Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr.
My text today is based on Romans 9:1-5 (NCV): “I am in Christ, and I am telling you the truth. I do not lie. My conscience is ruled by the Holy Spirit. It tells me I am not lying. I have great sorrow and always feel much sadness. I wish I could help my Jewish brothers and sisters, my people. I would even wish that I were cursed and cut off from Christ if that would help them. They are the people of Israel, God’s chosen children. They have seen the glory of God, and they have the agreement that God made between himself and his people. God gave them the law of Moses and the right way of worship and his promises. They are the descendants of our great ancestors, and they are the earthly family into which Christ was born, who is God over all. Praise him forever! Amen.”
Paul expressed concern for his Jewish kinsmen (his brothers and sisters) saying that he would willingly take their punishment if that would save them. The only one who can save us is Christ.
Paul shows a love that can only come from God, a rare depth of love. Like Jesus, he was willing to be a sacrifice for others. Paul is willing to put his life on the line for the people of God.
We have to ask ourselves the same question? How concerned are we for those who don’t know Christ? Are we willing to sacrifice time, money, energy, comfort, and safety to see them come into the faith of Jesus Christ?
30 A.D.: The first Christian church began in Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost.
Pentecost is a Christian festival celebrating the descending of the Holy Spirit onto the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Passover Sunday.
On that day, Peter preached to many visitors from Rome, both Jews and Gentiles who believe the Jewish word (the Holy Bible), and 3000 became Christians (Acts 2:9-11 – 2:41). These Christians carried the gospel back to Rome.
In this letter, Paul is giving the believers the truth about the Christian faith: to come away from false ideas about being born again.
He gives practical advice how Christians (you and I) should behave towards each other—how we should respect the men and women of God (your pastor).
Paul makes this statement, I am speaking the truth because Christ is with me. I will not lie. Paul is not asking the people of God to trust is human conscience, but the God in him, and the Holy Spirit as his witness, which is the Spirit of truth.
This is why you must have a strong spiritual discernment. You need to know how to process in the Spirit of God and discover what God is saying to you from all people. Is it the truth or is it a lie?
Paul is saying ‘I’m not lying to you for I have the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of truth leading me right unto you.’ He is sad when he thinks about his relatives, the Jews. The chosen of God that have not fully accepted the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as savior.
Paul remembered that Moses prayed to God when the Israelites sinned and worshipped a golden calf. Moses thought that God would not forgive them. Moses asked God to punish him instead. He asked God to remove his name from the book of life (Exodus 32:32).
Paul, like Moses, would suffer God’s punishment for the people of God just to see them live for him at all costs.
Paul is willing to suffer this punishment so that the Jews could receive God’s salvation.
As pastors, all we look for is the people to trust Christ and to receive God’s salvation.
We must believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
Isaiah 53:1-12 speaks of the Messiah, Jesus, who would suffer for the sins of all people.
This is the humility, and mercy of Christ for God’s people.
