Make them want what you have

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live like it’s real”

Our Bible verse for today: “Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.” Romans 11:11 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “Make them want what you have”

At Oak Hill Baptist Church we are conducting a study of the book of Romans on Sunday mornings. This Sunday we will be taking a deep dive into Romans 11:11-24. This is the section where Paul explains that the Jews are still God’s chosen people and that we Christians are simply an extension of the family God was already creating for Himself through the nation of Israel. The New Testament grew out of the Old Testament. Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. Christianity has its roots in Judaism.

However, since the Jews largely rejected their promised Messiah, God then used Israel as a springboard to send the good news about the Messiah out to the rest of the world. Now the non-Jewish world is enjoying the salvation and blessings that were first and foremost intended for Israel.

In this section of Romans chapter eleven Paul is teaching that God did that for two reasons. First, to get the gospel out to the rest of the world so non-Jews could be saved as well. But also, He did it to make Israel jealous. He intended for them to see others enjoying the blessings that should have been theirs and for them to then want what they were seeing others receive. Another point in the passage is that we Christians received the gospel from Israel, and now we need to turn it around and bring it back to them. The joy of our salvation should make them want what we have.

That’s true with respect to Israel and the Jews, but it’s also true in a larger context. Ideally, all people should be able to see the difference our faith makes in our lives – the love and joy, peace and patience, kindness and goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Those blessings are ours in increasing measure thanks to Christ in our lives, and it should make them want what we have.

Is that true of your life? Is your faith so real, so dynamic, and does it make such a positive difference in your life that others see it and want what you have? Does the evidence of your faith make others jealous?

I encourage all of us to live in such a way that others want what we have.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply