Under the Curse!

I am a follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is a witness to my conscience. So I tell the truth and I am not lying when I say  my heart is broken and I am in great sorrow.  I would gladly be placed under God's curse and be separated from Christ for the good of my own people.  They are the descendants of Israel, and they are also God's chosen people. God showed them his glory. He made agreements with them and gave them his Law. The temple is theirs and so are the promises that God made to them.

They have those famous ancestors, who were also the ancestors of the Christ.  I pray that God, who rules over all, will be praised forever!  Amen.

Romans 9:1-5

I have always thought that is was strange for Paul to say that he would "gladly" let himself be put under God's curse and separated from Christ for the good of his Jewish brothers and sisters. Did he not love Christ more than he loved his brothers? Why would he say such a thing?

Here is the simple and yet profound explanation. When Jesus Himself went to the Cross He let Himself be put under God's curse. Jesus was briefly separated from His Father for my sake.

We often think of a cross as something that is forced upon us. I think if a thing truly is a "cross" it is something that we willingly take up and carry every day. The essence of the sacrifice of Jesus was His willingness to be separated from God and under God's curse for my sake! When Paul said that he was willing to be under God's curse and separated from Christ for His brothers he was showing us in the deepest way that the Apostle Paul had been shaped into the image of Christ!

The goal of walking with Jesus is not Heaven. The ultimate reward is when we become like Jesus in every way. And being like Jesus is all about the Cross in His life and mine.