Scripture
25 As he says in Hosea:
“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”
26 and,
“In the very place where it was said to them,
‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
Reflection
In the preceding chapters Paul was arguing that justification and salvation is only found through faith in Jesus Christ and not by works of the Law, nor by Moses nor by being a Jew. Paul quotes Hosea 2:23 to drive the point home that all peoples (not only Jewish people) have now access to be called ‘children of the living God’. This was a big paradigm shift for the Jewish people at that time, since Israel was declared God’s chosen nation, which contained multiple benefits including salvation for them alone. So as far as a Jewish person was concerned it was only them that could be rightfully called ‘children of the living God’.
But in these verses Paul states salvation in particular, is not based on nationality, ethnicity, or religion (as some of the Jewish people thought), but solely in Christ though faith. By declaring this bold theological statement, Paul is announcing Christianity has become an all-inclusive faith (Con).
Thoughts for the day
- Based on these verses, is there anyone you know who believes Christianity isn’t for them?
- How would you go about in explaining to them that through Jesus’ resurrection they too have access to Him?
- How can you apply these verses in your own life?
Prayer
Look around and pray. It’s easy to forget to pay attention when making the same journey every day. Use your travel time to look around and pray for what you see. Pray for the buildings you pass; the people you see, your fellow travelers. Invite God’s presence to show you your commute through His eyes.
