as we are, yet He was completely apart from all sin. Because He was sinless, He could become the perfect sacrifice for us all. He died the criminal’s death that we in turn might go free. Paul knew this and for this reason had such a great de sire to see his people turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, t h e ir only Paschal Lamb. Let us pray that God will give us a tender heart toward Israel, seeking to win them to the Messiah, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. O NE CAN NEVER OVERLOOK Paul’s. great concern for Israel. It was a consuming portion of his life. In Ro mans 9 :4 we find God’s description of these people spiritually speaking. The Old Testament reminds us that the Lord chose a people who were not a people and of how He made them a people by His sovereign grace. Israel, of course, was the new name given to Jacob. The name means “a prince with God.” This is exactly what the nation became. The Lord selected Israel not be cause of any merit of their own, but simply because it pleased Him. In the same way believers in this age are ob jects of God’s sovereign grace on an individual basis. His selection of Is rael was so that He might provide a line for the Messiah, and in order that to pagan nations His people might give an outstanding testimony to the one and only true God. Today, we who are Christian Gentiles can re joice in the heritage God has given us through His ancient people. The Bible tells us that they also re ceived the glory. The Lord dwelt among Israel making His presence known in the wilderness by day and night. Later His glory was found in the tabernacle. When the permanent building was finished it remained in the temple. When Isaiah witnessed the glory of the Lord, he had to claim, “I am a man with unclean lips, An Adopted People
half. These were his brethren after the flesh. Verse two describes his heaviness and continual sorrow for them. In working a crossword puzzle I might take these words as synonyms. The Greek, however, expresses several wonderful thoughts. The first is an idea of deep inward pain, while the other is that which is outward. Paul had such an emotional stirring and desire to see his people saved that it actually affected him physically, men tally and emotionally. Do we have such a burden for the lost? Do we fully realize that the human heart, apart from the Saviour, can never find rest and peace? At one time Paul, with his own people, had tried to carry out the law with all of its rituals. He realized that these were sacrifices without peace, joy, and blessing. When he found the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour his heart re joiced in this wonderful experience. Those of us who have been born again can know how he felt. Does our faith cause us to want to share this great joy with others? While Paul knew that he could never be s e p a r a te d from Christ (8:38, 39 ), yet in hypothetical rea soning he declared, “I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” This was not a boast but an outward expression of his great heart of love. You remember this same was true with Moses who also desired to be blotted out from the presence of God if it would bring sal vation and restoration to his people (Exodus 32:32, 33). Of course, there is no possibility for an individual to give his salvation to another. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” and every man, even though he be a religious genius must come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ for himself. The only person who could become a curse for another is the Lord Him self. He was tempted in all points like
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