Romans 11:22-24

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22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? ~ Romans 11:22-24

Today, we return to our study of Romans 11 where the will of man has challenged the will of God. And, as we will see, the will of God always triumphs over the will of man. Most believe freedom is the ability to do what we want to do when we want to do it how we want to do it. The problem with this is that man is fallen from his original design. God designed us to operate in true freedom which is the ability to operate according to His design because His design is not only the best for us, it is also known as the truth. Anything other than God's design is sin and is steeped in rebellion which invites chaos and destruction.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off."

When we trusted in Christ's sacrifice for the penalty of our sin, we were gifted with His righteousness and salvation. We were given an inheritance, a heritage of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, the patriarchs. In context the Apostle Paul has referenced the olive tree which describes those who have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are those who are of the faith of Abraham. These are those who have been made right with God through sheer grace, without any merit of our own. 

On center stage in today's passage are the kindness and the severity of God. Our posture towards God is determined by these characteristics and our understanding of them. We have all heard it said that a loving God would not send anyone to hell. This is a true statement. In fact, anyone who ends up in hell will be there because of their choice to go there. If we come to God needy and repentant and acknowledging that we need help, we will always find Him to be loving, gracious, open-armed, and open-hearted. But if we come to Him complaining, excusing ourselves, justifying our wickedness, we will always find that He is as hard as iron, and as merciless as fire, and as stern as a judge. 

That phrase: "if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off," gives many much difficulty. That would make sense if we did not understand that in order to be the recipients of God's blessing we must believe in Him. And, when Israel ceased believing, they were cut off and only the remnant remained. It doesn't mean we could lose our salvation because we never earned it in the first place. When some come to the point that they no longer believe, they no longer have access to the goodness of God. In affect, they chose the severity of God over the goodness of God.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."

To be in the place of God's blessing we must believe. And when Israel ceased believing, they were cut off. Because of this, there is no place for boasting. The secret of the mystery of the people of Israel and their blindness is this: as long as they come to God in arrogant self-justification, they will always find a hard, iron-willed, stern God. This is true for anyone, not just the Jews. But, when the day comes when they come to Him acknowledging their need for the Savior God who shares His righteousness with broken sinners, the He will be to them as loving, gracious, open-armed, and open-hearted. Is not this our story with Him?

Paul is not saying that anyone who is truly a member of the family of God, based on faith in His Son, can then lose their place in the family of God. Nevertheless, his warning should not be taken lightly because some think they are part of God’s family but, in fact, are not. Paul’s point, even if the particulars of his argument may be difficult for us to follow, it is clear enough: Jews can join the family of God, even though they have in the past rejected entry through the Lord Jesus.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"

In the same way that branches receive nourishment from the root system of any tree, the believer in Christ receives nourishment from the Lord Jesus who came to us through the promises given to Abraham. When the believer in Christ delights in the Word of God, the culture of God will flourish in his soul. The key to this process is faith placed in the Lord Jesus. And, it's not the amount of our faith that is the key, it is the object of our faith that enables us to flourish in the truth of God. The smallest bit of faith in the God of the Bible is worth infinitely more than the greatest bit of faith in ourselves. But, our faith counts for nothing unless its object is the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Hebrews 11:1 informs us that "faith is the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance in what we do not see." 

Faith in the God of the Bible begins with "what is hoped for," that is, it starts with a sense of discontent. We can never have much faith unless we are dissatisfied with the way we are now, and are longing for something better. If we do not feel dissatisfied with the way we are, it will be impossible for us to exercise any faith in the Lord. That is why, all through the Bible, the great enemy of faith is a complacent spirit, an attitude of self-satisfaction with the status quo. But if we are dissatisfied, if we are looking for something better, then we are positioned to exercise faith in Him.

Our faith in the God of the Bible grows when we invite "the conviction of things not seen" into our lives. This is not only a desire for something better, but an awareness of something else. This is what makes up biblical faith. It means we become aware that we are surrounded by a God whom we can not see with our eyes. Oh, we can see His handiwork all around us but to see Him, our hearts must be engaged. God is most made real to us when we engage Him with our hearts. And, when our hearts are added into the equation of what we can see about Him through His creation, then we will get somewhere in our pursuit of Him.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "Our life is found in 'looking unto Jesus,' not in looking to our own faith. By faith all things become possible to us; yet the power is not in the faith, but in the God upon whom our faith relies."

Romans 11:19-21

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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.

Romans 11:13-18

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13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. ~ Romans 11:13-18

Today, we continue in our study of Romans 9-11 where the main theme is the sovereignty of God. Due to the fact that Israel, for the most part, rejected the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, it only makes sense that we would question the will of God. By virtue of the fact that Israel exercised their will seemingly over God's will, it appears that God is not sovereign. But, He has never forced His will on man. This is the nature of love, and at the end of the day, love is demonstrated by our choices.

Whereas Romans 9 is about God's past dealings with the nation of Israel, and Romans 10 is about His present dealings with Israel, Romans 11 is about the future God has in store for that seemingly insignificant country in the Middle East. In the context of today's passage we have seen that Israel's rejection of the gospel resulted in salvation for those Gentiles humble enough to place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. And, as we continue through this chapter, we will see that at the end of time, all of Israel will be saved.

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them."

God gave the Apostle Paul the primary responsibility to take the gospel to the Gentiles in order to provoke the Jews to jealousy. This is what a personal relationship with the Lord God does to us; it causes us to gain His heart for the lost. Before his conversion on the road to Damascus, the Apostle Paul would have never been caught ministering to the lowly Gentiles. Yet, here he is ministering to us because God had called him to it. Evidence of the Father's heart is often seen in our love for the lost, no matter their pedigree.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

The Greek word translated "being cast away" here is a description of unbelief, and it literally means "to throw away." That’s what Israel has done with the gospel; they have discarded it into the trash. God put the gospel in front of them, they pick it up and just discard it and put it in the trash can. 

But, as we see over and over throughout the Bible, a remnant from Israel always returns to the Lord. This verse highlights the fact that even the failure of Israel to believe the Gospel brings about the victory and the triumph of the gospel in greater ways in the world. God’s love turns the enemies of God into sons of God. The word "reconciling" means to bring the two back together so that the worst of the worst could be at peace with God.

Israel's eventual acceptance of the gospel will lead to the reverberation of God's life throughout the world. So, even though Israel has rejected the gospel for now, one day they will believe and they will be used of God to perpetuate the gospel resulting in eternal life for all who will believe. Long before the Lord Jesus walked this earth, this was described for us in Ezekiel 37. When Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime arose the process described in Ezekiel 37 was put into motion. In order to get the Jews out of Europe back into their homeland, God allowed Hitler's Germany to assign the Jews to concentration camps. And, even though they executed literally millions of them, the remaining Jews streamed into their homeland at a rapid rate. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy.

Like many Old Testament prophecies, this prophecy has a double fulfillment. The fulfillment of the remainder of this prophecy is yet to come. In a day soon to come the people of Israel, a remnant not all, will come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The remnant is referred to in Revelation 12 where we read in v.10, "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son; and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." 

This passage corresponds with Zechariah 12 where we read of the remnant from Israel who will see the Lord Jesus Christ as He descends from heaven to the Mount of Olives. In Revelation 13:1 we read, "In that day, a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for impurity." Further down in Revelation 13:9 we read, "I’ll bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name; I will answer them. I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is my God.'" 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches."

Here Paul quotes Numbers 15:17-21 through which God commanded Israel to give to Him the "firstfruits" of every crop harvest. This practice reminded Israel how everything belongs to Him. The idea of giving the "firstfruits" to God was a way of saying to Him, "Thank you for this provision." The "first fruit" was a subtle indication that just as God has already saved a small remnant of Jews, there will still be the rest of the lump of dough that He would save later. 

Then, the Apostle wrote: "if the root is holy, so are the branches." This means there is an inseparable connection between the branches and the root. The "first fruits" in this case were Israel's patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. And since God set apart the first fruits, then He was setting apart the whole lump.  And if God set apart the root, who was Abraham, then He's setting apart the branches who are believing Israel.

In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree. 18 Do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you."

In these verse Paul continues with the figure of the previously mentioned olive tree. Here he mentions the grafting process. It was customary in that day to give new life to an old olive tree when it ceased to bear fruit. They would cut off the unproductive old branches and in the process graft in a shoot from a wild olive tree that would end up being productive. The mingling created new life resulting in productivity. The wild olive tree branches represents the gentile believers in the Lord Jesus.

Then the Apostle writes, "Do not boast against the branches." This means don't be proud as if we gentiles are better than the Jewish branches that were cut out. They were cut out due to their unbelief. His point is that the gentiles can't boast because we're not the source of your own blessedness. We are blessed of God through the promises given to Israel through the Abrahamic Covenant. Salvation, said the Lord Jesus in John 4:22, is of the Jews. 

In the book Genesis long ago God said to Abraham, "I'm going to redeem all the nations through you." And only through the Lord Jesus who came out of the loins of Abraham, are we blessed of God with salvation. It would be ridiculous if we were to boast because pride is what lured us away from God in the first place. It was the poison of self that enticed us away from the very One who has our best interest at heart. To those who would give pride access into their hearts we say, "If you uproot the idol and fail to plant the love of Christ in its place, the idol will grow back."

Romans 11:11-12

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11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! ~ Romans 11:11-12

Today, we return to our study of Romans 9-11 where the Apostle Paul is underscoring the sovereignty of God. Amazingly, God's sovereignty is accentuated in these verses through what seems to be an affront to His sovereignty; the free will of man. Man's free will is this: God gives fallen humans the opportunity to make choices that genuinely affect our destiny. Of course, this does not mean that we can do whatever pleases us. Our choices are limited to what is in keeping with our fallen nature. We cannot choose to make ourselves righteous because our sin nature prevents us from canceling our guilt. This is why we desperately need the Lord Jesus.

In this chapter we are learning that God disciplines unbelieving Israel. It is not that He has rejected them; it is that He is disciplining them. Though Israel believes not in the Christ, through their unbelief the Gospel has been extended to Gentiles. And, though Israel is going through a time of discipline from God right now, they have not be utterly destroyed by Him. Israel's perpetuation is a great argument for the promises and existence of God. Israel has merely been set aside because of their choice to reject Christ for now.  

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles."

This verse has as its subject the unbelieving nation of Israel. It is never God's design that any human miss Him. He is not the cause of any human going to hell. In fact, God is clear that He wishes that no one perish in their sin, and, it is His great desire that all come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In context, the Apostle Paul gives argument to prove that Israel will come to faith in Christ in the future. His argument is that the salvation of the Gentiles was and will be useful to reach Israel with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the book of Acts, we see that everywhere the Apostle Paul began his ministry with the Jews first. It was only when the Jews rejected the message that the Apostle turned to the Gentiles with the good news of salvation through Christ. As a result, the Gentiles were blessed and we believed because the Jews had refused the Gospel. At the moment of salvation the Gentiles became different people which made the Jews jealous. The Jews stumbled and the result is that the Gentiles were given salvation which in turn provoked Israel to jealousy. The point of the jealousy was that they too might be saved. The purpose of God, then, was to save the Jews ultimately through their stumbling, not to destroy them. 

The word "jealousy" is used here in the positive sense. The Greek word used includes the idea of admiration. The hope is that Israel would be drawn to God through the redemption of the once far off Gentiles. God humbled Israel so that the Gentiles would be redeemed, and, as a result, the Gentiles became the testimony to the Jews. God works in our lives in such a way that our trust in Him grows causing the unsaved world to desire what we have with Him. By blinding Jewish eyes and hardening their hearts, and deafening their ears, God opened the way of salvation to everyone.  

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!"

"Their fall" here is the Jews rejection of Christ which resulted in "riches for the world." This means Israel's rejection of Christ resulted in the Gospel being delivered to the rest of the world. And, if Israel's rejection of Christ resulted in the salvation of many in the Gentile world, how much more will their eventual faith in the Lord Jesus accomplish? The book of the Revelation at the end of the Bible reveals the results of their faith in the Lord Jesus, and, it will be incredible. 

We are told in Zechariah 12, "when they look on Him whom they pierced," they will believe. At His Second Coming, the Lord Jesus will descend to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and, at that very moment the convicted Jews will recognize the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. This is the "how much more" in Romans 11:12. The result will be the redeemed nation of Israel will reign with their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, during the Millennium. During that time which will be a period of 1000 years, Satan will be bound and the justice of God will rule the earth. It will be a time of unparalleled blessing and peace on earth.

Israel did not stumble that they should permanently be destroyed, they stumbled so that the salvation of the Gentiles would provoke them jealousy and a then their salvation. All of this will usher in Christ's Messianic millennial kingdom. And then, there will be no mistaking who the Lord Jesus is because we will experience His reign which will be consistent with His words which are: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Romans 11:7-10

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7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” 9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always.” ~ Romans 11:7-10

Today, we continue our study of the sovereignty of God in light of Israel's rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 9 we learned of God's past workings with the nation of Israel, while in Romans 10 we considered God's present workings with Israel. Today, we continue our study of Romans 11 where we will consider God's future dealings with His chosen people. But, before we consider God's future dealings with Israel, we must consider why most of them missed their Messiah when He came to this earth.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: 'God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.'"

The people of Israel did not recognize their Messiah because their hearts had wandered from the God of the Bible. When we hear truth, it is always very important that we respond to it. When we hear the truth and we do not respond affirmatively, we lose our capacity to recognize truth. Our hearts must be engaged. I find it quite instructive that the word "heart" is used 725 times in the Old Testament and 105 times in the New Testament. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.

God actually hardens hearts. People don't refuse to believe in Him because they are hardened by Him; rather they are hardened because they refuse to believe. They willfully and persistently reject God's grace, so He allows them to go their own way, and eventually confirms them in their unbelief. Israel, as a whole, had made their own volitional choice. And it was their poor choice that made it look like God had not kept His promises. Yet God continues to be at work, doing what He promised He would do, even when it looked like He was being unfaithful to His Word.

The expression of Israel's hardheartedness here was their blindness. Their eyes were so blinded, that even when they saw the truth, they could not see it. They weren't even able to hear the truth due to the stupor that God had given them. The word for "seeks" in v.7 of today's passage means "to diligently seek."  But, Israel's zeal was not according to biblical knowledge. They were ignorant of God's righteousness and they therefore went establishing their own self-righteousness. They lived for their own righteousness; they kept all the rules, ceremonies, rituals, and the laws of the Torah in order to establish their own self-righteousness. And, due to that, they missed the God of the Bible.

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always."

These two verse are quotes from Psalm 69:22-23. The Lord caused "a spirit of stupor" to come upon Israel in response to their rejection of Him. When we do not open our hearts to the Lord, something else will influence them. This is the case here. The word "stupor" means a bewilderment from being struck or like being in a deep sleep that you can't wake up from and thus you can't see or hear. It is a dangerous thing to ignore the wooings of God to follow Him.

On one hand, the Bible makes it clear that God loves us with an everlasting love, and He stands ready to forgive anyone who sincerely turns to Christ in repentance and faith. The Bible also warns that when we repeatedly turn away from God, we can reach a point of no return. The reason isn’t because God won’t forgive us, but because our hearts have grown so cold and hardened because of sin. God still calls us but we are too insensitive to hear His voice. 

In 2 Corinthians 6:2 we read, "Behold, today is the accepted time; behold, today is the day of salvation." God's time is always today. Today is the only time we have got. We do not have yesterday; it is gone. We may not get tomorrow. Therefore, God always addresses us in this existential fashion. And His appeal to us is this: "Don't wait! Believe in me now! Don't wait share the Gospel with the lost! Do it now!" It is a sad moment when we do not obey the leading of God in our lives. But, it is the greatest blessing when we obey Him. Every time that I have ever obeyed Him in this way, He had something incredibly great waiting on me on the other side. So, my friend, let me encourage you to take that step. You will be glad that you did.

Romans 11:5-6

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"5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work." ~ Romans 11:5-6

Today, we return to our study of the chapter in Romans that reveals the future dealings of God with the little nation of Israel. From the very beginning, Israel was chosen of God to reach the whole world; God not only wanted to redeem Israel to Himself, He wanted to redeem the whole world to Himself. In this chapter the idea of the remnant is accentuated. The Apostle Paul quotes the Bible book that mentions this idea of God's remnant the most, the book of Isaiah. 

The book of Isaiah has been called "the miniature Bible." There are 66 chapters in the book of Isaiah, just as there are 66 books in the Bible. The first 39 chapters of Isaiah are representative of the Old Testament which is largely chapters of woe and judgment. The last 27 chapters of Isaiah are much like the New Testament with its promise of salvation to all of those who are willing enough to believe in the God of the Bible. The prophet Isaiah had a son named “the remnant will return,” highlighting the fact that a remnant of Israel will in the last days return to the Lord God.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace."

Throughout the Bible there has always been a remnant who were positioned to see the goodness of the God of the Bible. In fact, the first century church in Jerusalem was primarily led by the formerly unbelieving half brother of the Lord Jesus. James, along with his siblings came to faith in their brother as the Messiah after the Lord Jesus overcame sin and death through His resurrection. 

This merely underscores the main point of Romans 11, that there has always been a remnant of believers and in the future there will be a remnant of believing Jews. There will be those who reject the activity of the antichrist during the days of the Tribulation. According to the book of the Revelation, there will be the 144 thousand Jews who will be sent out as missionaries to reach the world with the gospel during the Tribulation. There will always be a remnant. And ultimately, "All Israel shall be saved."

The remnant underscores that the Apostle Paul is proof positive that God has not gone back on His promises to Israel. The God of the Bible continues to perpetuate through the remnant a godly seed so that ultimately He will redeem a remnant from the whole nation. God has set aside Israel, yes, but only for a short while. There has always been a remnant of those who trusted in the goodness of the God of the Bible.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work."

The biblical equation for our salvation is not grace plus something else equals forgiveness of our sin. This can not be because as soon as our salvation requires our good behavior, it is no longer by definition by grace. Grace alone means that God loves, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of the work that the Lord Jesus did on the cross on our behalf. Our best efforts will never be good enough to earn for us God's favor. But God declares us righteous once we activate our faith in Him and we choose to believe that Christ Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. 

If we choose to approach God on the basis of our good behavior, we approach Him in self-righteousness. The essence of sin is the self whom we were conceived with on the throne of our lives. It was the disease of self that alienated us from God in the first place. The unsaved self has been and always will be opposed to the righteousness God, but our unsaved selves have been graciously overcome by the God who graciously gives redemption to the broken sinner. In Isaiah 64:6 we learn that our righteousness is like nasty female menstrual rags. Everything seemingly good and right that we could do all adds up to that kind of nastiness in the presence of the Lord. And, it is out of this doctrine of self that we will always be tripped up in the presence of God, even as believers in Christ. 

It is true that biblical faith produces good works as James tells us in his epistle. But, if faith were a work, then the grace bestowed upon us would not have been grace. Instead it would be payment for the work. Our salvation would be of works and no longer grace; "otherwise grace is no longer grace." Our good works are the grateful response of a once hardened and cold heart that has been touched and broken enough to believe in the God of grace.

The entire Bible is the story of God meeting rebellious man with rescue, our sin with His salvation, our guilt with His grace. The overwhelming emphasis in the Bible is the work of the redeemer rather than the work of the redeemed. The Bible is not a set of guidelines that when followed earns us access to God. No, the Bible is the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the answer for our damned condition in sin. Once the crushing blows of God's perfection has done its work in us, we cry out to God for mercy and grace which unbinds us from the shackles of self. Once we are connected to God through His indwelling Spirit, we are enabled to be honest about who we really are: those who are weaker and more afraid than we could have ever imagined. This is why the biggest lie about grace is that it must be held in check. His kind of grace frees us to be the people He created us to be, people who are wildly learning to run into His scary, crazy yet rewarding will for our lives.

Romans 11:1-4

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1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ~ Romans 11:1-4

Today, we transition into Romans 11 where the Apostle Paul is expounding on the wonderfully reassuring subject of the sovereignty of God. In Romans 9 we learned of God's past workings with the nation of Israel, while in Romans 10 we considered God's present workings with Israel. Today, we transition into Romans 11 where we will consider God's future dealings with His chosen people.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin."

The Apostle Paul begins this chapter with the question, "Has God cast away His people?" The answer to this question accentuates the Apostle Paul's origin: the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the smallest tribe among the twelve tribes of Israel. God doesn’t see as men see, for He sees what we can not see. In addition, God looks at our hearts. In the case of the Old Testament character, Benjamin, God saw a warrior inside of him. Outwardly, others saw him as the youngest son and his tribe as the smallest tribe. But God saw more, a man who would be strong. 

In the Bible there are two Sauls who came from the tribe of Benjamin. King Saul, the epitome of the sin nature and its war against God. Then there is the Apostle Paul who was Saul before God renamed him after his conversion. The Apostle Paul was changed by God from a murderous Pharisee to the Apostle of grace. Paul is the example of what God does for those who come to Christ in faith. Over and over throughout God's word, He reminds us of the importance of being small in our eyes, and the Apostle Paul clearly understood this principle. 

We all know the danger of thinking too much of ourselves. Of course, it was pride that inaugurated sin and it is pride that is our greatest enemy. In Zechariah 4:10 we are reminded to not despise the day of small beginnings. Israel, largely missed God because they were not looking for Him. They were too enamored with themselves. They forgot somewhere along the way their smallness which enables us all to understand that we desperately need God. They forgot that when I am weak He is strong. The way to know the strength we all desire is by being embraced by Him through our weaknesses.

In v.2-3 of today's passage we read, "2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 'Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life?'"

For God to "foreknow" basically means He predetermined to love His people. To foreknow, we think of it as knowing something before it happens. That's not the idea of the word used here by the Apostle. It doesn't mean to know something before it happens, it means to determine it. It's a guaranteeing word. It means that He has not cast away His people, even though they have cast Him away.

The existence of the nation Israel is tied to the promises of God without question. These people were elected by God as His chosen nation and by His own sovereignty, unconditionally, He promised to bless them. The blessing that came to them in the Abrahamic Covenant was not even conditioned upon them. In fact, God determined to be faithful to them whether they are faithful to Him or not. God has caused Israel to perpetuate because He has yet to fulfill all of the promises that He made to them. Since God's character and integrity depends upon it, the remaining promises that God gave Israel that have yet to be fulfilled will be realized by them before the end comes to this earth. This is why Romans 11 is all about God's dealings with Israel in the future.

The Apostle Paul refers to himself as one of those foreknown by God, one whom God had set aside for His purposes. In every one of his letters the Apostle marvels at the grace of God that took him, a blasphemer and persecutor of the church, and drew him to Himself, changed his heart, and made him into a new creature in Christ. He is but one example of the many millions of Jews through the centuries who have believed in Christ.

There has never been a whole nation who has followed God wholeheartedly, including Israel. But, down through history, there has always been a remnant of people who have given safe haven in their souls for the truth. There has always been a remnant even though Israel as a whole killed the spokesmen whom God had sent to them in the past; people like Zechariah who was stoned to death and Isaiah who was sawed in half. 

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "But what does the divine response say to him? 'I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.'"

The Old Testament prophet Elijah felt he was the only faithful prophet left, but there was a remnant of seven thousand who were faithful to God. These few souls were those who had "not bowed the knee to Baal." Baal is a word which simply means "master" in Hebrew, but it was used as the name of one of the idol-gods of the godless Canaanites. Baal was actually referring to the sun, and, at times the moon.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are part of God's remnant that He has reserved for Himself. A remnant is a leftover. We are a part of God's remnant because He orchestrated the events of our lives in such a way that we eventually came to faith in the Lord Jesus. God knows of our faith in His Son, and, as He has promised, He has welcomed us into His family. As God's remnant, we perpetuate in our faith in the God of the Bible because He has placed His Spirit within us to forever abide within us. He, the Holy Spirit, is the secret behind our success as believers in the Lord Jesus. He is the reason we have not and will not thrown in the towel and give up on our faith in Him.

Romans 10:19-21

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19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, “I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding." 20 And Isaiah boldly says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." 21 But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” ~ Romans 10:19-21

Today, we conclude our study of Romans 10 where the Apostle Paul is explaining how God can be sovereign and Israel could resist His will. Even though God is by definition "the supreme being," He does not force Himself upon anyone. At the cross, God invited us into a personal relationship with Himself. He served the ball, so to speak, into our court. It is truly a miracle that we have chosen to love God in response. Of course, we love Him because He loved us first.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, 'I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.'"

God sent many prophets to Israel. He sent Moses and Samuel, Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah and Jeremiah, just to name a few. Through many years He sent His people these who faithfully shined the light of the truth in the midst of the people. God did this in order to jolt them due to the fact that the surrounding Gentile nations ended up believing in Him. 

In v.20 of today’s passage we read, "And Isaiah boldly says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."

Since Israel had nullified the word of God by the letter of the law rather than the intent of the law and worshipped other gods, Moses prophesied that God would make them angry by nations that did not have understanding. As a result of the Gentiles believing in God, the people of Israel became envious. Their negative response was caused by what the prophet Isaiah said: "I was found by those who did not seek me: I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." Isaiah saw that the Gentiles would come to faith in the Lord Jesus and accept the gospel message and that Israel would reject it. 

It wasn't that God made them envious or angry for if they had walked with the Lord those many years they would not have been in that position. In fact, they would have rejoiced that the heathen had come to faith in their God. The difference between the Jews and the Gentiles was that the Gentiles had come to an end of themselves and the Jews had not. The Gentiles knew that they would never be good enough for God on their own, but Israel has not understood that yet. All they saw was the literal letter of the law and not the embodiment of law which is the Lord Jesus who fulfilled the letter.  

In v.21 of today’s passage we read, “But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

People who are not instructed about God will accept the gospel message more readily and with more gladness. It is far easier to comprehend and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ at face value when religion isn't in the way telling us, we must participate in our redemption. The biggest lie we believe is that we must do something to be right with God, instead of accepting the fact that the Lord Jesus paid the price in full. 

Since Israel was ignorant of God and His Christ, they did not appropriate their faith in Him. This was due to their ignorance and that ignorance was self-imposed because of unbelief and that unbelief was self-imposed because they loved their sin so much. They did not want to know the truth. Even to this day, God patiently waits and calls for them to embrace this most important posture that propels us into a personal relationship with Him. 

God's patience continues despite the fact that unbelieving Israel still give safe haven to stubbornness in their souls. God longs for the unsaved to come to the place where they see Him with their hearts. In order to enable them to get to this place He must arouse faith in them. In order to do that, He had to provoke envy and anger. He did this by sending messengers with His message of hope. Yet still there is resistance to the will and purposes of God on this planet.

So this chapter closes with this picture of God acutely involved in positioning man to be able to admit that the problem is their disobedience and their obstinate hearts. No man will ever go to hell without resisting the pleas of a loving God. God never damns anyone to hell without a chance. No one will end up separated from God who has not personally resisted the claim and appeal of a loving God who sought to reach them.

This is partly why God gave to you and me the Holy Spirit to protect us from going back to our old ways. Now that we have been born again, we do not need the law because we have the perfect guide living inside us directing and steering us in the culture of God. He has written himself upon our hearts so that we do not have to live by the letter, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Because of His abiding Spirit within us, we will experience the freedom which Christ purchased for us and God desires for us to have. As a result of being freed from religion and the law, we are postured to enjoy a personal relationship with the Father that the Lord Jesus died to guarantee us. The ball now is in our court.

Romans 10:16-18

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16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.” ~ Romans 10:16-18

Today, we return to our study of Romans 10 where the Apostle Paul is defending the sovereignty of God in light of the fact that most of the people of Israel have not come to faith in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. The rub here is that so many privileges were given by God to Israel that should have translated into them believing en masse in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. But, it didn't. And so, many question the veracity and the power of the promises of God.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?'"

This quote from the prophet Isaiah was uttered when the people of Israel were surrounded by their enemies. They were surrounded because they had opened themselves up to their idols and the degrading practices that were associated with those idols. This was the context into which Isaiah the prophet spoke some 725 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem.

For the most part Israel, as a majority, rejected their Messiah. He came unto His own and they received Him not. But, just because the majority doesn't believe doesn't negate God's promise to the minority. The fact that God made a promise, and just a few believed it, does not negate His veracity. It actually reveals the hardness of the human heart and the fallenness of humanity.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

We grossly underestimate the word of God. We listen to the reading of the expression of God's culture so haphazardly. This explains why such a few in Israel really recognized the Savior when He appeared to them. They had not truly been trained to hear Him. 

Faith in the God of the Bible comes as a result of hearing His voice within our hearts. The Greek word that is used for the word "word" in v.17 is a very unique word. This word is different than the Greek word used to describe the word "Word" in John 1. This word is the "spoken word" of God. Whereas the word used in John 1 describes none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, this word describes His utterances which creates faith in our hearts. And, most often, the utterance of God is unrecognizable to us. Our lack of real and meaningful and purposeful faith is the product of our inability to really hear. This type of hearing happens much deeper than in our ears; it happens in our hearts. 

Since our faith in the God of the Bible is aroused by our hearing with our hearts,  we do well to hone those skills which enable us to really hear, to hear with our hearts. There is a word in the Old Testament often translated "understanding" that is key to learning to hear God's spoken voice. This word is the Hebrew word shâma, which means "to hear."  Solomon, the wisest human King ever, asked God for a hearing heart so he could lead the people and make good decisions. This wisdom came from his ability to hear God clearly and on a regular basis.

Hearing God comes through the unwanted moments of life. When I say the unwanted, I mean those things that we avoid at all cost, like pain and suffering and loneliness and grief. It is during these types of moments that we hear that still small voice most effectively. This does not mean that if we have intense pain in our lives that we will automatically be intimate with God. It is only when we encounter these moments and these moments aid us into seeking Him more and knowing Him better that we experience such a level of intimacy with Him. This, of course, is easier said than done.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."

In this verse, the Apostle quotes Psalm 19:4 from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew. By doing so, he subtly underscores his point that this is a universal proclamation of the gospel.  In Psalm 19 King David identifies the heavenly bodies which declare to all God's existence. We know this as natural revelation which when heeded leads us to special revelation. In the same way that the stars have touched the earth with natural revelation, the gospel touches the human heart with special revelation.

The gospel is the good news which God has sent throughout all the world. That makes the gospel a whosoever thing. It goes way beyond Jews to embrace Gentiles. Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And God showed it by sending His messengers all over the world. The sound is going out everywhere. Sadly, many Jews rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ because it involved the Gentiles. And many still reject it for that same reason.

When Galileo was summoned before the inquisition to be tried for heresy in declaring the revolving of the earth around the sun, he was brought in to be declared a scientific heretic. What he discovered, that the world was not the center of the universe, of course, was true. But the existing establishment denied it. He said to his judges these words, "I can convince you. Here is my telescope, see for yourselves." But, they refused to look. They were so convinced the earth did not revolve around the sun that no amount of evidence would ever make them change their mind, they wouldn't even look. That's the way it is with Israel and all who will not believe. They simply will not look.

There are different levels to spiritual reality, and, the more we die to self which is the essence of sin, the more we see. God offers us deep intimacy with Himself, but there is a price that we must pay. Most often that price involves discomfort. This explains the trials of this life that we as believers in Christ encounter. God give us the wisdom to not run from the trials but to learn to embrace Him through them. Better yet, may He through the trials embrace us. The result will be the unfolding of the greatest story every realized by any mere human. A story with God as the Author.

Romans 10:14-15

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14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" ~ Romans 10:14-15

Today, we return to our study of the fourth section in Romans 9-11 which is about the sovereignty of God. Having considered the works of God in the past history of the nation of Israel in Romans 9, we are now considering the present workings of God in the nation of Israel in Romans 10. 

How many times have you heard this question?, "What happens to the people who never hear about the Lord Jesus?" I have always believed that this is not a legitimate question, because everyone has heard about Him through creation and the conscience that He created us with. Today's passage begins us down the trail that answers this most probing question that comes out of the human heart.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

Behind every call that God issues into the human soul must result in belief, if we are to be redeemed from the unmerciful clutches of sin and death. This means that our minds must at some point in the process be engaged with God. This means our intellect must be engaged in order for us to decide that we believe that God sent His Son into this world to rescue us from certain damnation.

In Romans 10:14, the Apostle highlights the fact that behind the eventual belief that we arrive upon is the message of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There must come a point in time that someone chooses to be the vessel through whom God delivers the Gospel for the hearers to believe. This is why he asks the question: "How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?" 

The beauty of all of this is we have a message that is grounded in history. It is objective truth, not just something that happened inside of us. It is not some feeling that we are following that we hope will work out; it is the story of historic events. When we share the Gospel with others, we are not presenting some philosophy, we are presenting a faith that is grounded in events that cannot be explained away. And, of course, behind the message, is the messenger. There has to be a messenger speaking forth this message. 

This is why God is giving to you and me a unique story with Himself. He expects us to share with others the Gospel couched in our personal relationship with Him. This is so key because when done this way, the Gospel is most easily received by those who have yet to believe for themselves. The Lord Jesus Himself said, "Pray the Lord of the harvest, that he may send forth laborers into the harvest." 

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

The Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 here because when the truth of the Gospel message takes root in the human heart, we can't help but to share it. This, initially, was a picture of the Jews returning from Babylonian captivity. There was great joy when the messengers walked on the mountain tops and gave a signal fire to the next mountain top. In doing so, they sent out the message that God had given them back their land. 

 

In today's passage the Apostle broadens the message to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which will, if believed, take us to the promised land of heaven. When we share the Gospel with the lost, it is truly an act of love. Every time someone calls out to the Lord, a tremendous process is behind it. There is the darkness and anguish of the mystery of the cross, the birth at Bethlehem, the wonder and miracle of the resurrection, the sending forth of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. All of this is involved the process behind a single individual calling on the name of the Lord. And, in this context, the sharing of the message of the Gospel is expected to be shared couched in the stories that God has and is giving to us. God is the One who is always behind it all, He started and saw it through completion. And, the Apostle Paul stresses here the utter importance of our involvement in it.

A week just after I trusted the Lord Jesus as my Savior on October 26, 1981, the Lord began to place the name of a man on my heart. Daily the Lord pounded me with the need for me to share my story with this man. He did this because He knew this man's time on this earth was very, very short. Since, I didn't know this part of the story, I dragged my feet. I allowed very flimsy excuses to keep me from sharing the truth that alters our eternity forever.

One day, a friend informed me that the man the Lord had been putting on my heart was in the hospital in a coma. Needless to say, I was thrust into intense action. And, even though this man never came out of the coma, I went to the hospital that day and shared my story with him. I also, shared the Gospel and challenged him to believe. I have often wondered if he heard me and if I will see him one day in heaven. This is why today's passage is so very important. Even though we can not believe on the Lord Jesus on another person's behalf, this should never keep us from sharing with them. After all, their eternity depends to some degree on our decision to be selfless and tell them of the most important news we can ever share with anyone.

Romans 10:11-13

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11 As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ~ Romans 10:11-13

Today, we continue our study of Romans 10 where the Apostle Paul is explaining how God is sovereign and that His will is not frustrated even by the unbelief of the Jews who reject the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ. It is true that no one ever believes unless God draws us to Himself. And, it is also true that we are all responsible with the choice we make regarding Jesus Christ. We call this a paradox. Both teachings are true; God calls men by an elective decree that is irresistible, and yet they must respond by a choice of their will, which they are free to make or not, as it pleases them.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "As Scripture says, 'Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.'"

The next question the Apostle Paul anticipates in this passage  is: "How can anyone be saved?" Throughout the history of man, the only way anyone has been justified or made right before God is through faith in God and His promises. It is only by faith that we lay hold of what God has to promised to those vulnerable enough to embrace the humility which leads to dependence upon our maker. Rightness with God is never gained by earning it, or by trying to be good, or by the good outweighing the bad, but simply by acknowledging that Jesus Christ is God Himself.

Note that the Apostle writes "anyone" in v.11. I remember worrying during my first year of faith that I was not of the elect of God. After some time of wrestling with this issue, I concluded that the very fact that I was wrestling with that question was proof that I was. Someone who does not wrestle with that question should worry whether he is in the family of God or not.

Everyone has faith. The key to being right with God is that we place our faith in Him. Christianity is the only religion that teaches that God came to us; every other religion requires of us to go to Him in hopes that he responds in like manner. In fact, in Romans 5:8 we read, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Most find it so difficult to put their faith in the God of the Bible because faith is the art of relinquishing control to someone we have never seen with our eyes. However, it is when we have relinquished control to God, even in the smallest of ways, that we begin to see Him for who He is. And, this is so hard because we only see Him this side of heaven with our hearts.

 

The phrase "put to shame" means to be disappointedly disillusioned. This word can also be translated defeated and it is also used in Romans 1:16 as "not ashamed." This word does not bring forth the idea of shame as we think of it. It includes the idea of disappointment. The believer in Christ has absolutely no reason whatsoever to be disappointedly disillusioned by the greatest news to pierce our ears ever because the gospel always accomplishes the work that God intended it to accomplish. This gospel is a proven product, and that's what the Apostle is getting at here. 

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Throughout the Old Testament we see that salvation was not just extended by God to the Jews only. In fact, Gentiles were included in the Abrahamic Covenant. And, from verses like this verse which the Apostle quotes from Isaiah 28:16 and a slew of others, God has always extended salvation to "whosoever." So, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the gospel for the whosoever. As God offered salvation in the Old Testament to the whosoever, He offers it in the New Testament to the whosoever. And, the only barrier to salvation is not racial, it's not cultural. The only barrier to salvation is personal rejection.

The "call" that the Apostle identifies here is the product of a certain measure of brokenness in us. Crying out to God is an act of desperation flowing forth from a broken heart. It leads to fervent expression of faith in God and trust in His goodness and power to act on our behalf. With God brokenness always precedes blessing and usefulness. And, we think this life is about being blessed, but I am here to tell you that it is really about being a blessing to others. This is why the take home lesson in the end of this book of Romans is servant leadership.

Romans 10:5-10

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5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ~ Romans 10:5-10

Today, we continue our study of Romans 9-11 where the main subject is the sovereignty of God. In Romans 9 we considered Israel’s past with the Lord. In that chapter we considered all that God did to position Israel to believe in Him consistently which they did not. In Romans 10, the Apostle Paul instructs us regarding Israel’s present with the Lord. 

In v.5 of today’s passage we read, “For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, ‘The man who does those things shall live by them.’”

In this verse the Apostle quotes Leviticus 18:5 where God promises to fulfill the humanity of the one who walks in God’s righteousness. God promises His blessing upon those who simply obey the Ten Commandments. If we walk in God’s ways, we will live the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. Yet, we can not do the things the law prescribes perfectly. This is why the Lord Jesus came; to fulfill the Law and the Prophets on our behalf. He did this so that we could be justified in the eyes of the Father. 

In v.6-7 of today’s passage we read, “6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, 'Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

In this passage the Apostle quotes Moses again where he points us to the importance and necessity of faith in the God of the Bible. By asking the questions, “Who will ascend into heaven?,” and “Who will descend into the abyss?,” the Apostle is saying a righteous standing does not come to us through our good behavior or our obedience to the Law. In fact, the Apostle combines two words in these verses, “faith” and “heart” to point us to how the righteousness of God is realized in and through our lives only by faith.

In v.8-9 of today’s passage we read, “8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Paul is saying here the same thing that Moses taught that salvation comes to us only by grace through faith in the God of the Bible. Moses knew that the people could not earn God’s favor or their justification before God, and he saw clearly that God would lay the foundation for salvation in the incarnation and the resurrection of of the Lord Jesus. That is why Paul quotes these words from Deuteronomy. Moses saw the coming of Christ down from heaven; he saw the resurrection, the raising of the Lord from the dead. 

In these two verses are found the key elements for salvation. The mouth here speaks of our outward man, the intellectual understanding of what has happened, expressed in words; the heart is the inner man, the will, the spirit deep within us understanding the basis upon which God saves us. When we believe in our hearts that God raised Christ from the dead, when we confess with our mouths and we believe in our hearts that the Lord Jesus conquered sin and death on our behalf, we will be saved. 

In v.10 of today’s passage we read, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Our salvation begins with the confession of our mouths that "Jesus is Lord." We must not twist those words to mean that we have to stand up in public somewhere and announce that we believe Jesus is Lord before we are saved. Paul does not mean it that way. What he is saying is the mouth is the symbol of the conscious acknowledgment of what we believe. It means that we have come to the place where we recognize that the Lord Jesus has demonstrated that He is Lord over our greatest enemy, death.

So, the only righteousness that gets us into heaven that comes to us is a righteousness that's very high because it must meet the infinite standard of the holiness of God. It's a righteousness that we can't gain on our own and so Christ provides it for us through His death, burial, and resurrection. And it is appropriated to us by our faith placed in Him and in Him alone. 

Notice that the Apostle intentionally used the words righteousness and salvation here. Righteousness has to do with what we as believers in the Lord Jesus become.  Salvation has to do with what we don't become. Righteousness has to do with what we receive. Salvation has to do with what we don't receive, punishment. Righteousness has to do with entering into blessedness. Salvation has to do with escaping His wrath and the cursedness of sin. Two great terms describing two sides of God's redemptive work in our lives in the present and in eternity.

Romans 10:1-4

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1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. ~ Romans 10:1-4

Romans 9-11 is about God's dealings with Israel. Romans 9 chronicles Israel's past, Romans 10 chronicles Israel's present and Romans 11 chronicles Israel's future. In Romans 10,  the Apostle Paul is answering the question: Why do some who have little knowledge of God are saved while those who have much knowledge are not saved? 

In Romans 9-11, the Apostle Paul takes the concept of salvation and deconstructs it. In doing so, he shows how a person becomes saved whether they are Jew or Gentile. 

In v.1 of today’s passage we read, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved."

In this verse the Apostle notes that essential to the unsaved coming into a personal relationship with God is there must be some saved soul who cares enough to share the faith with them. Evangelism always starts with us caring for the lost, because the truth is if we don't care, we won't share. It's only when we do care that we feel the need to share our faith with unbelievers.

When we care enough for others, we do what the Apostle did in todays passage; we pray for them. This is the most important thing we can do on the behalf of the unsaved. It is evident that praying for those who have yet to believe in the Lord Jesus is not inconsistent with the example God gives in the Scriptures. God calls people to believe on the Lord Jesus through the preaching of His Word and the prayers of His people.

In v.2 of today’s passage we read, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.“

In Hosea 4:6 we read, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” 

Zeal plus knowledge equals faith. Zeal is the earnest desire that is displayed when someone has given their heart to something. Knowledge, in this case, is the definition of God on anything. Israel sought to establish their own righteousness, and therefore they missed the gift of God, which is the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. The Jews, Paul says, were constantly trying their best to obey or measure up to the Law of Moses. They failed to do so, but they were not willing to admit that they failed.

In v.3 of today’s passage we read, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God."

The Jews were destroyed because of a lack of knowledge that bound them to their ignorance in an illusion. The Jews didn't know then how holy God was. They thought God would tolerate all of their violations of the Law. They thought they could live such a righteous life that they would attain the righteousness of God for themselves. They thought the standard was at their level, what they didn't know was the standard was infinite. Their whole system was a system of establishing their own righteousness. They had brought God down so low, they didn't know that through their own willful ignorance God was infinitely holy. 

It is our ignorance of God that makes us believe that we must earn His favor. When someone is struggling with the assurance of their salvation, we should drill down on teaching them biblical theology, biblical teaching about God. Most of the the time that we think that God is mad at us, He isn't because His ways are contrary to ours.

In v.4 of today’s passage we read, "Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes."  

The only One who could provide righteousness for us all was the Lord Christ and the Jews by and large rejected Him. They did so because they sought righteousness not by faith but by their good works, and they, therefore, brought God down to their level. This made God small enough to make them think they could attain to His level by their good behavior. And, when Christ came they stumbled because over Him because they didn't understand the provision of Christ. He came and He condemned their self-righteousness as He does everyone who thinks they can attain to God. He shoots down self-righteousness and calls it unrighteousness. 

Since the Jews lowered God’s standard, they didn't realize they needed the Savior. They invented a righteous God whose righteous standard they could live up to on their own. That's why the Lord Jesus had to come and lift the standard up and show them that God was more holy and more righteous than they thought. There is no other way to God but through the Lord Jesus Christ who is God incarnate. The Law cannot cure our corruption; it can only show it to us. The Law was our guide to bring us to Christ who is the end of the Law; He is even the end of every desire we have ever had.