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 my 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 eternal blessed God. Amen. (6) But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, (7) nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” (8) That is, those who are the children of the flesh, they are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. (9) For this is the word of the promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah will have a son.”. (10) And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (11) (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), (12) it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” (13) As it is written, “Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated.”. (14) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! (15) For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Romans. In the verses we study today Paul is writing about God’s purpose – and God’s choice. God has a plan and He will not be thwarted. Paul has described himself as a Hebrew of Hebrews; as a Jewish Pharisee who has been educated at the feet of the primary Jewish scholar and teacher of the ancient world. Paul was a vehement and violent adherent for the Jewish faith and vigorously persecuted Jewish converts to Christ before his dramatic conversion at Damascus. The Jews were his kinsmen and once Paul embraced Christianity it caused him great anguish and sorrow that the Jews refused to accept Jesus as God’s anointed one and the promised Messiah. The Jews rejected Jesus and they rejected Paul as a sworn enemy of the Jewish nation.
In our verses Paul distances himself from any suspected enmity toward Jews. He declares by oath that he speaks the truth, claiming to speak before God and calls on the Holy Spirit as witness – he could not be risking more as guarantee that all he is writing is truth. Paul’s great sorrow is that the Jews separated themselves from Christ which means they were excluded from any hope of salvation. The Jews had been favored above all men by God but now they are of no worth without Christ. Paul makes the statement that he would be willing to be eternally damned if it would result in the salvation of his countrymen but he knew that this was not God’s plan and it would not happen. Paul was speaking purely hypothetically as he had just finished writing in chapter 8, Romans, that nothing can separate the saved from God.
The salvation of the faithful in Christ is secure and does not depend on us in any way but rather depends on God’s purpose. All deserve judgment – all have sinned and God will save those He chooses to save – it is the mercy and election of God and God does not give everyone what they deserve. Man cannot originate faith as then it becomes a work that merits salvation. God’s free grace through Christ is as undeserved as is God’s mercy.
In Exodus it is recorded that God told Moses that He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy and He will have compassion on whom He will have compassion. It has nothing to do with man or his works. Salvation is of the Lord from beginning to end. Amen.