Select a Ring of Truth daily devotion online
Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
Select the date to display the devotion for:
Romans 10:1
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved!”
Rid yourself of any residue of Anti-Semitism.
Reading Romans Chapters 10 and 11 years ago revolutionised my thinking.
I have been brought up with what I can only describe as passive replacement theology. Not truly anti-Semitic, nor actively replacement. The Jews were basically irrelevant. Replacement theology says in brief – the Jews blew it when they crucified Christ Jesus, their Messiah, and God has replaced them - as ‘His People’ - with the Gentile Christian Church of believers.
It is erroneous for a variety of reasons:
1. It denies the character of God
2. It denies the power of grace
3. It is judgmental on behalf of the Gentiles
4. It is totally non-Biblical
5. It produces arrogance in the Gentiles
6. It produces wicked anti-Semitism
7. It completely distorts and misunderstands the plans and purposes of God.
As you can see, it’s wrong. Yes, the Jews got it wrong and should have known better. But so did we. As David says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). And Paul says, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
In other words – All of us must believe there is a God because of His marvellous creation. So Jew and Gentile alike are without excuse.
Sure the Jews wanted Jesus crucified, but the Gentile Romans carried it out. We are both equally responsible. But listen, some Jews didn’t want Jesus crucified. What is more, if it weren’t for some Jews, we would never have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His atoning death. And guess what? Jesus is a Jew.
The history of the Jews brings us all hope. Why? Because they were and are rebellious, stiff-necked, grumbling, wayward, selfish, independent, and carnal people who kept forsaking God. So are we. They are a mirror for us. And what is more, God still loves them and He has not given up on them, for which I for one am very grateful. For if He ever gave up on them, He would have far more right to give up on me.
As someone said, “If you want irrefutable proof that there is a God, a God of love - look at the Jews.” The world may want to eliminate them from the face of the earth – but they never will be able to because – they are and always will be God’s people.
Listen, as Paul writes, “Israel is the olive chosen by God. We have been grafted in” (see Romans 11:17-23). Get rid of the olive and we are history. No, rather let’s pray with Paul that all the Israelites will be saved and do all we can to help them come to faith. For as he says, “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:13-14)
It applies to both Jew and Gentile, so which ones will you tell?
“If you (Jew or Gentile) confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Download the above Ring of Truth devotion as a PDF.
Previous Day's Devotion | Next Day's Devotion
To subscribe to this daily devotion by email visit our Daily Email subscription page.
