Romans
8:1-39 - Each of us must choose. We
can ‘live according to the flesh’ or we can ‘live according to the
Spirit’. We can ‘set the mind on the flesh’ or we can ‘set the mind on
the Spirit’ (5-6). The new life in the Spirit is just the beginning. God
is preparing us for the greater ‘glory that will be revealed in us’
(18). We have ‘the first fruits of the Spirit’. The Holy Spirit is ‘the
guarantee of our inheritance’. He is the starter which whets our
appetite for the main course! With Him in our hearts, we long for more –
‘an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in
heaven for you’, ‘the redemption of our bodies’, ‘the glorious liberty
of the children of God’ (21-23; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5). Led
by the Spirit, strong in the Spirit, we press on to glory (14,26,17).
9:1-33
- We read about ‘Jews’ and ‘Gentiles’. We learn about salvation. The
Jews are not saved because of their nationality. It is ‘not because of
works’. The Gentiles are not excluded because of their nationality. It
is ‘because of His call’. Salvation comes from God’s grace, not from our
good works. It is received ‘by faith’, not ‘by works’ (24,11,30-32).
There is for us here a word of warning and a word of promise. Here’s the
warning – You can be religious without being saved: ‘not all who are
descended from Israel belong to Israel… it is not the children of the
flesh who are the children of God’ (6-8). Here’s the promise – You can
be saved through faith in Jesus Christ: Through faith in Him, those who
were ‘not God’s people’ became ‘sons of the living God’ (26). Trust in
Christ, not in yourself!
10:1-21 - To ‘Jew and Gentile’, God
says, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’
(12-13). The Jews had praised the Lord Jesus: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He
who comes in the Name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’. Before
long, they were shouting, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him!’ (John 12:12-13;
19:6). We rejoice that the Gospel has now come to the Gentiles. We
remember also that God still ‘holds out His hands to Israel’(19-21).
Still, Christ says, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… How often would I have
gathered your children together…’ (Luke 13:34). ‘Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem’, for the advance of the Gospel among the Jews (Psalm 122:6).
Pray also for the ‘voice’ of the Gospel, ‘going out into all the earth’
(18). Pray that ‘faith will come as the Word of Christ is heard’ (17).
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