God’s LOVE is everlasting… 

Israel’s Rejection of Christ…

Read Romans 9

If nothing can separate the called of God from God’s love (Rom. 8:39), why is God’s chosen nation, Israel, cut off from His love?

Could the same thing happen to a believer in Christ?

And why are not more Jews believers in Christ if they are the chosen nation?

Paul begins a three-chapter aside on the nation of Israel to explain their spiritual condition: past (Rom. 9), present (Rom. 10), and future (Rom. 11).

In this chapter, Paul explains that salvation is not a function of lineage or merit, but of God’s merciful election.

Chapter 9 starts out with Paul expressing concern for his fellow Jews by saying that he would willingly take their punishment if that would save them.

While the only one who can save us is Christ, Paul showed a rare depth of love.

Like Jesus, he was willing to sacrifice so others would be saved.

How concerned are you for those who don’t know Christ?

Are you willing to sacrifice your time, money, energy, comfort, and safety to see them come to faith in Jesus?

Romans 9 challenges us to grapple with the complex issue of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.

Despite the seeming paradox, it reminds us that God’s ways are just and that salvation is accessible to all—Jew and Gentile—through faith.

It is a chapter that encourages trust in God’s sovereignty and a reliance on faith, not works or heritage.

Paul reminded the Romans that no good work could bring salvation. Rather, God saves his people through his love.

The sovereign God told Moses that He would show mercy where He wants to show mercy, although no one deserves or can earn His mercy.

The following is from Max Lucado:

God could not love you more than He does right now. (From A Gentle Thunder by Max Lucado)

Do you sometimes feel that God can’t really love you?

If so, look at this chapter and commit it to memory.

God is there whether you walk away from Him or not.

Thank God for His acceptance of you because it’s based on the finished work of Christ and not on your own merit.

Exploration No Separation—John 10:27–29; 17:1–3; Romans 5:8–9; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17.

New Life in Christ The Spirit we received . . . makes us children of God.

With that Spirit we cry out, “Father.”—Romans 8:15 God Has Adopted Us When we come to Christ,

God not only forgives us, He also adopts us.

Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear.

Here is how it happens. You come before the judgment seat of God full of rebellion and mistakes.

Because of His justice He cannot dismiss your sin, but because of His love He cannot dismiss you.

So, in an act which stunned the heavens, He punished Himself on the cross for your sins.

God’s justice and love are equally honored. And you, God’s creation, are forgiven.

But the story doesn’t end with God’s forgiveness. . . . . It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but He does more.

He gives you His name.

It would be enough if God just set you free, but He does more.

He takes you home. He takes you home to the Great House of God.

Adoptive parents understand this more than anyone.

I certainly don’t mean to offend any biological parents—I’m one myself.

We biological parents know well the earnest longing to have a child.

But in many cases our cribs were filled easily.

We decided to have a child and a child came.

In fact, sometimes the child came with no decision.

I’ve heard of unplanned pregnancies, but I’ve never heard of an unplanned adoption.

That’s why adoptive parents understand God’s passion to adopt us.

They know what it means to feel an empty space inside.

They know what it means to hunt, to set out on a mission, and take responsibility for a child with a spotted past and a dubious future.

If anybody understands God’s ardor for His children, it’s someone who has rescued an orphan from despair, for that is what God has done for us.

God has adopted you. God sought you, found you, signed the papers and took you home.

(From The Great House of God by Max Lucado)

Since the Father has shown you mercy, you should show mercy to others.

Make a list of those to whom it is hard for you to show mercy.

What could you do to soften your heart toward them?

Act on what you know to be true.

SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
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Wednesday, July 24
cFAITH Freedom in the Word

NUMBER TWO: THE INWARD VOICE
by Kenneth E. Hagin

“I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost”
— Romans 9:1

The number one way the Holy Spirit guides us is through the inward witness.

The number two way is through the inward voice.

The inward man has a voice just as the outward man has a voice.

We call the voice of the inward man “conscience.”

Sometimes it is also called intuition, inner guidance, or “the still, small voice.”

It is not the voice of the Spirit of God speaking to us, because when the Holy Spirit speaks, His voice is more authoritative.

The still, small voice is the voice of our own spirit. Yet our spirit picks it up from the Holy Spirit who lives inside us.

For example, I relate in the devotion of July 19 how a “buzzer” seemed to go off inside me as I stepped inside that building that was for sale in Tulsa.

I knew on the inside – This is it! But I didn’t want to listen.

When my wife asked about it later, I said, “No, we’ll just stay where we are.”

But when we went to bed that night, I couldn’t get to sleep. My conscience was hurting. My spirit knew I hadn’t listened to it.

So I said, “Lord, in the natural, I don’t want to move to Tulsa. But if that’s what You want, I won’t stand in Your way.”

Suddenly, on the inside of me, that still, small voice said, “I’m going to give you that building. You watch Me.” And God did just that!

Confession: I listen to the voice of my spirit. And I obey it!

Source: Faith Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.
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