Paul’s Christianity is different from our own. He was not caught up with the love of the world and the love of self; he lived for others to be saved. We must get our Christianity in line with his, because it is authentic and true. Ours is false, if it only concerns us with ourselves. If God is used to get the world and to pursue things that unbelievers seek, then we don’t know God, or we are far from him.

We must repent, and turn around! Christianity is the love of God and the salvation of others; it is living by faith in Christ, so that we become Christlike, who gave his all.

Paul panted for others to be saved; it ached him and pained him so much that he wished himself accursed, cut off from Christ, and sent to hell. He’d take their place, if the Jews could be saved! What’s more Christlike than that?

God will give this true religion to us. Let us seek it. Christianity is not about ourselves: Christ is the center, and the salvation of others is the orbit.

Secondly, God’s chosen the true seed of Abraham. Romans 9:6-7, "For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.""

Not all Jews partake of the promise. We must stop believing that every Israelite is blessed. God’s people are the children of Abraham by faith, whether they be Jew or Gentile. Galatians 3:7, “so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.” He did not choose Esau, nor the generation that perished in the wilderness. He chose no one who ends up in hell. Abraham’s children were chosen according to God’s promise of having a remnant among them. They are a representative people, picturing God’s elect.

America’s foreign policy favors Israel, because many have believed that we’d be blessed in the process. Christ, however, has broken down every barrier between Gentile and Jew. It doesn’t matter a person’s heritage, if he does righteousness… and it doesn’t matter, if he does wrong. No one is blessed because they are Abraham’s seed after the flesh.

Isaac is the chosen seed, so Ishmael is cast out. Isaac is something that God has done. Even when Sarah and Abraham laughed, thinking it was impossible, God promised that he’d come, and Sarah will have a son! Romans 9:9 For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.” God worked it by his power to picture salvation being miraculous.

Let us choose to follow Scripture, not tradition. No one is to be hated, or exalted above justice. No one is special in the flesh.

Thirdly, God chose the elder to serve the younger. Romans 9:11-12, "though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls-- she was told, "The older will serve the younger.""

God did this because he wants us to know that it’s not by human strength and will power. If Esau had been chosen, some would have said, “He’s the first born; it is his right. He is the strongest, etc.” But not so. God wanted it to be demonstratively all of grace. Therefore, against tradition, he chose the younger, and he did it without any consideration of their works! He did not look down into time, and say, “Jacob will be better or worse.” He looked down, from eternity past, and said, “The elder will serve the younger,” because he loved the younger one in Christ.

He doesn’t owe us salvation: We deserve damnation and punishment. Therefore, through the blood of Christ, he has mercy on whom he pleases. He could have saved one person. He could have chosen to let us all perish, as he did the angels that sinned. Hebrews 2:16 — "For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham." In sovereign mercy, because we are totally depraved, he draws those whom he grants faith. He gives us the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 — "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this [faith] is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,"