Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 11:17-19

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 11:17-19
"And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."

As I'm reading this I'm thinking of Jacob 5, "The allegory of the tame and wild olive trees". Did Paul have the words of the prophet Zenos?

"And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive tree, and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches which are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them into the fire that they may be burned.
And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take away many of these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will; and it mattereth not that if it so be that the root of this tree will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I will take these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will."
(Jacob 5:7-8)

Day 4181

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 10:9-10

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 10:9-10
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

What must one do after confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus? Just saying the words is not enough. It must be believed in the heart. Outwardly you could look like you're saved, but in the heart there must be a mighty change. If the heart of man really did believe then they would be righteous. They would repent and strive to follow Jesus Christ and obey his words. That is what leadeth to salvation.

Day 4180

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 9:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 9:6
"Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:"

This made me reflect on how just because you are born into a righteous family or into the church it does not mean you are righteous. We don't inherit blessings unless we earn them. Salvation is an individual matter, all are tried and tested and must learn faith in Christ.

Day 4179

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 8:35, 38-39

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 8:35, 38-39
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I pondered on being fully converted to Jesus Christ. This would be the only way, relying on Him, that you could endure all these things and not be separated from him. We can separate ourselves from God by sin. His love for us is always there, but we may have hid it. Enduring to the end is my favorite part of the gospel. It is how we come to know Jesus Christ.

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
(Isaiah 59:2)

Day 4178