Daily Devotion

Pray for Jews to be Saved

Rom 10:1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

There are those who are under the misconception that Jews are automatically saved just be being born Jewish. But Paul, himself a Jew, acknowledges that Jews are not automatically saved. And such is a very dominant theme in his letters and in the book of Acts. And likewise Jesus says to the Jews that salvation is contingent upon faith in Him. "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." John 8:24 A Jew cannot be saved apart from faith in Christ according to the gospel. Yes they have a covenant with God. That covenant is that if they fully obey the Law of Moses, they are righteous. But in fact no Jew has ever done so but the Lord himself. Paul, himself a Pharisee, admits, "Clearly no one is justified before God by the law" Gal 3:11

There are even those under the misconception that Muslims can be saved through Islam, which is even further from the truth. But whether it be unbelieving Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists or the like, we Christians should desire and pray that such be saved. Everyone needs to be saved. But there are those Christians or alleged Christians who disregard such people in their heart and prayers by either falsely reckoning them already saved or saved by some other means. Or those who reckon such people are predestined to hell and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Quite contrary to such a fatalistic viewpoint, Paul desires and laborers for their salvation. Paul writes, "I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." 1Cor 10:33 Yet there are those of certain theological persuasions who reckon that attempts to save people simply marginalizes God's sovereignty. Perhaps most famous example of this was when John Ryland heard William Carey talking about becoming a missionary to India, and told him, "Sit down, young man. When God decides to save the heathen, He will do it without your help."

But God has so orchestrated the ministry of the gospel as to put salvation into the hands of his saints by, for one thing, making salvation contingent upon hearing the gospel. And much as that concept may be considered foolish, "it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." 1Cor 1:21b, of which will also become clear later in this chapter.

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