Then what’s the use of being a Jew? Are there any special benefits for them from God? Is there any value in the Jewish circumcision ceremony? Yes, being a Jew has many advantages. First of all, God trusted them with his laws (so that they could know and do His will). True, some of them were unfaithful, but just because they broke their promises to God, does that mean God will break His promises?
(Rom 3:1-4 TLB)
Trusted with the Word
The Jews were given the Word of God, so they could know Him and do His will) but eventually, they did not believe His promises. Their unfaithfulness did not nullify the faithfulness of God.
Imagine, down through eons of history, there has never been nor ever will be a God like our God—the one and only God. Adam and Eve knew God, and in their disobedience, their great relationship with Him was severed.
God Did Not Abandon Us
Imagine, God could have abandoned us, but He didn’t. The entire universe is under His command. He could have chosen another planet to hold His image bearers. Would they be more obedient?
Eventually, from the moment of Abel’s murder to the birth of Noah, the earth was wicked.
When God saw the extent of human wickedness, and that the trend and direction of men’s lives were only toward evil, He was sorry He had made them. It broke His heart.
Genesis 6:5-6 TLB.
Again, the Lord could have abandoned us, but there was Noah. A man who pleased the Lord. The greater the crime rate, the closer God came to flooding the earth. One man was saved and from Him came Abraham, another man who pleased the Lord.
Belief Counted as Righteousness
Abraham believed in the promises of God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham is not only the Father of the Jewish Nation but through Him, every nation is blessed.
God revealed Himself to the Jewish Nation and from them we are blessed by a Savior, Christ Jesus! Salvation is ours because of God’s faithfulness and enduring love.
Praise God, He did not abandon us—Praise God ever more for our salvation!
God is Faithful
God is faithful to all His promises. As faithful as God is to the Jews, He is faithful to all believers. In Christ, we are redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified. We no longer need the Levitical Laws to atone for our sins or a priest to intervene on our behalf. The Holy Spirit is a gift to the redeemed of the Lord. Christ Himself intervenes on our behalf.
The Jews had a special revelation. They were given the very words of God. The breath of God that made Adam a living soul was given to the Jewish Nation. He who formed our ears listens, and He who shaped our eyes sees.
Again, everything points to a true relationship—a heart relationship and the gospel truth.
Focus on What We’ve Learned
Dear Friends in Rome: This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ’s slave, chosen to be a missionary, and sent out to preach God’s Good News. This Good News was promised long ago by God’s prophets in the Old Testament. It is the Good News about His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who came as a human baby, born into King David’s royal family line; and by being raised from the dead He was proved to be the mighty Son of God, with the holy nature of God Himself. And now, through Christ, all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us undeserving sinners; and now He is sending us out around the world to tell all people everywhere the great thing God has done for them, so that they, too, will believe and obey Him.
Romans 1:1-6 TLB.
And you, dear friends in Rome, are among those He dearly loves; you, too, are invited by Jesus Christ to be God’s very own—yes, His holy people. May all God’s mercies and peace be yours from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:7-8 TLB.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is God’s powerful method of bringing all who believe it to heaven. This message was preached first to the Jews alone, but now everyone is invited to come to God in this same way. This Good News tells that God makes us ready for heaven—makes us right in God’s sight—when we put our faith and trust in Christ to save us. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scripture says it, “The man who finds life will find it through trusting God.”
Romans 1:16-17 TLB.
Yes, they knew about Him all right, but they wouldn’t admit it or worship Him, or even thank Him for all His daily care. And after a while, they began to think up silly ideas of what God was like and what He wanted them to do. The result was that their foolish minds became dark and confused.
Romans 1:21 TLB
Don’t you realize how patient He is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that He has been waiting all this time without punishing you to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. But no, you won’t listen; and so you are saving up terrible punishment for yourselves because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin; for there is going to come a day of wrath when God will be the just Judge of all the world. He will give each one whatever his deeds deserve..
Romans 2:4-6 TLB
He will punish sin wherever it is found. He will punish the heathen when they sin, even though they never had God’s written laws, for down in their hearts they know right from wrong. God’s laws are written within them; their own conscience accuses them, or sometimes excuses them. And God will punish the Jews for sinning because they have His written laws but don’t obey them. They know what is right, but don’t do it. After all, salvation is not given to those who know what to do, unless they do it. The day will surely come when at God’s command Jesus Christ will judge the secret lives of everyone, their inmost thoughts and motives; this is all part of God’s great plan which I proclaim.
Romans 2:12-16 TLB
For you are not real Jews just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision. No, a real Jew is anyone whose heart is right with God. For God is not looking for those who cut their bodies in actual body circumcision, but he is looking for those with changed hearts and minds. Whoever has that kind of change in his life will get his praise from God, even if not from you.
Romans 2:28-29 TLB.
God’s Chosen People – Circumcised and knowledgeable, But unfaithful
The Jews are God’s chosen people. There is value in knowing God’s word, His ways, and His revealed will. But there is more to it than that. God is faithful and He will show Himself faithful. The Jews broke their faith in God, but He continued to be faithful.
It is not true that the worse we are, the better God likes it. The Jews are a treasured people, but so are we. Why? Because we are faithful to Him in what we think, how we make choices, in what we do, and in what we say. We’re not afraid of Judgment because God saved us with an everlasting love.
The Jews had the revelation, but they were unfaithful. They did not believe in God, although God remained faithful to Him and to His words (promises).
God is not a liar!
Men may break their word, but God will never go against His Word, His character, or His ways. He is, and always will be, faithful.
Be gracious to me, O God, according to your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of your compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight so that You are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge.
Psalm 5:3-4 NASB.
Our minds, emotions, and the essence of our being (our heart) matter to God. Not our color, our income, our social standing, or our family. God knows us for who we are—His child. He is aware of our secrets and knowledgeable of every intent of our hearts. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
We are Faithful and True!
Let us rise as children of the Most High—not the sons and daughters of humankind. Let us let God change us in a way that we walk with hearts, not on fire, but beating in rhythm to the Holy.
Let Him see our hearts kept for Him. Hearts not cold, but burning bright. Hearts not unshielded, but yielded.
Blessing,
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