Apr 5, 2017
As Paul closes out chapter 10, he stresses God’s unique relationship to the people of Israel. While they were God’s chosen people, and Jesus had come to them as their Messiah, the vast majority of them had refused to accept Him as such. The apostle John, in his gospel, described just what had happened. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12 NLT). Paul, a Jew himself, had watched as his own people continued to reject Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, while the Gentiles gladly accepted His offer of salvation through grace alone, by faith alone in Christ alone. The Jews had heard, and so, they were without excuse. The light of God had shown among them, but they had chosen to remain in darkness. God had called, but they had refused to listen.