Good morning. Paul is getting ready to tell the Roman
Christians something, and he wants them to know that what he saying is the
truth, and that he’s not just being politically correct. I am telling the truth
in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,
that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that
I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh. That’s pretty strong. It sounds like he would
be willing to take their place; that he would be willing to give up his
salvation, if all of them could receive theirs. Would we be willing to do that,
even if they were our relatives? He then talks about the benefits of being
Israelites. Remember that they are God‘s chosen people; and yet without Christ,
they are doomed. Remember also the promise that God made to Abraham. But is not
as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are
descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s
descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.“ Remember that
Ishmael was also Abraham’s son; but Ishmael’s descendants are not the children
of the promise. That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children
of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. Father
thank You that we are Your children; children of the promise. Help us to always
behave like we are.
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
Good morning. While Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. It doesn’t say, but I assume it is still during this time of the Passover. This man came to Jesus by night. Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do the signs that You do unless God is with him. It just said that the people believed in His name because of the signs He was doing; yet it does not say what those signs were. Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. That is why unbelievers cannot tell what is of the kingdom of God and what is not – they’re not born again. Nicodemus doesn’t have a clue. How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he? Unless one is born of water and the Spirit ...
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