Revering the Word
Romans 11 The kindness and severity of God.
Good morning everyone. This morning we are in Romans 11. You might recall in Romans 10 there's a statement in verse 5 that says for Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows and really that's the thing that was being wrestled with throughout the book of Romans is that the Jews who were seeking to live righteously based on the law and obtain salvation in that way need to now come to realize that the way to be right before God is not through adherence to the works of the law but rather to those who have faith in Jesus. God in this new dispensation has made a way for Jew or Gentile to come to faith in him and to have everlasting life because Jesus Christ paid our sins as the blood of the Lamb. And by believing in him Abraham believed and was accredited righteousness now when we believe whether it's your Gentile when we believe in Jesus we are seen as right before God because of his great forgiveness. At the end of chapter 10 it said but as for Israel he says all day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people and that was a quote from the Old Testament but essentially God is still holding out his hand. He's holding out his hand to both Jew and Gentile and he's saying I want you to recognize me recognize that in my great love while you were still sinners I sent my son to die for you. And he's waiting he's waiting on his return waiting for more people to come to faith in him. So all of this begs a question and Paul asks the question that it begs and he says in verse 1 of chapter 11 I say then God has not rejected his people has he? So it has God just rejected Israel and Paul says may it never be with an exclamation point. For I too am an Israelite a descendant of Abraham and Paul was he was an Israelite he was a Pharisee religious law bider of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew or do you not know what the scripture says in the passage about Elijah how he pleads with God against Israel. And this is something they did in the Old Testament Lord they have killed your prophets they have torn down your altars and I alone am left and they are seeking my life and Elijah felt like he was the only one who was truly following Yahweh. But he was actually not exactly right about that because it says in verse 4 of Romans 11 here but what is the divine response to him what did God respond to Elijah with when he said they've killed your prophets and I'm the only one left. And the response was in the Old Testament I have kept from myself 7000 men who have not bowed the knee to bail. So Elijah felt alone but he was not alone there were there were people that were following God rightly. But in the same way then there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice but if it is by grace it is no longer on the basis of works. Otherwise grace is no longer grace. And what's being said there is that there are people, Jew and Gentile, discovering about Jesus and God has made a choice now and he's saying hey you know what the choice is is that those today who come to faith in me are part of God's sovereign plan to receive salvation and forgiveness his sins. And I had a choice before and it was through Israel and it was through the law and it was through circumcision although really they were supposed to do law abiding and circumcision from faith. But yet that was still a requirement that they adhere or obey the guidance that God gave them but now God has made a new way and he has extended his grace and he said you know what I'm going to forgive any at all. Whether Jew or Gentile based on faith in me and if it's on grace and it's no longer on works now as Americans and you know I realize there's people living in other countries of the country but our world when we see no longer on the basis of works. We tend to insert good works there and it's true that you can't get to heaven based on good works that's not you have to have faith in Jesus. But the whole context of Romans is that the Jews were trying to you know be right before God through works of the law and it's no longer on that it's on grace and what is that grace that God has given us. The grace is is that while we are still sinners Christ died for us and that was God's grace extended to us and when we have faith in that now we receive God's grace and forgiveness and that's how we get right standing with God. But it's no longer based on adherence to the law but it's on faith in Jesus that we may then receive the grace of God. Verse seven what then what Israel is seeking it has not obtained but those who were chosen obtained it and the rest were hardened just as it is written. God gave them a spirit of super eyes to see not your not eyes to see not and ears to hear not down to this very day. Part of what's being mentioned here is well if it's on God's grace and God's choice then did he harden everyone else. And in a sense Paul is saying yes you know there are people who are hardened but it's really not up to us to tell God how to do his business and that's what he's going to talk about here. And then in verse nine let their table become a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a retribution to them let their eyes be darkened and not see and bend their backs forever. What's being quoted there are Old Testament passages that indicate that sometimes people are hardened meaning that they're just they can't seem to get it they can't seem to understand. They stand in obstinists to the ways of God and as a result they're not willing to hear they're not willing to be humble and they're not willing to receive what God now has in this dispensation. And he's saying that happened in the Old Testament where people were hardened Pharaoh in Egypt was hardened but it also happens today where people just are unwilling to receive. And somehow they're you know they're not willing to open themselves up and God is allowing them to stay hardened verse 11. I say then they did not stumble so as to fall did they Paul asked a question like does that mean that they can never come to Christ and he says, excuse me, may it never be. But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous. So what he's saying now is that in this season of history you know Israel was really prided up on itself in being the family of God. And now the gospel has come to any and all of faith in Jesus and that is going to make the Jews Gentile Jews jealous the fact that anyone can just come to the front of the line and be part of the family of God and they don't have to become a Jew or be an Israelite to be part of the family of God. And then he says in verse 12 now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles how much more will their fulfillment be. And what Paul is saying is there's still hope and really there's hope not only for Jew but there's hope for anybody because if you come to Jesus in faith you can be part of the family of God some people are hardened right now are unwilling to turn to Jesus but God still holding out his hand. But I'm speaking to you who are Gentiles and as much than as I am an apostle of the Gentiles remember Gentiles anyone who is not an Israelite. I magnify my ministry if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen Jews and save some of them see he's still trying to save them. He wants Jews to come to know the gospel and God wants Jews to come now anyone and you know what many have the Judaism is actually a very small religion because many have come to faith in Jesus. Now we have to insert in order to understand the rest of this text we will insert I will make it easier to understand by inserting what Paul is referring to because he says for if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world. What will their acceptance be but life from the dead and what is referring to is Jews for if the Jews rejection is reconciliation meaning people were restored to God through what God did to reconcile man to himself through Jesus. Then he says what will their Jews acceptance be but life from the dead they can they still can come to Jesus. If the first piece of dough is holy the lump is also and if the root is holy the branches are too. Now listen to this because the branches would have been Jews. They were part of God's nourishing vine but if some of the branches were broken off and you being a wild olive meaning Jews were part of God's branch. We weren't even part of God's branch we are outside of the family of God as Gentiles. But if the branches Jews were broken off from God's family because now they've rejected Jesus and you being a wild olive were grafted in among them. So we were grafted into the family of God and became a partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree. Do not be arrogant towards the branches so although we've come to the front of the line and anyone can who has faith in Jesus and we've been grafted into God's tree we're part of God's family. He's saying don't be arrogant towards the Jews the branches. But if you are arrogant remember that it's not you who supports the root but the root supports you and now the foundation of our faith is built on Jesus Christ we've been grafted into God's olive tree. And he is nourishing and supporting us. It says in verse 19 you will say then branches were broken off Jews that is were broken off so that I a Gentile might be grafted in. Paul is saying quite right that's true. They were broken off for their unbelief see so ultimately it came down to faith and when God in this season brought Jesus it was required that to be part of the family of God that we would believe in him. But if they reject Jesus then they are broken off because of their unbelief in him. But you a Gentile now is come to Jesus stand by your faith and we've got to stand in that faith. You know faith is not just you know I say I have faith one time it's we've got to stand in it. We've got to come to Jesus and stay in Jesus hallelujah. Do not be conceited but fear this is what Paul is saying to the Gentile for if God did not spare the natural branches he will not spare you either. This is a very important verse and I'll tell you what my you know any any friend I was going to say Calvin is friend but any friend you know when you're when you come to create a doctrine when you come to state what you believe about the faith it really needs to encompass the whole council of God's word. And without knowing the whole council of God's word one does not know what the whole council then entails and it's so important to know the whole word read the whole word study the whole word and then allow that to shape your doctrine and where it allows for mystery embrace the mystery a lot of people are tempted to want to try to solve all mystery or remove all mystery and just make it clear. And that's you know I get why people want clarity but the problem is is we can do that at the expense of scripture. We can say well I'm going to hear I'll tell you what I'll do I'll make this one sided and I'll make it as clear as I can for you. But in doing so then you're ignoring or a person is ignoring what the scripture says and we're supposed to revere the word of God not our summary statements because listen to this verse this is really important and take it in. For if God did not spare the natural branches he will not spare you either Gentile they were cut off juice by faith and he said he will not spare you the behold then the kindness and severity of God to those who fell severity meaning to those who not are unwilling to accept Jesus severity but to you Gentiles who have now come to faith in Jesus God's kindness we've received the kindness of God through the grace of God through faith in what Jesus did. And then it says this though if you continue in his kindness this is why faith is not a one time thing it's a it's a I believe in you and I'm going to continue to believe in you to the end. I'm going to back up behold then the kindness and severity of God to those who fell severity but to you God's kindness if you continue in his kindness otherwise you also will be cut off. And that's a heavy word and it goes against a lot of people's doctrinal statements because it would seem to indicate and there's a lot of other passages that would indicate this too is that you could lose your faith in Jesus. That's what it's saying here it's saying you need to continue in his kindness otherwise you will also be cut off remaining me and I will remain in you if the man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit apart from you can do nothing if a man does not bear fruit. He is like a branch that is broken off and withers and thrown into the fire and burned. You know that's just one scripture that's coming to mind and there are many remain faithful to the end continuing your faith to the end. There's a multitude of verses that say something very similar to this and what you need to do is just embrace all of it all of God's word. And this is giving us a word that we've received God's kindness hallelujah but continue in his kindness otherwise you'll be cut off. So what you don't want make faith a permanent thing and fan that faith in the flame and continue to invest in your faith all the way to your dying day. And you know I want to be a man of God all the way to the day that I die and I want my faith to be strong. I don't care what I go through. If I go through pain, suffering, ultimately death I want to make sure that my faith is strong all the way to the end. I want to be a man of God and a man of faith all the way to the end and God wants that of you too. And then he says in verse 23 and they also if they do not continue in their unbelief will be grafted in. So there's still hope for Jews so even though Jews were part of the family of God now if they've rejected Jesus in this season they've been cut off from the family of God. But if they do not continue in unbelief if they come to Jesus they can be grafted in for God is able to graph them in again through faith in a son. For if you were cut off from what is by a nature a wild olive tree and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree meaning we were not part of the family of God but when we came to faith in Jesus we were grafted in. How much more will these Jews who are the natural branches they were originally part of the family of God be grafted into their own olive tree just like we got grafted in to God's family. A Jew who's reject Jesus for now who later comes to Jesus they can be grafted in and Paul's saying even easier because they were part of the original tree. For do not want you to be I do not want you brethren to be uninformed with this mystery so that you will not be wise in your own estimation that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And isn't that interesting and you know depending upon what you believe about eschatology study event times perhaps the fullness of the Gentiles when the fullness of Gentiles comes in that's perhaps when the rapture is going to take place. And after that fullness there's still going to be an opportunity for Israel during the tribulation to come to him that's how I interpret that verse. Let me read it again don't be wise in your own estimation that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel be saved just as is written the deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove on godliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. So God still has a heart for the Jews he still loves them they were a part of the original family of God. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable for just as you Gentiles were once disobedient to God but now I've been shown mercy hallelujah because of their Jews disobedience. So these also now have been disobedient Jews are being disobedient when they don't accept Jesus that because of the mercy shown to you Gentiles they also may be shown mercy hallelujah. And this is one of the great verses of the Bible here is verse 32. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that he may show mercy to all hallelujah. I went over this verse you might recall if you went with us through the journey in the book of Romans and we are back in Romans 1, 2 and 3. Paul was making the case all have sinned all have followed short of the glory of God there's no one righteous not even one. And one of the things that Paul was trying to show us is that we have a need. Whether you're Jew or Gentile we have a need we have sin our sin separates us from God and we need a solution to that sin problem the solution today is Jesus. But we need to know we're sinners and that sin separates us from God. We need to know we have a need because that need then compels us to turn to God solution and that's faith in his son and he desperately wants the whole world to know that our sin separates us from God. And as a result we've all been shut up in disobedience and the word there is like to be caught up in a net as though if you threw a net in the ocean to collect fish it would just collect all kinds of fish. As it were you could say it would collect Jewish fish and Gentile fish they'd all be caught up in the net and we'd be you know we'd be going to become someone's dinner up in that net meaning we're all caught up in this sin problem. It doesn't matter what kind of fish you are what kind of person you were before we all are caught up into this sin problem but he did that and he wants us to understand that so that he can show mercy to us all through his son and that we may all receive salvation. And then Paul just celebrating this wisdom that God has says oh the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways. It's like Paul is celebrating the wisdom of God to shut us all up into disobedience to catch us all up into that so that he could send his son to have mercy on us all for who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his counselor or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again and then I love this verse for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be the glory forever. Amen. What a closing word. And you know, I hope we all you all listening we get to the point in life where we realize that everything comes from him. Everything's through him and through him are all things. He is our reason for being he's the reason we have air. He's the reason we should live our lives now and he's the reason that one day we'll be in heaven with him. To him be the glory forever Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen. Be grateful this day that God has welcomed you into his family through faith. And you know what praise God that everyone now today has an opportunity whether you are a Gentile to receive the grace of God through Jesus Christ. May more here the good news. God bless you all. [ Silence ]