Natural Birth and Spiritual Birth
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Jun 30, 2023
- 2 min read
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 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. (Romans 9:5-8)
As you read the ninth chapter of Romans, it’s important to remember that God has full knowledge. He knows the end from the beginning, so He can prophesy about what will happen tomorrow. On earth we are limited by time, but in eternity, there is no time. God can look from the future into the past, and He revealed some of those things to Paul as he penned 2/3 of the New Testament. Romans 9:5-8 follows Paul’s expression of deep emotion for his people, the Jews. He wrote he would choose to lose his salvation or be accursed from Christ (Romans 9:3) in exchange for the salvation of Israel. Then, in verses 5-8, above, Paul dove into the subject of the salvation of the Jews. He wanted to be sure his readers didn’t misunderstand him—God was not at fault when it came to the hardness of Paul’s Jewish friends and loved ones. God is never to blame! He wants all men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth! Still, Paul pointed out, they are not all Israel, which are of Israel, meaning God chose the descendants of Isaac, not Ishmael. Both were Abraham’s offspring, but only Isaac was the child of promise. Jesus came through Isaac, and when we were born of the Spirit, we became children, not of flesh, like Ishmael, but children of the promise and the seed of Abraham.
Practical Application
Your natural birth is not of major importance in eternity, but your spiritual birth is!
