Way, way back in Bible times God made the first man and woman. They were given one rule, which they broke. Thus, sin entered the world. Years passed, the world sinned more, there was a flood, and eventually God chose one man through whom he would bless the world. We know that man as Abraham. He is the one whom the nation of Israel would come from. And, through Israel, the world was to be blessed.
God had Israel as his favorite nation. I once heard someone say that he believed that if Israel would have followed God, and the Jews would have accepted Jesus as savior, God would not have offered salvation to Gentiles. I'm not sure I entirely agree with that idea. God is a God of wrath, because he is holy and cannot be with sin. But, God is also a God of love. He loves all of us (it's in the Bible, look it up in John.3.16). Why then, would a God of love want any to perish, including Gentiles?
The answer is he doesn't want any to perish. We can see this in God's word. In the Old Testament, during the time that God's love and blessing was to be seen through Israel, there are the true stories of two people who lived at different times and were Gentiles. These Gentiles were accepted into the family of Israel.
One of the women was Rahab. She lived in the time of Joshua's leadership of Israel. She lived in Jericho, a Gentile nation who worshipped other gods. Rahab was an unmarried prostitute. She had heard of the Israelites and what their God had done for them. Thus, she chose to hid two Israelite spies from her people's guards. Because she chose to follow God and help his people, she was invited into the family of God. She was saved even in her sin.
The other person was Ruth. Ruth lived in the time of the judges in Israel. She married into an Israelite family while they were in Moab. The father of the family died. Then Ruth's husband died. Her mother in law, Naomi who was an Israelite, said she was going back to her home country. Ruth decided to go with Naomi even though she could have stayed, gone home to her family, and been remarried in her home town. When they got to Israel, Ruth went out to gather grain. There she met Boaz. Boaz was related to Naomi. Eventually, Ruth married Boaz. She was accepted into God's family as well.
Now, lest you say the events of both those women don't prove anything; or, you say that women didn't count in Bible times tell me why BOTH of these women are in the lineage of Jesus Christ, savior of the world? God accepted these women into his nation, he loved them, he blessed them, and he saved them even though they were Gentiles. These women chose to follow God. They chose to leave their sinful ways and their homes just to follow God. Because of those choices, these women are forever a part of history.
These women are examples for us today. No one is too far gone to be saved by God. Rahab was a prostitute. Ruth probably worshipped false gods. We are to spread the Gospel to everyone. It doesn't matter where the person comes from or what they have done. God loves them and wants to save them. Who are we to stand in the way?
So, do you believe God wants to save all people? How can you spread the Gospel today?
God had Israel as his favorite nation. I once heard someone say that he believed that if Israel would have followed God, and the Jews would have accepted Jesus as savior, God would not have offered salvation to Gentiles. I'm not sure I entirely agree with that idea. God is a God of wrath, because he is holy and cannot be with sin. But, God is also a God of love. He loves all of us (it's in the Bible, look it up in John.3.16). Why then, would a God of love want any to perish, including Gentiles?
The answer is he doesn't want any to perish. We can see this in God's word. In the Old Testament, during the time that God's love and blessing was to be seen through Israel, there are the true stories of two people who lived at different times and were Gentiles. These Gentiles were accepted into the family of Israel.
One of the women was Rahab. She lived in the time of Joshua's leadership of Israel. She lived in Jericho, a Gentile nation who worshipped other gods. Rahab was an unmarried prostitute. She had heard of the Israelites and what their God had done for them. Thus, she chose to hid two Israelite spies from her people's guards. Because she chose to follow God and help his people, she was invited into the family of God. She was saved even in her sin.
The other person was Ruth. Ruth lived in the time of the judges in Israel. She married into an Israelite family while they were in Moab. The father of the family died. Then Ruth's husband died. Her mother in law, Naomi who was an Israelite, said she was going back to her home country. Ruth decided to go with Naomi even though she could have stayed, gone home to her family, and been remarried in her home town. When they got to Israel, Ruth went out to gather grain. There she met Boaz. Boaz was related to Naomi. Eventually, Ruth married Boaz. She was accepted into God's family as well.
Now, lest you say the events of both those women don't prove anything; or, you say that women didn't count in Bible times tell me why BOTH of these women are in the lineage of Jesus Christ, savior of the world? God accepted these women into his nation, he loved them, he blessed them, and he saved them even though they were Gentiles. These women chose to follow God. They chose to leave their sinful ways and their homes just to follow God. Because of those choices, these women are forever a part of history.
These women are examples for us today. No one is too far gone to be saved by God. Rahab was a prostitute. Ruth probably worshipped false gods. We are to spread the Gospel to everyone. It doesn't matter where the person comes from or what they have done. God loves them and wants to save them. Who are we to stand in the way?
So, do you believe God wants to save all people? How can you spread the Gospel today?
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