Romans 9:1-5

Overview

Romans chapter 9 begins a whole new subject in Paul’s message to the Romans. He left off at the end of chapter 8 with one of the most awesome thoughts that could ever be communicated to men, that nothing could ever separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. There is nothing in this world or the world to come that is more powerful than God’s love toward us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). However, Paul knew that this statement concerning God’s unfailing love would bring an immediate question into the mind of any Jew reading his letter. A Jew would instantly think, But then what happened to the Jewish people? It appears that God has forsaken them and He now wants to bless the Gentiles. In Romans 9-11, Paul explains what has taken place with the Jewish people and the nation Israel, and what God’s sovereign plan is for His chosen people. Discussing and explaining God’s sovereign plan for the Jews will be a formidable task. We will be wading into some of the most difficult passages in all of Scripture. Why? Because explaining God’s sovereign choosing, and why He does what He does, is extremely difficult for the mind of man to comprehend, unless God reveals His intent through His Word. Paul acknowledged this difficulty in Romans 11:33 when he ends this section of Scripture by saying, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” In other words, Paul is declaring that God’s wisdom and knowledge are so far beyond man’s ability to understand, we could never comprehend these truths on your own. So, how could Paul ever come to know these truths that he will teach us? He simply just pieced together the Old Testament Scriptures that predicted what God was going to do, and declared it to us. So, if you begin to scratch your head as we study through chapters 9-11, you are not alone. Many have struggled through these verses before you, but you must trust what Paul is teaching, because Jesus gave him special, unspeakable revelations of Himself and His plans (2 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 3:3).

Does God still love the Jewish people?

Let’s begin with this first question that a Jew would ask. Why has God apparently separated Himself from the Jewish people and turned His love toward the Gentiles? Does God not love the Jewish people anymore? That is one of the most obvious questions that would come up in the mind of a Jewish person. We must answer this question first before we move into this text. God has clearly spoken in His Word of His love for His people. Look right here in the context of Romans 9. He says in verse 13, “Jacob have I loved.” You cannot say it more clearly that this! Paul quotes this statement from the Old Testament. Jacob is a general term for the nation Israel as a whole, because Jacob was the father of twelve sons who made up the twelve tribes of Israel. God also spoke to His people when they were in rebellion against Him and said, “For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life” (Isa. 43:3-4). God again made it very clear that He ransomed the Jewish people by delivering them from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba, because He loved them. God even humbled Himself to ask the people to charge Him if He had done something to harm them. The Lord cried out through the Prophet Micah and said, “O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (Micah 6:3-4). The pain in the heart of God at the rebellion of His people against Him is so clearly seen in these verses.

The essential question is then, if God loves them so much, why then have the Jews not experienced His blessings? Why have they experienced God’s judgment and His punishments? The answer is simple. God again spoke to His people and told them, “Thus says the LORD to this people: ‘Thus they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the LORD does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, and punish their sins’” (Jer. 14:10). In other words, God is saying that the people of Israel have not returned His love, by retaining their feet from idolatry. They loved to wander from Him and have loved other deities more than loving Him. This is what robbed the nation Israel of its many promises and blessings.

Jesus warned all Christian believers of the same thing. Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 10:37-39). God wants our love and trust to be placed in Him, more than in anything or anyone else. What was the question that Jesus asked Peter? “Do you love Me” (John 21:15)? Why would Jesus ask him such a searching question? Because Peter denied Jesus, and love requires the commitment of the heart. That is what God is after!

Why does Paul begin with a declaration of his love for the Jewish people?  Vs. 1-3

Paul wanted to express his clear desire and intention toward his brethren, so there would be no question about his motives for writing these difficult truths. Obviously, the Jews would probably wonder, Paul was a Jew, but now he’s a Christian. He must be saying these things about the Jews because he doesn’t love us anymore. He must hate the Jews, or he would still be a Jew. This was a very common concept at that time, and still is today. Many Jews believe that all Christians hate them. They believe this about Christians because throughout history Christians have persecuted the Jews, and have called them Christ killers. When I was younger, I have lived and worked in Israel, and have taken many tours to Israel since then, and that is what many Jewish people think. They think Christians hate them, because they crucified the Messiah. But I tell Jews, the reality is that the sin of all mankind is what crucified the Messiah, which gives me an opportunity to express my love for them, and share the good news of the gospel.

Notice what Paul declares as he asserts his love for his people. He declared, “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 accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:1-3). Why does Paul begin this difficult subject matter in this way? Because he wanted to make sure that his countrymen according to the flesh knew his heart toward them. In other words, he was saying, I love you, and I care about you, so much that I could even wish myself accursed from Christ in order that you might find salvation in Jesus Christ. What an awesome and sacrificial declaration by Paul concerning his love for the people of Israel. This is such an important example by Paul, because he is about to say some very difficult things to them, and he wants every Jew who reads these words to know one thing. He loves them! Now think about this for a moment. Every one of us, at some point in our lives, has done this very same thing. When there are some hard things that must be said to a family member, a spouse, or a good friend, you usually begin with a declaration of your love for them. You usually start out saying, “You know that I love you, and I care deeply about you.” You begin a difficult conversation this way, because you want the person to be absolutely sure of the fact of your love. That’s what Paul does here. He begins with this powerful affirmation of his love. 

When I speak about difficult moral issues such as gay marriage, homosexuality, or transgender issues, I will always begin with an affirmation of love for these for whom Christ died. I’m absolutely sure that God loves people who are engaged in these behaviors just as much as he loves adulterers, thieves, those addicted to drugs or alcohol, or couples who live together without being married. Let me give you an example of why your love is so important toward all who are apart from Him. I recently spoke to our church on the topic of gay marriage and homosexuality. Providentially that Sunday morning there were two men who were traveling through our town and had stopped in to visit our church. These two men had been in a homosexual relationship prior to finding Christ. They listened intently to my message. The next day one of the men e-mailed me and said, “Thank you for what you had to say about the issue of homosexuality. We could sense your love in the way you expressed what you said. Those were hard things to teach, but your love shined through.” I thought to myself, I was successful, I got the message of truth across, and they knew I didn’t hate homosexuals. I also do not hate those who think that gay marriage is right for our society. I love them, and my ministry for over the last 40 years proves that. Anybody listening to that study had to come to grips with the truth of God’s Word, and the love of God for those who rebel against His commands. Remember, always “speak the truth in love” in all circumstances (Eph. 4:15). God loves and wants to redeem all of us no matter what we have done in the past. Paul also knew this fact of God’s love, and was assured that God wanted to redeem the Jewish people.   

How to handle difficult issues

When you have to talk about difficult issues with your friends or family members, this is what you need to do. Start the conversation by affirming your love, and end the conversation with a further affirmation of your love. Don’t assume that someone already knows that you love them. Tell them often, and show them by your attitude and the way you behave toward them. This is how God demonstrates His love toward you. The Scripture and history reveal to us that God has told His people that He loves them over and over again, and He has proven His love by every deliverance, provision, and sacrifice He has made for them. The ultimate proof of God’s love is the fact that He sent His Son to tell us of His love, and then showed us His love by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. In Jeremiah 31:3, the Lord declared, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” When did the Lord say that? He said these words first to Jeremiah who was downcast, and also to His people just before they were taken in captivity to Babylon. He was saying, “Remember I love you, and I care about you. But you have rebelled against Me and have rejected My word. You have chosen to go your own way, and to follow other gods. But I still love you, even though you are going to be corrected and chastened severely.”  God’s love doesn’t ever change toward people, but it is men’s hearts that must change. If you want to experience God’s unchanging love, then you will have to change, which is what it means to repent and to turn to Him. Only then can you experience His unchanging love. Therefore, share these concepts with those who are walking through difficult times.

Notice also how Jesus expressed His love to His disciples in the same way in John 15:9 when He said to them, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you.” Jesus wanted His disciples to know for certain that He truly loved them, in the same manner as the Father had loved Him. This statement by Jesus is one of the most powerful in all of Scripture concerning God’s love toward us. Take these examples that I have related here, and express your love to those around you. Remember, it’s not loving to be silent when you need to speak the truth. It’s not loving to tell people what they want to hear, when they are deceived. Tell them the truth, but speak this truth to them in love.

Paul’s triple assertion of the truth

Paul also made a triple assertion that he was speaking the truth to the Romans. He declared, “I tell the truth in Christ.” Second, “I am not lying.” Third, “My own conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit” that I am telling the truth. These kinds of declarations are a very important thing. Why? Have you ever made a declaration to someone, and your own conscience has immediately convicted you, because you know that what you are saying is not the truth? You declare, “Oh, we really care about you,” when in reality you detest them. Or, have you said to a friend, “I would really love to help you,” when you actually don’t? At that moment your own conscience will either affirm or condemn your heart concerning the words that you are speaking. When Paul wrote these words, he sensed his own conscience affirming that he was writing the truth. He was simply declaring, “I mean what I’m saying. I really do have a continual sorrow and grief in my heart for you.” Oh, that our words and our heart would be in harmony like this when we speak to one another. This is what it means to be sincere!  

Then Paul made one of the most astonishing declarations in verse 3 when he said, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ.” This reveals the depth and intensity of his love for his Jewish brethren. Now, when I read this statement and I think to myself, Is there anyone that I care about and love enough to wish myself accursed from Christ for eternity, that they might be saved? Think about this! Paul was not declaring that he was willing to die for them. He was saying that he was willing to take the penalty of hell, so they could go to heaven. Wow! This is a depth of love that is supernatural. Yet, this is the love that Jesus had for you. He took the penalty that you deserved, so that you could go to heaven. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1)!

Now you may ask the question, “Would it make any difference if Paul could actually become accursed from Christ for his Jewish brethren? Could his action actually save them? No, absolutely not! He was obviously speaking hypothetically. Notice the words, “I could wish.” He was not saying, “I want to be accursed from Christ;” he was saying, “I could wish this, if it would do any good,” because of my deep love for them. Paul obviously knew that he could not save anyone by his sacrifice. A sinner can’t die for another sinner to save them. I’m absolutely sure of this fact, because Paul later wrote, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)” (Gal. 3:13). This is why Christ hung on a tree for you and me; He has been accursed for the whole world. He has already paid the price for our sin. I can’t pay the ransom price for myself, or for anyone else. Christ has already done that work, and it is finished. Jesus was accursed for every single Jew, for every single Gentile that has ever been, or will ever be. To God be the glory!

Examining your own compassion

Let me ask you a question. Do you have this kind of compassion and love for the lost as Paul did? I believe compassion for the lost of this world is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life. Why? Because your love for the lost reveals your spiritual health in Christ. If you truly love Him, you must also love others. This is why the Apostle John declared, “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:21). This is why you must have a compassion for the lost. However, I find many church leaders and pastors, and everyday Christians who have been serving the Lord for a long time, that have lost this compassion. I know this because of the way they talk about the lost. I hear them say things such as, “They better turn or they are going to burn.” Or, they just have no burden to share their faith with those who do not know Him. There is something wrong with this attitude! I believe that compassion is what drove Jesus to do what He did, and it was compassion that moved Paul to travel thousands of miles on his three missionary journeys to reach the lost. In Mark 6:34 it is recorded, “Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a Shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.” Jesus ministered the truth to people, because He had compassion on them, because He saw that they were lost sheep having no Shepherd.

Do you remember what it was like to be lost, feeling you had no direction, like a sheep without a shepherd? You didn’t know where to go, or how to find meaning and purpose for your life. You thought, What do I need to do? How do I fix what is wrong in my life? I don’t have a clue. Do you remember what that was like? Do you remember looking in all the wrong places for the answers and direction you were seeking? I’m sure that is not a place you would ever want to return to. Every day you stand right next to people who are lost, who want to know the way, the truth, and the life. They are standing next to you! You have the answers they are looking for. Are you willing to tell that person about what you have found in Christ, how you have found life and truth? If you have compassion, you will share that truth, and you will share it often. Compassion will motivate you to reach out to others. This compassion is also what motivated Paul to suffer the things he did. He declared in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “For the love of Christ compels us.” This is why Jesus came here in the first place. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son” (John 3:16). He allowed His Son to be cursed for you and for me. Why? Because He loved us so much. John 3:16 is a clear message of His love toward us. So, will you ask God for this love and compassion to fill your heart? If you do, He will motivate you to pursue the lost just as He did, and still does today. Why am I so sure? Because Paul taught that reaching the lost was every believer’s ministry. Reaching the lost is your ministry. Paul declared just a few verses after talking about Christ’s compassion compelling him to reach the lost, he wrote, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Do you realize that God wants to plead with the lost through you, just as He did through Jesus? You are now His light in this dark world! You have the truth, and you understand what people need to hear. May God, give you compassion to share His love with someone this week.  

The missed privileges of the Jewish people.  Vs. 4

In verse 4, Paul continued to describe all the privileges that the Jewish people had by God choosing them to be His people. However, you must understand that these were missed privileges. He declared that they were, “Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises” (Rom. 9:4). These are all the blessings and special privileges that had been given by God to the Jewish people, but they failed to realize all that He was offering to them. But before I explain why the Jews failed to enjoy all that God had offered to them, let me explain something to you as a Christian. If you are a Christian reading these words, do you understand that you too have been given these very same blessings and privileges? Let me explain to you what each one of these privileges were, and how they also apply to you.

First, the Jews had been adopted as God’s special people. He chose them to be a people and a nation to show forth His praises. As a Christian, do you realize that you too have been adopted into the family of God. Paul said in Ephesians 1:4-5, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Paul was declaring here that you have been adopted into God’s family. If you are in Christ, you have been adopted by Him to be a part of the family of God! Think of it, you who were once an enemy of God and a foreigner to any relationship with Him, He has sought you out and adopted you as His own!

Second, the Jews also had been given God’s glory. What does this mean? The glory of God was the physical presence of God which dwelt in the tabernacle in the Holy of Holies. After the Temple was built and Solomon dedicated the building, the glory of God filled the Temple (2 Chron. 5:11-14). This glory was the Shekinah presence of God, or the actual physical presence of the Lord which dwelt over the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. What a privilege this was for the Jewish people that God would dwell in their midst. Today we don’t have a tabernacle or temple that exists anywhere on the earth, but the Bible declares that every Christian is now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). So, the glory of God, through the Holy Spirit, lives inside of you! Think of that! What a privilege and what a blessing God has bestowed on every believer in Jesus. 

Third, God also made a covenant with the Jewish people. He declared that He would bless and provide for His people if they would simply obey His commands (Ex. 19:5). What a privilege that the Jewish people had been given God’s divine promise to care for and provide for them. For Christians, the Lord has also made a covenant with you. At the Last Supper on the night before Jesus was crucified, “He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you’” (Luke 22:19-20). This covenant promise for each of us must never be taken for granted, but remembered and revered.   

Fourth, God gave to the Jews His laws and commandments to guide their lives and their nation. These laws were to keep them from the harm and evil of the nations around them. By giving them this standard of truth, He was providing to them His divine guidance. For Christians, Paul taught that the law was good if a man used it for the purpose it was given (1 Tim. 1:5-11). In addition, Jesus gave us a new commandment. He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This is what James called the royal law of God. He wrote, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well” (James 2:8). In addition, if we chose to love this would automatically fulfill all the Old Testament moral law. Paul explained this truth later in this epistle when he taught that the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:9-10). What a privilege we possess.

Fifth, the Jews were also given the opportunity to participate in the service of God. God set His tabernacle and His temple in their midst and anointed the priests to serve Him, and to lead the people into a relationship with Him. Today you too have the joy and the privilege of serving the Lord. Every Christian today has an opportunity to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and to lead and teach others to follow Him.

Last, God made promise after promise to His people of His desire to bless and provide for them. He first made these promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and then to all the people through the prophets throughout their history (Gen. 12:1-3; Gen. 28:1-4; Ex. 32:29; Is. 44:3; Mal. 3:10). In the New Testament, Peter wrote that every Christian has also been given exceeding great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:3-4). If you believe these promises you will enter into His covenant, experience His glory, and find the relationship of sons and daughters because of His adoption of you into His family.

Unrealized blessings!

These are such exceeding great and precious privileges that God gave to His people, yet the Jews missed out on many of these blessings. Why? Because they forfeited these privileges through their unbelief, disobedience, and self-effort. What was God’s response? He declared to them that He was setting them aside for a time, in order to save the Gentiles which would then provoke the Jews to jealously when they saw God’s love poured out upon the them (Rom. 11:11). This is exactly what happened when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10). In Acts 11, when Peter told the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem what had happen to the Gentiles, the Jews struggled to understand it all. As God continued to pour out His Spirit and save the Gentiles, the Jews wanted to kill Paul because of his work among those who did not follow the Law of Moses (Acts 22-26). However, many Jews did follow the Lord as Paul preached the gospel, and yet most did not (Acts 13:43; Acts 20:19).

So, why did the Jewish people miss these blessings, promises, and privileges granted to them? It all began with their unbelief and rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. In John 1:11, the Apostle John clearly stated how the Jews rejected their Messiah when he wrote, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” Paul and Barnabas said the same thing to the Jews at Antioch in Acts 13:46. Luke writes, “Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.’” The Jews not only missed the covenant promises under the Old Covenant, but they also missed the New Covenant promises, and all that Christ had accomplished for those who would believe.

If you are a Christian reading these words, do you realize that you too can miss many of God’s blessings? Have you ever noticed the difference between a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit, filled with the love of God, filled with His joy and peace, and a professing Christian who is depressed, empty, and lifeless? There is something obviously wrong with a professed believer in this state, when there is no joy or rest in their souls. It means that this Christian is missing the blessings that have been given to them in Christ. Now some of you have experienced times in your Christian life where you feel dead inside and anxious about life. Some believers can remain in this state sometimes for years. Why? It’s very simple. Let me explain some of the biblical reasons why this happens.

First, some believers are simply walking in unbelief and are prayerless. James explained this experience when he declared to those he wrote to, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:5-7). He later added, “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Many believers today miss so many of God’s blessings because they may pray, but they do not pray in faith. Others simply do not pray at all, or very little. Remember the promise of Jesus, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matt. 7:7). If you don’t want to miss out on God’s blessings and provision, believe His Word, and pray in faith.

Second, many believers forfeit God’s blessings because they are simply disobeying Him. In Hebrews chapters three and four, the apostle warned these believers about this very thing. He told them, “Look, don’t be like the Jews who missed the promise land.” Then he told them why the Jews missed entering the promised land. So, why did they not take the eleven-day journey into the land of Israel, and instead spent the next the forty years marching around in the desert? In Hebrews 3:19 he explained, “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” But then the apostle added, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Heb. 4:11). Notice the apostle connected disobedience with unbelief, because those two things always go together. When you don’t believe, you are not going to obey, because obedience requires that you believe His promises. The Jews did not enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief and disobedience. This is a clear warning to all Christians! 

Third, another reason many believers do not enjoy God’s blessings and victory is because they try to obtain it by self-effort and living by a law principle. However, the only way to receive from God is by grace through faith. Paul taught, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). The words have been saved are in the perfect tense in the Greek, which means that you have been saved in the past, and you are still being saved today by His continuous working of His Spirit. One day we will be finally saved through the redemption of our body at death (Rom. 8:23-24). Paul also taught in Romans 5:17, “For if by one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” So how can you reign victoriously in life as a believer? Just receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness that God has given in Christ Jesus. It’s a simple equation; trust and receive His grace and righteousness and victory will be yours. Remember, Paul told the Galatian church, “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Gal. 2:21). The words set aside in the original language mean to frustrate or reject. Paul was warning this church that if they tried to obtain God’s righteousness and blessings through the self-effort of keeping the law, they were in reality frustrating and rejecting the grace of God. They failed to realize that His grace and righteousness are a free gift. This free gift can only be received by faith! You can’t deserve what He offers for free. You could never do enough good works to achieve any of God’s blessings. Never forget this fact; you can only receive grace through faith. Faith is what enables you to receive His grace and enter into God’s rest. If you see any place in your life that needs changing, you need grace to experience that change. Ask for it, and receive His abundant grace now.

Who was this Messiah that the Jewish people rejected?  Vs. 5

In verse 5, Paul revealed the most important blessing that the Jews missed. They missed their Messiah. But who was this Messiah? Was He just a man, or was He God who came in human flesh? How did Paul describe Jesus? He declared, “Of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God.” Paul could not have said this any clearer than he did. He confirms that Jesus who came in the flesh was and is the eternally blessed God. The word “is” in the phrase, “Who is over all” is in the present tense in the original language. In other words, Jesus is continually the eternally blessed God! That is who Jesus was and is! Paul made this so clear in this passage. The deity of the Messiah was the message of multitudes of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Christ. In Isaiah 35:4 when he wrote of the coming deliverer, the prophet declared, “Behold, your God will come.” This is who the Jews were expecting. God to come and set up His kingdom here on earth. The Messiah was also called in prophecy, “The Father of eternity” (Is. 9:7). The word Father in this verse is the Hebrew word for chief or principle one of eternity. Remember, there is only one person who dwells in eternity, and that is God. This is why Jesus is called, “The eternally blessed God.” 

In the New Testament Jesus constantly claimed to be God. This is why the religious leaders wanted to stone Him. John explained in John 5:18. “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” The word “making” is in the present tense, so Jesus was continually making Himself equal with God. Why would Jesus continually make this point with people as He proclaimed the gospel to them? Because the deity of Christ is an essential belief for salvation. Jesus also made this fact clear when He said in John 8:24, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” The word He is in italics, which means that it is not in the original text, but has been added by the translators. I believe, and most biblical scholars believe, that this word “He” should be removed. Why? Because this is a declaration of His nature, and the fact of His deity. God has called Himself the great I AM, because it described His eternal nature. He has always been, and will always be. When Moses asked God what His name was while standing before the burning bush, God declared, “‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ Moreover, God said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations’” (Ex. 3:14-15). For Jesus to claim that He was the I AM was an obvious claim to be God. Jesus made it clear that, “If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” Jesus could not be any more direct than that. Belief in Christ’s deity is essential for salvation. I believe what Jesus proclaimed, because I don’t want to die in my sins! 

Now, if you want to be absolutely sure that what I have just stated is true, just read a few more verses to the end of John 8, and Jesus again claims to be the I AM in an even more dramatic way. This brought on the anger of the Jews because they knew exactly what He was claiming. This all occurred because Jesus had affirmed that He had seen Abraham. Jesus said to them, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad. Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by” (John 8:56-59). So, are you absolutely sure about who Jesus is? Your eternal salvation depends upon your decision. Remember, the Jewish people missed their Messiah, make sure you don’t miss Him as well!

Once a person believes that Jesus is God come in human flesh, many ask, “How can one God be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? How can the Father be God, and the Son be God, and the Holy Spirit be God? Doesn’t that make three God’s?” Many have declared to me, “I can’t understand this concept.” This is a great question that needs to be answered! Remember I explained at the beginning of this study to read Romans 11:33 where it declares, “How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.” We are all finite creatures with limited understanding, but He is infinite. It is arrogant for any man to think that with his little finite mind that he would be able to comprehend an infinite God. That would be impossible. What you have to do is simply believe what God has declared about Himself. He didn’t ask you to comprehend His diving nature. He has only asked you to believe what He has said of Himself. God is the One who has said that there is only one God. That is clear. He declared that there is no one else beside Him (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 45:6; 1. Tim. 2:5). However, the Bible describes God as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three persons are called God in Scripture (John 6:27; Heb. 1:8; Acts 5:3-4). In addition, the Bible declares that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all have the same divine attributes. They are all omnipresent, (Jer. 23:23-34; Matt. 18:20; Ps. 139:7-10). They are all eternal beings, (Isaiah 57:15; Micah 5:2; Heb. 9:14). In addition, the Bible also declares that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all do the same work. All three persons are described as the creator (Gen. 1:1-2; Col. 1:16; Job 33:4). Therefore, if all three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, are called God, all have the same attributes of God, and all do the same work that God does, then you must conclude that these three persons are the one true and living God!

Why is the Deity of Jesus so important?

The simple answer is that you cannot be saved without believing that Jesus is God, and that this eternal God has come in human flesh. Why is this such a critical fact? Because there are many religious systems that believe that Jesus was a special person, but do not believe that He was God. Islam believes Jesus was a great prophet, but do not believe He was God. Hinduism believes Jesus to be one of many gods, but do not believe He is the one supreme God. Buddhists believe Him to be a great teacher, but not God. Jehovah’s witnesses believe Jesus was Michael the archangel, but not God the creator of all things. Mormon’s believe Jesus was one god among many gods. Therefore, if Jesus was just a good man, a great prophet, or an angel, then they don’t have to bow their knee to Him as Lord, an as God. You would never bow your knee to another human being, or any created being, because they are just like you. This is why your belief concerning Jesus is so important. It’s very easy for someone to applaud Jesus as a moral teacher, it’s another thing to bow your knee to Him as Lord. If He is God, bowing your knee to Him is your only correct response. If He is just a sinful man like you or me, you would never bow your knee to Him. The question is, who do you believe Jesus to be? Is He a man, or is He God? If you believe He is God, you must bow your knee to Him as Lord? If you have believed in Him as Lord, have you confessed your faith in Him? Are you following Him? Have you fallen at His feet and proclaimed as the disciple Thomas did, “My Lord and my God”? Only you can answer this question.

My prayer for you is that you will see and understand the great privileges you possess in Christ, and you will receive them. As you realize and experience these privileges, acknowledge the great love God has bestowed upon you. Don’t be like the Jewish people who had it all, but missed the blessings God wanted to bestow upon them. The only way you can experience these blessings is to bow your knee to Jesus, and surrender your life to Him as Lord!