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daily devotional
Evening ...
Acts 14:22
Continue in the faith.
Perseverance is the badge of true saints. The Christian life is not a
beginning only in the ways of God, but also a continuance in the same as long
as life lasts. It is with a Christian as it was with the great Napoleon: he
said, "Conquest has made me what I am, and conquest must maintain me." So,
under God, dear brother in the Lord, conquest has made you what you are, and
conquest must sustain you. Your motto must be, "Excelsior." He only is a true
conqueror, and shall be crowned at the last, who continueth till war's trumpet
is blown no more. Perseverance is, therefore, the target of all our spiritual
enemies. The world does not object to your being a Christian for a time, if she
can but tempt you to cease your pilgrimage, and settle down to buy and sell
with her in Vanity Fair. The flesh will seek to ensnare you, and to prevent
your pressing on to glory. "It is weary work being a pilgrim; come, give it up.
Am I always to be mortified? Am I never to be indulged? Give me at least a
furlough from this constant warfare." Satan will make many a fierce attack on
your perseverance; it will be the mark for all his arrows. He will strive to
hinder you in service: he will insinuate that you are doing no good; and that
you want rest. He will endeavour to make you weary of suffering, he will
whisper, "Curse God, and die." Or he will attack your steadfastness: "What is
the good of being so zealous? Be quiet like the rest; sleep as do others, and
let your lamp go out as the other virgins do." Or he will assail your doctrinal
sentiments: "Why do you hold to these denominational creeds? Sensible men are
getting more liberal; they are removing the old landmarks: fall in with the
times." Wear your shield, Christian, therefore, close upon your armour, and cry
mightily unto God, that by His Spirit you may endure to the end.
Romans 11:26-32
(26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come
out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (27) For
this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (28) As
concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the
election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. (29) For the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance. (30) For as ye in times past have not
believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: (31) Even so
have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain
mercy. (32) For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have
mercy upon all.
The good news comes in two parts. First, God has not put Israel so far
away that it has no hope of salvation. Paul says plainly, "So all Israel will
be saved." He is very positive that the vast majority of Israelites will enter
God's Kingdom. Peter says in II Peter 3:9 that God "is not willing that any
should perish but that all [all humanity, including Israel] should come to
repentance."
Second, because of what Israel experienced-and yes, because they
failed-the called of God, Christians, have been given the opportunity for
salvation now as the firstfruits. God knew all along that Israel would fail; it
was part of His plan to create a historical record of a physical people
attempting to keep His covenant. Among other things, He desired a
people-Israel-to show His begotten children the absolute futility of life
without Him, even if it is lived under the best circumstances.
God loves Israel, so He did not commit them to eternal disobedience and
condemnation. Very few of them have lost their opportunity for salvation. He
has simply put them aside for the time being. Other places in the Bible explain
that God will open salvation to them later, when conditions will be even better
for them (see Ezekiel 37:1-14; Revelation 20:12-13). As Paul says in Romans
11:31, the salvation of Christians will eventually work out for the benefit of
the Israelites: They will also obtain mercy (see also verses 11-15, 23-25).
Nevertheless, due to their being "broken off" from the vine (verse 17), a
place has been made for others to be "grafted in." We should note that the
vine's roots and trunk, as it were, were never rejected-just some of the
branches. This means that God's Kingdom is still in large part an Israelite
Kingdom! It is still rooted in the Patriarchs, the prophets, the teachings and
promises, the house of David, the Twelve Tribes, and the most important of all
Israelites, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
No, Israel, though blinded to God's way for now, remains a vital part of
God's plan of salvation!
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
From Why Israel? (Part One)
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