Romans 9
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:
THE CRY OF EVERY TRUE CHRISTIAN’S HEART
After reading the first eight chapters and the glorious salvation, we have in Christ.
Paul is sorrowful because there are people who don’t and won’t trust Christ, this is a great pain to Paul and should be to us. There are people in our own families, our husbands/wives/parents and children who haven’t trusted Christ.
This should create in us a deep sense of sorrow, but not just sorrow, but also prayer for them and witness to them through our words and deeds.
Although Paul was a Roman citizen, he was still a jew and the unbelief of the jews created a deep sorrow in his heart, even to the point that he would be accursed.
The reformation study bible, puts it like this:
I could wish that I myself were accursed. Although Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles, he echoes the sentiments of Moses in the face of the unbelief of the Jews (Ex. 32:30–32). They are his own countrymen and he agonizes over them (v. 2). To be willing to suffer God’s curse for them is a strong statement of love.
I am in China, but my heart will always be that of a British man, I carry a British passport, that is my homeland and my birthplace, so do I agonise over my country?
Verse 2 stands out, great heaviness and continual sorrow, this was a heavy burden on Paul’s heart, although he was the Apostle to the Gentiles, he still had a deep agony and burden for his own people.
DO YOU?
When I see the state of my country spiritually and morally going downhill, I sometimes (but not often enough) cry, it makes me very sad.
Paul is crying for his people, he has taught on God’s glorious salvation in Chs 1-8 and he wishes that the Jews would embrace that wonderful salvation, he has a passionate and powerful love for his people, he is saying, I would do anything to bring my people to faith.
Maybe you are living in another country whilst reading this, maybe you are Chinese living in America, do you have a passion like Paul did for his countrymen?
In Chapter 10:1, Paul says this:
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might besaved.
Do I/you have the same desire for our countrymen?
I am reminded of Nehemiah, in Chapter 1 of the book, he was brought bad news of the Jews in Jerusalem, what did he do, he sat down and wept.
2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
When was the last time you sat down and wept for your country?
When was the last time I cried unto God for the UK?
Sobering questions
God bless you
Keith