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19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. ~ Romans 11:19-21
Today, we return to our study of Romans 9-11 which has as its main theme the sovereignty of God. As we have pointed out before, Romans 9-11 are about God's dealings with the people of Israel in the past, in the present, and in the future. Emphasized in this passage is the fact that God is true to His promises, and, there are many promises that have yet to be fulfilled that He has made with Israel. Largely, this is the purpose of the Millennial reign of Christ which will happen after the Tribulation.
In v.19 of today's passage we read, "You will say then, 'Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.'"
It is sad that the failure of Israel to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ resulted in our success in believing in Him. It did not have to be this way. Everyone has the same opportunities to believe in the God of the Bible. And, I am sure it is true that some have received more revelation than others. The principle: The more truth we respond to will result in the more truth being given to us, is definitely true and that principle explains why some get more revelation than others. This is why no one can blame God for one's damnation. God has gone way overboard to win the rebellious heart of man back to Himself.
One of the greatest effects in our lives, having come to faith in the Lord Jesus, is that we see more widely. My dad used to say, "Son, some people are so narrow-minded they could look through a keyhole with both eyes." From the viewpoint of the proud humility is not embraced. When we gain God's heart for the lost we will experience broken heartedness over their unwillingness to believe in the God of the Bible. We Gentiles are in God's family largely because Israel rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, and, this should break our hearts for the Jews.
In v.20 of today's passage we read, "Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear."
Israel was broken off from the tree of biblical faith due to their unbelief in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. They missed Him because He did not match their definition of what they thought the Messiah should be. This has always been our problem, we always prefer our definition of something over God's definition of it. In this case Israel misdefined their Messiah. We are defined by God as a result of our fear or respect of Him. It is out of our respect of God that we bow our will to Him, allowing Him to define us. Pride has no room to exist amid such a posture.
Here, the Apostle warns us of the age old problem of unbelief and arrogance. And, like I said before, arrogance or pride or the self is our greatest enemy. So, there is no room whatsoever in the heart of the believer in the Lord Jesus for "looking down our noses" toward anyone, including the proud Jew who has yet to trust in the Lord Jesus as Savior. Plus, if we do give safe haven in our souls for pride, we undermine God's working in our lives.
In v.21 of today's passage we read, "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either."
God did not spare unbelieving Israel due to their lack of faith in Him. This is a daunting thought. And, have you ever wondered why you believe as you do? I have done the same. I believe that my faith in the God of the Bible is the result of the many blessings that God brought into my life. He allowed me to be born in a land which valued the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He allowed me to be born to parents who valued the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. These blessings broadened my understanding that I now see the blessing of losing my parents when I was young. I am truly blessed and because of this I am so very grateful.
The key to all of this is to maintain a "thankful" heart. Biblical gratitude is grounded in God’s love for us who are unrighteous. The English word “gratitude” derives from a Latin word which means “grace, graciousness, or gratefulness.” The term most often translated “thanksgiving” in the Bible is the Greek word eucharistos, which comes from two Greek roots: eu meaning “good” and charizomai meaning “grace.” It isn’t a coincidence that the terms “grace” and “gratitude” come from the same Greek root word. According to the Bible, at the heart of gratitude is a response to the overwhelming grace of God.
It is a must that we understand God's grace because this kind of gratitude most often arrives in our lives on the heels of something tragic that has happened in our lives. God was most gracious to me when the doctors told my dad that he had five months to live due to the cancer that was overtaking his lungs. And when he died, it was, at that time, the most difficult thing that I have ever had to deal with. But, the shattering of my world through my dad's death, especially since my mother died when I was five years old, was the greatest moment in my life. Why, you might ask? Well, it was through my dad's death that I came to faith in the Lord Jesus. And, all of my life's experiences to that point directed me to placing my faith in the only One who could help me, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
