romans – Midland Baptist Church

March 1, 2024

The Salvation of Israel

Romans 11:26 …so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob…

The issue of salvation has been on my mind a lot the past weeks, and one of the greatest books of Scripture concerning the doctrines of salvation is the book of Romans. Paul wrote that letter not to individual Christians in Rome but to the Church in Rome, a church made up of both converted pagan Gentiles and converted Jews. One of the greatest truths we learn in the book of Romans is that salvation only comes to a person by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That includes the nation of Israel (Jews), but recently I received communication from a Jewish man, an Israelite, who does not believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior and that leads to an important question. Paul tells us, “…all Israel will be saved.” How can all Israel be saved if many within the nation of Israel refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior?

Thankfully, Paul answers that question for us when he writes, “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel.” (Romans 9:6) Many people who claim to be Israelites are not truly Israel. Just as there are false Christians in the world there are false Jews also. (Romans 2:17-29) You see, when it comes to salvation there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles. (Romans 10:12) Paul says it is by the power of God that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ brings salvation to the Jews and the Greeks. (Romans 1:16) Paul had a great desire that every person who claimed to be of Israel would be saved, but he knew they would not. (Romans 10:1-4)

So all Israel will be saved, but all true Israelites will come to saving faith in Jesus. The rest will be condemned to Hell along with all Gentile unbelievers. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10) When a man or woman from the nation of Israel comes to saving faith in Jesus, they become a Christian and a citizen of another holy nation call the Church and a future citizen of the Kingdom of God. We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus alone and that holds true for all of us, including Israel.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

February 9, 2024

Politics

Romans 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

It seems in this current age of divisions that politics is always a hot topic. I remember hearing Senator Ted Cruz once define the word “politics” this way. He said the word “poli” means many, and a “tic” is a blood sucking parasite. Many blood sucking parasites; that’s politics.

But what does the Bible say about Civil Government? In truth, not much, but there are a few very important commands. One is the commandment above. We are to submit to governmental authority. Why? Because all government is appointed by God, and if you resist that authority, you resist God, and if you resist God, you bring judgement on yourself. Those are strong words, and we should heed them. We should submit to governing authority, meaning we should obey the government God places over us unless that government demands we act in a way that’s contrary to the Word of God. We cannot submit if government commands us to sin. We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)

There is one other commandment we should consider concerning government, and again, it’s a timely command for this time of year. When asked about taxes, Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) In other words, pay your taxes.

That’s it. Concerning government, God commands us to submit to civil authority and pay our taxes. God has given us a democracy in this country and that means we have a small part to play in the government God appointed for us. We get to vote, and we should, but don’t get overly caught up in all the worldly drama surrounding our government; just submit and pay your taxes.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie