MARCH 18 READING…NUMBERS 26 & JOHN 8
How important is one’s ethnicity? Certainty, it is a part of what makes up our identity. Arguably, there is some advantage to being born I too certain ethnic groups, depending on the span of history one is looking at. God created the nation of Israel, the ethnic and religious group we call the Jews. To them was given the law and the prophets…and even the Messiah would come through them. Some might say this gave them an advantage over other ethnic groups. But, if we understand the purpose for which God created Israel, we would see it was so all nations might be blessed. Ultimately this is true through Jesus. In our reading in John we see Jesus confronting the Jews about who He is. They rejected Christ’s testimony…and so identified themselves as children of the devil. Though advantaged in having both the law and prophets, this was no guarantee that each Jewish person was automatically right with God. In fact, Jesus said that just because they were the children of Abraham did not mean they actually knew God. He said if they were the true children of Abraham (spiritual children), they would know that Jesus was Messiah. It is required for every person, including all of us, that regardless of any advantage or disadvantage we might have, to personally trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. There is no such thing biblically as group salvation…it always happens as each person, personally, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, puts their faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Please share your thoughts.
TOMORROW’S READING…NUMBERS 27 & JOHN 9