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Ambassador Baptist Church
1926 Babcock Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15209
(412)477-3210
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   You Are Here: Bridge / Galley / Pastor's Pen / Pathways Through Paul
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Pathways Through Paul Daily Devotional
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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional

March 18
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Today's Pathway:


 Romans 9:1
  1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
  2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
  3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

His Majesty's Service

 Chapters 9-11 of Romans have stirred much controversy in fundamental circles. Over the course of the next several days we will look at the issues that are found, or allegedly found, in these chapters. The main focus of this section of the Bible is Israel. How God has dealt with Israel in the past is found in chapter 9; His present dealings with Israel are discussed in chapter 10; and His future dealing with them is in chapter 11. Paul starts off this section by revealing his great burden for his fellow Jews. He is very emphatic in verse 1 as he points out the truthfulness of his statements. He says that he is telling the truth, that he is not lying, and that his conscience is clear. The reason that he feels the need to emphasize his veracity is because of the incredible announcement that he is about to make.

 In verse 2 Paul shows the sorrow that he has for the spiritual condition of his Jewish kinsmen. He says that his sadness is great, that it is never-ending, and that it grieves him in his heart. Before we go any further, this question should be asked of all of us who are saved: how burdened are we for the souls of those around us? In verse 3 Paul grieves for the entire nation because they are his brethren. I wonder how much we grieve for even our own close relatives who are lost, let alone for those who would not be considered to be a part of our family? I'm sure that this burden was a factor in Paul's tremendous ministries of evangelism, edification, and church planting.

 The statement of verse 3 is what really stands out, and is probably the reason why Paul felt the need to stress his truthfulness in verse 1. He says that he would be willing to be accursed if it meant that his kinsmen, the Jews, would be saved. He says that he "could wish" this. It would be his desire or prayer to be accursed, but he knows that this is not possible, for he has been justified and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and thus he can not lose nor surrender his salvation. In this context, to be "accursed" means to be separated from Christ and His salvation. It would involve being given over to divine condemnation. In other words, Paul seems to be saying that he would be willing to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire if the nation of Israel would be willing to turn to God. This is certainly an unbelievable expression, and yet it is true because God inspired it to be written down, and allowed Paul to emphatically claim it to be accurate. What a burden Paul had for his people! What a challenge for us! Paul would have been willing to go to Hell to see people saved, yet many of God's children are unwilling to go across the street to share the gospel. Paul would have been willing to give up his salvation forever for the sake of others, while many believers today are unwilling to give up a few minutes of their time for the sake of their lost acquaintances.

 Do you and I have a burden for those who are lost? What are we willing to sacrifice in order to give the Gospel to them?

Pastor Mark J Montgomery

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His Majesty's Service
Home of Ambassador Baptist Church
1926 Babcock Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15209
(412)477-3210
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