Natural vs. Supernatural

Romans 9

Paul continues to focus on what the nature of having a relationship with God through Christ is like. He raises the issue that it is not a relationship that one inherits - Israel was God's chosen race/people and the focus throughout the Old Testament (secondary to God). Paul points out that being an Israelite - one of God's chosen - is not about ethnicity, race, heritage, "...It is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring [God's children]" (9:8).

Paul is pleading for the ethnic Israelites to recognize that just because they are Israeli by birth, does not mean they are God's chosen...he has gone so far as to say if it were possible for him to give up his "in Christ" status he would, if it meant that they would accept Jesus and be born-again, of the Spirit not of the flesh.

Have you ever thought that way? Have you ever felt such agony in knowing that others don't know Jesus and thus they are missing out on the fellowship of Christ, both here and in eternity? It is not possible for us to give up our salvation so that others would be saved. But I pray that each one of us would be so impassioned in our relationship with Jesus, recognizing the lostness of those who are not in Christ (yet!), that we would pray and act in ways that will plead for them before God and with them,

"be reconciled with God through Christ, come to Jesus, come home."