Author: Rev. Lek Aik Wee

The Apostle Paul has been speaking of his burden for the salvation of his beloved countrymen. His heart goes out to them. Although his mission is to the Gentiles, he understands that God has not cast away Israel. He longs in earnest that his own people may be saved. He hopes that his work among the Gentiles may be a witness of God’s grace to his own people that they, too, may be influenced to receive Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul fulfilled his calling with distinction. God’s grace abide with him. He is reminding his readers that he fulfilled his role as the apostle to the Gentiles. They have benefitted from the blessings of the gospel through Paul’s ministry. He was leading them to understand that he was a part of God’s redemption and carried the gospel torch in his lifetime. As we survey the Book of Acts, we observe the record of God’s hand leading the Apostle Paul to fulfil His mission.

Israel’s witness for God has been set aside because they rejected the gospel. The Gentiles have benefitted from God’s rejection of Israel. Salvation came upon the Gentiles and with it, the riches of the glory in Christ Jesus was accorded to them. It is our high privilege that God’s grace comes to the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul witnessed to the European continent, and the gospel was extended there and to America and to Asia. We are the beneficiaries of God’s grace due to Israel’s fall. Thank God for His grace!

In fact, when God begins the church, it was with the purpose of extending His grace to both Jews and Gentiles. Whosoever will, can be saved. Dear friends, can you articulate if someone ask you what is the church? May I submit to you, the Church is God’s people! The word “church” is from the Greek words “ecclesia” which means “called out one”. The term is derived from the root verb “kaleo” which means “to call”. The church is, therefore, a people called out by God.

The Apostle Paul quoting David’s writing in Psalm 69:22-23 points to the sufferings of Jesus Christ, the greater David under the Jewish establishment during the time of Jesus’ ministry. The Jewish religious leadership in Jesus’ time ought to have known better, having the Old Testament Scriptures, entrusted to their care. How could they not see, for example, in Isaiah 53 the description of the suffering servant fulfilled in Jesus Christ?

The Jews have sought salvation futilely with the greatest zeal and persistence by their own works of wisdom. They failed miserably in their endeavour to keep the law to find salvation. That being the case, all is not lost because God has chosen a remnant amidst gross spiritual blindness in Israel.

The Apostle Paul wants us to see God’s sovereign hand in reaching out to the unsaved. He himself was gloriously saved not by any good work that he had done, but by God’s loved reaching out to him at the road to Damascus. Thank God that He still saves sinners today by His grace. There is indeed hope for the seemingly hopeless world so blatantly rejecting God in Jesus Christ.