Salvation to the Jews
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With great clearness and power the apostle presented the doctrine
of justification by faith in Christ. He hoped that other churches also
might be helped by the instruction sent to the Christians at Rome; but
how dimly could he foresee the far-reaching influence of his words!
Through all the ages the great truth of justification by faith has stood
as a mighty beacon to guide repentant sinners into the way of life. It
was this light that scattered the darkness which enveloped Luther’s
mind and revealed to him the power of the blood of Christ to cleanse
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from sin. The same light has guided thousands of sin-burdened souls
to the true Source of pardon and peace. For the epistle to the church at
Rome, every Christian has reason to thank God.
In this letter Paul gave free expression to his burden in behalf of
the Jews. Ever since his conversion, he had longed to help his Jewish
brethren to gain a clear understanding of the gospel message. “My
heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is,” he declared, “that they
might be saved.”
It was no ordinary desire that the apostle felt. Constantly he was
petitioning God to work in behalf of the Israelites who had failed to
recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah. “I say the truth
in Christ,” he assured the believers at Rome, “my conscience also
bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness
and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were
accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the
flesh: who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the
glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service
of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as
concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever.”
The Jews were God’s chosen people, through whom He had pur-
posed to bless the entire race. From among them God had raised up
many prophets. These had foretold the advent of a Redeemer who
was to be rejected and slain by those who should have been the first to
recognize Him as the Promised One.
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The prophet Isaiah, looking down through the centuries and wit-
nessing the rejection of prophet after prophet and finally of the Son of
God, was inspired to write concerning the acceptance of the Redeemer
by those who had never before been numbered among the children
of Israel. Referring to this prophecy, Paul declares: “Esaias is very
bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought Me not; I was made