God's promises have not failed

(Rom 9:6) But it is not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel:

The main issue today in class is that the promise of God relative to Israel and redemptive history is that God's promises are not resting in us to bring them to pass.

Paul uses two examples. One of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. It was in this example that the capacity to bring to pass God's plan does not rest in us. Isaac was beyond the capacity of Abraham and Sarah's ability to bring to pass.

The other example is Jacob and Esau. God demonstrates in this example that the perogitives of God are at work in His plan. It would be in normal circumstances that Esau would be the one through whom would recieve the blessings. But in God's economy, His is the perogitive!

Therefore Gods has demonstrated in Romans 9 that while in the case of Israel's unbelief , not all Israel is Israel.

The Israel of God are those whom He has determined to be the recipients of blessing.
Rom 9:11 for the children being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth,

Therefore God's plan rests not in our power or perogitives....But His....

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy.

Romans 9, 10,11

This Sunday we started a series on Romans 9,10,11

We titled the lesson "Are you prepared"

There is a doxology at the end of this series... Oh the depth and rich's of both the wisdom and knowledge of God....to Him be Glory forever. Amen. This should be our doxology when we finish as well. Rather for most its confusion and strife.

Are you prepared....?

In view of all the "hard" sayings of Romans 9 like "I will harden whom I will harden", "Esau have I hated". This isnt the hardest most perplexing statement of all Romans 9.....the most perplexing statement of all is "JACOB HAVE I LOVED"!!!

When this is the most perplexing statement of all to you.... then you are prepared for Romans 9.

Esau have I hated it the most understanding of all. After all we were haters of God.....Rom 1:30

Jude.. beware of false teachers

We have spent allot of time in Romans making very clear that we are no longer under "the law".

Unfortunately due to this same teaching, there were some in Jude's day that felt that the grace of God was an excuse to live immoral lives without any consequenses.

Jude uses 3 groups of people to show to us that those that presume upon the grace of God will be destroyed. Jew, Gentile and beings celestial... there will be partiallity with God.

He commands us to "keep ourselves in the love of God"

Jesus in John15 taught that to stay in the love God, we are to obey what Jesus commands... to love one another !!