Skip to main content

Romans 9:6: But It Is Not As Though The Word Of God Has Failed.


Romans 9:6
[6] But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, (ESV)

I love how Paul starts this verse. It is not as though the word of God has failed. There is a principle here that we need to hold on to in every situation of life. The word of God has never failed. The word of God never will fail. Our understanding is clouded by our finite understanding. The way that we see things is not always accurate. If our perception differs from what God's Word has said, we are wrong.

Paul is looking at the plight of many of his fellow Jews. It would be easy to see the rampant unbelief and rejection of their own Messiah and assume that God must have failed in what he said in His Word. That would be a human and natural perception. It would also be a wrong perception. The word of God has not failed.

In verse 4 and 5 Paul lists the great benefits and promises that God gave to the people of Israel. He  speaks of: "the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, the promises, the patriarchs, and the Christ." Given all that the Jews had received how could it be that so many were lost in unbelief.

The answer to that question is found in the second part of this verse. Paul says that not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. That phrase is quite an indictment. He is saying that God kept his word. Many of the Jews did not. The ones who are truly Jews are ones who are more than physical descendants of Abraham. True Jews are those who have surrendered their heart to God.

There is a lesson for all of us here. Just being related to someone who loves God does not make you a believer. Receiving promises does not make you a believer. God keeps his word. You need to keep yours. Place your faith in the one who always keeps his word.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co