for the Jewish Apostles. Paul said of his life:

Philippians 3:5 (KJV) {I was} Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee…

Paul loved his people. However, much of Israel rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. The Chief Priests and the Pharisees encouraged the people of Israel to release Barabbas, and crucify Jesus, though no fault could be found in Him (Matthew 27:23). The Bible says “the Chief Priests of Israel moved the people, that Pilate should release Barabbas to them and crucify Jesus” (Mark 15:11-15). One of the saddest Scriptures in the Bible is:

John 1:11 (AP) Jesus came unto His own, but His own would not receive Him..

The Messiah that Israel had so long waited for, prayed for, looked for. The Messiah came, and proved Himself by fulfilling Scriptureand by clear signs of miraculous healing. Jesus told the religious leaders of Israel:

John 5:39-40, 46-47 (KJV) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. 40 And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life. 46 had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?

Jesus is the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies and hundreds of shadows found under the Old Testament writings. Though some Jews received Jesus and were saved, the nation Israel rejected the Messiah Who came to save them. Paul grieved, saying:

Romans 9:3-4 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 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;

Paul wished himself “ACCURSED”, that is, lost if he could but lead Israel to Christ. Why? Because he states:

whom pertaineth the ADOPTION

God called Abraham, and chose to bring Israel out of Abraham’s lineage. Israel as a nation was ADOPTED, CHOSEN by God. God told Israel:

Deuteronomy 7:6-8 … For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers…

God chose Israel because, as nations go, she was quite broken. God called Abram because he was quite broken. God chooses and calls the quite broken to save. Israel chose to use Israel because God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God keeps His Word.

It is through Israel that we see “the GLORY” of God. It was His pillar of cloud and pillar of fire (Exodus 13:20-22) that led Israel through the wilderness. It was the Shekinah Glory of God (2 Chronicles 7; Ezekiel 10) that comes into the Jewish Temple. It is the Shekinah Glory that shines through Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17).

the COVENANTS

God made covenants or promises to Abraham (Abrahamic Covenant, Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-21; 17:1-27), Moses (Mosaic Covenant, Exodus 19-24), David (Davidic Covenant, 2 Samuel 7:8-29), and to the nation Israel the Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 29:1-29; 30:1-10) just before Moses died.

the GIVING OF THE LAW

God gave Israel the Old Covenant, which illustrated to all that we desperately need the Savior. The Law was a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are NO LONGER UNDER A SCHOOLMASTER” (Galatians 3:24-25). The Law was given to destroy self-righteousness, to teach all that we desperately need Jesus Christ. The Bible says:

Hebrews 8:13 (NKJV) In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The Old Covenant of dietary laws and sacrifices of animals and purification rituals and feasts and sabbaths were all made obsolete when our Lord Jesus came into the world through Israel. Dying for our sins, Jesus’ Blood is:

Matthew 26:28 … this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Israel was the foundation for the coming of Jesus Christ, The Savior of the World.

Romans 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

“The Fathers” of Israel, those Old Covenant Saints, believed on the Jesus Who would one day come. Those who believed on the Promise of God, who trusted that Jesus would come, these believers are the reason that the Messiah came in the flesh.

Had there been no Israel, there would have been no Messiah. God promised the Messiah would come through Israel. It had to be.

Now that the Messiah has come, Paul wants all of Israel to be saved. He wants his family, his friends, the priests that he grew up knowing, the Sanhedrin that he once upon a time served on … he wants every Jew to be saved.

But much of Israel rejected Christ then, and much of Israel rejects Christ today. So Paul grieves.

Though Israel Has Rejected Messiah, God’s Word And Will Triumphs

Romans 9:6-7 (KJV) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

God’s Word is not void, nor is God’s power limited. The fact that much of Israel rejected the Messiah does not prove that God is weak or ineffective in what He has promised. Paul states:

they are not all Israel, which are of Israel

The Jews in Jesus’ day had become so infected by the world that they began to believe that “since I can trace my lineage back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then I must be saved”. Jesus Christ’s earthly lineage is given in the Scripture twice (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). Just because Jesus could trace His lineage by the flesh back to Abraham, this alone did not prove Him to be the Messiah.

• Through Jesus the glory of the Father was seen (John 1:14)
• Jesus did the will of the Father Who sent Him (John 5:30)
• Jesus taught the Word of the Father (John 6:45)
• The Father honored the Name of Jesus (John 15:16)
• Jesus fully represented the Father (John 16:25)
• Jesus did the works of God through miracles and healing (Luke 7:22)
• Jesus was sent of the Father (Luke 4:18; 9:48; Matthew 10:40; John 4:34; 5:24)
• Jesus sent God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, to the believer (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7)

There were many who proclaimed to be Messiah when Jesus walked the earth. These people could trace their lineage back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But they were NOT the Messiah, though Jews in the flesh.

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children

Jesus told the self righteous Pharisees who persecuted Him:

John 8:42 (KJV) If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Those who are the children of Promise, the True Israel, they love Jesus, because the Father sent Jesus. Jesus told them:

John 8:58 (KJV) … Before Abraham was, I AM

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the one and only Son of God. Jesus is the GREAT I AM that spoke to Abraham, saying “I AM thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1). Jesus spoke to Isaac, saying “I AM the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I AM with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake” (Genesis 26:24).

The seed of Abraham – the True Israel – loves Jesus. Those who reject Christ, though Jews in the flesh, are not Israel.

Romans 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.

The Seed of Israel, the Nation that God will one day fully save, is not the physical but the spiritual or believing seed.

This is a big subject, and I am limited by time – so we will continue this discussion next week. But here’s the truth of the text.

Preach: Those who are physically born of Israel, who can trace their lineage back to Abraham, are not necessarily of Israel. The Jews thought they were saved and were the children of the promise because of human lineage and inheritance. Nothing is further from the truth. “The children of the promise are counted for the seed”

You enter the plan of God by faith in Christ. You love Him, Jesus Christ, the Messiah that God brought to us through Israel. Let me go further:

So many on the membership roll of this Church and of other Churches believe that they are “saved” and Heaven bound because of that physical relationship. Some of you think that, since you have a mother or a grandmother on the roll, that you are God’s child. Beloved, God’s children are children of the promise. God’s children love the Lord Jesus, and cling to Him as Savior and Head.

When Jesus first came to this earth, He told the disciples to go only to the Jews. It was only after Israel rejected Him, that Jesus told them to go to the Gentiles. Israel’s unbelief opened the door to the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles, praise His Holy Name! God is not done with Israel. God will save the nation Israel one day. But before Israel, or anyone for that matter, can be saved they must receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

John 1:11-13 (ESV) [Jesus] came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

To receive the Son is to receive the Father (John 10:30; 5:43). Jesus said,

Whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me

(John 13:20; cf. Matt. 10:40).

As John Piper wrote:

“Therefore, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Receiving the Son is how we “have” the Son. And only by having the Son do we have life. Indeed, only by “receiving” and thus “having” the Son do we have all that the Father is for us in the Son. Therefore, saving faith (John 1:12) is a receiving of Jesus Christ and all that God is for us in Him.”

Do you have Jesus? You do not have Him by default of birth, but only by faith in Him, receiving Him as Lord and Savior. Do you have Jesus? May God lead you to call on Him this very day. Amen.