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I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

  Good morning. Paul then quotes some scriptures talking about those who were hardened. God gave them eyes to see not and ears to hear not… I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Because they rejected God’s grace, we have the opportunity to become Christians. It is the same today. People throughout the world have the opportunity to receive Christ, but they choose to not do so. Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! If the Jews had all accepted Christ, the early church would never have turned to the Gentiles and preached the word. I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. The Jews could not stand the thought of the Gentiles re...
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In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God‘s gracious choice

  Good morning. We left off with Paul saying that God had not rejected His people. In fact, Paul said, I am a descendent of Abraham. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. It looked like it when they were in Egypt and were enslaved. During Elijah’s time, he said, everybody has turned away from You but me. God told him that He had kept 7000 people who had not bowed the knee to Baal. And so God had kept for Himself a remnant. In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God‘s gracious choice. Sometimes it looks like there is not anyone who follows God. This has been true throughout history. But even through the dark ages, God had people who followed Him. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. Father thank You that we were chosen and obtained Your grace. Help u...
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So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ

  Good morning. Just because the gospel is preached does not mean that everyone who hears will be saved. However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? However, one does need to hear: so faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Hearing the gospel generates the faith necessary to be saved. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have. Here Paul is talking about the nation of Israel. “their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” Speaking of the Gentiles: I was found by those who did not seek Me; I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me. The Jews were trying to find God, but refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah – the Son of God. The Gentiles did not even care about God; and they found Him. God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! God did not reject them; they rejected Him. Even though we did not seek You, You allowed us t...
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Behold I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed

  Good morning. Paul says of the Jews who pursued righteousness by works: they stumbled over the stumbling stone. Behold I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed. Now Paul could’ve said about those Jews, too bad so sad. Instead he said, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. They have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God‘s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end (or fulfillment) of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. How does this happen? The righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart – that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. In these ...
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And He did it to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy which He prepared beforehand for glory

  Good morning. Remember that we are in the middle of “what if God“, endured with patience those (Gentiles) prepared for destruction. Why did He do it? And He did it to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy (he’s talking about us) which He prepared beforehand for glory, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. That is actually a very big deal. The Jews were God’s people. He promised them, not us. Quoting Scripture: I will call those who were not My people, My people. And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, you are not My people, there they shall be called sons of the living God. Also Isaiah talks about: it is the remnant that will be saved, not all those of Israel. Remember that all of this is “what if God…“ What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at ...
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So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, why does He still find fault? For who resists His will

  Good morning. All right, so God chose one person over another, and chose pharaoh for destruction – what does that mean? So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, why does He still find fault? For who resists His will? In other words how can He condemn us to the bad place, since He is the one who chose us to not believe? On the contrary, who are you, O man who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, why did you make me like this, will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? Again it sounds like we don’t have a choice – it is predestination. This is what others would say, not what is reality. Then a hypothetical: what if God (Paul is not saying that God did, but rather what if He did the following), although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels ...
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For though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God‘s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “the older will serve the younger.

  Good morning. So Abraham had two sons; but God chose Isaac. Paul then gives other instances where God chose one over the other. Remember that Rebekah had twins – Jacob and Esau. For though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God‘s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of  Him who calls, it was said to her, “the older will serve the younger.“ Isaac did not earn God‘s choice, and neither did Jacob. And of course we also didn’t. In today’s world, people would say that God was not fair. He should’ve been all inclusive. We would’ve heard all about it over the news media. God is evil; He is not fair! What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? Never! But that is not how the news media would portray it. “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.“ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God w...
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