Romans 52

The Children of Promise

Brian Kocourek

 

ROMANS 9:1 ¶ I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, … 2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.  3    For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:  4    Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;  5    Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.  6       Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:  7    Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.  8    That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.    No longer seed by the flesh, but now considered seed by promise.

 

Last Sunday we spoke from verse one where Paul spoke of his conscience bearing witness with the Word of God. Then we find him telling us in verse two that although his conscience is bearing witness with the Word of God, yet he has continual sorrow and heaviness in his heart for those seed of Abraham, the Jew who have been purposely blinded so that the Gentile might see. Then as we progress in the chapter we hear Paul speak of the subject of predestination, yet before he nails down this wonderful doctrine he sets the tone by telling us of his sorrow and heaviness in his heart for those who are not in that Elected Group.

 

It is this paradox that I would like to speak of this morning. The attitude we see in Paul and also in Christ Jesus who died for the sins for the world although not everyone in the world is ordained to Life.

 

Philippians 2:1-9  Here Paul speaks of an attitude which does not selfishly look for it’s own good but for the good of others. But the attitude of the people in this day has become every man looks out only for themselves. They allow a man like Clinton to stay in office because the economy has been good for them. Just like Germany did with Hitler. But Paul said, Let this attitude that was in Christ be in you… And He derived His attitude from His Character which He received by the Life of God that dwelt in Him.

 

IDENTIFICATION  2-16-64   Then, see, God came down. And the Character of God was Christ. He was the Reflection. He was God made visible: notice, God made visible. In the beginning was God. He wasn't even God then. No, a God's an object of worship. Only thing He was, was the eternal, and in Him was attributes. And those attributes were thoughts. And those thoughts was expressed to words, and word was made manifest. What is it? It's all God becoming tangible. And you are part of God. And Jesus come to redeem those that was put on the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world. It was in God's thoughts. And that's what He come to redeem. And them, as soon as it strikes to them, they see it, because the life is in there. But if the life isn't in there, then what can they do? See? They don't see it. They'll never see it. See? And the whole thing is, Jesus said, "At that day you'll know I'm in the Father, the Father in Me, I in you, and you in Me."   

 

Now, let’s look at what Jesus is saying here. At that Day! That speaks of a specific day… At That day, what? You will Know….There will be ones who know. Who will Know? The ones Jesus is speaking to. At That day, you will know….Know what? You position in God and Christ.  So we see the main attribute of Life is that you see, which means you know and understand.

 

SHALOM   64-0112   He said, "Thou art the King of Israel. There You are. I see it. I know it." Why? He was Elected. The Elected Seed knows it. Always through every age, that they know it.

 

FORSAKING ALL 62-0123 Brother Branham in prayer to God said,    Those who forsook all got to see You. And no matter what You would do, those who will not forsake sin and follow will never be able to understand.

So we are looking at a blinding which has taken place to Israel, and of course to all  the Gentile world. I say all the Gentile world because in the old testament the word gentile was referred to all nation who were not believers. Therefore in this sense you are not Gentiles although in the new testament Paul refers to being Gentile Christians or believers. Now, look at this attitude Paul had for the Jew by birth. He did not \despise them because He could see and they could not. But rather He looked at how they were the chosen people of God. They were the ones whom God had earmarked and set forth the wonderful promises of God as Paul had said, “to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;”   and yet God allowed them to be purposely blinded in order that the Light might come to the Elect of God in every nation .

 

ROMANS 11:1 – 12:3

 

The fact is that in this hour all have been blinded except the Truly elect. Rev 3: 14-20 Blind miserable don’t know… That is the condition of the hour…

 

And how did this happen? 2 Cor 4:1-11

 

John 3:17-21 Come to light who have their source in God

 

JOHN 12:35-48

 

JOHN 9:39     And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

 

Matthew 3:10-17   Eyes but can not see, ears but can not hear nor perceive, nor understand.

 

Mark 4:1-25 take heed how you hear, for how you measure it out it will return to you.

 

ACTS 28:25   And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26    Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27    For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28    Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and [that] they will hear it. 29    And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.