The argument becomes clear and supported by Scripture, if Israel as a people refuses to invoke the name of our Lord, it is because she has been blind to the light that was offered.
But they will not ask His help unless they believe in Him, and they will not believe in Him unless they have heard of Him, and they will not hear of Him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as Scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news is a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ, the word of God.
Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world. A second question: is it possible that Israel did not understand? Moses answered this long ago: I will make you jealous of people who are not even a nation; I will make you angry with an irreligious people. Isaiah said more clearly: I have been found by those who did not seek me, and have revealed myself to those who did not consult me; and referring to Israel he goes on: Each day I stretched out my hand to a disobedient and rebellious people. Romans 10:14-21
We as people (both Jews and Christians), therefore are no better than the pagan nations who refuse to believe altogether. Yet, God in His infinite mercy is slow to anger, giving everyone a chance to accept salvation.
Let me put a further question then: is it possible that God has rejected His people? Of course not. I, (Paul) an Israelite, descended from Abraham through the tribe of Benjamin, could never agree that God had rejected His people, the people He chose specially long ago. Do you remember what Scripture says of Elijah– how he complained to God about Israel’s behavior? Lord, they have killed Your prophets and broken down Your altars. I, and I only, remain, and they want to kill me. What did God say to that? I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bent the knee to Baal. Today the same thing has happened: there is a remnant, chosen by grace. By grace, you notice, nothing therefore to do with good deeds, or grace would not be grace at all!
What follows? It was not Israel as a whole that found what it was seeking, but only the chosen few. The rest were not allowed to see the truth; as Scripture says: God has given them a sluggish spirit, unseeing eyes and inattentive ears, and they are still like that today. And David says: May their own table prove a trap for them, a snare and a pitfall– let that be their punishment; may their eyes be struck incurably blind, their backs bend for ever.
God gives us many chances to come to Him, to believe in His existence, His ways. He is always knocking at the door to our hearts. If one still refuses to let Him in, to listen and follow then you have made your choice and He honors that choice. He gives you a sluggish spirit, because your heart dictated your behavior. You did not understand the just man’s sufferings or his thirst. The Jews are incapable of acknowledging a suffering Messiah precisely because they are so attached to their formal worship.
Let me put another question then: have the Jews fallen forever, or have they just stumbled? Obviously they have not fallen for ever: their fall, though, has saved the pagans in a way the Jews may now well emulate.
The present unbelief of the Jews is only a false step which God has permitted with a view to the conversion of the pagans and ultimately of the Jews themselves: for their own good God will make them jealous (Romans 10:19), of the pagans.
Think of the extent to which the world, the pagan world, has benefited from their fall and defection– then think how much more it will benefit from the conversion of them all. Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their Apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead!
A whole batch of bread is made holy if the first handful of dough is made holy; all the branches are holy if the root is holy. No doubt some of the branches have been cut off, and, like shoots of wild olive, you (the pagan who is now a Christian) have been grafted among the rest to share with them the rich sap provided by the olive tree itself, but still, even if you think yourself superior to the other branches, remember that you do not support the root; it is the root that supports you. You will say, ‘Those branches were cut off on purpose to let me be grated in!’ True, they were cut off, but through their unbelief; if you still hold firm, it is only thanks to your faith.
Rather then making you proud, that should make you afraid. God did not spare the natural branches, and He is not likely to spare you. Do not forget that God can be severe as well as kind: He is severe to those who fell, and He is kind to you, but only for as long as He chooses to be, otherwise you will find yourself cut off too, and the Jews, if they give up their unbelief, grafted back in your place. God is perfectly able to graft them back again; after all, if you were cut from your natural wild olive to be grafted unnaturally on to a cultivated olive, it will be much easier for them, the natural branches, to be grafted back on the tree they came from.
There is a hidden reason for all this, brothers, of which I do not want you to be ignorant, in case you think you know more than you do. One section of Israel has become blind, but this will last only until the whole pagan world has entered, and then after this the rest of Israel will be saved as well. As Scripture says: The liberator will come from Zion, He will banish godlessness from Jacob. And this is the covenant I will make with them when I take their sins away.
The Jews are enemies of God only with regard to the Good News, and enemies only for your sake; but as the chosen people, they are still loved by God, loved for the sake of their ancestors. God never takes back His gifts or revokes His choice.
Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now– and only because of the mercy shown to you– will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.
How rich are the depths of God– how deep His wisdom and knowledge– and how impossible to penetrate His motives or understand His methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be His counsellor? Who could ever give Him anything or lend Him anything? All that exists comes from Him; all is by Him and for Him. To Him be glory for ever! Amen. Romans’ chapter 11.
Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship Him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, (in a spiritual way) by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice (giving God your heart, mind and soul), truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behavior of the world around you, but let your behavior change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God, and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do. Romans 12:1-2
The time called in the Bible the ‘latter days’ introduced by Christ’s death and resurrection and equivalent with the age of the Church on earth, the age of salvation is now,
2 Corinthians 6:2-10 For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
God loves you very much and all He ask is your love in return. Love is what rules His Kingdom
Thank you for visiting 🙂 God bless
thelostcoinblog 
Amen. 🙏🙌🔥
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Thank you for visiting 😄 Blessings always.
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