Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 70

March 11;   Romans 9:6;   126/260(I);   ‘Not All Israel’

Romans 9:6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,

Paul, the Apostle makes a seemingly confusing statement (really the Holy Spirit did through Paul).  He tells us that not all Israel are of Israel.  What does that mean?  God the Father chose the Jews to be His own special people and through them, bring the truth of the Lord to all nations.  They thought that by keeping the Law they would be right with God, but the Law was given to show them that they could not keep it.  The Jews thought since they were loved in a special way by the Lord that they were automatically children of God and would go to heaven someday.  The truth was Abraham, the father of the Jews, became a ‘spiritual’ Jew when He believed the Lord who appeared to him.  Abraham was childless, but the Lord told him that he would have innumerable children.  The Lord Jesus is who appeared to Abraham and preached the Gospel to him.  Abraham believed the Lord and right standing with God was given to him.  All those Jews who believed on the Messiah to come, became ‘spiritual children’ of Abraham, or the true Israel.  The religious Jews, trying to live the Law which they could not, thought that they were children of God, but they were not.  This is no different for any religion.  Since God is involved. In some way,  in religion, the religious person thinks that they are right with God.  Quite often the minister of a particular religion tells them that they are right with God.  The religious minister could be sincere, but wrong, only knowing what he has been taught.  Salvation is based on a relationship with Jesus Christ, as taught in the Word. Religion is so dangerous.