Romans Lesson 14

Book of Romans taught by Special guest Harley Brown.

Transcript

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Welcome to The Life in the Word, our verse-by-verse study of God's Word. My name is Harley Brown. I'm one of the elders here at New Life Community Church, and have the great joy of coming to you again to teach out of the Book of Romans. Please bow your head with me in prayer. Our Father in Heaven, I thank you for this opportunity to be in your word again. It is such a joyous occasion, and I pray that it is a blessing to all of us. Father, I pray that through the study of your word, you'll mold us into the biblical men and women you call us to be. We love you, and we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. So today we'll be continuing the study of the Book of Romans by diving into one of the more debated chapters in the Bible, Romans 11. Leading up to this chapter, Paul tells us that God has offered salvation to all people who put their faith in his Son Jesus for their salvation, both Jew and Gentile. However, God's chosen people, the Jews, have rejected the gospel, and as a result, the gospel has gone out to the Gentiles, who have never even sought after God, and yet they have accepted the gospel message of salvation. In this chapter, we'll see Paul address a genuine question about the position of the Jewish people while tackling any possible pride that can arise from the Gentiles because of their position with God. So please, turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 11, verse 1. I ask then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not. I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. After reading Romans 10, 21, it could be natural for a person to ask, Since the Israelites have rejected Christ, does that mean that God has rejected them? But Paul instantly targets that and tells the people that God has not rejected his chosen people. He proves this by using himself as an example, saying that he is an Israelite and from the tribe of Benjamin. So it is clear that there are Jews that have put their faith in Jesus for their salvation. Verse 2. No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, Verse 3, Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. Verse 4. And do you remember God's reply? He said, No, I have seven thousand others who have never bowed down to Baal. Just like Elijah, Paul was rejected by his people and was persecuted for doing the will of the Lord. However, despite knowing that the people of Israel were would reject his ways, God still had mercy on them and sent messengers to warn them of the coming judgment. Not only that, he has kept a remnant of people from falling to the worship of false gods, and has not abandoned his people. Just like Paul and Elijah in their days, we too can be discouraged by the state of the world around us. However, these verses should remind us that we are not alone. One, because God is with us at all times, and two, God sees the things that we do not see and knows his sheep, ensuring that they do not perish. Verse five. Paul reminds us in verse five that the people who have put their faith in Jesus for their salvation do so by God's grace. And because it is by God's grace, our works cannot save us. If we re if we rely on our own works for our salvation, then God's grace is no longer feasible. This is counter to what Jewish people believe and is part of the reason for the rejection of the gospel. It is not just the Jews who struggle with this. The Catholic Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons believe that it is by your works that you get into heaven. But just as it says in Isaiah 64, all our good deeds are like filthy rags. So even our works are tainted by sin, and it cannot be a fifty-fifty split of works and God's grace. Our salvation is either all by God's grace or it is not at all. And if we do not rely on God's grace for salvation, then we will take the punishment for our sins. Verse 7. So this is the situation. Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God. They are looking for so earnestly. A few have, and the ones God has chosen, but the hearts of the rest were hardened. So Paul is telling that Israel failed to obtain the salvation that they were seeking. Why did Israel fail to obtain it? Well, in relation to the rest of Romans, it's because they rejected Jesus and relied on their own works to obtain it. Let's go back to John chapter 5, verses 39 and 40. You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about me. Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. As we saw in verses five and six in this chapter, it is by God's grace we have salvation, thus making works no longer necessary for salvation. And because of the Jews' rejection of Jesus, God has hardened their hearts. We see this in society today, how people who constantly reject Jesus become darkened to the gospel message and become more depraved in their thinking. If you need an example of this from the Bible, think of Pharaoh from the book of Exodus. He kept disobeying God until God hardened his heart. As you read in the book of Exodus, you'll see it say, and then he hardened his heart, and then the Pharaoh hardened his heart, until eventually it says, God hardened his heart. Verse 8. As the scriptures say, God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so that they do not see, and close their ears so they do not hear. Verse 9. Likewise David said, Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. Verse 10. Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever. In these verses, Paul uses multiple verses from the Old Testament to explain what God has done to the people of Israel. In verse 8, Paul uses Isaiah 29, verse 10, and Deuteronomy chapter 29, verse 4. For verses 9 to 10, he uses Psalms chapter 69, verses 22 and 23. God had put the people into a deep spiritual sleep. Just as Adam was unaware of Eve's creation in his deep sleep, the people of Israel are unaware of this, of their disobedience and their coming judgment. And it is still going on to this day. Not only that, the enjoyments and riches of this life are leading them away from God and into destruction. Why do you think Jesus tells the disciples, it is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of an eagle than for a rich man to make it into heaven? Even our great riches can be a form of judgment from God. Verse eleven. Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not. They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Verse 12. Now, if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. Here, Paul is asking the Gentile believers if the Jewish people have fallen beyond recovery. But he instantly puts that question to rest by telling the Gentiles that they are not beyond recovery. If we think they were beyond recovery, that would think lesser of God. In fact, through their disobedience, God was able to bring salvation to the Gentiles, and by seeing the benefits of salvation the Gentiles are enjoying, this would bring the Jewish people to Jesus for their salvation. This all fulfills prophecy from Deuteronomy chapter 32, verse 21. Not only that, if the Gentiles were blessed by the rejection of the Jews, just imagine what will happen when the Jewish people put their faith in Jesus for their salvation. Just like how God was able to use the evil of Joseph's brothers to bring the safety to the Egyptian people from the coming famine, he has done the same for Gentiles. And just like God was able to use the Egyptian people to bring Joseph's brothers to him for protection from the famine, he will do the same with the Jewish people. We can also apply these verses to our own lives. If God is still willing to save the Jewish people despite the rejection, and he will save them, then we can have hope that he can do the same with anyone who has rejected him in our own lives. Verse 13. Now, if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. Verse 14. If there were any if there was any question about who Paul was speaking to in this chapter, he puts that to rest here, specifically saying that he is speaking to the Gentiles. We see that even though Paul's ministry is primarily directed toward the Gentiles, he has hope that through the ministry God has given him, it can bring the Jews to salvation as well. And we see this in last week's message when Paul says he's willing to give up his own salvation just to see the Jewish people come to salvation. Verse 15. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead. Verse 16. And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy, just as the entire batch of dough is holy, because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be too. So again, we see Paul repeating the notion that because the Jews rejected the gospel message, it benefited the Gentiles. So if it benefited them, how much more beneficial will it be when the Jews come to faith? What does Paul mean by the first fruits make it making the whole unholy? Well, what Paul is talking about is the faith of the patriarchs like Abraham, have made have been making Israel as a whole holy. Well, Paul is not saying is that each individual individual person in Israel will be holy, but the nation of Israel as a whole will be. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. Verse 18, but you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. Verse 19. Well, you may say, These branches were broken off to make room for me. Verse 20, yes, but these branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ. And you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. Verse 21, for if God did not spare the original branches, he won't spare you either. We see here Paul begins to use the imagery of the olive tree to explain being in a relationship with God. Paul makes it clear that we are the branches of the tree, and that the Jewish people were the original branches, and the Gentiles being the wild branches. But he doesn't say what the root represents. So tell me, what does the root of the olive tree represent here? It represents the promises God made to Abraham and his seed. And does anyone know how grafting a branch works? Well, when grafting branches, the branches do none of the work. First, the farmer has to cut a notch into the tree he will be grafting into and cut the branch to fit the notch. Then the farmer has to make sure the branch aligns with the inner bark of the tree. Once aligned, the farmer will use grafting tape to secure the branch to the tree and seal the joints, and cuts to prevent infection. Over time, the tree will naturally seal up the cuts and joints, making the branch a part of itself, nourishing the branch for the rest of the tree's life. This perfect illustration God has given us shows that it is not by our works that we are secured, but entirely by God's hand and his work on the cross through faith alone in Christ alone. And we are nourished by the promise of Abraham. Because our salvation is all by the works of God, we have no reason to be arrogant. God did not save us because we are good, because we aren't good, but because he is good. Verse 22. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. Verse twenty-three. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. Verse 24. You, by nature, were a branch cut from an olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. So Paul tells us to take note of God's severity and kindness. What does Paul mean when he's talking about God's severity? Well, he's talking about the coming judgment for all those who die in their sins. If you are not tr if you have not trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and your salvation from the coming judgment that you then you too will come face to face with God's severity. What does Paul mean by the kindness? By God's kindness, it means God's favor as explained in Colossians chapter 1, verses 21 through 23, and also a warning, like in 1 John 2, verse 19. So if we keep to the faith, we will get to continue to experience God's kindness. In verse 24, Paul reminds us that the Gentiles, us, do not naturally seek God and are hostile towards God. To go back to the grafting explanation, when farmers graft branches, they will only select branches from other cultivated trees. They will never select a branch from a wild tree. If a wild branch is grafted into a cultivated tree, it can bring disease and pestilence to the tree, and also drain the tree resources from the tree and still not produce good fruit. If you were to compare a wild fruit to a cultivated fruit, the wild fruit tends to have larger seeds and is usually inedible. So naturally, one would think that God would not be able to graft us in, but that is not the case. Through his work on the cross and the Holy Spirit, he makes us know and grafts us into his plan. And if he is able to do that with us, how much more can he do with the Jewish people who are his chosen people? Verse 25. I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. Verse 26. And so all Israel will be saved, as the scriptures say, the one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. Verse 27. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins. So, as we have established, Israel will experience salvation just as us Gentiles have. Now the question that should arise is when will they experience the salvation? Well, it will come when the fullness of the Gentiles have experienced salvation. Now note that Israel only has a partial hardening. At the time this letter was written, there were Jewish people who had placed their faith in Jesus. Paul listed himself as an example earlier in the chapter, and even the other disciples are examples. And even now there are Jewish people who have placed their faith in Jesus. Now we know that this will happen because Paul uses prophecy from Isaiah chapters 27 and 59 to show this. If God has fulfilled all of his promises so far, then we know this prophecy will be fulfilled as well, even if we do not know when it will be fulfilled. Verses twenty verse twenty-eight. Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of good news, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Verse 29. For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. Verse 30. Once you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel were belled against him, God was merciful to you instead. Now they are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you so that they too will share in God's mercy. Verse 32. For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience, so he could have mercy on everyone. Even though we know that God will one day bring Israel back to himself, until that time, they are enemies to the gospel message. Despite this hostility, though, because of God's faithfulness to the promises he made to their forefathers, God still holds the Jewish people as his beloved people. And just as we were hostile to God and he brought us to him through the death and resurrection of Jesus, he will do the same with the Jewish people. Verse thirty-three. Oh how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge, how impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways. Verse thirty-four. For you for who can know the Lord's thoughts, who knows enough to give him advice? Verse thirty five. And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? Verse thirty six. For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever. Amen. Despite all we have done to God, he has shown us all mercy and grace. If any of us were in his shoes, we would have given up on humanity so long ago. I would have given up on myself so long ago. But God has not. On top of that, he was able to use the disobedience of his chosen people to bring a hostile group of people to him. And he plans on using these converted people to bring his chosen people back to him. It takes an immeasurable amount of patience, knowledge, wisdom, and power to do this, and only God is capable of doing so. Paul here is worshiping God because of all this, and we should follow in Paul's footsteps. Now that's the end of chapter nine. But before I end this Bible study, if I could give a special message to you to you, reading the Bible is such a huge part of my life, and it holds such a dear place in my heart. So I implore you, please spend personal time in the Bible. This Bible study is a fantastic resource in understanding the Bible, but it cannot replace your personal time with God. And if we do not spend time with God in His Word, how can we know His voice and test what we hear on the pulpit or in Bible studies like this? Sadly, because of a lack of Bible reading in the church today, it has been ravished by wolves, thieves, and false teachers. Not only that, the average churchgoer can't defend their faith despite the Bible clearly telling us to be ready at all times. When you read his word, you'll truly come to know God's voice and be able to see who the false. Prophets are, you will be able to defend your faith and will grow to have a deep love for his word and him. You'll see that his word is sweeter than the purest of honey and richer than all the gold and silver in this world. So if there's any takeaways you can get from this Bible study to say, please spend personal time with God in prayer and reading of his word. If you would, join me in prayer as we end this Bible study. Our Father in Heaven, I thank you for this opportunity to read your word, to see what your plan is with your chosen people, the Jewish people, that you have not abandoned them, that they are still a part of your plan, and that one day you will bring them back to you. I pray that you'll keep us humble and to be servants to your will, to bring the gospel message to all those around us, to Gentiles and Jews. And Father, I pray that you'll help us be the biblical men and women that you call us to be, so that honor and glory may be brought to your name. We thank you for the death and resurrection of your son Jesus, because without that, none of this is possible. We can have the forgiveness of sin without it. I thank you for the faith and repentance you've given us, Father. And we pray this in Jesus' name. We love you. Amen.