“I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit. I have deep 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, my own flesh and blood, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.” vs1-5
First, people can have every gospel privilege and NOT KNOW CHRIST. That’s how it was with Israel: They had the Scriptures, the Prophets, and real miracles, but they didn’t have God. They abandoned the gospel in favor of earthly prosperity and works religion [John 6:66]. They denied the gospel, and it is the same today:
People have the Bible and the heritage in the USA. They have a deep superstitious reverence in Nigeria, and yet we’ve missed our Maker, and it ought to make us weep! We have sinners in the pulpit, liars leading the flock, and the people love to have it so [Jer 5:31].
It is a spiritual shock to have our eyes opened to man’s true condition - our condition apart from sovereign grace - but OBTAINING MERCY makes us run back to the burning house, willing to perish to save some!
I saw the great story of a man in Nigeria who saved 13 or 14 people from a sinking ship, but drowned trying to save more.
People said, “He should have stopped, known he was tired, and saved himself,” but he probably was tired after 5 and kept going. He got to ten and said, “One more,” and then he could not stop. He thought, “Yes, I can get one more,” and then he drowned. This is a hero, and we must do it spiritually: Sacrifice ourselves and give ourselves, so the gospel can be preached.
Secondly, God has mercy on whom He pleases [vs11-13].
“Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
He is the absolute sovereign! Sovereign Grace is God loved Jacob and hated Esau BEFORE they were born; it is Him choosing who He will save!
He owes no man, so He can have mercy on one and reject the other. He refuses NO ONE who comes to Him, but since no one comes, He draws whom He will - whom He loved in Christ before time began [Rom 3:10-12].
This is the glory of God and the reason for worship: He is the ONLY reason I am saved! It was not my will power, my intellect, or my charm. “For He tells Moses: I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy [Rom 9:15-16.” It was nothing about us: In Sovereign Mercy, He put us in Christ [1 Cor 1:30-31].
Do you believe in sovereign grace? If so, then you believe the gospel. If not, then you worship an idol, a pigmy god that’s not worth our attention - the god of our vain imagination, an imaginary god who no more exists than Santa Clause, a Devil who masquerades as God and demands worship.
Cast him away! It’s either works or it is grace [Rom 9:11-12]; it is either all of God or man is his own savior. Glory goes 100% to Him or it goes to you. Decide today. Which God will you serve?
Finally, this is the reason I’m in Africa: I believe God has a remnant [Rom 9:27-29]!
It is just as Isaiah foretold:
“Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have resembled Gomorrah.”
It is NOT up to man, and the false prophets cannot stop it. People can be as deluded as I was… as deluded as you were... and they can come to God through Jesus Christ, because He has the power to have mercy.
Hush with all the talk that the situation is hopeless. Silence that thought that we should join the Devil, because we can’t be him! God is on the throne, and He rules absolutely! He has no rival, no equal, and none can stay His hand [Dan 4:35]. When He wants to have mercy on a remnant, He does it, even in Israel and among the Gentiles, even us [Rom 9:24]. He saves as He pleases.
→ This Great God has bidden you to trust Jesus Christ. Do it to the glory of His name. Trust Him to save you. He will have mercy on all who call on Him. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved [Rom 10:13].”