January 21, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Nothing but Grace

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Opening Prayer

Sovereign Lord, I am fixed on You, the trustworthy compass of my life. Fill my mind and my mouth with the truth of Christ.

Read Romans 9:1-18

[1] I speak the truth in Christ-I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit- [2] I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. [3] For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, [4] the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. [5] Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. [6] It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. [7] 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.” [8] In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. [9] For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” [10] Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. [11] Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad-in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: [12] not by works but by him who calls-she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” [13] Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” [14] What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! [15] For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” [16] It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. [17] For 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.” [18] Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright &copy 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.&reg Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

Moses…was willing to perish with God’s disobedient children (Exod. 32:32). But Paul somehow finds it in his heart to want to perish for them (2). This is a “spark from the fire of Christ’s substitutionary love” (Dorner).

Having reached the heights of exploration of the wonders of God’s grace in the last chapter, Paul now seems to change his focus. If nothing can separate us from God’s love, how is it that God’s own historic people seem to be separated from him by rejecting God’s Messiah? For Paul, salvation is not about personal gain, a spiritual version of “winner takes all,” but about longing to see all people experience the love of God poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).

From a human point of view, the people of Israel have all the advantages, even to the point of the Messiah being Jewish. But here is the nub of the issue: “from a human point of view.” The phrase Paul uses is “according to the flesh” (5, ESV; “human ancestry” in NIV), here using the word “flesh” in the neutral sense of the “merely human.” Paul uses examples from the Old Testament to show that it is not the “natural children” who receive God’s grace, but “children of promise” (8); it is not about human inheritance, but about responding to God in faith and trust. In this, Paul is echoing a theme found throughout the New Testament: in John the Baptist’s teaching (Matt. 3:9), the prologue of John’s Gospel (John 1:13) and right through Jesus’ teaching (John 8:39).

Does this mean God is unfair? Is he simply being arbitrary? No, he is being God. God is consistent in his actions, but this means being consistent in showing grace to those who are undeserving (or else it is not grace)–not following the lines of human expectation or privilege, but consistently showing his love to the poor, the unexpected, those on the margins and outside the bounds of respectability. This is Paul’s experience (“the worst of sinners,” 1 Tim. 1:16), and ours, too.

Apply

In what ways does your story of faith reflect this truth about God’s grace? How did his call on your life surprise you or others?

Closing prayer

Loving Father, I realize that my salvation comes as a result of Your mercy (16). You in Your sovereign grace chose me and drew me to You. I give You my grateful praise.

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