Romans 9:1-5
Scripture: Romans 9:1-5 (ESV)
“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”
Devotion
Imagine loving someone so much that you’d be willing to trade places with them, even if it meant your own ruin. It’s the kind of love I’ve only encountered in parents when they see the destructive path their children are on. It is particularly painful for a parent who is watching their child careening down a path that will lead to hell. As stark as that image is, this is the depth of anguish and love Paul expresses for his own people, the Israelites. He points out that they had every spiritual privilege imaginable—adoption as God’s children, the glory of God’s presence, the covenants, the law, worship, promises, and the honor of having the patriarchs as ancestors. And above all, Jesus was born as an Israelite.
Yet, despite all these blessings, many Israelites didn’t recognize Jesus as their Messiah. Paul, knowing what this means for them, is deeply moved to sorrow. His sadness comes from a place of deep love and strong longing for his people to know the truth of the salvation that is freely available in Jesus.
We might wonder why Paul, who knows that those who reject God ultimately end up facing God’s wrath, is willing to be “accursed and cut off from Christ” for the sake of his kinsmen. Surely, realising the enormity of what that would mean for him would force him to recoil from that idea. Why then does Paul feel this way?
Because Paul has grasped something of what it means to follow Jesus. Paul shows us what it means to live self-sacrificially. Paul is showing the same self-sacrificial love Jesus had. The reason Paul is willing to be cut off from God’s love for the sake of his brothers, is because Jesus was willing to be cut off from God’s love for the sake his brothers.
This is what radical love for the lost looks like. This is what loving the unsaved like Jesus looks like. It is radical. It is almost incomprehensible. It is incredibly costly. But that is what Jesus was willing to do for us. That is what Jesus is calling us into. Jesus, who was without sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
This is a deep challenge for everyone who would follow Jesus. How deep is my love for others? Am I moved by the same kind of godly sorrow for the lost? Do I yearn for others to experience the fullness of life in Christ?
Do you?
Prayer
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Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sacrificial love that brought us into a relationship with You. Give us hearts like Paul’s, burdened for those who don’t know You. Help us to see others with Your eyes of compassion and to be moved to action by love, not obligation. May we be willing to go to great lengths, even at personal cost, to share the good news of Your love with them. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge for the Day
Today, think of someone you know who doesn’t yet have a relationship with Jesus. Spend time praying for them by name, asking God to open their heart to His love and truth. Then, take a step of faith and reach out to them—whether it’s a conversation, an invitation to church, or simply showing them love in a practical way. Let your actions be a reflection of the love Paul showed, a love that is willing to go the extra mile for the sake of the gospel.