The longing of my heart and prayer to God. Chapter one. Romans 10:1-13.

Dear brothers and sisters,

The longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.

I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

They don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself.

Refusing to accept God’s way,

they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law;

for Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.

As a result, all who believe in him (Christ) are made right with God.

(Romans 10:1-4 NLT)

What is the foundation of Paul's statement?

Paul tells us that the law that Moses wrote about (the Torah) and said that whoever can perform the law will live by it. At first glance, that does not seem like such a bad thing, as there were only ten ordinances to follow; and, the law/Torah brings about a momentary righteousness.

(As I try to put flesh and blood on this act of sacrifice that brings righteousness, I picture a man leaving the temple with a satisfied look on his face because he knows that he has just covered his sins for the year. Only moments later, some camel jockey cuts him off on the way home and he retaliates with some curse and a few hand gestures. At that moment, he realizes that he just threw a year's worth of righteousness out the window; and, he must wait until next year. What if something happens and he dies of a heart attack the next day? Can you see the problem in that system? The sacrificial system did not change the person.)

Perhaps, a corresponding verse from Deuteronomy might give us an angle that sheds some light.

And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness." (Deuteronomy 6:25 TNIV)

So then, the Torah would be their/our righteousness, but what does that do with God, since God, knowing that we cannot maintain a righteous condition, and therefore He has to be our righteousness?

Paul has an answer to that question as well. (You may have noticed that Paul's style of writing is one in which he asks questions. In asking questions, he is trying to get you to think. It does not demand an answer, as Paul does not ask questions for which he does not have an answer.)

But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." (Romans 10:6-11 TNIV)

It isn't about one's ability to follow the rules; it is faith in the fact that God raised Him from the dead so that you too could have life. Did you pay attention to the line that says, for Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given? So Christ, as the final sacrifice, paid the price necessary for our righteousness; all that is left is to accept and believe this is so.

Earlier in Paul's letter to the Romans, he pointed out that God leveled the playing. In other words, NO ONE people group has an advantage merely because they are Jewish.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:22-24 TNIV)

(Side note: Romans 3:23, a passage that we religious folk use to point out that everyone is a SINNER isn't trying to make that point at all, it is pointing out that WE ALL have a massive problem and NEED a savior. Since the playing field is leveled, then NO ONE has an advantage, and all must come to Him. God is not withholding His love and grace from anyone.)

Notice how Romans 10:11, in the TNIV, says, “anyone who believes in him.” There are a few translations of this, and this is what they say, Everyone, Whoever, or Whosoever. What does that mean? It means that anyone is welcome into God's family.

Since the concept of belief has multiple possibilities, then perhaps God has the grace to accept faith in a variety of forms. Let me be first to respond negatively to this statement.

There is only one way to the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ.

But what does that look like?

When we look at Matthew 25, the story of the sheep and the goats, and understand that these people being brought before the great white throne (I know it does not specifically say that, but the component pieces are there if you are willing to look,) are those from among the nations that have died. (I can guarantee that at this point you are not comprehending the immensity of this statement.) The nations, to a Jew, has always meant someone outside of God's grace. For the believer, it was us, but now means those whom we perceive as not accepting Christ's love. How would I know any of that? Think in terms of chronology. Since we, the church, are not subject to the wrath that God will bring upon this earth, then we are going to be caught up to meet Him/Jesus, in the air, and forever be with Him. These, from among the nations, did not get caught up. Standard religious thought arbitrarily assigns these to hell. Obviously our thinking is wrong on this, as SOME are given access, And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' (Matthew 25:35-36 MSG)

Some might see this as works, and if we have learned anything, it is that works don't cut it, faith does. There is something far deeper about God's love than we could have imagined.

For the thief on the cross, his faith was beyond simplistic.

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

(Luke 23:39-43 NASB)

Allow me to break this passage from Luke's gospel down for you.

1. One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, saying,
   “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” (Luke 23:39 NLT)
   Well, He is the King of the Jews – both then and now, and Jesus did not defend Himself, He did not need to. Neither of the thieves knew what Jesus was about to do, and the resulting salvation that would come to, NOT only Jesus but billions of followers.
2. The other thief, rebuking the first, answered,
   “Do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41 NLT)
   Where and how did this thief come to the understanding that there was a God to fear?  Since I assert that belief is not so tightly defined, then how do we explain what this man has said?
   Despite what he may have heard about Jesus, he believed.
3. What happened next? The thief, having acknowledged that Jesus had done nothing wrong, said to Jesus,
   “Yeshua, remember me when you come as King.” (Luke 23:42 CJB)
   Most of the time, because we Gentile believers struggle with Jewish understanding, and therefore ignore it, read this as, when you come into your kingdom. This concept of a kingdom, for many, throws this scene beyond the thousand-year reign of Christ over the earth. Jesus' response to the thief proves that concept to be wrong. My question to you then is, when will Jesus return to earth as the King? What the Jews longed for then, and expect now, is for Yahshua to come as the warring, conquering Messiah. This triumphant arrival is what we see in Revelation 19:11 when Jesus comes back to earth as the Messiah riding a white horse. (If you hold to the idea that this Bible we read is a Jewish book, then information, such as we see in Revelation 19, will begin to make sense to you.)
   Merely being a Jew does not exclude you from breaking laws, and this man surely broke enough to get himself hung. Although, considering the Roman propensity for hanging people to make a statement, I am not surprised he is there next to Jesus.
4. Jesus response to the man who is demonstrating a form of belief,
   “What I'm about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise.”
   (Luke 23:43 NIrV)
   There was an emphasis on Jesus' words to the man. Now whether Jesus said, “what I am about to tell you is true,” is debatable, but the effect emerges from the scripture, and virtually every translation proves this out. Jesus was telling the man, beyond all doubt, that TODAY the man would be with Him in paradise.
   “Paradise is a Persian word and was used for an enclosed park or pleasure ground. The word occurs in two other passages in the N.T. (2Co_12:4; Rev_2:7), in both of which the reference is plainly to heaven” (Robertson, Word Pictures, vol. 2, p. 287).

So let's get back to Romans 10:11 for a moment. Look at this verse in the New International Readers Version.

“But I will bless any man who trusts in me. I will show my favor to the one who depends on me.” (Jeremiah 17:7 NirV)

The Word Study Dictionary says this about the Hebrew word for trust.

bāṭaḥ: “A verb indicating to trust, to be confident. It expresses the feeling of safety and security that is felt when one can rely on someone or something else. It is used to show trust in God. …, and people.”

The Strong's concordance tells us this about the word trust.

To hide for refuge (but not so precipitately as H2620); figuratively to trust, be confident or sure. H2620 is the Hebrew word khaw-saw' and means to flee for protection.

Strong's shows us a word I was not familiar with, precipitately. The word means hastily, with rash haste, without due caution.

It seems that the only time we run without due caution is when we are in imminent danger. God, on the other hand, desires that we run to Him regularly, not because we are weak and out of control, but because He is love and longs to show us that love. To prove my point, you will be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to give their life to save you. Oh sure, there is always that one person that makes the news, but they aren't your friend. God, on the other hand, put Himself on that cross, for you, when you hated Him or were so distanced from Him that you did not want Him to see your face.

Answer me this is that something that we do, flee to God for protection? Israel fled to God, but only when things got completely out of control. I have done that myself, and things were indeed out of control. So for us, this concept seems to be a standard, but is it God's?

Did the thief on the cross, that gained acceptance into paradise, put his trust in God?
Obviously, he did, for Jesus himself said, “what I am telling you is true, this day you will be with me in paradise.”

Did the thief who gained the assured acceptance into paradise, go through all the standard religious practices? There is no practical way he could have done that. I believe it is safe to assume that this man was a Jew as well, and would have known what the law required for repentance, and how that blood, spilled in sacrifice was the decreed way to gain righteousness at this time. Sadly, the man was in no position to do any of that.

Another piece of evidence, on behalf of the thief, was that he could recognize that Jesus had done no wrong. How would he have known that and by what standard could he have made that kind of assessment? (We assume that the thief was not a Jew. It would appear that our assumption is wrong, once again.)

In studying the early chapters of Romans, I commented on how Paul spoke of God leveling the playing field. Well, here it is again.

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

(Romans 10:12-13 NASB)

Can you not see that the thief on the cross, called upon the name of the Lord?

Next time we will pick up at Romans 10:14 and finish this out.

Is there injustice in God? Romans 9:15 - 27. Part two of two.

We previously looked at Romans 9:14 where Paul asked the question, is there injustice in God?
Paul answers his own question with, Of course not!; Paul continues with what we see in Romans 9:15-16.

Romans 9:15-16 NET. For he says to Moses: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (16) So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.

Where does this showing of mercy come from?
Exodus 33:18-19 NET. And Moses said, "Show me your glory." (19) And the LORD said, "I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the LORD by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy."

Moses merely asked to see God's glory. That was an all-encompassing request, for, as we learned, His Glory shows up in everything. If God was going to be narrow-minded about whom He showed his grace and mercy, why start with Moses, for he murdered a man? Why show any of those things to any of us, as we are all embedded with this sin nature?

What is the one passage that gets read for most salvation pleas?

John 3:16 NASB "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

If John 3:16 shows us anything, it shows us a God that was willing to put Himself on that cross for a world that did not love Him.

Does that demonstrate a God who handpicks those He will show grace and mercy to, when, in fact, it is a demonstration of how He shows grace and mercy to all who will follow after Him?

To reiterate.
Romans 9:16 NASB So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

We cannot do this on our own, and it is God who demonstrates mercy. Now here comes the one verse that seems to slap us around more than any other. I will give you the MKJV first.

Romans 9:17 MKJV  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose I have raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth."

What scripture?
And Jehovah said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, So says Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. For I am going to send at this time all My plagues upon your heart, and upon your servants, and upon your people, so that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. For now, I will stretch out My hand, that I may strike you and your people with plagues, and you shall be cut off from the earth. And for this, I have made you stand, to make you see My power, to declare My name in all the land. Do you still exalt yourself against My people, that you will not let them go? (Exodus 9:13-17 MKJV)

There is a phrase here that I want to focus on for a moment, and I want to look at the NASB to do it.

"But, indeed, for this reason, I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. (Exodus 9:16 NASB)

The Hebrew word for reason is abur and also means on account of.

God was not punishing a human just because He felt a need to be vindictive; there were many reasons. When we look at the context, which I have given in Exodus 9:13-17, you can see several clues as to why God used Pharaoh in this manner.

1. Pharaoh, regardless of whether he respected the word of Moses or not, was under a mandate to release God's people; he chose to disregard that mandate.
2. We learn that Pharaoh was warned that plagues would come: upon his heart, the heart of his servants, and the heart of the Egyptians – your people. While the plagues go beyond annoying, they were meant to demonstrate that God is in control, NOT some Pharaoh. Let us make something understood, God's people did not belong to Pharaoh, but they had foolishly given their hearts to Egypt. Scripture proves this out, and we see it when Stephen addresses the Jewish council who intends to kill him. He provides the council with a history lesson, which none of them disputed, and Stephen added, “your people, brought the tent of Moloch and the star of Rephan out of Egypt with them. You can find this story in Acts chapter seven but look specifically at verses 39, where their hearts turned back to Egypt, and verse 43, which tells us that they brought the tabernacle of Moloch.

Romans 9:18 CJB  So then, he has mercy on whom he wants, and he hardens whom he wants.
Should this perceived attitude problem cause us problems? Why should it, aren't we currently living in God's enduring grace?

Keep something in mind. Joseph, under the control of a different Pharaoh, was raised to the second-highest position in the country. Nobody did anything in Egypt without Joseph knowing about it. Did that Pharaoh care? Not at all, in fact, Pharaoh relaxed knowing that a Godly man was in charge. But almost four hundred years have passed, Joseph has long since died, and Israel is still in Egypt and growing in numbers. This new Pharaoh, who knows nothing of Joseph, nor cares, is concerned about one thing, this vast number of people could turn against him, and therefore, must be quickly controlled and sedated.

Dr. J Vernon McGee tells us that, “God hardened Pharaoh's heart, it means that God forced Pharaoh to make the decision that was in his heart. God forced him to do the thing he wanted to do. There never will be a person in hell who did not choose to be there, my friend. You are the one who makes your own decision.”

So the assumption made by the foolish is that humanity has no choice, when, in fact, their course of action to reject God is their own making. God merely helps to get them there.

Romans 9:19 TLV  You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”

Assuming that we lack a choice, some will say, why then still find fault in people, for who can resist God's will? The Message translation gets right to the point in response to the question we see in verse 19.

Romans 9:20 MSG  Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you, for one moment, suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn't talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, "Why did you shape me like this?"

I think the obvious answer NO ONE knows the heart of God, the way the Son did. One way for me to understand this is that our antenna is broken, and as James says, we look through the glass darkly. But also pay attention to this sentence: “Clay doesn't talk back to the fingers that mold it.” Now that should straighten the hairs on the back of your neck.

Romans 9:21 MSG  Isn't it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans?

Well, of course, He does, and I suspect He has the right to reconfigure us as it suits His needs, not ours.

Romans 9:23-24 MSG  and another style carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn't that all right?  (24)  Either or both happens to Jews, but it also happens to the other people.

And we are the other people who were adopted into this relationship. Adopted but Sons none the less, and since we are sons, we are obedient.

Romans 9:25-26 MSG  Hosea put it well: I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I'll call the unloved and make them beloved.  (26)  In the place where they yelled out, "You're nobody!" they're calling you "God's living children."

Romans 9:27 NLT  And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, “Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved.

Concerning Israel, only a remnant will be saved. What does that mean?
Several things. The meanings can be wrapped up in an understanding that not all will come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and it can also point to Israel's end-times destruction. I believe this is what is conveyed in Ezekiel 38, 39.

Romans 9:28 NLT  For the LORD will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality.”

The notion of a sentence, as used here, has to do with judgment. When does God bring judgment?
Only when He has removed those who are to be excluded in that judgment, will He pour out His wrath upon the earth for seven years. We have two ways of considering this time frame, in contrast to what Romans 9:28 tells us.

1. Seven years is a drop in the bucket compared to the last two thousand or so years we have been waiting for Christ to return and catch the church away.
2. Since Paul uses the term finality, then we are thrust forward in time to the end of those seven years, to the time when Jesus will come riding back on the scene on a white horse. It is then that much of what we see as justice will be delivered. If you are familiar with this story in the Revelation, then you are aware of the speed with which it transpires.
3. For those that love to argue, there is one last judgment However, it is for slightly different reasons, and that is the great white throne judgment. This judgment comes after Christ, and a few others have been reigning over the earth for a thousand years. Satan gets released at this point and deceives the nations. Remember, the nations are those that are outside of a relationship with Christ, and there is surely the opportunity during the 1000 year reign.  Those nations, under the guidance of Satan, try to kill God; however, God consumes them all with fire, and they too are brought before the Great White Throne. This moment in time ends all judgments forever, and the rest of us all live happily ever after.

Romans 9:29 NLT  And Isaiah said the same thing in another place: “If the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of our children, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.”

Paul got this from Isaiah 1:9 NLT
If the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.

But this has a familiar ring to it.
Isaiah 10:21-23 NASB A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. (22) For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. (23) For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

Romans 9:30-33 NASB What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; (31) but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. (32) Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, (33) just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

• “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; (31) but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law?”
• Why did Israel not arrive at that law?

HE WHO BELIEVES IN JESUS CHRIST WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

God's everlasting love. Romans 8:31-39

We ended with this:

Romans 8:30 NASB and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

• Predestined
• Called
• Justified
• And Glorified

And thus begins our next foray into Romans.

God's Everlasting Love

“Since” He has done all this for us,

Romans 8:31 NASB What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

After what we have learned concerning how God feels about us and who we are now, why throw out a word like "if"? When in fact, at this point, in my journey through Romans, I am deeply aware that God is for me, just as He is for you. Another translation read like this:

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us.” (ERV) 

The word “if” is merely expressive style on the part of Paul and doesn't require an answer. [Some would say, it is a rhetorical question.] We find Paul writing like this frequently.

Against is the Greek word katá and indicates motion meaning down from a higher to a lower place. However, my immediate response to the word does not strike me like that; it comes across like an enemy's attack. The Dictionary tells us it is something in opposition, a contradiction, or aversions, such as a decree against law, reason, or public opinion. Since we know that God tests no man (James 1:13), then it is not reasonable to think that it would be God coming against us. I can see where this type of thinking comes from, as we tend to perceive God as up in the heavens; therefore, any perceived judgment or test from Him would be coming down.

What else could “come down”? Since our enemy originated in the heavens, then perhaps any work or word that comes against us from him, or his cohorts, could be perceived as coming down.

Let's address our rhetorical question, “If God is for us,” for a moment. Since we know that God is for us, then Paul continues in his efforts to respond to such a challenge with a logical approach as he points out:

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 NASB

Think about this, how or why would God, “who did not spare His own Son,” for a purpose, NOW, not also freely give us all things”? How about one other version?

He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 TLV 

This verse demands that you analyze what it is saying to you.

• He did not spare his own Son.
  Jesus, the physical representation of God, voluntarily put himself on that cross. When talking about God sparing His own Son; we are talking about the gut-wrenching decision to restrain Himself, from rescuing His only child from the horrors of what is to come. When Jesus cried out in the garden, isn't there any other way? He knew there wasn't.
• “but delivered Him over for us all,”
  There was a higher purpose, and that was to save all of humanity if they would accept this great salvation. [Obviously, many don't.]
  There it is, God had to restrain himself from rescuing His Son so that you and I could be redeemed, saved, and given a new life with the Father in eternity.
• “how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things?”
  First off, this comes across as though we are to take for granted that this will happen. Fortunately, God has never worked that way. So Paul is not making this stuff up as he hopes that presently, or in the future, the Father will give us all things. You see, God first demonstrated how this would all play out, through Abraham.
  Genesis 22:16-18 TLV  and said, “By myself, I swear—it is a declaration of Adonai—because you have done this thing, and you did not withhold your son, your only son,  (17)  I will richly bless you and bountifully multiply your seed like the stars of heaven, and like the sand that is on the seashore, and your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.  (18)  In your seed, all the nations of the earth will be blessed—because you obeyed My voice.”
  We, effectively, get a word for word imagery as to how what He did through Abraham, would play out through Jesus on the cross. So the things that the Father will give us are this:

• I will bless you
• and bountifully multiply your seed,
• your seed will possess the gate of your enemies
• In you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed
The word bless, as we see in Genesis 22, is not as vague as it seems, it is the Hebrew word bāraḵ and suggests the bending of the knee in blessing. Its derived meaning is to bless someone or something and indicates that God will give us such honor, in time. The Greek word for “how” that we find in Romans 8:32 is an interrogative that also means” in what way or manner.”
All things? As I began this study, I could not honestly define what that looks like. Peace was one of the words that echo in my mind as I ponder what “all things” would look like. This word peace is especially important, seeing as I only have rare moments of it.
I just realized that I, too, have PTSD; I think we all do to a degree. Doesn't admitting that I have PTSD imply that something came against me, and I lost the battle? How can that be when Romans 8:31 contend that nothing can stand against us? Ah, but coming against, taking quick shots at us, and going into a prolonged, full-scale war, are two different things, for when the enemy comes against us, we typically don't recognize it immediately. Moments later, you realize that you have been hit; you can tell by your physical and emotional reactions, some of which are less than neighborly.

Our mutual understanding of the next verse typically reads like this.:

Romans 8:33 NASB Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

Even though we struggle frequently with the concept, you, as a follower of Jesus Christ, are one of God's elect. Let's try the Message and see if it comes across any clearer.

And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Romans 8:33 MSG 

That is significantly clearer; however, it still doesn't answer the question that many ask, how do I know that I was chosen?

Deuteronomy 10:15 NLT  Yet the LORD chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today.

Even if you cannot claim Jewish heritage, you are a descendant through adoption. We find references to this adoption in Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:5, and Ephesians 1:5. We were adopted through Christ Jesus.

Since, in theory, no one should dare to tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen, then Paul can also say,

Romans 8:34 NLT  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

You need to know this; people and Satan will try to condemn you. Try as they may, it has no effect, because “Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” Oh, how I long to tattoo this on your brain so that you never forget it. Do you understand that amid the voices, Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father, speaking to Him on our behalf? The Complete Jewish Bible does a pretty good job of making this point.

Romans 8:34 CJB  Who punishes them? Certainly not the Messiah Yeshua, who died and—more than that—has been raised, is at the right hand of God and is actually pleading on our behalf!

It is hard for some to picture, but this is an inexpressible love. No human has ever done this for me, but Jesus did. Now, with someone like this on your side, Paul addresses his next question.

Romans 8:35 CJB  “Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah?

Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger? War?”

Paul continues:

 “As it is written, “For Your sake, we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.”  (37)  But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:36-37 TLV

Paul may be referencing multiple passages in the same sentence. For example:

Jeremiah 12:3b NASB Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter And set them apart for a day of carnage!

As yet, this next passage is not so prominent in the United States, but I see it coming in my spirit, and it grieves me.

2 Corinthians 4:11 NASB (11) For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

And finally,

Psalms 44:22 NASB But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Jesus himself told the Jewish crowd of followers that tribulations would be a way of life for His disciples – that includes us. Just remember that it was the elders and Chief priests that put Jesus on the cross that day, so the majority of tribulations will come from religious zealots.

Regardless, the thing to keep in mind is that:

“But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37b TLV

Almost as if Paul was saying “so what” he continues with this:

Romans 8:38-39 NASB For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul creates an extensive list of things that WE think can strip God's love from us.

• Death??
  In the case of my mother, my father asked, where do you think mom is? One thing I knew for sure about mom was that she loved the Lord and was, therefore, in heaven at that very moment. Yes, many of her concepts were embedded in legalism and imagination, but you could see Jesus in her actions and life patterns.
  “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”(Hebrews 2:14-15 NASB)
• Life??
  Merely discussing life seems like a crazy sentiment to many, as they think that living your best life, is being able to spend several days a week at Disneyland or on the river skiing. Life, on these terms, is in total opposition to God's ways and plans.
  You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4 NASB)
• Angels
  Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, (Colossians 2:18 NASB)
  Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? (1 Corinthians 6:2-3 NASB)
• Principalities
  - This is the Greek word arche and means the first place, principality, rule, magistracy. Often includes references to angels and demons. Spoken of as the princes or chiefs among angels (Eph_1:21; Eph_3:10; Col_2:10); among demons (1Co_15:24; Eph_6:12; Col_2:15); the powers of the other world (Rom_8:38; Col_1:16
• Things present
  Each day has its own set of trials; these are the present things.
• Nor, things to come.
  It would be future events. While this is a broad spectrum statement, it does apply to us as well since we have no clue what the future holds, as far as our personal lives look like. Sure, many of you think you have life under control, but your life can end in mere seconds. Now, as to future events scripturally, we are not in the dark that we should not know what God has planned. Do we know everything with precision? NO, but much like the baseball world series, we know when the season will come, and that the series can go for four or seven games. We know that there will be a winner. Prophecy and the Revelation is not so different, for scripture has spelled all that out for us. We are in the season, and the series is being played out before us. We also know that the winner will come riding in on a white horse and shut the mouths of all those who choose to fight with Him.
• Height
  My attempted definition is far too dull and simplistic, as the Lord and His throne is always thought of as being up. There are many references to God being in the high places. So what if we thought of God as being against us? Then could we fear the heights, yes, we could. Perhaps the idea is that we have nothing to fear if we are in Christ Jesus.
  The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice, The floods lift up their pounding waves. More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea, The LORD on high is mighty. Your testimonies are fully confirmed; Holiness befits Your house, O LORD, forevermore. (Psalms 93:3-5 NASB)
• Depth
  The depths are always associated with hell, Satan, death, and destruction. Since our spirits live forever, then death should be directed at any potential separation from God.
  And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9 NASB)
• Nor any created thing.
  A quick rundown on how many things were created. EVERYTHING. This includes man, stars, plant life, animals, and angels. All will be subject, in their entirety, to God once again. In the meantime, they cannot separate you from the love of God.

Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD; however, this doesn't mean that they won't try. Again, I know that this will discourage many, and they will not put out any effort to learn or change. Here is where the understanding of James comes into play because James speaks toward these constant attempts to take us out of the ball game.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (4) And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (5) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:2-5 NASB

If we stand against these attacks, whether it looks like we are victorious or not, we still receive all that God has in store for us, because He loves us.