Let's have a Bible study. Romans chapter nine, the first 13 verses this morning of the ninth chapter of the book of Romans, that thing working right on. Lost the first one. So but anyway, the first 13 verses, the title of the message, God has a plan. The book of Romans seems to be a theological cross between mountain climbing and cliff diving from high highs and summit peaks to low lows and and diving into the depths of draining issues. Perhaps you recall from chapter 1, the summit peak of verses 16 and 17 where Paul declared the incredibly good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes that in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, that just shall live by faith. Now, biblically speaking, you don't get a much better view than that. That kind of declaration is a summit peak. And just when he had gripped us with that breathtaking view of the beauty to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. You recall that without warning, it's as if he just turned around and plummeted headlong deep into the depths of the depravity of man. He went from one extreme all the way to the other, just like that. And of course, when we get an understanding, a good understanding of who we are, it causes the love and grace of God to shine all the brighter against the blackness of our own sin towards and rebellion against God. And I pray for you that as we have been studying through the book of Romans, that you have come to gain a deeper appreciation for all that God has done for you in Christ. Well, as we concluded chapter eight, we had just ascended another peak on this theological mountain range of the book of Romans, Paul had hit just an incredibly high crescendo with the declaration and the revelation of the fact that nothing, be it visible or invisible death or life powers, principalities, present realities or future happenings, tribulation, fear, distress, persecution, height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. I mean, We read of the reality of the love of God towards us, the fact that in Christ he is forever for us and that nothing can separate us from his love. And it's like all that we can do to restrain ourselves from a hallelujah chorus. If that reality does nothing for you, do me a favor. Check your pulse. Make sure you're with us, because if you know, we've done here's the deal. We've done nothing to deserve it. We're in no way worthy of it. But that God has loved us. with an everlasting love. In Christ He is for you. And as we have been learning on Wednesday evenings in the book of Esther, He refuses, praise God, to give up on you. And once again, without warning, Paul now takes us from this summit peak of Scripture to what would seem to be a screeching halt to share with us the unending anguish and the practically unbearable burden of his heart. The Jews, his own countrymen, according to the flesh, But don't think that he's somehow sidetracked. Some see it that way as if this is sort of a parenthetical kind of, you know, side light in the midst of the main things that he's wanting to teach us. Some see it again that way, kind of like as if Paul just sort of had an intellectual blowout at the end of chapter eight, having had this, you know, this major epiphany, if you will. He just imparting this radical revelation. And then over the next few chapters, he just kind of meanders and carries on about the nation. of Israel, but then he picks back up in chapter 12 and carries on because you can read it from chapter 8 right into chapter 12. And it doesn't miss a beat with all of that. But because of that, they choose to see some choose to see chapters 9 through 11 again as sort of that parenthetical information that's just kind of on the side of the main point that Paul is trying to make. But in reality, these chapters are not parenthetical to Paul's point. They're absolutely essential because the argument goes something like this. Paul, you've just shared with us this mind boggling reality, the absolute certainty of God's love, the unalterable, the inseparable position that God has brought us into in Christ. But if that be true, well, then you know, kind of caught in a quandary. What about the nation of Israel? They're God's chosen people. They're a people of promise. And yet it seems that God has set them aside, has separated them. Hey, if it didn't pan out for Israel, the chosen nation of God, then how can we be sure it'll pan out for us? I mean, you see, how can I be sure of God's love and salvation to me when it seems that Israel once loved, once saved and all of that, but now has been cursed or rejected, as it were? How can I be sure that God won't one day curse me or reject me? And so he's building this all along the way throughout these chapters. And over these next few chapters, he deals with just that perspective, ensuring us of the fact that God has a plan. And Israel is an integral part of that plan and will still serve to illustrate the faithfulness of God. We have to understand that there is a big picture at work and nothing is going to circumvent or slide outside of the predetermined plan of God, be it for Israel specifically and nationally or for your life personally. The emphasis of chapter 9, if you kind of etch in your margin or above your chapter, is on God's past dealings with Israel. Chapter 10 deals with God's present dealings with Israel. And chapter 11 is God's promised dealings or future dealings with the nation of Israel. So follow along with me, if you will, in the first five verses of chapter 9 we read, beginning in verse 1, I tell you, or I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen, according to the flesh, who are Israelites to whom pertain the adoption the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God and the promises of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is overall the eternally blessed God. Amen. And amen. So from the summit of glory at the end of chapter eight to this somber and sobering reality at the beginning of chapter nine, the great sorrow, the unending anguish of heart that Paul perpetually dealt with. He says, I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying. You see, there were those who considered Paul a traitor, basically having left the guild of the Pharisees. He was perceived to have abandoned the law himself, having kind of taken his seat or his side with the Gentiles, teaching them that the law of Moses was irrelevant or unimportant. This was their perspective of him. And he just seemed to have turned his back on everything they held sacred in their own eyes. And so Paul says, listen, that couldn't be further from the truth. I don't know how to say it any clearer. I can't make my point any stronger. You know, I just I'm telling the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bearing witness in the Holy Spirit. Of course, the affirmation here being that he in no way, shape or form is against Israel. but in reality is very much for them, has a deep unrelenting burden towards them, and would even take his seat in hell if it would save them. But before we get too carried away with all of that just yet, I want to draw out a very simple, but I believe a very necessary application found in verse 1. Now you'd think that amongst believers it'd be a simple reality, no need to place emphasis on it specifically, but unfortunately, Such is not always the case. Paul emphasized the fact that in Christ, he was telling the truth, not lying. What's my point? Listen, if you're in Christ, speak the truth. Don't lie. Don't bear false witness. Don't exaggerate a circumstance or a situation. Now, I find that most believers don't wrestle too much with flat out, bold faced lying, though some do. But there are many who are caught in the snare of exaggeration, just stretching the truth just a bit for the sake of emphasis. And that's called a lie. The Bible says lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are his delight. Paul told the Ephesians, therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. To the Colossians, he wrote, do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds. Another way to understand that is a lying tongue is characteristic of the old man, the old unregenerate nature. The new nature will speak the truth. In love, which is another huge key, speaking the truth is good, but being rude about it accomplishes absolutely nothing. Everything we do. as believers, including speaking the truth, needs to be balanced and brought into the context of love. Again, we read speaking the truth in love, grow up in all things into him who is the head Christ. And so a real mark of Christian character is being tactfully truthful. Paul calls their attention to his transparent honesty before them, his conscience bearing witness in the Holy Spirit. Now, again, the word or the phrase in the Holy Spirit is key because the conscience in and of itself is an insufficient guide. It can become seared through non repentant sin, through a bitter spirit. It can be, as it were, covered over through, you know, insensitive scar tissue. A lot of people, I mean, in the world, a lot of people do a lot of sinful things and their conscience doesn't bother them one bit. You know, growing up, my mom every now and then used to issue the exhortation. Perhaps you've heard it. Let your conscience be your guide. Hey, that's all I needed to hear. You know, kind of a thing. Glad to hear that. See you later. You know, kind of a deal. Of course, every now and then the guilt worked and all of that. But for the most part, if I can do what I feel like, you know, fine, that sounds like a good deal. But even the believer's conscience can become unreliable if, as I say, they're neglecting fellowship with the Lord, they're living in disobedience to his word, they have an unforgiving, embittered spirit or whatever the case may be. But a conscience that's truly surrendered to and held captive by God's word is a conscience that's truly subject to the Holy Spirit and the witness therein. Now, not an imperviousness to mistakes. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that. But the context here is that he is, in essence, calling God as his witness to the truthfulness of his statement. And he says that he qualifies that this way The fact that his conscience is clear before God in what I'm about to tell you, because what he's about to tell him is radical. Notice verse two of chapter nine, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen, according to the flesh. In essence, what Paul is saying here is that his burden for the lost, specifically those Jews who had missed Jesus as the Messiah, was so great that if it'd be possible for him to trade his salvation that they might be saved, he'd do it. Think about that. Oh, don't just pass that by. Think that one over. This was a people. Think about who he's speaking of. He's speaking of a people who, by and large, wanted him dead. And we discovered that emphatically throughout our course in our journey through the book of Acts. And this type of self-sacrificing love for me, I confess, is something I've yet to realize. Oh, I mean, we can think of ourselves perhaps sacrificing our ourselves for for our family. I'd like to think that I could make the decision to suffer an eternal fate in hell if I knew it were the only way that I, you know, my wife or my kids could make it to heaven. You know, but within that context, we're talking about the people who are dearest to me on the face of the earth. But I can't sit here before you and try and pretend to say I'd make that same choice for a people I didn't even know, much less those who literally hated everything that I was about. Think perhaps of the person that grates on your nerves the most. Unless it's me, then think of someone else. Think of the second most person at that point. Or those people that you quote unquote love at a distance. And I'm not even sure exactly what that means, honestly, but the phrase floats around. But would you suffer an eternity in the lake of fire for the people that you can barely stand the sight of in the here and now? I mean, much less for those who made no bones over the fact that they couldn't care less about you or your general well-being or anything along those lines. I mean, that's what Paul is saying. And he's speaking the truth in Christ, his conscience bearing witness in the Holy Spirit. This is my heart for them. They're against me, but I'm for them. Kind of reminds us of that scene there in Exodus 32. Moses, perhaps you remember, had been up on the mountain spending time with the Lord. He was receiving the testimonies or the law. He was receiving the blueprints of the tabernacle and all of that. But when he had delayed in coming down, at least according to their thought, they thought maybe he'd be up there a day or two or a week or three or whatever, but 40 days goes by and man, I don't know if he's come. Maybe he crawled up there and I don't know what happened to him and he ain't coming back. And so they thought he had delayed his return and all. And so you remember the story, the people began to grow antsy. They were getting restless. They were kind of, you know, and so what they did, you know, the scriptures, long story short, Aaron fashions a golden calf for them out of the jewelry that the people brought to him. And then Moses comes down. He finds them committing this horrific sin of idolatry. He becomes irate. He tells them to choose. You got to choose hot or cold. Which side of the fence are you going to stand? You remember the Levites drew near to Moses. And then, of course, the purging of the leaven of the lump of Israel when 3,000 that day were struck by the sword of the men of Levi. And Moses goes back up on the mountain after that in order to intercede for the people. Of course, he had to regroup the law and everything because he had thrown it down and, you remember, destroyed the calf and ground it up and made them all drink it and all that. I just always thought that scene was kind of funny. you know, crushing the cow and making him drink it. But be that as it may, maybe it's not funny to you. Maybe I'm just sick and twisted. Forgive me. I go, I always thought that was funny. Everyone's going... I don't see humor in that. But he goes up on the mountain and he begins to make intercession for them. And he says, oh, these people have committed a great sin and have made themselves a god of gold. Yet now, if you will forgive their sin, but if not, I pray, blot me out of your book which you have written." Translation, God, if you won't forgive them, I'll take my part with them in condemnation. Now, I can't fathom that kind of love for a rebellious, stiff-necked, murmuring, constantly complaining kind of a people, having a heart like that. And of course, God spared him. But I don't want you to think that in that, so I don't want you to miss the main message in that. The reason God spared him specifically, oh, surface-ly perhaps, but specifically, was not because of Moses' plea bargaining, but because God is merciful. We thank God for Moses being there and everything, but you see, before you make man out to be the hero there and God out to be the mean one wanting to smoke all of them, You need to stop and ask yourself, how is it that Moses even obtained that kind of a heart? Who put that heart of intercessory, that passion and care and love and intercessory prayer for them in his heart? You see, God is always looking for an opportunity to show mercy. But his holiness demands justice. But somehow and in some way and for some reason, he's opted to use humanity instrumentally in the accomplishing of his will here on the earth. And I suggest to you that had God not called Moses up on that mountain, had Moses not been spending all of that time, intimate time with God, gleaning the heart of God as he did, that he wouldn't have had it in his heart to stand in the gap for the people the way that he did. But because he spent time, intimate time with the Lord, he had captured the heart of the Lord. And through that, God was able to do what God was wanting to do, which was show mercy. But he was needing an opportunity to do that, and Moses gave it to him through intercessory prayer. What's the application? That you, that I, spend intimate time with the Lord. That you might capture the heart of the Lord and cultivate the heart of the Lord for the lost around you, that you might find yourself standing in the gap. You see, how is it that Paul could say this? How did he obtain such a huge burden for the lost, specifically his own countrymen? I believe one major key is found in the first verse of chapter 10. Flip over, if you will, take a look at chapter 10, verse 1. Paul writing and he says, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the nation of Israel or for Israel is that they may be saved. You see, here's the deal. When we spend time with the Lord, praying and crying out before the Lord for the salvation. In this case, with him, of his fellow countrymen, or in your case, perhaps another circumstance, Through praying on the behalf of them, his heart was welling up with love for them. And what I'm trying to tell you is this. Something happens in your heart when you begin to pray honestly and openly for a people or a person who otherwise might get on your nerves or want nothing to do with you or whatever. Your heart will begin to change towards them. You'll find that you begin to find yourself concerned, desiring whatever God has. for them." Hey, it's no wonder that Jesus said, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. Oh, it would seem to me that Paul was wracked with this burden for them because of all the time he was spending in prayer over them or with regards to them. You see, not only is it good for those whom you're praying for, obviously, emphatically, that's going to benefit them. But also it challenges and changes your heart as well. Suddenly, I find myself more concerned for you or concerned about you if I'm spending time in prayer for you. You see, we spoke Wednesday evening about the need to have a burden, the need that we have to be burdened for the lost. Think it through briefly. How much time do you spend literally praying for the lost? Think about it. Oh, that God might use you to bring people into his kingdom. Think about the things that worry you, the things that in life really that bother you and get to you. And I think that if honestly evaluated in the scope We would find that most of the things that really, really trouble us, they're not usually a big deal in the scope of the grand scheme of things, or maybe an isolated little situation that may disrupt me. But in the big picture, it's really not. I mean, generally, we worry a whole lot over fairly insignificant issues. But there is a surefire way to eliminate insignificant stress from our lives, to wipe away all the minor problems that we allow to consume us. And the way to do that is to place our focus on a major problem, that being the need to reach the lost around us with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The fact that there are people slipping off of the planet every day, day in and day out, without Jesus to find themselves in for a rude awakening, being eternally separated from God. You see, the great passion for souls that Paul had helped him maintain the proper perspective presently and personally for him. Now, he had his share of situations and circumstances. We talked about that last week, hard pressed, struck down, persecuted, you know, in prisons, stoned, left for dead, whipped. shipwrecked, you know, all of these things. But he wasn't troubled about those things, minor things, because he focused on a major thing. Again, he didn't let those things get to him because there was a greater need out there than his personal comfort. There was a greater need out there than what so and so thought about him or what the other guy perhaps said about him or the way that the people were trying to treat him and all. And listen, proper perspective. will do amazing things for the stress load of your life. What troubled Paul was that there were people out there, many of whom he knew and loved, who didn't know Jesus. And as far as this life is concerned, nothing else really matter. When what bothers you is someone's eternal destination, you'll find all those minor issues such as being worried about job security or being mad because you're the center of the gossip chain personally or what they said about you or perhaps the way they treated you or the way you see this or the way that's going or whatever. All of those things just fall to the wayside. Because there's a greater need than me and what's happening to me or the way someone treats me or what they think about me or. As far as that goes, what I think, or whoever, you know, you think about me, or I think about you, or from my perspective, the way I would think about another believer, whatever, all of those things are really minor issues compared to the fact, listen, there's a greater need out there than to get introverted, self-centered, and self-perspective. Instead, we should be placing our focus on, well, the fact that God so loved the world, you see. Spurgeon said something to the effect of, Get love for the souls of men." He said, you'll be delivered from petty worries if you're concerned about the souls of men. And he said, get your soul full of a great grief and your little griefs will be driven out. Paul said, I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, willing, if it were, to become accursed of God Himself, if it meant the salvation of others." Hmm, who does that sound like to me? That sounds a lot like Christ-like love, doesn't it? Who did become accursed of God, that we might be saved. Oh, wait a minute, this guy, he had captured... Remember what he said to me? For me to live is Christ. He had just so captured the heart of Christ. It was such a reality in him. Remember he told the Philippian believers that if it meant their edification, he'd stay out of heaven for them. Remember, he was there, he was talking, he said, For me, it's hard-pressed. Between the two, I'm hard-pressed. I mean, to depart and be with the Lord is far better, but to stay and remain with you is a necessary thing for you. So he says, if that's what the need is, then that's what I'll do. I'll stay out of heaven for you, brother, but for you who don't know Christ, I'd go to hell for you. So if He'd make for their edification, He'd stay out of heaven, for the loss of his own countrymen, he said he'd be willing to go to hell if he'd make for their salvation. Of course, it couldn't. I mean, Jesus had already paid the price. He had already taken their place. And there is no other name given among men under heaven by which we must be saved. We understand that. And I'm not trying to magnify Paul at the minimize. I mean, Christ is one. He did it. And he's the one who is worthy of our honor and our glory and our praise and power and blessing and all of that. But this is Paul's burden for his nation, the Israelites, whom God called His own Son. As a nation, He adopted them. You remember Exodus 4, verse 22, He called them His Son. As a nation, He caused His glory to reside literally among them, the pillar of fire by night as He led them, the pillar of cloud by day, then ultimately residing the Shekinah, tangible, practical presence of God over the mercy seat and the tabernacle, and then ultimately filling as well the temple that Solomon built in the Holy of Holies, the covenants he made with them, the law he gave to them, the ministry of the tabernacle and the temple, all of these things he gave to them, all of these things culminating in the coming of Christ Himself who, according to the flesh, came through them. And then Paul makes this radical declaration at the end of verse 5. Did you see it there? He says, who is overall the eternally blessed God." Now, you have to do some real serious swimming around in circles and all of that in order to not see the fact that Paul makes it emphatically, unequivocally, he declares right there, Jesus himself is the eternally blessed God. Forevermore, amen, kind of a thing. He says, "...who is overall the eternally blessed God. He told the Colossians that he's before all things and that in him all things consist. Lord, overall, Israel has been radically blessed by God. Well, then what's the problem? Well, verse six, follow along. But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel. Nor are they all children, because they are the seed of Abraham. But in Isaac your seed shall be called." Paul says two things you need to consider when you start thinking of God's faithfulness to Israel or Israel in the grand plan and grand scheme of things. First of all, they are not all Israel who are of Israel. You kind of read that and you go, all right. You kind of scratch your head. What are you telling me? But it's not that difficult. And we talked about this a little bit before, but what does that mean? Israel, the word Israel means governed by God. You remember Jacob had his name changed. He was there. He was going to meet his brother Esau. He knew that he was going to meet up with him. He was worried because Esau was coming towards him and they had told him. And he goes, OK, part of us go here, part of us go there. We'll separate our companies. If he attacks this company, this will go. If he attacks this company, this will go, whatever. He goes, I'm going to go over here by myself. I'm going to spend some time with the Lord. And I remember the angel of the Lord met him there that night. And we read that he wrestled with the angel of the Lord all night long. And finally at the dawning of the day, the angel says, look, you're going to have to let me go. And Jacob, a broken and crying and desperate man, says, no, I can't let you go, not until you bless me. Kind of a thing. And he says, what's your name? He says, Yaakov, my name is Jacob, which translated means deceiver or heel snatcher or supplanter, you know, conniver kind of a thing. And he says, no longer. And remember, he touches him on the thigh and he cripples him. He was a broken man after that, governed by God. Your name shall be Israel, governed by God. Oh, before you may have been doing your own thing after the flesh, scheming, conniving, all of these things. No more. You're to be governed by God. And so. What Paul is, in essence, saying here and again, having spent some time on this back in chapter two around verse twenty five, so we won't hear, but he's saying that not everyone who is of Israel is truly governed by God. Today, we might say not everyone is a Christian just because they go to church. People wonder what in the world's a deal with the church. Hey, not everyone's a Christian just because they go to church or just because they say They're a Christian. It's not about us. You were a Christian nation, right? No, we're not. Not anymore. You know, not not on a national level. Oh, it's still on our currency and all. But I think that the reality is anything but. But the point is, is that it's not about ascribing a label or being, as it were, quote unquote, religious. But in reality, it's about having a personal relationship with the one true living God. Right. We know that. And then unless you are governed by God, then you're not truly Israel. Now secondly, number two, he emphasizes here in verse seven the fact that the physical lineage means nothing. I think we talked about this in chapter four as well. Just because you may have happened to physically descend from Abraham, what does that prove? All kinds of people descended from Abraham. Ishmael and his lineage and descendants came from Abraham. A lot of people forget the fact that after Sarah died, Abraham remarried a gal named Keturah, had six more sons. through her. And so there's all kinds of, you know, people. So just being a descendant of Abraham in and of itself, it doesn't mean anything. God's plan was a plan of promise. And remember, we talked about the difference between being a descendant of Abraham and a child of Abraham. There's two distinct different things, scripturally speaking, spiritually speaking. Ishmael, who came from Hagar, was a product of the flesh. He was a product of Abraham's own attempt in helping God out with his promise. And it made for a mess. And by the way, it always does. Anytime that we try and help God along, we just make a mess of things. And then a lot of times, like, Abraham, we just ask God to bless our mess, you know. Remember that? He was all like, oh, you know, God, that Ishmael might live before you. Just bless my mess, God. But in reality, we thank God that He didn't bless His mess in that way, that He didn't even acknowledge. Remember He said, take Isaac, your son, your only son. Remember that? He didn't even acknowledge Ishmael as rightfully a son of... And we're glad because a lot of... Hey, if you're anything like me, you've got a lot of Ishmaels running around. You know, a lot of things that you've launched out in the flesh and done, and you just... You thank God that the things that He does in and through you and on behalf of you is that which He acknowledges and uses and that... My flesh makes a mess. I don't know about yours. I have a feeling yours does too. And so the fact of the matter is, God acknowledged the promise, not the product of the flesh. And Paul is stressing here this fact. Isaac, being a child of promise, an heir of the covenant, and he's stressing the point that the flesh means nothing. Just because someone is of a certain ethnicity or specific lineage personally, that doesn't mean they're elect of God automatically. Because God does not elect for his purposes on the basis of the physical. I want you to notice verse 8, when he kind of underscores what he said here. That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise." And you'd have to look this up to find the context. "'At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.'" Remember when the Lord had come, the angel, they were getting ready, they were on their way to Sodom to smite the city. And Abraham went out and he bowed down to him and he brought him in and fixed him a meal and all of this. And he began to say that, you know, you're going to have a son and then Sarah laughed. back in the kitchen. And she was like, you know, kind of a thing. He's like, why did Sarah laugh? Sarah's like, I didn't laugh. She said, oh yes, you did laugh. Remember that? And he said, but this time next year I'll return and you'll have a son. And of course they called and told him to call his name Isaac. But we understand the interpretation of verse 8. Paul's saying it's not a physical thing. God's purpose is bound up in God's promise. And the children of promise are those who, like we discovered, you guys, As we study books of the Bible like this, it's difficult for us on a week-by-week basis to keep the totality of the context of the entirety of the book. But as you read this book from beginning to end, you still realize that he's already talked about the children of Abraham being those who by faith trust in the Lord just as Abraham by faith trusted in the Lord. And so that's all still in here working where the children of promise are those who by faith look to and trust in the Lord just as Abraham did. But man, there's an application that that would be the interpretive, but there's an application all over this verse. I don't want you to miss it. See it there in verse eight, the first half, those who are the children of the flesh. These are not the children of God. Underline that man highlighted circle and somehow draw attention to it. The Bible is clear that those who are Christ have crucified the flesh along with its passions and desires. In other words, if you live for or are constantly seeking after or perpetually driven by the desires of your flesh, that is not the nature of the child of God. The child of God is the one who lives for and is seeking after and desires to live in, walk, that is, walk in the spirit and the things of the spirit. Verse 10. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, Even our father Isaac, he says parenthetically here, for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls. It was said to her, the older shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." It's always good for me when we come across passages like this at the end of our study time, because it means I don't have to say too much about it. That wasn't funny either. Okay, I'm going to have to work on that, my delivery a little bit. But the whole gist of this passage is just this, that God has a plan. The purpose of God according to election will stand, and that the purpose of God The election of God is found again in no way, shape, or form in me, but it's found emphatically and in its entirety in Him. You see, some might argue, well, it's obvious why God chose Isaac over Ishmael in that Sarah was Abraham's rightful wife. Ishmael wasn't his wife. I mean, she was the handmaiden. She wasn't his wife. But you can't say that with respect to Jacob and Esau. So Paul brings in this perspective just to go ahead and completely eradicate that thought of, well, obviously Ishmael, Isaac, Sarah, Hagar. I mean, you got two different things happening there. Sure, he's going to pick the child of Abraham's rightful wife. But no, Jacob and Esau were both from the same mom. As a matter of fact, they were twins born at the same time. And beyond that, Esau was born before Jacob. He came out first. Remember, because Jacob coming out of the womb grabbed Esau's heel. That's why they called him Jacob, heel snatcher, one who trips up and the whole thing. And so by all cultural standards, the covenant should have gone to Esau. But God purposed that it should be Jacob. Why? That God's plan And His purpose might stand. It had nothing to do with Jacob. It had nothing to do with Esau as a person. Neither one of them, having been born, had done anything good or anything evil to try and slide God's favoritism their way. Nothing like that. God elected Jacob in His own sovereign will to be the recipient of the covenant. His chosen nation had nothing to do... It wasn't in Jacob, the reasons. They were in God. Those were the reasons why. A lot of people struggle with verse 13. I can't believe that God hated Esau. Really, that's not the surprise. The surprise is the fact that God loved Jacob. Because he was a rascal, man. We talked about him. A schemer, a lot like the rest of us, that God miraculously loves. But I do want to make a couple of things clear before we shut down, and that is this. Keep the context of what this is speaking of here. You will not find during Esau's life, as you study the scripture, any indication whatsoever that God ever hated him as a person. He was an incredibly blessed man while living on the earth. And this comment that we're reading here of Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated, you find that in the book of Malachi. And it was written nearly, you know, some close to 2,000 years after Esau lived. And it was written in the area was stated in the context, uh, in regards to the nation of Edom who came from Esau, Esau and Edom, uh, the same, same guy and the way that God had rejected them as a nation in regards to the covenant and had elected Israel, uh, in regards to the covenant. You've got to remember, guys, you've got to keep the totality of the counsel of the Word of God. The Bible is clear. We mentioned it earlier that God so loved the world. That is, all of the world, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This comment is made within the confines of the covenant nation, so that God is in essence saying, and it might be easier on your conscience to render it this way, Jacob, I have accepted in regards to the covenant, but Esau, I have rejected. in regards to the covenant. He hasn't esteemed Esau in any way, but that he did esteem Jacob. He honored Jacob. He blessed Jacob with the covenant. And so this hating of Esau in the light of his inheriting of the covenant, not with respect to the way he'd be blessed in this life, or should he believe and trust in the one true living God, the next. The doorway to salvation is open to all who will call upon the name of the Lord." So this isn't a reference to eternal life and death, but God's covenant. What's Paul communicating? That God has a plan. And that plan resides entirely in him. And his choosing one person as opposed to the next with regards to that plan rests entirely in him. His purpose, his plan is going to be fulfilled. And the way he chooses, you know, maneuvers in and through one person's life as opposed to... It's not because I'm so cool or you're, you know, all that and all that. The purposes aren't found in me, they're found in Him. They're not found in you, they're found in Him. The way that He sovereignly moves and chooses to use or bless your life or whatever. Okay? It's not of works, but of Him who calls. My encouragement to you is simply this. If God is calling you to be a part of that plan, by either A, opening your heart and receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, which is where it all begins, or by B, grabbing hold of the plan that He has, the purpose that He has for you in an active way, whether it's through repentance or being renewed in commitment to Him or whatever, but that you respond to His prompting and His plan and His purpose for your life. We're talking about Israel and that's good and well, but He has a plan and a purpose for your life. that I'm encouraging you to tune into and become a part of and just let the Lord use your life, His will done His way in your life for His glory. Let's pray. Lord, I pray that that would be a practical working reality in each heart and each life here today. And we thank you that your plans and your purposes will stand, Lord, that they can't be thwarted by the likes of us. that Lord, that you are the one in control. Lord, we want to be an active part of your plan, and so whatever that may entail, to whatever degree you might want to use us, would you help us, Lord, to be sensitive to the leading of your spirit? God, help us to have the proper perspective of our worries. May you remind us of a greater grief that should be concerning us. The need to reach the lost with the good news of what You've done for us on the cross in the person of Your Son. Lord, it's so easy for us to get sidetracked about what she does, or what He said, or what they think about me, or perhaps what was mentioned in regards to me. Oh Lord, help us not to be self-centered in that way. but that we would be centered on You. And Jesus, we worship You, being over all the eternally blessed God. And while we're praying, if Christ is calling you today, then why not respond? Just give your heart to Him. God has loved you with an everlasting love. And He displayed that love on the cross of Jesus Christ, who shed His blood, laid down His life for you. But three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, and having defeated death, He stands in a position and He offers you life, forgiveness of sin. All you have to do is believe Him for it, receive Him for it, open your heart and receive Christ today. Listen, if that's what you want to do, can I pray for you? I'm going to ask you right here and right now while all our heads are bowed, all our eyes are closed, that if God's dealing with you and you want to respond to Him by opening your heart to Him, receiving Him, You just raise your hand wherever you're at. Let me pray for you. I see your hand. I'll acknowledge you. You can lower it. God bless you. I see you. Anybody else? God's just dealing with you. You're ready to surrender, to become a part of that plan, that purpose centered in Him for your life. I don't want you to worry about who you're sitting around, how old you are, how young you are. If God's dealing with you, let me pray for you. Anybody else want to make that commitment today? Alright, Father God, we just thank You for Your love and Your mercy, Your grace. Lord, I just pray that be there anyone else here who's just kind of wrestling over that, trying to weigh out the benefits one way or another, what they want to do, maybe a misconception of what you'd have them do or whatever, that, Lord, you'd just continue to deal with them, work on them. Anyone else, maybe you know you should have acknowledged that need, but you failed to. That doesn't mean that you can't receive Christ. I'm going to say a prayer. You raised your hand. I want you to pray in like manner. You don't have to pray out loud. You're free to, but just from your heart. God knows the cry of your heart. And the Bible tells us that we all sin, we all fall short of God's glory. but that if we'll just confess it openly, humbly before Him, He'll forgive us our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. So just from your own heart, just say, Lord, I'm confessing my sin to You now. I made plenty of mistakes, but Lord, I'm crying out now and asking for Your forgiveness. Lord Jesus, I would ask that you would come into my heart. I open the door of my heart. Come into my life. Just fill me with your Holy Spirit. May your Spirit rest upon me and flow through me. God, would you use my life now, all the days of my life, for you and for your glory. And thanks for putting my name in your book of life. Lord, we're all thankful of that. And God, we're thankful that you're sovereign and that even when we say something like, hey, if this doesn't happen, then take me out of your book or whatever, that you, Lord, are greater than all of that and are able to save to the uttermost even the likes of us, all who call upon your name. And so, God, we give you glory. In Jesus' name, amen.