Romans 9:1-8

¹ I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), because my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit– ² I have great regret and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ Because I wish that I myself would be accursed–cut off from Christ–for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen, ⁴ who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. ⁵ To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen. ⁶ It is not like the word of God has failed. Because not all those who are descended from Israel are really Israel, ⁷ nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; instead “through Isaac will your descendants be counted.”[1] ⁸ This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; instead, the children of promise are counted as descendants.

my countrymen – cut off from Christ!

Paul turns from rejoicing over the saved Jews and Gentiles to somberly reflecting on those of his countrymen who have not put their faith in Christ. These are his fellow Jews, but they have not known the grace of the Damascus road. They have all the eight benefits of being raised a descendant of Abraham:

1. God’s choice to adopt the nation as his sons.

2. God’s revelation of himself in glory in the temple.

3. God’s covenants with Abraham, Moses, and David.

4. God’s revelation of himself in the written law.

5. God’s interaction with his people in the temple worship.

6. God’s promises fulfilled through time.

7. God’s patriarchs who lead by example.

8. God’s Christ, finally come into the world.

But with all these benefits, they still lacked the saving faith in the 8^th, that made the other seven valid. They were cut off from Christ. That made all the difference.

Each year that goes by, we should keep asking ourselves if we are truly connected to Jesus Christ. We can have all the trappings, but still lose out if we are not truly connected to him by faith. When we are sure of that faith, it will be our heart’s desire to pass it on.

LORD, may we know the joy of knowing Christ, and bringing our countrymen to faith in Christ.

[1] Genesis 21:12.