GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISE
(Romans Bible Study Series Tape Thirty)
Recommended reading - Romans 11:25-35.
The Apostle Paul concludes his discussion regarding the
Jews, by addressing several important facts that teach us how to properly
understand our mission. We must understand that literal Israel's rejection
is not final. Christ declared to the Jews, before His crucifixion in Matthew
23:38, your house is left desolate. Christ simply meant that from that
point the Jews would no longer be the only ones who represented Him. He
took the torch from them and gave it to His church, which consisted of
Jews and Gentiles. There is hope for all men including the Jews, as Paul
explains in Romans 11:1-4. God is willing to save anyone who
accepts His Son. God made the Israelite nation a great nation. He told
them how to live and instructed them not to learn the ways of the pagan
and the heathen. The Israelites were warned that they should not convert
the Babalonish systems into the appearance of a Christian or Godly
practice. The Israelites were God's Covenant people and He wanted them to
do as He told them.
I. Godly judgment.
· Paul quotes
Elijah stating that the people of Israel continued to forsake God.
· The problem was
that Elijah was judging by outward appearance.
· We have to
learn from this; we are not to judge by outward appearance.
· God's divine
response is that He reserves for Himself whom He chooses.
· God's judgment
is right, good, and proper.
II. The worship of yourself.
· The word baal
in these scriptures refers to a lord.
· There are many
forms of baal worship today; wherever there is self involved you have
baal worship.
III. A remnant of the elect.
· In Verse 5
Paul explains that there is a remnant of the people according to the
election. There was a remnant then and there is a remnant today.
· There are many,
to this day, who are obeying God. The word remnant refers to those who
are faithful to God and to His truth, in the midst of apostasy.
· The word elect
means to be chosen. God elected all men to be saved in Christ; however,
God will not force that choice upon anyone. God gives what people
choose; if we reject Christ we have chosen death.
IV. The truth about salvation and God's sovereignty.
· Paul explains
the truth about works as a means of salvation in Verses 6-8. In
later chapters Paul explains the fruits of salvation which produce
works.
· Works are the
evidence of salvation, never the means of salvation.
· Israel was
seeking to obtain salvation by works and that attempt failed.
· In Verse 8
we must remember that God is sovereign; nothing happens without His
permission and knowledge. That does not mean that God causes or
initiates all that happens.
· God assumes the
blame for things that occur, even when He is not to blame, because he is
sovereign. He assumes the blame because, ultimately in the judgment,
every knee will bow down and confess that God is right.
· In the
judgment, God will reveal to the universe why He held back and did not
stop horrible things from happening. The blame will ultimately be placed
upon the one that absolutely defied and rejected God - which the day of
Atonement pictures.
· God did not put
the stupor on the Jews as is written in Verse 8; however, he
takes the blame because he allowed it to happen.
V. God turns a rejection into hope.
· In Verse
9-10 Paul quotes David describing the hardening of the Jews hearts.
· Paul says in Verses
11-14 that God had chosen all the Jews to be saved, yet many of them
rejected Him.
· In light of
this rejection, God takes their failure and turns it into good. He opens
the opportunity for salvation to the Gentiles.
· In the judgment
it will be revealed that God tried everything before leaving one
desolate.
VI. The olive tree.
· In Verses
15-24 Paul discusses an olive tree to symbolize a truth.
· In this truth
Christ is the source of life; the natural branches are the Jews. The
branches that represent the Jews are in two camps, the believers (the
remnant), and the unbelievers (the unfaithful).
· God has no
problem with the believers. They are part of Israel, which is the tree.
The unbelievers are the branches that are broken off. He then grafts the
wild olive branches, which are the gentiles, into the tree.
· The Gentiles
are joined together with Israel, and all believers then enjoy the source
of life, who is Jesus Christ.
· Paul then
strongly proceeds to tell the new branches not to boast. The believer
does not support the root; the root supports the believer.
· Christ is our
Savior; we do not save ourselves. We need to understand that God cut off
the natural branch. If one does not believe, one will not be spared. The
problem, with any branch that is removed, is unbelief. Unbelief will
separate us from God.
VII. We can make the same mistake.
· We cannot say
that we are beyond the mistakes of the Jews, and then turn around and
suffer the fate that many Jews suffered.
· We must not say
that we are the only ones who have salvation. Remember that God is
merciful, but God is also just.
· Those who have
been cut off in the past (if they recognize their unbelief and repent),
God will graft them right back into the tree.
· In Romans
11:25 Paul reveals the mystery that is now made known. Paul says
that the Jews rejected the Messiah and, when that occurred, he made the
gospel available to the Gentiles.
VII. A desolate time for the unbeliever.
· Christ explains
the desolation of the Jews in the latter times in Luke 21:20-24.
There is still time for the Jews and for everyone to repent.
· When you see
the time occur that God has been rejected to the point where the entire
nation will be destroyed, then depart Jerusalem because the time is
over. God will remove His protection.
· The Jews have
experienced trouble in history and will face a time of trouble again.
· In terms of
Paul's writings, the Jews returning to Jerusalem is not the main issue.
The main issue is that God will not close the opportunity for the
Gentiles until this gospel is preached to all people.
What we see in Israel is a warning to us that the end is
about to come. The gospel message must be preached. The confusion of
legalism and the cheapening of the grace of God must be corrected, and the
proper message must be taught. In Romans11:26-32 Paul states that
the Jews became enemies of the Gospel, so God gave the gospel to the
Gentiles. We live in a time where the gospel message is available to
everyone. All are sinners and have the death sentence. Your background and
race does not matter. We have a blessed opportunity because God has given
grace to all men as a free gift. We are all saved by grace, alone. We must
be counted among the true believers. In Verse 33-36 there is a song
of praise about the greatness of God. All things are through God and He
alone is to be given the glory. |
God Keeps His Promise 