ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Who Are You Governed By?

Romans 9:6b-7a
For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

 

 

The word "Israel" means "governed by God." The point Paul makes in our passage today is this: Not all who claim to be Israel are governed by God. The same is true for us -- not all who claim to be Christians are Christians -- nor are their acts the works of God.
Open up the pages of history and you will see atrocity after atrocity, committed around the world, by Christians supposedly who acted in the name of Jesus: the Salem Witch Trials, the Crusades, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, the islands of Tahiti, to name just a few. Attend a college history class and tell everyone you are a Christian. You can almost be certain to be attacked based upon the historical record of crimes against humanity, committed by people calling themselves Christians. Many name the name, but they are not of the true lineage of Christ. They are not born again, and they're certainly not governed by Him. John 16:3: "They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me."
Paul says be careful. Not all who are descended from the bloodline of Abraham and Isaac have the same spiritual lineage and truly are governed by God. It is the same question we should ask of anyone who calls themselves a Christian: Who are you governed by? Is it Jesus?

 

 

Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So how do we know if an act by a person who calls themselves a Christian is based upon a spiritual lineage with Jesus Christ? Easy, it will be based in love and nothing else. Do your acts reflect your lineage? Who is your father? Is Christ in you? Who governs what you do?
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