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Post by Josh on Feb 5, 2007 21:22:34 GMT -8
11/05:
These chapters all kinda go together with the theme of Israel. Having previously stated that a true "Jew" is not one outwardly, but inwardly (Romans 2), Paul laments that so many Jews of physical descent have rejected the message about Christ. But, "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel", he says in 9:6, so the promises of God (through the prophets) have not failed. There is a mystery here; that the Church is now fulfilling those promises-- the Church, Gentile and Jew is now the true Israel.
This whole concept has been blowing my mind recently (I wrote about it on the Eschatology thread in a post called Examples). We are the true Israel, the true Mt. Zion, the true Jerusalem, and God's true Temple! Gentiles have been 'grafted in' and are now equally part of the kingdom of God, not based on physical ancestry, but based on faith.
Still, Paul laments for his physical Jewish brothers--even wishing that he himself could be damned (9:2) if it meant their salvation.
There have been some Christians who have proposed that God still accepts Jews under the law and Christians under grace (an extreme version of the "two people of God" theory). This passage from Paul obliterates this opinion--we are all one family and we are all saved only through Christ. If one could be saved through the Jewish law, Paul would never have felt such sorrow for his countrymen.
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Post by michelle on Feb 5, 2007 21:43:19 GMT -8
11/05:
While Paul is speaking directly of the Jews and Gentiles, I wonder if more current parallels can be drawn. Specifically I wonder about those people who are Christians in the sense that they go to church every Sunday and have done so all their lives, but have never walked with the Lord. I guess my question is if you are a Sunday Christian (go to church every Sunday, sing the songs, but don't do anything else outside of that) is this enough? I'm not pointing fingers or judging anybody who does this because I have done it myself, I'm just wondering aloud (or awritten??).
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Post by Josh on Feb 5, 2007 21:46:04 GMT -8
11/05:
Yes, I think there are some parallels here. The same way Jews by birth might have made certain false assumptions of their status with God, we can do likewise. The same way some of them focused on externals we might also. And James, in his epistle, says that kind of 'faith' is essentially worthless.
James 2:26 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Isaiah 29:13 13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.
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Post by sarah on Feb 5, 2007 21:46:29 GMT -8
11/05:
I love vs 29 in chapter 11 "For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" Paul is talking about the Israel, but I believe it applies to me as well. When I was first coming back to the Lord after my "vacation" I remember the first major life changing revelation that came was "My past mistakes do not disqualify me from future blessing." Up to that point I had been thinking that just being accepted back by the Lord as a 4th class citizen was mercy enough for me. It occurred to me all at once, that there had to be something more in store for me. I hadn't forfeited my calling. It was a life changing revelation for me.
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Post by michelle on Apr 16, 2007 21:05:29 GMT -8
11/05: I love vs 29 in chapter 11 "For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" Paul is talking about the Israel, but I believe it applies to me as well. I just re-read this verse and I can't stop thinking about it. How true it is for Christians and it shines a huge light on God's character. He has given us all gifts and has given us all callings. He would never take those back from us. We may cast them aside or ignore them, but when we open ourselves up to those gifts and callings, they are there. Before I met J, I felt a passion for service for God. When I was dating him, I cast that aside and tried to put out the flame. But that passion for service is still there. I know that it never went away; it was me that went away from it.
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