Living Christ's Love

 

Righteousness.

 

Zeal Without Knowledge

 Zeal without knowledge. 

Ro. 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 

How senseless is it truly to have a great zeal for something that is a lie? When you're passionate about a lie, your deception is truly all but complete. Sometimes when a person gets caught up in a great lie, something with their whole heart they believe is truth, they refuse to listen to the truth when it is presented. When the truth is given to them they cry out that it is the lie, simply because they can't imagine the lie they thought truth could ever have been wrong. 

I think about the Apostle Paul. He was so incredibly zealous in his faith as a Pharisee. Yet he came face to face with the truth of Christ and he had to make a decision in that moment. He could have denied it. He could have denied Christ even after coming face to face with Him. He could have chalked it all up to the devil trying to deceive him with an evil spirit attacking him. A person does not have to believe the truth when it is given to them, they choose.

Paul's zeal was magnificent in his deception and all who knew him in that zeal found it very hard to believe that he'd changed.  He denounced all that he'd been fighting for when faced with the truth and then began fighting just as hard, even harder for the NEW truth he believed.

What passion there is when you can admit you once believed a lie, but now have found the truth!  God help us all to find and live in His truth, even if it means we must give up lies we've been zealous for. 

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Excerpt-

Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 10

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 Let it be remembered that the ninth chapter of Romans sets forth the condition of Israel according to the flesh they who are called Israel. They are "accursed from Christ." They "followed after the law of righteousness," but did not attain to righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, but by works." The Gentiles, therefore,  gained the precedence over them, because they sought righteousness in the right way, namely, by faith.

 

Thus were fulfilled the words of Christ to the self-righteous Jews: "The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you;" and again, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Matt. 21:31, 43.

But the Lord did not cast off his people because they stumbled at the Stone which he had placed for a foundation. He endured with much long-suffering even the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. So the apostle continues:

The Glorious Gospel Romans 10:1-21

1 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,  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): 7 or, Who shall descend into the deep (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 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 they 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. 14 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. 18 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.

Zeal without Knowledge. "It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." Zeal is very necessary to the accomplishment of anything; but zeal without knowledge is like a wild horse without bit or bridle. There is plenty of activity, but it is of no use. Or it is like the man who displays great zeal and earnestness in reaching a certain place, but who is traveling in the wrong direction. No matter how zealous a man may be, he will never reach a place that is north of him by traveling southward. Ignorance nullifies zeal. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6.

Israel's Ignorance. They were "ignorant of God's righteousness." It is a kind of ignorance that did not cease with the generation then living, and which is not confined to any certain people. But that which made it so much worse in this instance was that this ignorance of God's righteousness was coupled with the highest profession of serving him.

God's Righteousness. The righteousness of God is something besides a name. It is something far different from a form of words, or even the mere statement of a law. It is nothing less than the life and character of God. As there can not be sweetness apart from something that is sweet, so there is no such thing as abstract righteousness.  Righteousness must necessarily be connected with some living being. But God alone is righteous. See Mark 10:18. Therefore wherever righteousness is, there God must be active. Righteousness is the essential characteristic of God.

Follow Our Manufacturer's Instructions.

 How often are things made for certain purposes but end up being used for other purposes as well? You see it all the time. Right now online there are articles just touting this sort of thing. They'll try sensationalism by saying stuff like- "Hey, did you know you can use this for this too?! How old were you when you realized this?"  We love when we are told that something which specifically tells us what its purpose is also has many other uses, it makes us feel as if we are getting more than our money's worth out of that product. However, there are times when we use things not as they are intended and as a result, bad things happen because we didn't listen and do as we were told. Sometimes this even results in death, doesn't it? We are told not to use open flame around a gasoline container and if we choose to do so then we didn't listen and as a result bad things happen.  We are told not to overload a power strip, we do so and as a result bad things can happen. We are told that somethings have specific uses and to use them otherwise could result in injury or death. We can either choose to believe those warnings or ignore them and take our chances.  Did the manufacture ever design that product to maim, injury, or kill someone? No, emphatically, no! Yet, lo and behold, people will still go ahead and use things improperly even when they know better, they just do. Is it the manufacturer's fault if they use it improperly and are hurt as a result? No, not if the manufacturer has given them specific instructions on how something should be used and they ignore those instructions.

Why is it any different with God?

God designed us for His purposes and then allowed us to choose whether we want to live for His purposes or not to live for them. When we choose not to live for God's purposes- anything can happen. We can still be a part of His plans based on our choice. God is not to blame for our choices and yet so many people believe otherwise. They cry out that their power of choice be taken away, they yearn to be puppets not people and believe somehow that as puppets they'd be the same as they are now, only happier. What folly we possess that we believe we know better than our Creator!

God help up to live according to His purpose, only according to His purpose, His design, His plans, His way for us - all through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR! Now and forever! Amen!

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Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 9

"Accepted in the Beloved" Romans 9:19-33

19 Thou wilt then say unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 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 honor, and another unto dishonor? 22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering 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? 25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people, and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26 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, Tho the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved; 28 for he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. 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 stumbling-stone; 33 as it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offense; and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Replying against God. This is a very common thing, and its commonness has caused most people to lose sight of its wickedness.

The man who begins indignantly to ask, "Why does God do so and so?" or to say, "I can't see the justice in such a course," as though he were especially and personally affronted, makes it impossible for himself to understand even that which a mortal may comprehend of God. It is very foolish and wicked to blame him because we are not equal to him in wisdom. The only way to come to the knowledge of the little that may be understood of God is to settle it once for all that he is just and merciful, and that everything he does is for the good of his creatures. Reverence, and not clamorous questioning, becomes a creature in the presence of the infinite God. "Be still, and know that I am God." Ps. 46:10.

The Potter and His Vessels. The one who thinks himself competent to criticize the Lord thinks that he has a sure case against him in verses 21-24 of this chapter. "Surely," says he, "this text teaches us that God has made some men to be saved, and others to be destroyed."

Most certainly we find nothing of the kind!

There is a vast difference between what the text actually says, and what men imagine that it says.

The potter has power over the clay, and so the Creator has power over his creatures, of natural and unquestionable right. Consider the figure: the potter has power over the clay to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor. Very true; but who in the world ever heard of a potter who busied himself making vessels for the sole purpose of destroying them? He makes vessels of different kinds for various purposes, but they are all intended for use, and not for destruction. So God never made anyone for the purpose of destroying him.

God's Long-suffering. The fact that God does not plan the destruction of any one is shown in that he hesitates long before allowing any to suffer the destruction which their own evil deeds have justly earned. He "endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." They fitted themselves for destruction after their hardness, by treasuring up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath. Rom. 2:5. Note that God endured with much long-suffering these "vessels of wrath." Now we are to "account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation." 2 Peter 3:15. He "is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Vs. 9. The fact, therefore, that God endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath, even after they were fitted to destruction, shows that he longed for their salvation, and would give them every possible chance for it.

"Whom He Hath Called." God's long-suffering is also for the purpose of making known the riches of his glory "on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory." And who are these? "Even us, whom he hath called." And who are they who are called? Are they of some particular nation? "Not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." The entire chapter is a vindication of God's choice of men even before their birth, as illustrated in the case of Jacob; and this verse shows that the choosing of Jacob did not mean that God had special privileges for the Jewish nation, but that he bestows his favors impartially on Jews and Gentiles alike, if they will accept them.

God's People. This is still further shown by verses 25, 26: "As he saith also in Osee [Hosea 1:9, 10], I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 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." God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. The apostle Peter described this visit in these words: "God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." And further, "We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." Acts 15:7-11.

And so "there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Rom. 10:12.

The Remnant. "Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved." Therefore "at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." Rom. 11:5. No matter how many there may be who can trace their genealogy to Jacob according to the flesh, it is only they who are willing subjects of the grace of God who will be saved. There is positively no chance for boasting save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gentiles Ahead. The Jews professed to keep the law, but did not; the Gentiles were not associated with the law, yet they met its requirements. Now, if the reader will recall Romans 2:25-29, he will see that real circumcision consists (and always did consist) in keeping the law. Therefore since the Gentiles by their faith kept the law, and the Jews through their lack of faith did not keep it, it appears that they had changed places; the Gentiles were really "Jews," and the Jews by nature were the same as the heathen.

Missing the Mark. The Jews followed after the law of righteousness, but did not attain to it. Why not? "Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law." How forcefully this sets forth that of which the entire Epistle is a demonstration, namely, that faith does not clear one from its transgression, but that by faith alone can the law be kept!

The Jews are not blamed for following after the law of righteousness, but for not following after it in the right way. It is not by works, but by faith, that the works which the law requires can be attained. That is to say that bad works can not produce good works; good can not come of evil. There is no discount upon good works.  They are the most necessary things in the world. They are the result of the keeping of the law by faith. But there can not by any possibility be good works without faith; for "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Rom. 14:23.

The Stumbling-Stone. Do not fail to connect the last part of this chapter with the first part. Remember that the beginning presents Israel according to the flesh as accursed from Christ. To them pertained, among other things,  the giving of the law, but they came miserably short of it. Why? "For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone."  What stumbling-stone? Christ. They were in the very same condition that so many people are to-day, they would not believe that the promises of God to Israel were wholly and solely in Christ. They thought, as many professed Christians now do, that God honored them for their own sake, without any regard to Christ. Christ is the stumbling-stone over which all stumble who regard the promises to Israel as made to a certain earthly nation,  to the exclusion of all others.

A Sure Foundation. Strange to say, that very stumbling-stone is a stepping-stone, and a sure foundation. That over which some fall, is the means of lifting up and building up others. "The ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fall therein." Hosea 14:9. Christ is a rock of offense to those who disbelieve, but a sure foundation to those who have faith. He is "the Holy One of Israel," "the King of Israel," "the Shepherd of Israel," and at the same time the fold, and the door into the fold. Without him there could be no such thing as a nation of Israel.

Those who think to claim an inheritance in Israel because of their birth and without respect to Christ, will be ashamed at the last because whosoever comes not in at the door, the same will be proved to be "a thief and a robber." But "whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame," because his faith will show him to be Abraham's seed, and thus an heir of God according to the promise. 

God Resists the Proud.

 

Buttons Pushed, Buttons Broken.

 

Teachers are all around us. Suffice it to say that everybody we meet can be one of our teachers. I'm not exaggerating, truly, I'm not. When we get to a point of believing no one can teach us, especially certain people we associate with every day, then we've divested ourselves of a wealth of knowledge. The wealth-  not necessarily being the number of things we learn from another person, but the content of what we learn. You could learn one thing from one person that stays with you your entire life, and you could learn hundreds of things from another and only remember a few of those things, or sadly none. Not all we learn in our lives is retained indefinitely. I can't begin to number the things I've learned only to go on to forget them. 

In truth we are all teachers, we may not all have educational degrees labeling us as teachers, but we are teachers whenever we give an account of our lives to another and they gain knowledge from what we've said. Teaching is offering knowledge to another and their accepting that knowledge. 

We are often taught without the intent of learning, and we often teach without the intent of doing so. Others teach us all the time without a single thought that they teachings us. We learn many life lessons through others actions, we've been taught by them unknowingly. 

There are so many situations we can learn from, but choose not to. We repeat actions we despise in ourselves time and again, simply not learning to stop doing so. Repetitive behavior can be good or bad. While some repetitive actions are wonderful to do and encouraged. Other repetitive actions are not something we enjoy and would never encourage. 

Have you ever found yourself responding to something in a negative way and instantly despised the fact you responding that way? I have, over and over, and over again. You know the syndrome name for this could be 'Getting Your Buttons Pushed.'  I get my buttons pushed constantly and my knee jerk reaction is to blame the button pusher, not my buttons. You read that right. Just because we have buttons doesn't mean we should have all the buttons we possess, right? I'm not saying the button pushers aren't guilty of using the buttons they've found knowing they'll receive a certain reactions when they do, it happens all the time. I've done it, you've done it, others do it too. We know instantly when something leaves our mouths that it will be received unfavorably, yet out it goes anyway. Our target button was sighted and shot at, hit dead center, the wound made when that button was depressed by us. 

Not all button pushing is deliberate. Some truly believe they never intentionally push a button to get others to react in certain ways. Some truly believe they don't intend to hurt others with their responses, even though they do so over and over again. They don't learn, don't want to learn and believe they have nothing to learn because they are innocent in their own behavior- not being able to control how another interprets their meaning, which is never meant to wound deliberately. The blind button pushers, they really do exist. 

So how does a person who gets their buttons pushed constantly handle the situation? Or rather how should they handle it, or again still rather - what is one possible solution for this endless cycle of vicious button pushing? Maybe it's removing the buttons in ourselves, maybe it's learning from the button pusher in a way they never intend or expect- if they even think about it at all, remember some are blind to their button pushing. 

Remember at the beginning of this we were talking about teaching? We can be taught, we can learn, we should learn, and maybe we are supposed to do more learning than we ever believed. Maybe our teachers are disguised as button pushers who we would least expect to be learning from simply because they are not intentionally trying to teach us a darn thing. Oblivious teachers, they exist. 

Unfortunately we may believe that the button pushers must be the ones to change, not the ones possessing the buttons and is it possible we rid ourselves of a chance to grow in grace and meekness, in Spirit, when we think this way?

When Jesus taught we should turn the other cheek, He was teaching the principle behind the idea of altering our buttons, not expecting the button pusher to change. Jesus was teaching that our knee jerk responses during an unloving, unprovoked, undeserved antagonism that caused the response- are not the right responses we should be having in that situation. Turn the other cheek… do not respond as expected. The broken button situation must be encouraged in us all.  Push at that button all you want button pusher- it's broken! That broken button will NOT give the response that is normally received. Jesus can and will break those buttons in us through the Holy Spirit! 

Remember, Jesus did NOT pray for the Father to remove us from this evil world, but for us to be kept from evil. We live in an evil world with Satan all around us trying to get us and keep us in any way possible. And Jesus wants us to continue to live in this world until He returns, and yet, He wants us to be kept from the evil. Kept from evil. He wants the Father in heaven to keep us from evil as we live surrounded by evil.  Jesus wants us to turn the other cheek, to not give evil for evil but rather love for evil. Jesus wants us to have those buttons which provoke evil for evil in us - removed, to no longer function, to be broken irreparably. 

Those in our lives- strangers, acquaintances, service providers, casual friends, co-workers, friends, loved ones, relatives- ALL the people in our lives in any capacity at all have the ability to provoke us to negative reactions, unloving reactions - and they'll more than likely do this completely unintentionally the majority of time. Of course we know who doesn't unintentionally want to cause us the most angst possible and it's a spirit being, not a human, it's Satan taking the opportunity to stir up evil wherever he can. He doesn't have to use an evil person to provoke evil- all he has to do is get us to perceive evil and react in kind to that perceived evil. He loves to alter our perceptions towards his evil ends and never misses an opportunity to try and do so. 

Jesus will help us, He promises to help us, we are to be kept from evil. We must believe that this will happen, is happening in us!

We must turn the other cheek- the buttons must be broken. We can't control any button pusher out there, not a single one in any form they take, but we can recognize the undesirable buttons we have and acknowledge when they are pushed and whether or not they are pushed and get a response of love or evil. We need to seek forgiveness when our responses are of the evil bent, the unloving bent. 

We can't simply call our unloving response to our evil button pushed reactions natural responses as some would have us do. We can't justify our responses because a button pusher is repetitively pushing buttons. They push and in our perception (and possibly the perception of others if it is viewed by them) they are the bad guys, but that doesn't matter! Our response to them matters! Yes, when that blow to the other cheek comes it hurts and it hurts bad! But the pain we feel as we are inflicted with the blows and take them without giving back in kind is truly a spirit led action, one we definitely do not naturally possess. Hence, we are told it's natural to be offended and react badly when treated badly. The natural isn't of the Spirit. The flesh is not of the Spirit. 

And BOY does my flesh want to prevail! No sooner had I written all the above than my buttons were pushed more than once in less than a ten minute span of time! Those buttons are awful and I need to pray, pray, pray for the Spirit to work in me to rid me of my unloving responses, to help me to turn the other cheek! This is my prayer, my hope that in all situations that warrant cheek turning that the Spirit in me does so, my flesh is so incredibly weak! God forgive me!

Meekness 'It's enduring injury with patience and without resentment. The Holy Spirit enables us to produce meekness a necessary attitude for understanding God's word. (Bible Tools. org)

'As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings.' (Tozer)

Blessed are the Meek - Matthew 5:5

Meekness NOT being cowardly but ENDURING INJURY (all kinds, especially injury to our pride which is a constant happening) with PATIENCE and WITHOUT RESENTMENT- true, true meekness that Jesus was a perfect example of!

Rid Us of Self.

We are all given choices. Throughout our lives we face choices for acceptable behavior or unacceptable behavior, and the choice between the two is ours to make. The acceptable and unacceptable, to who? To God. To our Heavenly Moral Compass who CREATED us and ALONE has the right to set the moral standards we exist with. The moral standards are set and they are - love God and love others, out of these two great morals flow all others.  Any command void of love of God and others, is no command of our God.  

We are told of many evils that fill our world, evils we must shun and these evils center upon self-serving.  We are called to shun serving self as our lifelong expectation, our goal. We are called to endure much privation if need be if our bent is towards a self-serving end in any manner. If we shun selfish wants it must be only to further serve God, not to set ourselves us on some pedestal, because God would have none on a pedestal. Our selflessness must be Godliness, and we take NO glory for ourselves for any selflessness. We choose God and God enables us through the grace of Christ to live in His love, with His love guiding us.

We choose.  And we can choose self, unacceptable behavior, not loving God or others truly.

Please, Lord, we would be YOURS, we choose YOU! Rid us of self in all ways, please!

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Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 9

Paul's Love for His Brethren Romans 9:1-18

1 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 forever. 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. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah 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. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.  17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will be hardeneth.

 This is a long portion of Scripture for study, but if it is diligently questioned, to see exactly what it says, it will not be found so difficult as it is usually thought.

Both Jews and Greeks. Although Paul was "the apostle of the Gentiles," he did not forget his "kinsmen according to the flesh." Wherever he went he sought out the Jews first, and preached to them. To the elders of Ephesus he said, "I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God,  and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 20:20, 21. Paul's solicitude for all classes, even for those who were personally strangers to him, shows, more than anything else, his likeness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Israel's Advantage. "What advantage then hath the Jew?" "Much every way; chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." Rom. 3:1, 2. So here we read a wondrous list of things that pertain to Israel:  the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises. A terrible thing it is indeed to prove unfaithful amid such inestimable privileges!

"Salvation Is of the Jews." Thus said Jesus to the woman of Samaria at the well. John 4:22 "Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came." The Bible was written by Jews, and a young Jewess was the mother of our Lord. As man, Christ was a Jew, of the tribe of Judah. When we read that "we are saved by his life," we know that it is by his life as a Jew. There is no divine gift and blessing for man that was not "to the Jew first," and for the knowledge of which we are not indebted to the Jews.

Nothing from the Gentiles. The apostle Paul says of the "Gentiles in the flesh," that they are "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." Eph. 2:11, 12. The covenants, the promises, even Christ himself, all belong to the Jews, and not to the Gentiles. Therefore whoever is saved must be saved as a Jew. "God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name." Acts 15:14.

Accursed from Christ. It makes no difference whether we use the word "accursed," or "anathema," or "separated." All mean the same thing, and express the most deplorable condition. To be without Christ is to be without hope and without God in the world. Eph. 2:12.

It was in that condition that Paul would have been willing to be placed for his brethren according to the flesh, if it would have done them any good. What does that show? Simply this, that Israel according to the flesh was, and is, in just that condition accursed from Christ, "having no hope, and without God in the world."

But since all the promises of God are in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20), those who are separate from Christ have no part in the promises; and therefore we learn anew the fact that Israel after the flesh, as a nation of earth, have not and never had any claim upon God above other nations; that God never made any special promises to Israel after the flesh, more than to any other people.

In the wish that Paul expressed, he showed how completely he was given up to the Lord, and how much he shared in his Spirit. Christ gave himself for men, consenting even to be separated from God, in order that he might reach and save the lost. There is none other name under heaven whereby men can be saved, and consequently Paul's being accursed would not have saved his brethren, as he very well knew.

But he simply showed how desperate was the case of the Jews, and how great was his solicitude. While no human sacrifice can avail, men are privileged to share Christ's sufferings for others. Paul says of himself, "who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church." Col. 1:24.

Circumcision Made Uncircumcision. We have before read the words, "If thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision." Rom. 2:25. This language was addressed to the Jews, who in the same connection were charged with breaking the law. Rom. 2:17-24. In verse 31 of this present chapter we also are told that Israel did not attain to the law of righteousness. And the reason is that they did not accept Christ, through whom alone the righteousness of the law can be obtained.

So again we find that Israel, Paul's "kinsmen after the flesh," were not Israelites at all, but Gentiles, separate from Christ, "having no hope, and without God in the world."

No Failure in the Promise. This is a sad state of things. All the promises belong to Israel, and there is nothing from God for any other nation, and yet the very people known as Israel are accursed from Christ. Nevertheless the word of God has not failed, "for they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." The unbelief of some can not make the faith of God without effect. Rom. 3:3. If every literal descendant of Jacob were lost, that would not weaken in the least God's promises to Israel, since the true Israelites are only those who believe the promises.

The Seed of Abraham. "In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Isaac was the child of promise; therefore those who believe the promises of God are the seed of Abraham. To the Jews who were self-satisfied because of their descent, John the Baptist said, "Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." Matt. 3:9. He could do that as easily as he could make man in the beginning from the dust of the earth.

The Flesh and the Promise. "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." This text alone should forever set at rest the speculations about the return of the Jews to old Jerusalem, in order that God's promises may be fulfilled.2 Still more should it put an end to the absurd notion that any nation, as England or America, constitutes Israel, and is heir to those promises of God.

God's Foreknowledge. When the children were not yet born, and had done neither good nor evil, it was said of them, "The elder shall serve the younger." God knows the end from the beginning, and could tell what each one would do. The choice was in accordance with what is said of God, "who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. 1:9.

"Esau Have I Hated." This was not written until many years after the death of both Jacob and Esau. "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord; yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." Mal. 1:2, 3. Of his descendants it is said that they shall be called, "The people against whom the Lord hath indignation forever." Vs. 4. And why?

"Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever." Amos 1:11. Jacob, on the other hand, while no better by nature than Esau, believed the promises of God, and was by them made partaker of the divine nature and thus an heir of God and a joint heir of Jesus Christ.

No Unrighteousness with God. Mark well verses 14-17 for evidence that there is no arbitrariness in God's choice.  It is all of mercy. "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." So it is all of "God that sheweth mercy." The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord  (Ps. 119:64), and "his mercy endureth forever."

God's Purpose for Pharaoh. The case of Pharaoh is cited by the apostle as an illustration of the statement that "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth."

It is immaterial whether this refers to the bringing of Pharaoh to the throne, or to the preserving of him up to that time. One thing is certain: it does not teach us, as is commonly supposed, that God brought Pharaoh to the throne for the purpose of wreaking his vengeance upon him. It is astonishing that any professed Christian could ever have dishonored God by such a charge against him.

The purpose of God in raising Pharaoh up, or causing him to stand, was that he might show to him and in him his power, and that his name might be declared throughout all the earth. This purpose was accomplished in the destruction of Pharaoh because of his stubborn resistance. But it would have been accomplished just as well,  and much better for Pharaoh if he had listened to the word of God. Pharaoh saw God's power, but would not believe. If he had believed, he would have been saved, because the power of God is salvation to every one that believeth.

Pharaoh had an imperious will. His one great characteristic was steadfastness, pertinacity degenerating into stubbornness. But who can estimate the power for good that Pharaoh would have been if his will had been yielded to the Lord? To yield to the Lord would have meant a great sacrifice, as men count sacrifices, but no greater than that which Moses had made. Moses had given up the same throne, to cast in his lot with God's people.

A wonderful and honorable position was offered to Pharaoh, but he knew not the day of his visitation. It involved humiliation, and he rejected it. As a consequence he lost everything; while Moses, who chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, and to share the reproach of Christ, has a name and a place that will endure throughout eternity. The mercies of God rejected turn into curses. "For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fall therein." Hos. 14:19.

We have learned that although God did make choice of certain ones, specially named, who afterwards attained great eminence as children of God, the choice was not arbitrary. Jacob was chosen before he was born, but no more than all others are. God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ, "according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love;  having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good-pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Eph. 1:4-6.

"So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." As proof of this,  the apostle cited the case of Pharaoh, who was chosen in Christ just as much as Jacob was, and just as much as we are. He was chosen to the praise of the glory of the grace of God, that he might show forth the excellencies of the Lord; but he obstinately refused to submit. But God will be praised even by the wrath of men, if they are not willing to praise him voluntarily, and so God's name and power were made known through Pharaoh's stubbornness.

It would have been better if the proud king had yielded himself to the design of God, instead of having that design worked out in spite of him. But the lesson that we are to learn is that every man in every nation under heaven has been chosen, and that this choice is that they should be adopted as sons. In this choice the Jews have no advantage over others, but are on an equality with them, as is further shown by the remainder of the chapter: