Posted on Feb 28, 2018 in Romans: A Walk From Condemnation To Grace |
Read Romans 11:1-24
God chose the Jews to be the people through whom the rest of the world could find salvation. But this did not mean the entire Jewish nation would be saved; only those who were faithful to God were considered true Jews. We are saved through faith in Christ, not because we are part of a nation, religion, or family. On whom or what are you depending upon for your salvation?
Posted on Feb 27, 2018 in Romans: A Walk From Condemnation To Grace |
Read Romans 10:5-21
In order to be saved by the law, a person would have to live a perfect life, not sinning once. Why did God give the law when He knew people couldn’t keep it? According to Paul, one reason the law was given was to show people how guilty they are (Galatians 3). The law was a shadow of Christ: that is, the sacrificial system educated the people so that when the true sacrifice came, they would be able to understand His work (Hebrews 10). The system of ceremonial laws was to last until the coming of Christ. The law points to Christ, the reason for all those animal sacrifices.
Posted on Feb 26, 2018 in Romans: A Walk From Condemnation To Grace |
Read Romans 10:1-4
What will happen to the Jewish people who believe in God but not in Christ? Since they believe in the same God, won’t they be saved? If that were true, Paul would not have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to teach them about Christ. Because Jesus is the most complete revelation of God, we cannot fully know God apart from Christ; and because God appointed Jesus to bring God and people together, we cannot come to God by another way. The Jews, like everyone else, must find salvation through Jesus Christ (John 14; Acts 4). Like Paul, we should pray that all Jews might be saved and lovingly share the Gospel with them.
Posted on Feb 25, 2018 in Romans: A Walk From Condemnation To Grace |
Read Romans 9:30-33
The Jews had a worthy goal: to honor God. But they tried to achieve it the wrong way: by rigid and painstaking obedience to the law. Thus, some of them became more dedicated to the law than to God. They thought that if they kept the law, God would have to accept them as His people. But God cannot be controlled. The Jews did not see that their Scriptures, the Old Testament, taught that salvation depended on faith, not on human effort (Genesis 15).
Posted on Feb 25, 2018 in Romans: A Walk From Condemnation To Grace |
Read Romans 9:1-29
Paul expressed concern for his Jewish brothers and sisters by saying that he would willingly take their punishment if that would save them. While the only one who could save us is Christ, Paul showed a rare depth of love. Like Jesus, he was willing to sacrifice so others would be saved. How concerned are you for those who don’t know Christ? Are you willing to sacrifice your time, money, energy, comfort, and safety to see them come to faith in Jesus?
