The Children of the Promise Romans 9:8

Paul the apostle told the people in Rome, “Not as though the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:”, and he added, “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall your seed be called.” In chapter nine and verse eight of Romans, Paul told his readers, “these are not all the children of God” where we read:

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God:

but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

The verse begins, “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God:” Paul began with the words, “that is” which means “this thing exists” “they which are the children” or “the people who are the offspring” “of the flesh” which means “pertaining to the mere human and earthly nature of man apart from divine influence and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God”, “these are not the children” or “these people are not the offspring” “of God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Paul shared how people who are only born “of the flesh” are not the “children of God”.

The verse continues, “but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”. Paul added the words, “but” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated, “the children” which means “the offspring” “of the promise” or “the announcement of good or blessing” “are counted” which means “are reckoned, computed, calculated and imputed” “for the seed” or “as the divine energy of the Holy Spirit operating within the soul by which people are regenerated”. Paul added that the true “children of promise” are the ones to whom the Holy Spirit of God indwells.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how physical birth alone does not make a person “a child of God”. Only God's “promised ones” who believe and trust in His Son Jesus Christ are identified as “children”. God invites everyone to have a relationship with Him through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the “cross” for their sins, and now each one who puts their “faith and trust” in Him will be “saved”. The “children of the promise” are “born again” or “spiritually born anew”, (Jesus said, “You must be born again” John 3:3), and those who relate to the “Heavenly Father” as “children” shall receive Jesus as “Savior and Lord”.

Next time we see Paul shares how God's promise was, “Sara shall have a son”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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