Riff's Christian Journal

Romans 9:8 KJV

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 as the seed.

The first thing we must understand is this, who are the children of the flesh.

In Romans chapter 9 Paul brags about his kinsmen, his fellow Israelites, then makes a remarkable comment. Read this;

Romans 9:2-7 KJV

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.

They are not all Israel which are of Israel. Nor because they are of the seed of Abraham. In other words, the Jewish people, according to Paul in his writings, are not the children of God. Why is that?

Read this:

Romans 9:31-32 KJV

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. [32] Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

You see, Judaism, under the Law, is a works based system dependent on man’s willingness to be obedient to the Law. Israel failed and, well, read this for yourself:

Hebrews 8:7-9 KJV

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. [8] For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: [9] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

However, God does promise that even though the number of Jews be many, not all will be lost. Read this:

Romans 9:22-27 KJV

What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: [23] And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, [24] Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? [25] As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. [26] And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. [27] Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

To truly understand these verses you need to read all of Romans 9 for yourself.

Now we know why in verse “8” above why God said that the Israelites, children of the flesh are not the children of God. The children of promise are God’s children. So who are the children of the promise?

To find out read these three verses.

Romans 9:6-8 KJV

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.

Why Issac? Remember, God promised a son to Abraham and Issac was the fulfillment of that promise.

From Galatians we read this:

Galatians 4:21-23,28 KJV

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? [22] For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. [23] But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. [28] Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Paul was speaking to his brethren, disciples of Jesus, and said, “We”, brethren, are the children of the promise. They that have been born-again by the Grace of God are the children of the promise. That is you, I and everyone else, Jew and Gentile, born-again are God’s children of promise.

So, are you a child of promise? I pray that you are, living by the faith of Jesus and not by the works of the Law. For only the justified, made righteous by the works of Jesus on our behalf having done for us what we could never do – live in obedience to the Law – imputing His righteousness to the children of promise. Even us, disciples of Jesus.

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