King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Chapters: Romans Chapters 9-11
Message: Faith Comes By Hearing God’s Word
Hello My Friend,
It is not uncommon for those of the world whom live moral lives and have some compassion and empathy to question all the evil taking place. Of course, the biggest question is why God allows it all to begin with, and those who reject God will be the first to tell you that He is mean and cruel and the creator of the evil so He is evil as well. It is not even uncommon for saved, born again Christians to question the evil as well, but the Christian knows where the evil really lies.
[Romans 2:9-12 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;]
Because sin and all its evil came into the world, whether we are a Jew or Gentile, meaning those who are natural born children of Jacob (Israel) and everyone else who is not, are all held under the same curse whether we believe in God or not. However, for those who do believe there is hope for them, and therefore, it is imperative for those who are saved to preach the Gospel to those who are not.
[Romans 10:14-17 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.]
We need to understand that we do not need to be preachers or teachers of God’s Word to preach the Gospel to the lost, we just need to be saved ourselves and use how we got saved as the door to leading one to Christ. Jesus said this, [Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.]
Think about it, out of the billions of people that God created since He created man salvation has been offered to all, but the sad truth is even among believers of God very few get saved. Why? There are two reasons actually, they are either reprobates or have not learned the truth. This is why He chose one nation of people who would not only worship Him, but worship Him the correct way. And worshiping God is not really about following a bunch of rules, it is about having a relationship with Him. Well, that nation started with a man named Israel (Jacob), which all began with Abraham. As we continue in the reading of Romans, Paul, explains who Israel as a nation is as well as the promised heir who would come from Abraham.
[Romans 9:3-8 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. 6 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. 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.]
[because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:] Abraham, had several children other than Isaac, Ishmael being the first, [Genesis 21:12-13 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. Genesis 25:5-6 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.] So, Ishmael nor the others were who God promised Abraham that He would build a nation with so while they were blessed they were separated from Isaac, which Paul goes on to explain.
[Romans 9:9-15 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 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;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 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.]
[Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.] Why did God hate Esau? And why would God hate anyone? The reason why God said that He hated Esau was because Esau sold his birthright to Jacob over a bowl of soup, [Genesis 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.] In God’s eyes Esau despised his birthright and therefore he despised Him as well. All of this did not mean that God never gave him and opportunity to repent, but it does not matter what family we are born into, anyone who denies God will be denied by Him, [2 Timothy 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.]
Through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God proved both, that there are blessings that come from those who chose God as well as curses, but the only ones who are led to become the children of God are His true believers. God, not only used His own people to prove this, He used the heathens as well, including Egypt. And while not all are God’s people, that does not mean that He does not use all people for His purpose. Paul, goes on to explain how God will use unbelievers to bring believers to Him.
[Romans 9:20-24 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? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 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: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?]
[God, willing to shew his wrath..endured…the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:] There are some truly wicked people out there, but we must understand that when God created man He intended for all mankind to be His children, but sin changed all that. We are all given the freewill to choose what we believe as well as how we live. No one forces our hand, not God nor Satan, but that does not mean that we are exempt from any judgment should we choose not to believe. Does God know who are going to reject Him? Of course He does, but that never stops Him from giving all the opportunity to get saved, [2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?]
Those who reject Christ will be the first to tell you that it is not possible that one man could die for all mankind, and to deny someone heaven based on man’s obedience to God is absurd. Well, those who are blinded to the truth and find fault in God are playing right into His hands. If they reject Him, then so be it, He will just use them to lead those who will accept Him. Think I am kidding? Paul addresses this as well.
[Romans 9:26-27,30-32 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. 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: 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. 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 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;]
[Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.] Paul, is referring to this passage, [Isaiah 8:13-15 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.]
Regardless of what era we are born, or what family, salvation has never been about following all the six hundred and thirteen commandments, and always about their faith in God. You know, it really was not the fact that Adam and Eve sinned that brought us the curse of death upon our soul, it was the fact that they lied about it, then blamed someone else for it when He confronted them about it, [Genesis 3:12-13 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.] Paul, goes on to say that we need to take responsibility for our sin.
[Romans 10:1-6 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)]
[That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.] While Christ is the end of the Law for ones salvation, those who love and fear God want to live by faith, and that includes following commandments written in the Law to some extent. This does not mean that we are not going to struggle with sin, or that temptation will never come, it does mean that when we do sin we are not bound to the Law or punished if we break one command. And His commands are not grievous when we love Him, [1 John 5:3-4 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.]
Still today, the majority of Jews despise Jesus and yet still follow the works of the Law, even though they do not offer up the sacrifices. Let me tell you, trillions upon trillions of people since creation believe in God, but they believe that their own works of righteousness is what saves them. We cannot become one of His children, nor be saved by our own righteousness. By the Jews rejecting Christ, salvation by grace was passed on to the Gentiles (Greeks).
[Romans 10:8-13 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That 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. 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 word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:] Ones faith in God alone is what not only introducing them to Jesus, but also His Word. Those who are receptive to His Word will listen to it and follow it, and this was exactly what Israel’s problem was. They held to the books of the Law, but as for everything else written in His Word, they ignored it for two reasons. One; they could not understand it and two; they were blind to it, just like Jesus said, [Luke 8:10,15 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.]
This by no means means that no Jew can get saved or that Gentiles did not have the opportunity to get saved before Christ came in the flesh. This means that salvation by grace was now open for all who had some faith in God and was willing to hear what He had to say through His Word.
[Romans 10:18-21 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.]
[But I say, Did not Israel know?] There is no excuse for anyone, Jew or Gentile, to say that they did not know how to be saved from hell. Do you see how we are all under the same rule, whether we are of the children of Israel or some stranger? It is time that we show them all Jesus, and not this watered down garbage that the world is showing them. Lying to the people and condoning every sin written in the Word of God is not the way to get people to come to Christ, they must know the truth. While God did choose Israel to be His people that does not mean that they are automatically saved from hell or are His. It does mean that He has cast them all off.
[Romans 11:1-5 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.]
[there is a remnant according to the election of grace.] God, is in no way going to cast away the very people that He started His covenant with. And they obviously ignore the fact that God would put His focus off them and turn to the Gentile believers who are grafted into the family of Israel.
[Romans 11:11-12,21-23 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.]
[if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in:] Right now, most of the Jews do not understand that there is plenty of Scripture written in the books of the Law that point to Jesus, but there will come a day when they will recognize Jesus as the Messiah and receive Him as well. That is when all of Israel will be saved, meaning all believers, both Jew and Gentile.
[Romans 11:26-29,32,36 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.]
[so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written,] Once Jesus returns, that is when the Jews will recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and they too will be grafted back in. All of the branches will unite and become one tree. Just think about that, Jesus, said that He is the Vine, the second we receive Him as our Saviour we become a branch, grafted onto the Vine, becoming one with Him, [John 15:5-7 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Romans 10:12-13 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.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for giving me life, and the life You have given me. It has not always been an easy life, but it is one that led me to Your Son. Thank You for giving me eternal life solely upon my faith in Your Son, I know there is nothing I could ever do on my own to receive the most important gift I will ever receive. There is something else You do that I find amazing when we call on Your Son as our Saviour, You recognize us as being Your sons and daughters. Amen! Lord, Being a part of Your family is so amazing, let me live the rest of my life here proclaiming Your Son, and showing the world that no matter what earthly family we come from, we who receive Your Son as our Saviour are one of Yours. I pray this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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