I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, (2) that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.  (3) For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,  (4) who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises, (5) of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God.  Amen.

The letter to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul.  Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews, according to birth and culture – he was brought up to study at the feet of the foremost Rabbi – teacher – of his time.  Paul was a persecutor of the early Christians until his sudden conversion to Christianity on the road to Damascus.  The Apostle was God’s chosen vessel for the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles but his Jewish affinity never left him and he suffered greatly at the failure of Israel who had rejected Jesus.  Paul is expressing his deep love for Israel here as foundation for his explanation later in Chapter 9 of Romans for the failure of Israel.  He yearns that his people will come to know God in love for Christ.

We have just studied the last verses of Chapter 8, Romans, where Paul rejoices in telling us that nothing can separate the true believer from the love of God in Christ.  Now the mood and message changes abruptly and Paul writes of his grief and heartfelt concern for the salvation of the Jews.  In the context of Chapter 8, Romans,  we realize that Paul would not be able to trade his eternal salvation for that of the unbelieving Jew .  God’s will and plan is sovereign and will not be changed.

Our verses today are telling us that faithfull Christians should so rejoice in God’s great gift of eternal salvation that they are compelled to reach out to others so that they may know the same joy – and peace – it is incumbent on the faithful to spread the good news of the gospel and should be “burdened” like Paul, for the lost souls.

Remember that all Scripture is God breathed – God’s word to us.  And this message is concerning Israel and her future hope – that God is causing all things to work together for Israel’s good.  Paul here has begun to set out the failure of Israel in the light of divine election.  God’s choice has nothing to do with man’s works but is in spite of them.    “The fate of the lost as well as that of the saved is first and foremost a decision made by our sovereign God.”