Book 24

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 4 * BOOK 24

ROMANS 9:25-10:21 – PART 2

Now let’s get back to where we left off in Romans Chapter 10, and we just might even get into Chapter 11 in this lesson. Remember in the last lesson we closed with verse 17, and I commented that God doesn’t expect someone to respond until He speaks it. I always give the example, When did Noah start building His ark? Did he jump the gun? No, he didn’t start until God says, “Build an ark.” And then Hebrews Chapter 11 says:

Hebrews 11:7

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” We also see that Abraham by faith left Ur:

Hebrews 11:8

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

So Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees. When? When God said for him to, and so it is all the way up through Scripture that when God speaks it and men respond to it, then God sees it as faith. He reckons that faith. So it is now with the Gospel. We’ve had it revealed to us. Paul has brought it out to the Gentile world and now God lays that responsibility upon Gentiles to believe the Gospel which Paul calls “My Gospel:”

Romans 2:16

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” He also calls it “The Gospel of the Grace of God.” In addition he calls it “that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles.”

Galatians 2:2

“And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles,…” He also calls it “The Gospel of the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation.”

Romans 16:25

“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.”

So that’s what we’re to believe today, that which God has revealed to us. Now then, Paul is going to come back once again, to Israel’s situation in verse 18.

Romans 10:18,19a

“Have they not heard? (Be careful – who is the `they?’ Israel – the Jews) Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, did not Israel know?…”

How many times have I told our classes here in Oklahoma, when Jesus came to the nation of Israel, they could have known Who He was. They should have known Who He was. But did they? Israel did not know. Now why do I say that? The Old Testament was full of prophecy. Three hundred and sixty something, if I’m not mistaken, distinct prophecies concerning His first coming in the Old Testament. The Jews of that day knew their Old Testament, at least they thought they did. They should have known Who He was the minute He came on the scene. But they didn’t. Why didn’t they? Because they could read the Old Testament and not see a word it said.

You know, people are no different today with Paul’s letters. If they read it at all, they read it and yet they don’t read it. I had a friend of mine who I had read something that Paul wrote several times before he finally caught what Paul was talking about, and so many are the same way. Well, Israel was no different. They would read those Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah and they didn’t know what it was talking about. So here He came, presenting Himself, performed the miracles, performed the signs, and they still couldn’t believe Who He was.

But, let’s not castigate the Jew. We’re no different. America’s no different. No nation on earth has been so saturated with this Word of God, the Bible, as Americans. Bibles in every home. Every home that I ever knew of has more than one copy. It may collect dust, but it’s there. It’s preached over and over and over. That’s what I said a couple of programs ago. Churches on every corner and yet America has no concept whatsoever tonight, on the whole, that we are approaching the end times. They have no idea that all these things taking place are just a constant stage setting, day by day, for the appearance of the Anti-christ. That world ruler. Why do you think everybody’s talking about global government? Why do our business men talk about nothing tonight but global business, a global market? And now we’re getting closer and closer to a global religion. This Book has prophesied it. It’s all in here, but they don’t know that. They’re totally ignorant. It’s not because they haven’t the brain power, it’s simply because they’ve refused to see what The Book says. So Israel was the same way.

Romans 10:18,19

“Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses said I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, (Now I’m sure he was making reference to the time when God turned to the Gentiles.) and by a foolish nation I will anger you.”

Isn’t that exactly what the Gentiles, in the early days of Christendom did to the Jew? Why did they hate Paul so? Why did the Jews try to kill him everywhere he went? Because he was going to the Gentiles. How many times have I taken my classes back to Acts Chapter 22, and this isn’t any kind of put down on our Jewish people, that here they had had it pounded into them ever since they’d become a nation in Egypt that they were a set-apart people. Yes they were God’s Covenant people, God told them in Egypt that He would put a division between them and the Egyptians. And in Deuteronomy He says it as plain as day, “You are a separated people unto me.”

Deuteronomy 7:6

“For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God; the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”

Leviticus 20:24

“…I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.”

In Exodus 19 he tells Israel they will be a kingdom of priests.

Exodus 19:6

“And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation, These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.:”

So absolutely they were a set apart people, but you see it carried all the way over into Paul’s day, and now when Paul starts going to the Gentiles they hated him for it. Now let’s look atActs Chapter 22, and here Paul is speaking to this great Jewish crowd in Jerusalem. He is now under protective custody of the Romans, or the Jews would have pulled him limb from limb. But under that protective custody of the Roman troops he stands on the stairway and addresses this great crowd of Jews. Here Paul is rehearsing his salvation experience, and it’s emphasized three times in this Book of Acts. His conversion is totally detailed in Chapter 9, 22, and 26, here we’re looking at the one in Chapter 22. And he’s gone through the whole procedure of his salvation on the road to Damascus, and then you come to verse 17:

Acts 22:17-22

“And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; And saw him (The ascended Lord Jesus) saying unto me, `Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they (the Jews) will not receive thy testimony concerning me.’ And I said, `Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.’ And he said unto me, `Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. And they gave him audience unto this word, (What word? Gentiles) and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.'” (Why? Because he dared to use the word Gentile.)

Now do you see that? When this same Paul starts going to the Gentile world with salvation based upon that Jew (Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew, and don’t you ever forget it), the Nation of Israel detested Him, and now Paul comes back and says, “Even Moses foretold that this is what you’d do. Moses prophesied that another nation would come into fellowship with your God, and you would hate them for it.” And isn’t that exactly what Israel did? The more the Gentiles should come to the Gospel, the more the Jewish people fought it, except for the few, of course. And it’s no different today. In Israel’s law of return, who do they try to keep out? Christians or Jewish people who are professed believers in Christ. Why don’t they want these people in Israel? Because religiously they still maintain that there’s no room for a Gentile in their so-called religion. Now verse 20:

Romans 10:20

“But Esaias is very bold, and saith, `I was found of them that sought me not;…'”

We’ll come right back to Romans, but first go to the Book of Ephesians, and let’s never lose sight of some of these basic fundamental truths. And this again goes back to my timeline when I said in the Old Testament that it was Jew only with a few exceptions, and here Paul confirms that. Remember Paul is writing to Gentiles at Ephesus, he’s writing to us.

Ephesians 2:11,12

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past (Old Testament) Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (In other words the Jews referred to the Gentiles as uncircumcised.) That at that time (Old Testament economy.) ye (Your Gentile forefathers) were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world;”

Now that was the lot of our Gentile forefathers plain as day, and then what about the next verse? Oh it’s that flip-side verse again. We’re no longer in that horrible situation:

Ephesians 2:13

“But now in Christ Jesus (And in that finished work of the Cross.) ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

So we’re made nigh by not coming into a Covenant relationship, nor by coming under Judaism, “But by the blood of Christ.” Do you see what a difference that makes? And now you can see how this whole thing has been totally inverted, whereas in the Old Testament it was Jew only with a few Gentile exceptions, and now it’s practically Gentile only, with a few Jewish exceptions. Now coming back to Romans Chapter 10, and reading verse 20 again.

Romans 10:20

“But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; (speaking of Gentiles) I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.”

Who was that? The Gentiles. They weren’t concerned about Israel’s God, they weren’t the ones that were worried about their eternal doom, they were saturated in their paganism. But to whom did God send the Apostle Paul? Those very same people. Now this fulfills again a basic rule of Scripture. Beginning with Adam and Eve, no one of the human race ever seeks God. I know that shocks a lot of people but it’s true. No human being ever seeks God. God is always the Seeker, God always makes that first move, and He is the One that prompts the human being to respond. Remember that, also let me show you from Scripture so that you don’t take my word for it. Let’s go back to John’s Gospel, Chapter 3, and let’s begin with verse 17.

John 3:17-18a

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved. (God’s not willing that any should perish) He that believeth is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already,…”

Just by virtue of being a child of Adam, they’re condemned when they come into the world. Remember we’re not sinners because we sin, but rather we sin because we’re sinners. And how do we become sinners? By being born of Adam. So every child of Adam detests the light, they don’t want the light, and they’re condemned already Jesus says. This is in red in my Bible, so it means He said it. Now reading on verse 18:

John 3:18-21

“He that believeth is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. And this the the condemnation, that light is come into the world, (Remember the verse in John Chapter 1, and verse 9 that the light is in the world, and it lighteth every man that comes into the world? All right, we’re talking about that same light.) and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Now that’s proof positive, that man in his own desire will never seek God, but rather God is the Seeker, and never lose sight of that. If you’re a believer here today don’t give yourself credit for having found salvation No you did not. God came looking for you, and found you, and brought you to the place where you believed. Just like Lydia that we read about in the last lesson, it was God Who opened her heart. It wasn’t Paul who opened her heart, but rather God. Remember Peter back in Matthew Chapter 16, Jesus and the Twelve were up in northern Israel, and He ask the question:

Matthew 16:13b-17

“…Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, `Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.’ He saith unto them, `But whom say ye that I am?’ And Simon Peter answered and said, `Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered and said unto him, `Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.'”

So you see this is the whole concept of Scripture, even Peter and those other ten that were believers, it wasn’t that they had the smarts to realize, “Oh, hey that’s the Messiah.” But rather as the Messiah came and put the finger on them, the Spirit of God opened their understanding. They then recognized that this is the One that we have to follow. Now let’s come back to Romans Chapter 10, and verse 21.

Romans 10:21

“But to Israel he saith, `All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.'”

Now I’ll admit this is one of the toughest things for me to comprehend in Scripture. Here God brought about supernaturally the Nation of Israel, didn’t He? Called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees, and told him right up front that He was going to make of him a nation of people. And finally He fulfills the promise with the birth of Isaac, supernaturally a promised son. Isaac fathers Jacob, and Jacob fathers the twelve sons, and they end up down in Egypt. Immediately God begins to deal with those Israelites as now His chosen set-apart nation. He brings them out of Egypt supernaturally, miracle, after miracle, and that multitude of Israelites follow their leader Moses. Every step of the way God moves in the miraculous, He brings them down to Mount Sinai, the fire and thunder on the mountain.

In fact, they have discovered that some of the rocks up there on Mt Sinai, over in Jordan, have been burned with a fire unlike any other rock formation on earth, they’ve pretty well established that. So this isn’t just a legend from Scripture. Then Israel was given the tabernacle, He has jelled them as a nation of people. God has substantiated every thing, and they’re ready to go into the Promise Land. But what do the people do? They said, “Send in the spies, because we can’t believe God.” And so God condescends, and says, “All right I’ll let you send in spies.” You know what happened. Those twelve spies were gone forty days, and brought back a report that they could never take the land. God had told Moses and Israel that He would drive out the Canaanites with hornets. And all they would have to do is just move in and take whatever was there.

But Israel wouldn’t believe God, they wept and wailed, because they couldn’t take the Promise Land, and as a result they had their first Tishah B’ab. You know what that was don’t you? I hope you do. It is that 9th day of August where dramatic things have happened to the Nation of Israel, that made them weep, and weep, and weep. Why? Because they didn’t believe. Now let’s go back to the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 3 for a moment. We’ve used these things before, but these things bear repeating. Let’s begin in verse 7:

Hebrews 3:7-12

“Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation [or testing] in the wilderness:” [You see it’s taking us back to Israel when they were ready to go into the Promise Land.] When your fathers tempted [tested] me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, `They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So [God said] I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest). (Now I think Paul wrote Hebrews so now he’s coming back and making the analogy. So he says) Take heed, brethren, (learn from that horrible experience) lest there be in any of you an evil heart of(not drunkenness, not adultery, not any other gross sin that we normally think of, but the evil heart of what?) unbelief…'”

God hates nothing more than unbelief, and when He says it, He thinks we should believe it. Now let’s go on down to verse 15, and finish the lesson.

Hebrews 3:15-19

“While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. (There was again a remnant, Joshua, Caleb and a few of the others) But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, (in unbelief) whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? (because they didn’t believe that they could take Canaan) And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 3* BOOK 24

ROMANS 9:25-10:21

We will pick up where we left off in our last lesson and that will be in Romans Chapter 10, and verse 9. Remember when we closed the last program we were talking about the word is nigh thee, it’s right in front of us, it’s even in our mouth. Not the word of Law, not the word of legalism, not any word of what you have to do, do, do, but the word of faith Paul says which we preach. And recently I came across a better definition of the word preach. You know I always like to disclaim that I’m a preacher, but I like the word this fellow used when he said, “When you preach something you’re proclaiming it.” I’ve got no problem with that definition, and I hope that I am proclaiming what the Word says. Here it is in verse 9:

Romans 10:9a

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,…”

And a better way to translate that is if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. See we can’t lose sight of that. Now I do not agree with Lordship salvation, I feel that’s an act of works. But when we enter in by faith, we experience the new birth, and we become a child of God, and we experience all these things that we saw back in Chapter 1 that is connected with the word `Salvation.’ That we’re forgiven, sanctified, glorified, baptized into the Body, and we’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and on and on I could go. Then one of the other things that happened is Christ becomes Lord of our life. I think that follows as naturally as daylight follows darkness. And that’s what Paul is saying now, that if we confess with our mouth the fact that Jesus is Lord.

Now I used to be associated with a situation where we thought that before anybody could be recognized as a believer or a candidate for Church membership they had to go in front of the whole congregation, and tell their testimony. And this is the verse that those people and I would use. But now I do not feel that this is what this verse is saying. This verse is not saying that if you want to be proclaimed as a believer you have to get up in front of a congregation and give your testimony. That’s not what The Book says, but I do think that it says,“That when you have entered into a Salvation experience you’re not going to keep it to yourself, its something that means something to us, and we’re going to share it.”

I hope that our class people, and many of them do, can get to the place that they can talk about the things of the Lord as easily as you can talk about the weather, because it becomes that big a part of us. And this is what the Apostle Paul is saying here, that if we come to the place where Jesus is Lord we should be ready to share with anybody that will listen. I never ascribe to forcing anything on people, by grabbing them by the nape of the neck and shoving this down their throat, because it won’t work. But when the Lord gives you an opportunity or opening with just a word or two, then be ready to share. Now continuing on with verse 9.

Romans 10:9

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Now that’s the Gospel isn’t it? That means that you’ve believed the Gospel for your salvation. And the Gospel is that Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again. And if you believe that God has raised Him from the dead, what’s the promise? “Thou shalt be saved!” It doesn’t say that you can try to be saved. It doesn’t say now you’re working the best you can to be saved, it says that when you believe the Gospel, the promise from God is “Thou shalt be saved!” How can you water that down? How dare people change that, because this is what The Book says, and this is what we try to help you understand. Now verse 10, and Paul is going to qualify it a little more. It isn’t head knowledge that saves you . A lot of people will have the head knowledge that, “Yeah, Jesus lived I know, evidently there was a crucifixion, and Rome did kill people that way, and maybe I could believe that He was raised from the dead,” but you see that’s head knowledge.”

But for us who truly believe, this is isn’t something that we associated with history necessarily, although it was certainly an act in history. Yet we know that when Christ died, He died for us. We know that when He was buried, we were buried with Him. We know that when He arose from the dead we also were resurrected to a newness of life. And again this is what Paul is rehearsing for our benefit.

Romans 10:10

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;…”

I was reading a good man the other day, and he had a thought that I had really never considered before. He said, “Really, instead of using the word saved, we should say that we have been imputed righteousness.” That’s not a bad idea, because that’s exactly what God has done. Way back when we were in Romans Chapter 3, I took you back to Genesis Chapter 3 when God provided the animal sacrifices for Adam and Eve, which took care of the blood aspect. Then what did He do with the skins of those animals? He clothed their nakedness. But what does the rest of the verse say?

Geneses 3:21

“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” So He clothed them, and then, remember I took you to Isaiah Chapter 61, and verse 10:

Isaiah 61:10

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness,…” And then Romans 3:22 says the same thing.

Romans 3:22

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:…”

Now Paul is following that up, he’s still carrying on that same theme, that once we become a believer we are covered with God’s righteousness. Oh, not to the world around us, they can’t look at us and see God’s righteousness, but we don’t have to worry about them. Who sees the righteousness of Christ? God does. God looks on us and He doesn’t see Les Feldick, He doesn’t see you by name, but He sees Christ in His righteousness, and that’s the beauty of it. I would never dare stand in God’s presence on my own merit nor would you, but I could stand in His presence covered with the righteousness of Christ. And here is what Paul is now admonishing again. So we believe unto righteousness. That is the true aspect of our salvation, we are now made what God has proclaimed us to be. So looking at verse 10 again:

Romans 10:10,11

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Well we pretty much have covered all that. If you’re excited about what God has done for you, then you’re going to tell people.

“For the scripture saith, (See how Paul is always resting on the Word of God, even as he writes the Word of God) `Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.'”

Now I know that some people think that I make too much of the Apostle Paul, and I leave Peter in the shadows, but now let’s go back and see what Peter says, after the revelations of Paul have been around for a long, long time. Peter can write in I Peter Chapter 2 (and remember that these little epistles are written just shortly before Peter and Paul were both martyred, which means that Paul’s epistles and doctrines have been out there a long time already, so of course Peter can come to this kind of a conclusion), and here in verse 2 he’s comparing new born infants to new Christians.

I Peter 2:2-6

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, (There’s that analogy of the stone again that Christ was the Stone that was cast aside, and became a Stone of stumbling, especially to Israel.) but chosen of God, and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, (And remember Peter is writing to living Jews of the dispersion, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t apply to us.) are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (Now here it comes in verse 6.) Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, `Behold, I lay in Sion(Zion is Jerusalem,) a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.'” (or disappointed.)

How many people today, even in the midst of churches on every corner are slipping out into eternity, thinking they’re going the right direction. But I have to wonder, what must it be like when all of a sudden they wake up in eternity, and they are not where they thought they were going? Do you know what they are? They’re disappointed, and that’s what Peter is saying. Put your faith in the Rock of offence, The Stone of stumbling, and let Him be precious to you. And isn’t it amazing that Peter, coming out of Acts 2:38, doesn’t repeat `repent and be baptized for the remission of sins?’ No, he doesn’t mention that anymore. Why? Because that’s even in Peter’s past. And now Peter says, How do we obtain to this position of not being disappointed? By believing! Verse 7:

I Peter 2:7a

“Unto you therefore which believe…”

Oh that’s what I want people to see. This is all we see now anymore, we are to believe, not just a head knowledge, but to really with all our heart believe that Christ was Who He said He was. He’s The Son of God, He was The Messiah of Israel, but it doesn’t stop there. He went to that Cross, He died in our place, He shed the atoning Blood, He was buried, and He arose in power and glory from the grave. Verse 7 again.

I Peter 2:7

“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, (unbelievers) the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,”

Israel cast Him aside, and He became a Stone of stumbling for them, but He’s still coming back to take His place as the Chief Corner Stone of God dealing with the Nation of Israel, as well as the world as a whole. Now coming back to Romans Chapter 10, and let’s read verse 11 once more.

Romans 10:11-13

“For the scripture saith, `Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'”

When were teaching in the Old Testament I used to put my timeline on the board showing the river of humanity, and with the call of Abraham, how with him and the little nation he started, God pulled out of that river of humanity a little stream that was Jew only, with a few exceptions. So that was primarily God dealing with the Nation of Israel all the way up from 2000 B.C. until we get well into the Book of Acts. But there were a few Gentiles. He sent Jonah to Nineveh, then there was the Syrian general Naaman, Ruth the Moabite, Rahab at Jericho, and maybe a sprinkling of others, but it was primarily God dealing with His Covenant people Israel.

You see all that has just flip-flopped. Now in this Age of Grace God is primarily calling out Gentiles, but there are a few Jews, not many, but it’s open to them. God hasn’t closed the door on the Jew, but it’s just that most of them are so blinded they cannot see that the One that their forefathers crucified is the One to Whom they have to come for Salvation even today. So there is now in this Age of Grace, no difference.

Romans 10:14

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?…”

Now as we come through these succeeding verses I want you to realize something. God has ordained from the beginning of the human race that He will use human beings to promote His salvation, whether it was in the Old Testament or New Testament. Very seldom have I run across someone who found salvation all by themselves without benefit of some other human being. God has always arranged that the Word of God be promoted by you and I as humans. He didn’t leave it in the hands of angels. Oh He could of, but He didn’t, He left it in the hands of fellow human beings, and that’s why Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:

II Corinthians 5:18

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” So we’re suppose to be ministers of reconciliation, we are expected to be ambassadors for Christ.

II Corinthians 5:20

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,…”

God expects us to share what we know with those who have never heard or understood. And that’s exactly what Paul is bringing out here. Looking at verse 14 again:

Romans 10:14,15a

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (or proclaimer). How can these people understand unless someone explains it to them. Now verse 15.

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent?…”

Again we have to be used of God. The verse I like to use for this is in Acts Chapter 16. I can do nothing, and you can do nothing unless God goes ahead of us. And remember here in this verse we have Paul and Silas coming down from northern Greece into the city of Philippi. Lets begin with verse 13.

Acts 16:13,14

“And on the sabbath (The Jewish sabbath the seventh day) we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.” Just a few ladies that had come together, I suppose Jewish, to have some kind of devotional. And now verse 14 is the verse I want to show you.

“And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, (This lady was in the upper echelons of society) which worshipped God, (She was religious, but lost.)heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”

Even the great Apostle Paul, with the power that he had, could he open the hearts of those people with his preaching? No, it took the work of the Holy Spirit to open the heart of Lydia, and then the words of Paul took root, and it’s no different today. You and I can never get across to people any of these truths unless the Holy Spirit opens the heart and spiritual eyes of those to whom we’re speaking. I don’t think anybody realizes that better than I do. I can do nothing, my words are nothing more than a tinkling cymbal unless God Himself opens hearts. I’ve got people sitting here that know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve had so many ask me, “Why didn’t I catch this 15 – 20 years ago?” Well it just wasn’t God’s time, but in His own time, He’s going to open our heart and spiritual understanding. Back to Romans 10:15:

Romans 10:15,16

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach (or proclaim) the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel, (Israel especially) For Esaias (Isaiah) saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?”

Even the great prophet Isaiah, what kind of ears did most of his words fall on? Deaf! Most of Israel didn’t pay any attention to the prophets, and would have rather had them thrown into the dungeons or put to death than hear them. So Isaiah in his frustration, and yet inspired by the Spirit says, “Lord who hath believed us? It just falls on deaf ears.”

Romans 10:17

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Remember we can’t hear until God speaks. How many times have I stressed, “Mankind is never expected to believe anything until God speaks it.” There’s a verse in Deuteronomy 29, that we’ll keep using until you know it from memory.

Deuteronomy 29:29a

“The secret things (Things that God had not spoken) belong unto the LORD our God:…”

Why? He’s Sovereign, He doesn’t tell us everything that we’d like to know. He tells us every thing that we need to know, but He’ll tell it in His own time. And that’s why I rebel at the fact that Adam and Eve understood the Gospel (Ref. I Corinthians 15:1-4), and I’ve had people try to tell me that. Or that Abraham understood the Gospel. No, because God hadn’t revealed it yet. It wasn’t to be revealed until much, much, later. Why? Because it was kept secret, it was held in the mind of God. So they weren’t expected to believe that Christ would die, and be raised again even though the Old Testament was full of it by innuendo at least. Why? Because you don’t believe something until God says it. Verse 29 again.

Deuteronomy 29:29

“The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever,…”

Now of course that verse was spoken by Moses to Israel, but that part hasn’t changed. When God revealed the Gospel of the Grace of God, and all we have to do is believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, when God said that’s all that’s necessary for salvation, believe it, and what does He expect us to do? Believe it! Because now He has revealed it, and here is where we are whether we like it or not. We have to understand that God has now said, “We will be saved by faith + nothing in that which He has now proclaimed. Back to Romans 10:17 once more.

Romans 10:17

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” You don’t put your faith in something that some denomination says, but in what God says. God tells us things in His own time.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 2 * BOOK 24

“BELIEVE IN THINE HEART” – PART 2

Now we just finished Chapter 9, and that was dealing with Israel’s past so let’s go right into Romans Chapter 10, and remember this chapter will deal with Israel in this present day dispensation. And as Paul makes so plain back there in Romans Chapter 3, that now since everything has been accomplished at the Cross, and he has now been going out into the Gentile world, that there is no difference. And I can’t emphasize that enough. A Jew doesn’t have to give up his Jewishness, but they have to separate themselves from all of the Old Testament economy because this is the whole idea of this age of Grace. We have nothing to do with Law. That was all settled at the Cross. I love that verse in Colossians:

Colossians 2:14

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;”

A Jew today is under no different situation than a Gentile so far as God is concerned, and they have to understand that. Since Chapter 10 of Romans is dealing with the Jew in this present age, it stands to reason that everything in Chapter 10 has an application for us. And that’s why we use this chapter so often in our salvation verses, because it’s no different for us than it is for the Jew. Salvation is now offered on that same level playing field. A Jew doesn’t have an advantage over a Gentile nor is he disadvantaged, we’re both alike, we’re all under sin, we all need salvation; there’s no difference.

But I think Paul is trying to emphasize that so many of Christendom have the opinion that God’s all through with the Jew. Because they were the quote, unquote “Christ Killers,” because they rejected their Messiah, and God sent them into a dispersion, and destroyed their Temple. This 90% think that God is through with the Jew. And I’ve made statements of what others have said, including Martin Luther, who was a detester of the Jews. I think it was from a religious point of view because again he felt they had killed the Messiah. But that is not according to Scriptures. Martin Luther might have come up with a lot of other good concepts, but he was sure in left field on that one. Now let’s read, and remember Paul is writing to Gentiles. The Book of Romans is written to the Gentile believers at Rome.

Romans 10:1,2

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” Do you remember what Paul said about this back in Chapter 9? He said that he would even give up his own Salvation if he could see the nation saved.

“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.”

Now, he’s talking about the Jews here, but you know what? That’s the problem with most of Christendom today. They may have a zeal, they may never miss a Church service, they may be there every time the doors are opened, but they have no knowledge of the Scriptures. They are totally ignorant of the Scriptures. I remember a couple that I once taught and they have long since died, but the wife told me, sort of puffed up as she left the class one night, that she had taught Sunday School for 30 years at the First Church in Oklahoma City, and she said,“I know my Bible.” I replied, “Well, I’m surprised you came, are you coming next week?” She said, “O yes, we’ll be back.” Well the next week on the way out she almost repeated it word for word. But bless her heart, after coming for about 4 weeks, and with no pomp or puffiness, she said, “I never knew that I was so ignorant.” Well praise the Lord when we get to the place that we realize that we don’t know it all, that’s when we begin to learn, and I’m in no different situation even yet. I told some people the other day that every day I’m seeing things that I never saw before.

As we were coming through Iowa the other night, and I was teaching some of the very people that I started with about 25 years ago, one of those ladies came to me and said, “Les we all can think back, how in the world did you put up with us as ignorant as we were?” I said, “Look, if you would have known any more than you did, then I wouldn’t have been able to teach you anything.” Because I didn’t know much more, but you see if we can just get to the place where we can understand that we really don’t know that much, then we can never exhaust this Book. And then that’s the beginning of learning when we can realize that we do not know it all. But getting back to the text, these Jews had a zealousness for God. You know how religious the Jews were, the Pharisees with their self righteousness, their robes, their praying in public. They thought they were doing God a service, but they had no knowledge, they were totally ignorant of the things of God.

Romans 10:3a

“For they being ignorant…”

Ignorance doesn’t mean a lack of brain power. If we haven’t been taught something we’re ignorant of the subject, and in this case it’s just simply that they had never been taught. They had never opened up their thinking to understand what The Book says.

Romans 10:3,4

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

And another word for believing is what? Faith! They were trying to do it with their own works, and leaving faith out of the picture. I’ve got to constantly remind us, isn’t that exactly where most people are today? They’ll do this and that, and do whatever a denomination prescribes, and they do it according to rote, and ritual, but without faith. And it’s going to count for nothing, they might just as well stay home. And Israel was no different, they kept the feast days, they wouldn’t miss a feast day for anything, and they followed the sacrifices, they followed the law to the letter, but with no faith, and as you know by now, “Without faith it’s impossible to please God.” That was just as true in the Old Testament economy as it is today. And so Christ was that object of faith that Israel was expected to embrace. He came proving Who He was, and they should have known Who He was. He was the fulfillment of over 360 distinct prophecies out of the Old Testament. If they knew their Bible like they thought they did, they should have recognized Him the moment He began His ministry. But why didn’t they? They didn’t know their Bible.

Now let me give you an analogy. Here I think we’re on the very closing moments of this Age of Grace. I continue to teach that I think the Lord is coming for us any day now. Now that doesn’t mean I’m setting dates, but I think that we’re getting so close as we see the world so rapidly falling into more and more wickedness. And again let me share with you about one of our listeners who called from a distant city, and this fellow was saved out of abject ungodliness himself. And he said, “Les, this country is going down the tube isn’t it?” And I told him that it has been for quite a while now. Why? Well he said, “You know the kind of men that are working for me in this moving business, these 25 or 30 young, strong hulks, these guys that can pick up a refrigerator and carry it on their back. One of these fellows came to me the other day and said, `You know, we’re living in wicked times aren’t we?'” And this guy said, “Yeah, but why do you think that?” Because he knew what kind of a lifestyle that he lived. So this worker told him that he was invited the other night to a house party, and he said the drugs and sex got so awful that he had to leave. Now if that kind of a person can’t stand it, imagine the depths that those kind of people are going. And I’m hearing it over and over, not just in our big cities, but it’s where ever you go. There is a complete breakdown in morality, there is a complete losing of Godly restraint, and it’s starting to mushroom. Well what’s it telling us? We’re getting close to the end. Let’s go for a moment to Luke Chapter 21, because I don’t won’t to be an alarmist, I’m not a sensationalist, and I have never taught sensationalism. Let’s begin with verse 25, and we may also go on back to Matthew Chapter 24.

Luke 21:25a

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;…”

Now what does that mean? They have problems that they have no answer to, and the world is full of it. Just in the last few days have you noticed all the turmoil in all the various areas of the world. There is new fighting all over. It seems like the whole world is in turmoil. And then you have the population problem, because the world is just being inundated with people, and some of the most poverty stricken areas of the world are having a population explosion. Well they don’t know what to do. Most of you know we just came back from Haiti a month or so back, and it’s the same way there. Abject poverty, they have nothing except kids. The world is in perplexity tonight, there is no answer to their dilemma, and these are all signs of the end time. Now read on:

Luke 21:25b,26

“…the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

Now I know this language is primarily for the seven years of Tribulation that is coming, but we’re seeing the beginning of it. We’re seeing the stage being set for that final seven years. Now let’s look at Matthew Chapter 24, and again I’ve always taught that Matthew 24 is the Tribulation event, but they’re not going to all of a sudden come out of a sea of calm, and then just break loose, but we’re going to see everything start roaring, and the stirring of the so-called water, so that when the Tribulation comes it will just be increased tremendously. But we’re seeing the beginning of all this, and it should tell us, especially those of us who know God’s Word that we’re getting close to the end. We know it but what about the world around us? It never enters their mind. I don’t care where we go, whether it’s North, East, West, or South, its frantic building activity. Now look what Jesus said in this chapter.

Matthew 24:37,38

“But as the days of No-e (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (And we’re seeing the introduction to it) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,…”

Is there anything wrong with that? No, but it’s that intense activity, there is just no slowing it down,. And then I read every once in awhile about the tremendous amounts of money that people are spending on their wedding reception. It’s not unusual for wealthy Jews to spend up to $40,000.00 for their kids’ wedding. Unreal isn’t it? And it’s not just over there, it’s the same way here, but nevertheless this is the make-up of society today. Now verse 39:

Matthew 24:39

“And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Remember how I always taught the flood? It wasn’t just the water coming up gradually from that rain, but it was an instantaneous breaking up of the fountains of the deep, it was instantaneous destruction, they never knew what hit them. And here we have it as an indication of how it’s going to happen again. Here we have the events leading up to the end times, we should know, as a nation of people with Bibles in all our homes, if America can’t be enlightened, then who in the world can be. But they aren’t, they don’t care, they have no concern for the most part. Back to Romans 10:

Romans 10:5

“For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.”

Absolutely! The Mosaic system was legalism, but it also had to have faith. They couldn’t take either one by themselves, it wasn’t faith plus nothing as it is in this Age of Grace, but remember their works would never amount to anything if it was without faith. In other words, they had to do the things that God said to do under the Law, because they believed that it was what God said. But most of them left the faith element out completely and just did the works, and again that’s where we are today in Christendom. People are doing the works, they’re doing the things that they think need to be done, but without faith, and God will not accept it. Now verse 6, and that verse starts with the word “But,” and what have I always told you about that word in Scripture? It’s the flip-side.

Romans 10:6-8

“But the righteousness which is of faith (That righteousness that comes by believing the Word of God) speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above): Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (Now look at verse 8) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;”

Now when I deal with that situation that we don’t have to ascend to some high mountain to find Christ, or go down into the lowest portions of the earth to find Him, but where is He? Right in front of us. Now here I always like to go back to John’s Gospel Chapter 10, and that is probably as good an illustration that I can find. And Christ is using Himself as the Shepherd of the sheep. But not only is He the Shepherd, but He is also the “Door” to the sheepfold. Now let’s look at it, and Jesus is speaking.

John 10:1

“Verily, verily, I say unto you. He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” Most people just read that, and all they picture is somebody just trying to steal a sheep or lamb. But this is a spiritual thing. What’s He telling us? That people who try to gain heaven other than what He has described, are going to be cast out as thieves and robbers.

John 10:2,3

“But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.”Now I want you to come all the way down to verse 6:

John 10:6,7

“This parable spake Jesus unto them; (Jesus is talking to His own people, the Children of Israel) but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. (They were blind, ignorant, and now He’s going to clarify it.) Then said Jesus unto them again, `Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.'”

What’s Jesus saying? He is the only way, and it’s no different today, but they try to come in every other way except the way that Christ has given us. Now whenever I’ve taught this chapter in the past, how have I put it? Where was the door to that sheep fold? Not way up on some sheer cliff, or across that raging river, but right in front of them at ground level where anybody could walk through. And remember as you walk down that river of life that we all walk, we see the door with a sign on it that says, “Whosoever will may come.” And when you walk through that door, we can look back at that door, and we can see written on the other side “Chosen before the foundation of the world.” But this is exactly what Paul is saying here in Romans Chapter 10. You don’t have to ascend some place and bring Christ down to your level where you can approach Him. Or you don’t have to bring Him up from the deep, because He’s right in front of every person.

A question came up the other afternoon, “What about people who have never heard the Gospel?” (Ref. I Corinthians 15:1-4.) And we think there are people maybe in the dark parts of Africa, or South America, are they lost? Of course they’re lost. Why? Because The Book says that every man that comes into this world has been enlightened. Let me show you in John’s Gospel, I found this verse not long ago, and I thought I knew John’s Gospel, but here was a verse that I had totally missed all these years. And this is what The Book says even though I can’t comprehend it, and I can’t explain it logically, but the Sovereign God has said it, and He will never send someone to an eternal doom without cause. This verse is speaking of Jesus coming of course in His first Advent as John the Baptist had announced Him remember.

John 1:9

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Now when I saw that I thought, I’d never seen that before. How many times have people asked me about these people who have never heard the Gospel. Well I know that Romans 1:18 says that they are without excuse.

Romans 1:18-20

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

But you see here in John’s Gospel is why they’re without excuse. No human being has ever come into life on this planet without having the light that God has given him, and consequently they’re going to be held responsible for it. Now go back to Romans Chapter 10, and verse 8:

Romans 10:8

“But what saith it? (The Scriptures) The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth,…”

This isn’t just a casual statement; it means what it says The Word is there for the taking so why don’t they take it? Because the Word says that they refuse to step into the light because the light will reveal what they’re really made of, and they don’t want to see or hear. And so they reject the Light, to their own doom, and it’s sad, because Christ tasted death for every man as in II Corinthians 5:

II Corinthians 5:14

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.” Now that’s what The Book says, and we have to understand that. Now coming back to verse 8 again.

Romans 10:8

“But what saith it? The word is night thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith,…” Not works, not legalism, but the Word of faith, or belief. Let’s turn real quick to Romans Chapter 1, and this says it no differently than many other Scripture verses.

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it (the Gospel) is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;…”

And you can follow these Scripture references through, and it’s always Paul’s admonition to him that believeth.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 24

“BELIEVE IN THINE HEART”

Now let’s pick up where we left off in our last lesson and that’s in verse 25 of Romans Chapter 9. Remember Chapter 9 is Paul dealing with Israel’s past, and why they have been having the problems that they’ve had. And then in Chapter 10 we’re going to be dealing with how God treats Israel today, and of course never forget that in Romans Chapter 3, Paul gives us a hint to what that is when Paul says,

Romans 3:22,23a

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

So Paul says that there is no difference. Today a Jew has to approach God on the same basis that we as Gentiles do. And then when we get to Chapter 11 it will be dealing with Israel’s future. God is not through with the Nation of Israel like 90% of Christendom would like to tell us, but Israel’s Covenant promises are going to be yet fulfilled. But of course it can not happen until God is through dealing with the Gentile Church, and we’ll see that so graphically in Chapter 11. Here in Chapter 9 we’re still dealing with Israel’s past, and so naturally Paul is going to be dipping back into the Old Testament because Israel’s dilemma was prophesied. God knew Israel was going to be blind to these things, and that she would not recognize her Messiah even when He came, so Paul makes reference in verse 25 to the old prophecy of Hosea.

Romans 9:25

“As he saith also in O-see, (Greek for Hosea) I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.”

Now I think in order to pick up what Paul, and Hosea were referring to, we need to turn back to the Book of Acts for a moment. And remember there was a great counsel that was trying to settle the controversy as to Paul going to Gentiles. Whereas the Jewish believers in Jerusalem thought Paul was wrong in doing this. So consequently they had called Paul up to Jerusalem to answer these things. But as you remember, Peter came to Paul’s defense finally. And remember that a good while ago God had sent him up to the house of Cornelius, and Peter’s eyes were opened to the fact that, “Yes, God could save Gentiles without becoming proselytes of Judaism.” But here in Acts Chapter 15, let’s begin with verse 12, where they have listened to Peter as he has shared with these Jews at Jerusalem, and I imagine that included all twelve disciples, and some of the other leaders at Jerusalem, and now look at their conclusion.

Acts 15:12,13a

“Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace,…”

Remember there had been an uproar because the Jews were jealous of their relationship with Jehovah God, and they couldn’t comprehend these things, but finally, and as I have often said, God does everything Sovereignly. Had Peter not had that eye-opening experience at the house of Cornelius, Paul would have never gotten off the hook. Christianity would have never gotten off the ground. But God did open Peter’s eyes twelve years earlier to the fact that Gentiles could be saved by simply believing. So now it’s concluded.

Acts 15:13-16

“And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon (Or Peter) hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, (And now he goes back to the Book of Amos) After this (After the calling out a people for His name in verse 14.) I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:”

Now here the conclusion was made then that, “Yes, God is going to call out of the Gentiles a people for His name.” Now I’m well aware of the fact that scripturally Gentiles certainly do not come into that intimate relationship that God had with Israel when He called them, “My People.” And then when they fell away, in their unbelief, then He said to Moses, “Thy People.” And it won’t be until Israel comes back in complete belief, when the return of Christ is taking place at His second coming, that they will recognize Him, and once again they will be called, “My People.” But other than this portion right here in Acts where God says, “That He’s going to call out of the Gentiles a people for His name.” We as Gentiles are more correctly referred to as “His Born Ones.”

We are the children of God, and that’s a term that Israel has never enjoyed, and never will, and that’s what I stressed even in our seminar last Saturday. We, as members of the Body of Christ, enjoy a position that Israel will never obtain, and of course I’m of the impression that the Church will be the Bride of Christ, and as such we’re joint heirs with Christ, we’re going to reign and rule with Christ, and that means that everything that is His will be ours, and everything that is ours of course is His. But this is that tremendous relationship now that we have as being the very “Born Ones” of God Himself by virtue of our salvation experience. Now back to Romans Chapter 9 again, and verse 25. I think these are the people that are referenced here by the Apostle Paul, that these Gentiles who were never reckoned in the Old Testament to have anything to do with Israel’s God, but now they are indeed a people that God has called out from among the Gentiles, called them to Himself. When He is through calling the Gentiles out, we will see in Romans Chapter 11 that He will again turn back to His Covenant people Israel. Verse 26:

Romans 9:26

“And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called (Now here comes what I just referred to – “The Born Ones” that they will be called) the children of the living God.”

Now that’s us. That’s the Gentiles. We are not a Covenant people like Israel was. Never buy into this Covenant relationship. We are not under Covenants, we are under “The Born Ones,” we have been born from above by the work of the Holy Spirit the moment we believe. And so this, I think, is exactly what we have to emphasize. That last part of verse 26 where it says, “We will be called the children of the living God.” Now verse 27 and Paul is going to go to yet another portion of the Old Testament. He’s going to go to Isaiah.

Romans 9:27

“Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:”

Now, I’ve stressed this before in the program, at least in our classes here in Oklahoma, that there is what I call a doctrine of the remnant all through Scripture. God has never enjoyed the majority. It’s always been that small remnant. Now I guess the first one that you could refer to would be the flood. Out of all those billions of people I think that were on the earth at the time of the flood, how many remained true to God? Eight! And even some of them became rather despicable afterwards. But nevertheless only eight – that little tiny remnant. And then when finally the nation of Israel comes into view, the Word would light on Jacob, the whole nation. But how many out of Jacob would respond and believe? Just the few and they were usually referred to as Israel. Now, it’s the same way here from this portion in Isaiah. God has always had His remnant even within the nation of Israel.

Now you all know the account of Elijah there on Mt. Carmel, when he confronted all the prophets of Baal. Jezebel was about 14 or 15 miles to the east. But yet you remember that account of Elijah, after he heard the threat from Jezebel, that he would be the next day, like all her priests were today. And what did poor old Elijah do? He must have been in good shape because I don’t know how long it took, but all of a sudden from Mt. Carmel, clear up there in Northern Israel, we find him clear down at the Mount where the Ten Commandments were given down in the Southern area. He ran, ran, ran, you remember, and finally as he’s all tuckered out he sits down under a Juniper tree and what does he say?

I Kings 19:10

“And he said, `I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.'” (But what did God tell Elijah?)

I Kings 19:18

“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”

Seven thousand out of a few million is still only a little remnant. And so this is what’s always been the case. Oh we like to think that the Jews for the most part were an obedient people, but were they? No. Only a few were left as true believers, and that of course included the parents of John the Baptist, Zacharias and Elisabeth, Joseph and Mary. Just that little few that were still true believers of the God of Abraham. The rest had been cloaked in nothing more than their religion. That’s all they had – just a dead religion, and that’s why Jesus called them,“whited sepulchers” because they were a dead religion with no spiritual life whatsoever. And then you can come all the way up to the end of Christ’s earthly ministry, and again I like to use the Scripture because some of these statements are rather graphic. So let’s go back to Acts Chapter 1 for a moment, and begin with verse 15. And here we are, after three years of Christ’s earthly ministry up and down the highways and byways of the little nation of Israel.

I think most people are totally misled for most think that all those multitudes everywhere He went were all believers. They weren’t. Why did they follow Him? Not because He was the One they were placing their faith in, but He was the One that was handing out free lunches. People were no different than they are today. You promise a free lunch and the multitude will come, you promise a healing meeting, and the multitudes will come. I guarantee you they will, but they weren’t believers. The only reason He healed them all, He was proving Who He was. These people were just a multitude trying to cash in on something that was for nothing. But by the end of those three years, and after His crucifixion and Resurrection, this group of believers meet in the upper room in Jerusalem. I’m not saying that this is all there were in all of Israel, but rather all there was in the area of Jerusalem.

Acts 1:15

“And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty.)”

And I think that was it. I think that this was the sum total of the true believers, of Jews, at least in the area of Jerusalem. A following of 120 after three years of His kind of a ministry. And then we wonder why our numbers today are small and getting smaller all the time. Because the true believing element is getting attacked from every direction, and I’m sure you are aware of an article in the last U.S. News & World Report where these great so-called famous theologians are just gutting the Scripture. They are disclaiming all the claims of Christ. They’re telling us that He was nothing but an impostor, and I think the most ridiculous statement that one of those fellows made was, “How in the world can people believe that when the writers of the Gospels went back and quoted what Jesus supposedly said, they were asking people to remember word for word things that had been said 10 to 20 years previously.”

Logically, you couldn’t expect people to remember all the words of Jesus as He gave the Sermon on the Mount. Of course they couldn’t, and they didn’t. I’m always emphasizing every word of this Book is not picked from somebody’s notes, or put together from research, but rather it’s put together as the Holy Spirit moved these writers, and they didn’t have to stop and wonder what was said. They wrote as the Holy Spirit moved them to write, and see these intellectual theologians don’t know that. They’re strictly looking at all this from the human stand point. What do these theologians think about Moses writing the first five Books? Moses wasn’t there at the creation, and I guess that’s why they can’t believe the Bible. Moses wrote about the creation by inspiration, and how did Moses write about his own death in the Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 34? By inspiration. And so it is with every writer of Scripture, and it’s the same way with this writer, the Apostle Paul. He did not have to sit and contemplate, and wonder, he wrote as the Holy Spirit gave him utterance. Now back to Romans 9. God has always had that remnant, and now since we’re dealing with Israel’s past with regards from Paul’s point of view, he’s now going to include some of the Jewish believers since Pentecost, even in his own ministry. Remember Paul always went to the Jew first, some believed, but most believed not. So this is what Paul is making reference to then, that there would be a remnant that would be saved. It’s the same way again at the end of the age. There will only be a remnant of Jews saved at the end of the Tribulation. Just a small percentage. Zechariah tells us:

Zechariah 13:9

“And I will bring the third part through the fire, (The great Tribulation) and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, `The LORD is my God.'” So only a third, just a remnant of the Jews will be saved, and that means that 2/3 will lose their lives. Let’s come on up to verse 28 of Romans Chapter 9.

Romans 9:28

“For he will finish the work,…”

God never does anything halfway and then quits. Man does that. But what God starts, He finishes, and He started a work with Israel in 2000 B.C., and He hasn’t forgotten them, and He is yet going to finish what He started with Israel. Now granted, there’s been over a 1900-year gap that God hasn’t been dealing with them on Covenant basis, but He is still going to finish what He started. Verse 28 again:

Romans 9:28

“For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness:…”

In other words, once that seven years of Tribulation starts it will be seven years of Him primarily dealing with the Jew, and He will be dealing with the Jew according to His righteousness. You can’t go beyond that. His righteousness is going to mandate that by the time that seven years is ended. The unbelieving element will have suffered His wrath, and His judgment, but the believing remnant are going to come into His rule and reign when He sets up His kingdom. Remember 7 years is not a very long time compared to the 6000 years it’s been since Adam. Now finishing the verse:

Romans 9:28

“For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” Now that’s also reference to Matthew Chapter 24:22:

Matthew 24:22

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved:…”

Well I’ve always taught that to mean that the seven years will end right on schedule, and won’t be extended. When that seven years is complete then God’s through, He’s in total Sovereign control. Now verse 29:

Romans 9:29

“And as Esaias (Isaiah) said before, `Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrah.'”

Now again, what’s the reference? Had it not been for the remnant every time what would have happened to the Nation of Israel? God would have had to destroy them like He did Sodom. And that’s exactly what Paul is making reference to. But even though Israel was constantly turning back in unbelief, beginning especially at Kadesh-barnea when they could have gone in and had the land of promise, but in unbelief they turned around and went back into the wilderness. But there again there was that remnant of true believers, and it’s the same way as we come to the end of the age. There will be that remnant of Israel that will cause God to spare the nation.

Romans 9:30

“What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.”

They came out of their bleak, dark, godless idolatry, paganism, and they have stepped into the glorious light of God’s grace, something that Israel could never understand. But Paul is again reminding them that these Gentiles, who of course had not been following after righteousness, but they’ve attained it. Why? Because they had faith, and that’s what the Jew even today cannot comprehend. I made mention recently that I had read where the First Lady was so thankful that America was finally throwing away absolutes. Well, if they could only see that’s our problem, but you see this is a Book of absolutes, and I usually stress two of them in particular, and most of you know what they are.

Hebrew 9:22b

“…and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

Hebrews 11:6a

“But without faith it is impossible to please him:…”

Those are absolutes, and that was Israel’s problem, they couldn’t believe what God said. But here come these Gentiles, and they hear the Apostle Paul preaching and they could believe it, and Israel just shook her head, so that’s exactly what Paul is talking about. Now verse 31:

Romans 9:31-32a

“But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, had not attained to the law of righteousness. (Why?) Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law….”

We’re not that much different today. I would again just in general say that 90% of Christendom, and I’m including Protestant, Catholic, and all the rest that use the Bible as their rules of order, are still living under a “Works Religion.” Do this and that, and then maybe God will accept you. But Paul screams that it’s not of works, but it’s all faith. “Faith + Nothing.” Oh, nothing thrills my heart more than people that have been steeped in this kind of religion who come up and tell me what a total difference when they realized that, and they simply rely on the finished work of Christ on our behalf. Now verse 32 again:

Romans 9:32

“Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone;”

And Who has been the Stone of stumbling? The Christ! Jesus of Nazareth for Israel, and He’s still the Stone of stumbling for the world today. They stumble over these precious truths concerning Christ in His finished work of the Cross. Verse 33:

Romans 9:33

“As it is written, `Behold, I lay in Sion (Zion) a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.'”

And so we know Who the Stone of all Scripture is. It’s Christ in all the various aspects of a stone, but here He is a Stone of stumbling. There’s a legend, it’s not Scriptural, but is so appropriate for this. When they were building the first temple all the stones were cut at the quarry. Nothing was ever hammered at the sight of the Temple. So the quarry sent in the head cornerstone, the one that was to be the final stone to hold everything together, and it came in too early and the builders didn’t know what to do with it. So what did they do? They threw it off into a vacant lot, and with time, grass and weeds grew up around it, and over time people would use that vacant lot for a shortcut. And as they would take a shortcut through that vacant lot they would stumble over that stone that had been misused by the builders. And that is the perfect picture of what we’ve done with Christ.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 2 * PART 4 * BOOK 24

ROMANS 9:6-9 AND GENESIS 32:27-28

Now back to Romans Chapter 9, and I thought I was going to finish this chapter today, but it doesn’t look like we are even going to get close. At the close of our last lesson God had been dealing with Pharaoh, and how God put him in that position for the purpose of magnifying His own name. Now in verse 18 we come down to this whole concept again of the mercy of God.

Romans 9:18

“Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”

Now the word `hardeneth’ in the Scripture is usually translated `heavy.’ In other words, when Isaiah spoke of a burden that was heavy it was as the same Hebrew word here translated hardeneth. In other words, the more Pharaoh tried to oppose God the more God’s wrath weighed down on the man. Now here’s something that we have to understand. Pharaoh, like anyone today, came to that place of hardening his own heart, not because God made him do it, but because God put him in a place of either accepting or rejecting, and by rejecting he hardened his own heart. Even though the Scripture says that God hardened his heart.

Again I have a quote today that goes like this. “Men are not lost because they are hardened, they are hardened because they are lost.” Do you hear that? Remember I coined my own phrase a few lessons back that went like this. “We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.” And we’re sinners because we’re born of Adam. So when God hardened Pharaoh’s heart as the Scripture says, it wasn’t that Pharaoh didn’t have a choice. It was that when God put him on the spot Pharaoh grizzled up and said, “I’ll not let those people go.” And so he really hardened his own heart.

Romans 9:19,20

“Thou wilt say then unto me, `Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? (Remember God’s Sovereign) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?'”

In other words could Pharaoh turn around in the face of God, and say, “Why did you make me what I am?” No, he had no right to say that because he of his own volition rejected God’s offer of taking Israel out of Egypt. Now verse 21, and this is a tough one. We have to realize that this is God’s Word, and every one of these verses is for us.

Romans 9:21,22

“Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump (of clay) to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:”

Let’s go back to the Book of Jeremiah Chapter 18 for a moment, and again in years gone by I would struggle with this, but I no longer do because I can just see that all we’re dealing with is a Sovereign God. But a Sovereign God Who deals in mercy, and we appropriate that mercy by His Grace. So we don’t have to struggle with this like Paul just said, “Well God, why did you make me the way I am?” Because He’s Sovereign, absolutely He made me the way I am. You know I made the statement years ago, “Don’t ever complain to God about how you look, or how you are physically put together.” Hey that’s not our prerogative. God made us the way we are for His purpose, and we are to accept what we are as we are. And it’s the same way with our gifts and our talents, it’s not for us to complain, and say, “Well God, why didn’t you give me this gift. Why didn’t you let me sing like that person can sing.” God’s Sovereign, and it’s the same way with wealth, and all these other things. A lot of us are prone to say, “Well God, why couldn’t you make me wealthy?” Well it’s not in His will necessarily that I have wealth. So we should always realize that He’s the potter, and He has control of the clay.

Jeremiah 18:1-4a

“The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying, `Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. (He was working a lump of clay) And the vessel that he made of clay was marred (it had a fault) in the hand of the potter:…'”

So what does the potter do? Have you ever seen one? Up comes that clay, and he’s spinning it, and all of a sudden if he doesn’t like the looks of it, what does he do? He just pushes it down on the plate again, and starts over. This is exactly what happened here as Jeremiah is watching the potter making a work, and all of a sudden a fault develops so he just pushes it back down into the lump.

Jeremiah 18:4b-6

“…so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. (Have you got the picture?) Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying. O house of Israel,(Remember Jeremiah is a prophet of Israel, so this is written to the Jews of that day.) cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

Now then you know where I have a problem? And it’s still hard for me to comprehend. Since God is in such control of the Nation of Israel, why did they not accept the Messiah when He made His appearance? And why, since He was in control, did they cry out to crucify Him? The only answer that I have is in Ephesians Chapter 1, and then we’ll go to II Timothy, because comparing Scripture is the only way we can reconcile some of these things. And I’m not going to let you lose sight of the Sovereignty of God. Everything began with Him, and everything is in His control even today.

Ephesians 1:11

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated (same as elected or called) according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of (Who’s will?) his own will.” Do you see that? Everything comes together according to His divine purpose. Let’s turn over to II Timothy. What is is His divine purpose under His Sovereign will?

II Timothy 1:7-9

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me (Paul says) his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, (We didn’t deserve it, we didn’t run, and will to the place where God said, `All right I’ll take you.’) but (He has called us) according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”

That’s almost unbelievable. Especially from the human element, but by faith as soon as we become a child of God we can look back and see, “I was chosen before God ever created Adam.” God already had you and I positioned in the Body of Christ. This is why Paul could say in Romans Chapter 8:

Romans 8:38,39

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature (or creation) shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Why? Because we were already His before anything was ever created. How in the world can people say, “Well I’m not secure, I have to work, I have to live so that I don’t lose all this.” No you don’t. You have been called with a purpose in God’s mind, and we rest on that. Now that doesn’t give us license. My, if I have one favorite cliche that I use over and over it is, “Grace is not License.” Just because we’ve entered into this tremendous mercy that was poured out on the Cross, and it was precipitated by the Grace of God, and I appropriate it by faith, that doesn’t give me license, that doesn’t give me the right to go out and steal, commit adultery, and all the other things. But it’s all in His divine purpose that we are called, we are elected, we’re His. Now come back to Romans Chapter 9.

Romans 9:23

“And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,”

Who’s he talking about? Every believer, whether it was back in Israel, or Christ’s earthly ministry. Those disciples we saw back in John 17, that were given to Christ, those are vessels of mercy. For every born again child of God today we’re vessels of mercy, none of us deserve anything, it’s all of His mercy, but it was poured out at the Cross. And now we have appropriated it by faith. Now verse 24.

Romans 9:24a

“Even us,…”

See Paul includes himself. Remember Paul is the epitome of a sinner saved by Grace isn’t he? If there was ever a man that God had every right in the world to zap it was Saul of Tarsus, but what happened? Saul didn’t suddenly come to his senses and repent, and say, “Oh God, I’m so sorry won’t you please accept me?” No. Saul was on his way to Damascus to carry out his dirty work. And what happened? God just literally knocked him off his horse, and spoke to him”

Acts 9:4

“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”

That was what? Grace! Grace! And so we are in that same category with the Apostle Paul, we are saved without ever doing anything on our part. And listen, that’s the way it’s always been. You know I’m always taking you back to Genesis, and the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have sinned, they’ve partaken of that forbidden tree, and immediately saw their human nakedness, and what did they do? They sewed their fig leaves, but those fig leaves just sort of fell into nothing when they heard the LORD coming down the path, and what did they do? They run and hide, even with their fig leaves they are in no shape to meet their Righteous Creator so they hide. Does the Creator give up, and say, “Well I can’t find them, I’m going back to heaven?” What does He do? He finds them, and He’s see them in their hiding, and says, “Adam where art thou,” and Adam has to respond. But what does God do? He restores them. What is that? That’s mercy. That’s Grace. When I say that we’re in the Age of Grace I never imply that God’s Grace is something that was unknown until we get to Paul. It becomes the great attribute of God with Paul’s epistles, but Grace was already evident in the Garden of Eden.

And as I have already showed you when Israel went after the golden calf, what kept God from destroying them? His mercy and Grace. And when they rejected the Messiah, and they crucified Him, again God had every right in this world to wipe Israel off the map, but why didn’t He? His Grace. And the whole human race tonight – why has God forestalled destroying humanity when we know they deserve it. He doesn’t because of His Grace. And we can never comprehend it.

Romans 9:24

“Even us, whom he hath called, not of Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.”

That threw a curve at most Jews. I always take you back to Acts, and we did this in Haiti recently where we had the opportunity to teach about 700 people every day for five days straight. One of the verses I used was in Acts 22, where Paul addresses a great crowd of Jews after returning from his journeys to the Gentiles. He comes back to Jerusalem, and he is trying to get these Jews to see that again it was the One that they crucified that had sent him to the Gentiles.

Acts 22:17-21

“And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; And saw him (Jesus) saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they (the Jews) will not receive thy testimony concerning me. And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he (The Lord Jesus) said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.” Paul is speaking to this great crowd of Jews. This next verse tells you everything about the Jews’ attitude toward Gentile dogs.

Acts 22:22

“And they gave him audience unto this word, (what word? `Gentiles’ in verse 21.) and then lifted up their voices, and said, `Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.'”

Why? He dared to say the word Gentile. Now that was their attitude, and now take a verse like verse 24 in Romans 9 in that context and what did that do to the Jews? It infuriated them. Now verse 24 again:

Romans 9:24

“Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles” This wasn’t a concept of Paul, this wasn’t something that he pulled out of the woodwork. Go to Isaiah 42:

Isaiah 42:1

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: (He is speaking of Christ the Messiah) he (The Messiah) shall bring forth judgment (rule, government) to the Gentiles.”

This is an Old Testament concept. Absolutely. God had the Gentiles on His mind, but not until He had finished His work with Israel. Look at Chapter 49, and I’m doing this so you can see this isn’t just a Pauline concept that God was going to turn to the Gentiles. This was all part of the Old Testament Covenant that the day would come when Israel had completed the promises – then God would turn to the Gentile world.

Isaiah 49:6

“And he said, `It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: (Jacob was the nation as a whole, but Israel was the believing remnant.) I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.'”

Israel was to have had the opportunity, and they did to a certain extent, because every word of this Book has been written by Jews. But God had even more than that in mind for the nation, but they rejected it in their unbelief. But here was God’s idea that He was going to go to the Gentile world through this Covenant people. There are other passages that I could show you, but we won’t take the time for that today. But I just wanted you to see that God from the beginning knew that the day would come when He would go to whole Gentile world with His Salvation. But when Israel was constantly rejecting this idea, He had to send the Nation of Israel out into dispersion. He took away their Temple, took away their land, and turned to the Gentiles through the Apostle Paul in this tremendous Gospel of the Grace of God. Now look briefly at Romans Chapter 9, and verse 25:

Romans 9:25,26

“As he saith also in O-see, (Book of Hosea) I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.”

Who were the people that were not His people? Gentiles! Who were the people who would finally come to the place where they would say, “You’re my God,” and He would say,“You’re my people.” Well, you and I now in this Age of Grace. That was all foretold clear back there in the Old Testament even in the Book of Hosea.