Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,194
“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” (Romans 9:1-3 ESV)
“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:6-8 ESV)
“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29 NIV)
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
Now, I am not going to get into all the history behind this, for I believe the Lord wants me to focus on one main specific topic which can be applied to the church today, as well. And that has to do with what constitutes genuine faith in the Lord and who are the ones who are the children of God, God’s chosen people today. And what is the present day criteria for being a child of God and an heir according to the promise God made to Abraham?
Paul made it a point to point out that he was speaking of his “brothers” according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit. They were the Israelites of the Old Covenant, and Paul was deeply concerned for them, because most of them did not believe in Jesus Christ, the promised seed of Abraham, and the Messiah who was to come and who did come to the Jewish people. So they were not part of Spiritual Israel.
And we can apply a similar principal to “Christians.” Just because someone claims to believe in Jesus and to be a Christian, it doesn’t necessitate that is the truth, in reality. For just as the Jews who did not believe in Jesus were no longer the children of Abraham and part of Spiritual Israel, so those who profess faith in Jesus but whose faith is not biblical faith, and so there is not the evidence that true faith exists, are not the children of God.
So, it is not by lip service only, nor by physical birth, nor by being physical descendants of those who worship the one and only true God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – that we are or that we become children of God and heirs of the promise God made to Abraham, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. Only if we belong to Christ are we Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise God made with Abraham.
So, what does it mean to belong to Christ? It means we are his possession and we are no longer our own, doing whatever it is that we desire to do, but now our lives are given over to the Lord in death to sin and in walks of obedience to his commands in surrender to his will and purpose for our lives. He owns us and now we are his possession, and so we are no longer the ones in charge of our lives, but Jesus is. So we now follow him.
Jew and Gentile alike, by physical birth, are only biblical Israel and heirs of the promise God gave to Abraham and to his seed by genuine faith in the Lord Jesus via dying with him to sin and now being raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And only those who have died to sin and who are now walking in obedience to our Lord are God’s children and biblical Israel.
It doesn’t matter if we prayed a prayer to receive Christ, and/or that we were baptized, or that we went through catechism, or that we joined a local institutional “church,” or that we attend “church services” weekly if all that we are doing is going through religious exercises but we have not surrendered our lives to the Lord Jesus, died with him to sin, and now we walk (in conduct) in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit.
And if a Jew by physical birth has not done the same, i.e. surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus, died with him to sin, and is now walking in obedience to the Lord and to his commands, by his grace, he is not part of Spiritual Israel, the Israel of God. But all Gentiles whose faith in Jesus Christ is genuine are part of biblical Israel, and we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise God made with Abraham and his seed.
We are God’s chosen people, both Jew and Gentile by spiritual birth via genuine faith in the Lord Jesus. We are his holy nation who are heirs of the promise God made with Abraham. All who do not believe in Jesus Christ, who have not died with him to sin, and who are not walking in obedience to his commands, are not the children of God, not heirs of the promise. The only way to God the Father is through faith in Jesus Christ, his Son.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God’s Word Has Not Failed
An Original Work / February 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:6-8 ESV)
“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29 NIV)
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
Now, I am not going to get into all the history behind this, for I believe the Lord wants me to focus on one main specific topic which can be applied to the church today, as well. And that has to do with what constitutes genuine faith in the Lord and who are the ones who are the children of God, God’s chosen people today. And what is the present day criteria for being a child of God and an heir according to the promise God made to Abraham?
Paul made it a point to point out that he was speaking of his “brothers” according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit. They were the Israelites of the Old Covenant, and Paul was deeply concerned for them, because most of them did not believe in Jesus Christ, the promised seed of Abraham, and the Messiah who was to come and who did come to the Jewish people. So they were not part of Spiritual Israel.
And we can apply a similar principal to “Christians.” Just because someone claims to believe in Jesus and to be a Christian, it doesn’t necessitate that is the truth, in reality. For just as the Jews who did not believe in Jesus were no longer the children of Abraham and part of Spiritual Israel, so those who profess faith in Jesus but whose faith is not biblical faith, and so there is not the evidence that true faith exists, are not the children of God.
So, it is not by lip service only, nor by physical birth, nor by being physical descendants of those who worship the one and only true God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – that we are or that we become children of God and heirs of the promise God made to Abraham, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. Only if we belong to Christ are we Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise God made with Abraham.
So, what does it mean to belong to Christ? It means we are his possession and we are no longer our own, doing whatever it is that we desire to do, but now our lives are given over to the Lord in death to sin and in walks of obedience to his commands in surrender to his will and purpose for our lives. He owns us and now we are his possession, and so we are no longer the ones in charge of our lives, but Jesus is. So we now follow him.
Jew and Gentile alike, by physical birth, are only biblical Israel and heirs of the promise God gave to Abraham and to his seed by genuine faith in the Lord Jesus via dying with him to sin and now being raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And only those who have died to sin and who are now walking in obedience to our Lord are God’s children and biblical Israel.
It doesn’t matter if we prayed a prayer to receive Christ, and/or that we were baptized, or that we went through catechism, or that we joined a local institutional “church,” or that we attend “church services” weekly if all that we are doing is going through religious exercises but we have not surrendered our lives to the Lord Jesus, died with him to sin, and now we walk (in conduct) in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit.
And if a Jew by physical birth has not done the same, i.e. surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus, died with him to sin, and is now walking in obedience to the Lord and to his commands, by his grace, he is not part of Spiritual Israel, the Israel of God. But all Gentiles whose faith in Jesus Christ is genuine are part of biblical Israel, and we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise God made with Abraham and his seed.
We are God’s chosen people, both Jew and Gentile by spiritual birth via genuine faith in the Lord Jesus. We are his holy nation who are heirs of the promise God made with Abraham. All who do not believe in Jesus Christ, who have not died with him to sin, and who are not walking in obedience to his commands, are not the children of God, not heirs of the promise. The only way to God the Father is through faith in Jesus Christ, his Son.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God’s Word Has Not Failed
An Original Work / February 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
