Romans 9-2.22.22

SCRIPTURE:

Romans 9:1,-3

"I speak the truth in Christ - I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit - that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart. For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood."

OBSERVATION:

Wow! Now that is supernatural compassion! Paul's love for his fellow Jews was demonstrated by his genuine love and compassion for them. Paul was almost wishing for his life to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of his brothers, which he considered his own flesh and blood. He had intense sorrow and continual anguish in his heart for the ones who had rejected Christ.

UNDERSTANDING:

Paul's example of leading with a heart of compassion toward others is the kind of compassion that God desires for all Christ-followers to have. It is absolutely impossible to love someone the way Christ loves us without His love in us.

Because of Paul's past record of hunting down and persecuting Christians, he nor anyone else ever expected God to pick Paul to be His apostle, but after Paul was overwhelmed by God's goodness, forgiveness, grace, and favor, his entire life changed in a split second. The gift of salvation that came to him wasn't deserved, but it was the thing that compelled him to want to give his life for the sake of Christ.

LIFE APPLICATION:

As a Christ-follower, I pray that my heart will be like Paul's. He anguished over the ones who rejected Jesus! I desire to have God's supernatural compassion for the lost. And most of all, I pray that my life will be used to show God's love toward others, not with mere words, but with heartfelt actions led by genuine compassion. It's because of God's mercy and grace which has been given to me that makes me want to pray that His passion will be my passion, and that I will share His love and evangelize the lost.

-Robin Orefice