We turn now from a study of doctrine to one of prophecy.  A prophecy involving both Jews and Gentiles that unlocks a secret hidden from the foundation of the world.  From among both, God would create a new race of man, neither Jew nor Gentile, called the Church.  As Paul would write to the Ephesians, “His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two”(Ephesians 2:15) and to the Galatians, “You are all sons of God through Christ Jesus …There is neither Jew nor Gentile” (Galatians 3:26,28) and to the Corinthians, “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks (Gentiles)or the Church of God.” (1 Cor. 10:32).  It’s the Church who would inherit the Kingdom.  Here’s how it happens.

Romans 9

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.(Romans 9:1-5)

With all his heart Paul wished he could somehow make the Jewish people understand and accept the gift that had been offered to them, even if it cost him his own salvation. But after waiting 4000 years for the Redeemer promised to Adam and confirmed in countless prophecies, when He came their leaders didn’t recognize Him and rejected Him as an imposter.

It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” (Romans 9:6-9)

God had always known that this would happen.  By making Sarah and Abraham wait until they were 90 and 100 years old to have the child that was promised to them, God had been giving us a clue as to what was coming.  Those who populate the Kingdom won’t do so because of a natural birth, but a supernatural one. And as it was with Sarah, at the appointed time God would again return and the Kingdom would be filled with His Children, supernaturally born. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.(John 1:12) Some were once Jewish and some were once Gentile, but having been born again they’re not either anymore.  They’re now the Church.

Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (Romans 9:10-13)

No one will come into this Kingdom because of a birthright, nor can anyone earn his or her way in.  But God, with the same foreknowledge He demonstrated in telling Rebekah about the lives of her twin boys, has predestined those who choose Him to become the children of God.  Remember from our study of Romans 8:28-30, predestination follows fore knowledge. Long before the event, God knows what we’ll do and then appoints it to happen.

Esau despised his birthright (Genesis 25:34) and sold it for a single meal.  Afterward, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected.  All of his tears of regret were shed to no avail. (Hebrews 12:16-17) It was as if God had said, “Fine. You despise and reject that which you were born to inherit.  Since that’s what you want, I’ll make certain that it happens.”  Jacob received the blessing and Esau’s descendants wound up serving the children of Israel, just as God had foretold.

Jesus said the same to the leaders of Israel in the parable of the Tenants. “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matt 21:43) He was speaking to Israel about the Church.  Like Esau, the leaders of Israel chose to reject the promise they were born to inherit.  And again the Lord said, “Fine.  Since that’s what you want, I’ll make certain that it happens.  The tax collectors and prostitutes will come into the Kingdom before you.” (Matt. 21:31)  Tax collectors and prostitutes had no more standing under the Law than Gentiles.  But when John the Baptist showed them the way to righteousness they believed him. Notice that Jesus didn’t say instead of you, but before you. Unlike Esau, Israel will eventually be blessed, as we’ll see.

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”  It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9:14-21)

If we were reading these verses in a vacuum, it would be easy to adopt the view that God determines who will be saved, not man.  But fortunately we have the perspective of the entire chapter and beyond that the rest of Scripture.  For example, how could John 3:16 or Romans 10:13 be true if man has no choice in the matter of his own salvation? And if God desires that none should be lost but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), why didn’t He make it so?  And why, if He determines who will be saved and who will not, did He tell His followers to make disciples of all nations? (Matt. 28:19)  The Greek word translated nations is used 164 times in the New Testament. It’s translated “gentiles” 94 times, and nations, or people, the other times.  Since it’s preceded by the word all, which means each and every one, it literally means the entire human family.

From the context of this chapter it’s clear that Paul is making God’s case for offering salvation to the Gentiles, even though the Jews were His Chosen and He had focused exclusively on them for the previous 2000 years.  God created the Gentiles just as He had the Jews, and He has the right to offer salvation to one group just as He had to the other.

What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea:

“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,” [Hosea 2:23] and,

“It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ”   [Hosea 1:10] (Romans 9:22-26)

Notice that Paul says, “Not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles.” The idea that in God’s view it’s not a question of saving either Jews or Gentiles, but that through the creation of a new race called the Church He’s calling both, is made clear again.

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.” [Isaiah 10:22,23]

It is just as Isaiah said previously:
“Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.” [Isaiah 1:9] (Romans 9:27-29)

These two quotes cap off the thought that salvation is not a matter of birthright.  Jews who reject God’s call will be treated no differently than unrepentant Gentiles.

Israel’s Unbelief
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.” As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”[Isaiah 8:14, 28:16] (Romans 9:30-33)

Paul combined two passages from Isaiah to imply that while Jesus is a “stumbling stone” to those steeped in the Law, everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, who pursues “a righteousness that is by faith” through the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ will inherit His Kingdom. He told the Corinthians the same thing.

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:22-24)

As was His sovereign right, God chose the Jews to be the people through whom He would reveal Himself to the world.  He could have picked anyone, but He picked Abraham, promising to bless all nations through Him.  Now He was giving Gentiles the right to become spiritual children of Abraham as well, and together with the Jews, heirs according to the promise.  To both the gateway to this inheritance was and is the atoning death of the Lord Jesus.  Selah

In our last installment we completed Law School, and saw the impossible position we’ve been placed in.  Because of the sin nature we’ve inherited, our own bodies will betray us no matter how hard we try to live up to God’s standard.  In fact the harder we try, the more certain our failure becomes. As far as effecting our own salvation is concerned, we’re hopeless, helpless, worthless and useless. The Lord’s remedy for our situation was to offer us an unmerited pardon purchased with His own blood.  Now we’re ready for a close look at the unbelievable blessing we call Grace.

Romans 8:22-39
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:22-25)

Just as the creation groans through its earthquakes and storms in the hope of being restored to the perfection of its original state, so also do we desire to be divested of the curse that’s upon us, our sin nature.  How we long for our physical bodies to finally be rid of the flaws and diseases that afflict us, to awaken each morning knowing for certain that never again will our thoughts and actions betray our desire to please our Lord.  Never again will we disappoint, embarrass or offend the One who gave so much for us.  Finally, we’ll be fit to dwell in His presence forever.  This is our blessed hope.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.(Romans 8:26-27)

When the Lord fed the 5000 He had their attention.  They followed Him all around the Sea of Galilee for another meal.  But when He told them that He was the Bread of Life and His goal was to give them Eternal Life, not free food, many went away disappointed, even angry.  Like them, our minds are so polluted by our sin nature that sometimes we don’t even know what to ask for.  We present the Lord with a list of our wants … “make things easier, better, faster” … all based on our immediate self interest.  But as we do, the Holy Spirit within us prays on our behalf for the things we really need.  This is likely the greatest service He performs for us, asking for what we need, not for what we want.

More Than Conquerors
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30)

Almost every word in these two verses deserves a study of its own.  We’ll just take a few. All things means everything, no exceptions, even the things we think are setbacks, failures, or outright disasters. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

Love.  The Greek language has four words for love. This one is their highest, most noble form. It means to be totally given over to the object of one’s affection, irrespective of response.  Does that describe your love for God?  If so, then the following applies to you.

Just what is His purpose in calling us?  Ephesians 3:10-11 says, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  His purpose in calling the church is to demonstrate to all the heavenly powers the infinite variations of His wisdom.  The angelic realms learn about the character of God by watching how He deals with you and me.

The phrase “those God foreknew” means that he knew before time began just who would come to be His.  Knowing this He predestined, or appointed, us to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.  Knowing how these two words interact eliminates any conflict between two other words: agency and election.  In our own life, in our own time, in our own heart, we chose to be saved (agency).  Before He laid the foundations of Earth, God looked down across time and saw us do it, and immediately made absolutely certain that no one could ever interfere with this. (election). Then, at the proper moment in our lives, He called us to do what He already knew we would do, and when we responded, He sealed His Holy Spirit within us so that no one could ever undo it.

This also explains all of prophecy.  God didn’t write the script for mankind and then force us to act it out.  He gave us the right to make our own decisions.  Knowing ahead of time what decisions we’ll make, he can write it down before it happens. Prophecy is the history of our world, written in advance.

Another thing He did in advance was to justify us.  To justify us means to regard us as though we’re completely innocent.  But we’re not.  We’re sinners.  The only way He could do this was to take upon Himself the penalty due us for our sins, to die in our place.  When we accept His death as payment in full for our sins, it allows Him to see us as if we’ve never sinned at all. (2 Cor. 5:17)

Having made us as righteous as He is (2 Cor. 5:21) He can now make us as glorious as He is as well.  From His perspective, this has already been accomplished in eternity.  We’re just waiting for time to catch up.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7) See what I mean? It’s past tense.  He’s already done it. And the most remarkable thing about it is that He didn’t just forgive us, which would have been more than we deserve.  No! He went way beyond anything we could ever hope for to give us an eternity that includes conforming us to the likeness of His Son (who is himself the image of the Father, Colossians 1:15) and seating us beside Him on His throne, co-heirs and co-regents with the Son of God.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.(Romans 8:31-34)

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us. The Son intercedes for us.  How will our Father in Heaven, having already given the life of His Son for us, not also give us every good thing?    Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17) Who could possibly dissuade Him from this?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?   As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Psalm 44:22)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

We’re not promised a life free of difficulty.  Some of us already have or may yet endure hardship, persecution, or even death for our faith.  But nothing that happens to us, nothing we’re doing now or will do in the future, whether prompted by natural or supernatural motives, can change the fact that we’re His.

I can imagine Paul thinking of Peter as he wrote this.  Peter was the Lord’s closest confidant, undaunted in his courage, eyewitness to hundreds of miracles, the first confessor that Jesus is the Christ.  In the same night that he drew his sword to stand alone between his Lord and a cohort of hardened soldiers, a lowly servant girl scared him into publicly denying that he even knew the Lord, cursing and swearing as he ran away. And yet the Lord knew Peter’s heart and restored him.  Once saved always saved, Peter.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)  Selah