Musick-al note # 292
The question has been asked, “If the Jews had all believed in Jesus and obeyed the Gospel, would the gentiles (any not Jews) have been saved? This question being posed in such a way indicates that some are teaching that if all the Jews had believed, then the Gospel of Jesus would not have been preached to the Gentiles. I do not know why one would so teach because the Scriptures from the very beginning indicated that He had predestined that ALL would be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:29, Ephesians 1:4-5). I assume that those who are saying that if the Jews had believed, then the Gospel would not have been preached to the Gentiles have taken their cue from Romans 11:11 where Paul said that “through their fall, salvation is come to the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy”. However the next verse changes the tenor of such teaching by saying, “Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! (Romans 11:12). How much greater the opportunity for all men to hear and obey the Gospel if all Jews had believed and obeyed! Quite the opposite of saying that only because the Jews failed did the Gentiles have a chance of obedience. God is desiring that all come to repentance (both Jew and Gentile) that He might save them (2 Peter 3:9).
God has always wanted man to be obedient to Him. His blessings have always been given to the obedient. Even when Cain failed in obedient worship, God offered him acceptance if he would repent and do right (Genesis 4:6-7). Throughout the years of God dealing with the Jews, He continually said they were to listen to His statutes and keep them they would live and be blessed (Deuteronomy 4:1, Joshua 22:5, 1 Kings 2;3-4, Jeremiah 11:1-7, Malachi 4:4-6). God so greatly desired man to come to Him that He sent His son to redeem mankind. Every person who hears the Gospel of Christ should want to follow Jesus and become a Christian to have eternal life through him. His love for the salvation of all humanity should cause every Christian to seek the lost from every strata of mankind without prejudice toward anyone. Never should any Christian desire any person to be lost in Hell and be separated from God’s heavenly home.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 