What will happen to Israel in the flesh

[瑤翰 김요한]

What will happen to Israel in the flesh? (Romans 11:1-5)

Romans 9 is about God's decree.

Just as a potter has the authority to turn a lump of clay into two vessels, one for honor and another for dishonorable use (Romans 9:21), so God determines to whom he will give his Son, his only begotten Son.

The difference between a  honor vessel and a dishonor vessel is not about a golden spoon and a dirt spoon, but about what is contained in it.

When Christ is contained in an earthen vessel, it becomes a precious body containing glory and honor as a treasure. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

Romans 10 is God's providence that comes to those who have made a decree.

If you hear the word with your ears and it is in your mouth, you will believe it in your heart, leading to righteousness, and confessing it with your mouth with the Holy Spirit, leading to salvation, you will be able to appeal to the name of the Lord.

As time goes by, and the more I know God the Father in the Lord Jesus Christ, the more I value the words that those who call on the name of the Lord receive salvation in the present and will not be ashamed by richness.

I look back and smile bitterly at the memory of how I immaturely shouted in the name of Jesus the other day.

And in Romans 11, Paul states in detail the results of that providence.

Q. Has God abandoned flesh Israel forever?

" I say then, Has God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” (Romans 11:1)

A. Paul firmly testifies that no.

He does not abandon the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham.

Although he closed it for a while for the salvation of the Gentiles, he will surely save the remnant among them (Romans 11:25-26)

Since Paul himself, who met Christ, is Jewish, he is confident that he will not abandon the Jews.

Therefore, if I, a Korean, am truly a child of God, there is hope for fellow Koreans as well.

If I have become a child of God despite being a Gentile who is not among God's chosen people, then it is natural that other Koreans can also become children of God.

But if you only know Jesus, once Jesus dies, everything will end.

Judas Iscariot only knows that Jesus will die on the cross, so he takes 30 pieces of silver.

Who knows, perhaps even now, people who only know Jesus' death on the cross and do not know the glory afterward are engaged in the Christian business of buying and selling Jesus?

Also, look at Peter and the other disciples before Pentecost.

They all deny him and run away.

However, after Pentecost, those who have met Christ and God through Christ have amazing confidence.

As the message of the cross works, they deny theirself and give up their possessions and even their life.

Paul was a man who never met Jesus in the flesh.

After meeting Christ, he knew that because of what Jesus had done, he had become one body and one spirit with Christ, his immortal husband.

Jesus, who came in the flesh, through his testimony, We believe him, This is the Son of God, but when we hear Christ’s words and receive him as our Savior, through meeting him, we believe in him.

So Jesus said to those who believed in him, ‘So do you believe in me now? He says that soon you will deny me and everyone will abandon me.

He also says that He has not even committed himself to those who believe in him. (John 2:23-25)

I ask you a question:

Have you met Christ?

Did you meet God through Christ?

In fact, as a Korean, I had absolutely nothing to do with the Bible.

Then, please think about how many  chosen ones of our fellow Koreans are waiting to hear the gospel we preach.

Gospel unification through Jesus? Really, stop talking like a child.

The saying that it is only the gospel of Jesus does not hold true.

The gospel is that Christ has come into me.

Only then righteousness is within me, eternal life is within me, and the glory of God shines within me.

Among the words preached in the church, there is only Jesus, but Christ is missing and no salvation appears.

People are flocking to so-called heresies because they listen to words that sound like an ambiguous quiz game.

Since we believe in Jesus as Lord and Christ, the message of the cross applies, and those who have the identity of faith that Christ, not me, is my master must preach the gospel.

Q. What answer did God give to Elijah’s accusation?

“God has not cast away his people which he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? how he makes intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed your prophets, and digged down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. (Romans 11:2-3)

A. He answered Elijah that not only are you the only one left, but there are also seven thousand men left who do not bow the knee to Baal.

7*1000 is a complete and full number.

Paul knew that God would not abandon those whom he foreknew, namely Israel.

So, he explain by mentioning the fact that Elijah filed a lawsuit against Israel.

According to Elijah's accusation, all the prophets who spoke the word of God were killed, leaving only the false prophets.

Then, they destroy the altar and try to find and kill Elijah himself, the prophet of God. 

This always happens.

In this day and age, the servants of the Lord who preach Christ through the Word of God are being oppressed by public opinion.

It's like someone saying you can never win in a fight with a blind man.

Just look at the blind, deaf, dumb, and dogs who only know Jesus and follow his signs.

The seven thousand were mature people who did not bow the knee to Baal.

Even now, the world is full of idolaters in the faith of God who believe that more is better as if it is all about blessings.

The false prophets who float on the waves of the world and make up lies are no different from those who worship Baal and Asherah, the gods of fertility and large harvests, and deceive the people.

The problem is that they do not have the awareness that they are false prophets.

The seriousness of false prophets is that they do not even dream that they are false prophets.

However, even in this era, God left seven thousand true prophets like Elijah.

You should not think that you are the only one who has the knowledge of the truth, and you should not think that you are the only one walking the difficult path.

God is not that uneconomical.

He has already spread them all over the world.

If it's just me and if it's just here,  it's heresy.

Are you gathering people and deceiving them with ignorance, saying that only you have received the spirit of Jesus?

Paul proclaimed to all nations that Christ is in us and we become Christians by his Spirit (Romans 8:9). How on earth do we receive the Spirit of Jesus right away?

Jesus is the one who had God the Father within him and worked by the Holy Spirit.

We call upon God the Father by receiving the Spirit of Christ within us through the Spirit of truth.

Q. What are the characteristics of remnant?

“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Romans 11:5)

A. Then and now, there is a remnant who were chosen by grace.

Those who are in God's election and providence want to spread the gospel like Elijah and Jeremiah.

God's way will be done by God's grace, but he wants to stay still, but he cannot do so because of the thrill of God's word.

I am filled with tears just thinking about being born again in Christ, becoming righteous, in the Holy Spirit, and approaching to the shining and high throne, calling on the name of the Lord.

They continues to live because serving for the gospel is the way they live

.When someone asks me why I write every day, I tell them that I write every day to survive.

Because that's my meal.

Hero Ahn Jung-geun said that if you don't read a book even for a day, thorns will grow in your mouth. If I don't write even for a day, my words will become harsh and my mind will be filled with confusion and emptiness, so I write to survive.

It is the same as a bread seller who sells bread and makes a living from the income.

I also tried to sell the gospel by holding seminars, including on Romans, but God stopped me.

Currently, if you are a member of the cafe, you can even drag.

I received it freely, so I give it freely, and this is the source of my strength and the reason for my survival.

You don't do it because someone tells you to, and it doesn't disappear just because someone tries to get rid of it.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION