Romans 11:11-12 - 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
Message: Salvation to the Gentiles
Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome.
What the Lord is Saying:
Setting the Context
The Message of the Gospel does not return void. Someone will receive the message and find its truth. Many in the nation of Israel, God's original promised people, did not accept this truth. They did not accept the message of righteousness by faith, but instead wanted to walk the road of righteousness by works. And the message went out to all. And other people groups, originally dismissive of God's message began to accept it and make it theirs.
In Romans 11:7-10 I see that Israel failed. They failed to receive this message. They instead went their own way. But, the message continued and went to others.
Background
At the beginning of Chapter 11, Paul identifies himself as a Jew and shows that not all Jews neglected the way of salvation, that is righteousness by faith. It wasn't God that rejected His people. It was His people that rejected God. Yet, people of God are people of God by God's gracious choice. God foreknows His people. He chooses His people. And hardens others. In the Old Testament is the picture of God choosing a people and yet many of those people were not willing to accept God's choosing because they were wrapped up in themselves determining how they would get to God. To me, it seems clear, that God's chosen people will have the fruit of that choosing. They will recognize that God sustains life and God declares the justified. People will accept God. John 1:12 talks about those receiving Jesus as Lord. This is receiving the one that God established as a ransom for people or as the one that will justify people. God gives the free gift. Yet, God knows the recipient of the gift He gives. He knows who these people are, before they declare their faith. Now, they will declare there faith, but, first and foremost, it is because He chooses them.
Difficult Passages
These are always difficult passages to study. Personally, I have always looked at these passages, thinking about them from 2 perspectives. One, is the perspective God has and then the other is the perspective man has toward God. God chooses. Man has faith. I cannot walk around life, looking at a person, pointing at them and then say to God, "Did you choose them?" God tells me to preach the Good news (Mark 16:15). His word states that I am to be a defender of the faith (I Peter 3:15). His word states that I am to not be ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16). It is clear that the God's message of Truth, the Gospel is not simply be something I internalize, but something I declare and bear witness to in my life. Yet I know Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9).
I need to understand the difference, I proclaim. But, God chooses. I am obedient to the message of truth. I pray and ask God to awaken people. I ask God to draw people, but I always stand ready to give an answer for what I believe. Must God use people? No. Does God use people? Yes.
Israel's Fall from Truth is Not Permanent
In my opinion, Paul declares that Israel is not forever lost. But, many are lost for a period. Here, he is speaking of the entire nation of Israel, of all the people that have been set apart as His chosen people. Many will die have never known Christ as Lord, but there will be a remnant of believers (11:5) among Israel, none the less. Israel will be awakened from their stupor (11:8)
Salvation to the Gentiles
Sin by the Israelites, resulted in salvation to the Gentiles. In 10:19 is the picture of Jealousy presented. Israel chose other gods and worshiped them in order to make God jealous. God went to a new people, the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. God chose people beyond Israel.
Recently, I had a discussion with a Muslim and one of his defenses was taking these passages from the Old Testament that the Apostle Paul saw as passages pointing to the Gentiles and the Muslim pointed those same passage to the Islamic people and Muhammad. Their defense was they could do this because Muhammad was a prophet and the prophet is the one that can declare the words of God and Muhammad was told that they are this other people group. And so Muslims reject Paul and speak of him as an instrument of Satan. It is interesting and shows that there is power in the text of the Bible. It can branch out and have many different applications and yet there is one that holds true. And so that is the challenge.
Transgression results in Salvation
Verse 12 is one of those verses that I always go back to when something difficult is happening in my life or something unwelcome. And not just something unwelcome, but sin in my life. God can use those transgressions for His glory. Romans 8:28 and the truth that God works everything out for good is this sort of reminder. God can take something meant for evil and use it for good. By the transgression of the Israelite or the unbelief of the Israelite, the Gospel is made known to all the non-Jew world. I think this is the message of Deuteronomy 9 and 32. Israel provoked God to anger. Specifically 32:21, "I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation."
Riches
I think of that verse, "it is through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory (Romans 3:7)" My lie became His glory. Israel's transgression meant riches for the world. If something like this happens, and yet God still has a plan for Israel, how incredible great will Israel one day be.
I must take this text and realize that the Jewish people are indeed valuable and must be preserved and esteemed. Israel must be protected.
Promise: Though the Israel according to the flesh has been resistant to believing in Christ, this will not last forever. Not all Jews will be saved -- just as not all Gentiles will be saved -- but the Lord will bring the Israel according to the flesh into His Kingdom. And He may do so through us as we share the gospel with the Jewish people. -- Table Talk, August 19, 2014
Showing posts with label Remnant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Remnant. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Romans 11:1-5 - God's Chosen Remnant
Romans 11:1-5 - 1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 "Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.
Message: There is no rejection of God's people. God foreknew His people. Many, seemingly, of the faith, will not follow God in the proper way, but God will save a remnant.
Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome.
What the Lord is Saying:
Background
Again, this is a fitting next thought by Paul. He has just basically said that the Jews have been given opportunity to be accepted by God. It is true that they created their own version of righteousness, by the Law, rather than a righteousness of faith. And they rejected God. They tried to make God jealous by serving other gods and God turned the tables on them, grafting in a previous rebellious people, the Gentiles. They were presented the gospel message and they received it.
But, even in this explanation, Paul clarifies a message or principle from God, that he shows was consistent throughout the Old Testament: God saves whom He saves. He is sovereign and He calls His people to be His. And this calling isn't necessarily based upon certain good behavior or people being faithful. In fact, Israel served other gods and provoked God to anger, and yet He still called them His people.
But, the message now to the Jews is each Jew cannot necessarily think that they are all accepted by God, just because they are a Jew. It is not through keeping the commandments or through being circumcised or through being a caretaker of the oracles of God or by being God's original chosen people that will then always merit God's favor. People must see that Jesus is the ransom. Jesus is the one to be followed. Jesus is the one to trust and they are to trust Him as Lord and Savior. They are to accept His dying once and for all for sin. Just as sin entered the world through one man, through One Man sin can be vanquished from a person's life by having faith. God will impute or transfer the righteousness of the perfect Lamb to the believer through the faith that person states, not in that person's goodness, but in God's greatness in providing a ransom.
This is the Gospel that Jesus lived and died. Man is a sinner. God must deal with sin. He dealt with sin in His Son. Will we follow Him? Will we have faith in Him and trust Him with our entire life? By doing so God grafts us in so that we are now God's chosen people. This is our creed.
No rejection
Don't think for a moment that God rejects His people (Absolutely not), rather people reject God. Paul is an Israelite. Paul is a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul is a "people of God."
I Samuel 12:22 - “For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself."
But, we can't think that God rejecting some people means that God will always and forever now reject Israel.
Hosea 9:17 says, "My God will cast them away because they have not listened to Him; And they will be wanderers among the nations." They will wander, but they will return. God still holds a special place for the Israelites and will come back. The church has not replaced them.
God foreknew His people
Here is the crux of the message. We can be so focused on the thought that we determine our life. We simply wave the white flag and surrender. We tell God it isn't about us, but it's all about him. We aren't out there trying to do our best, trying to make ourselves worthy in order to earn salvation. Salvation is a gift. And there is a giver. We are simply to come to God with open hands; receive the gift. God doesn't reject people because God foreknew people.
Foreknew is a difficult word because its use negates the idea of personal responsibility. To use this word is not to mean that God simply knew in advance who would surrender their lives to Him, but rather he pre-planned His descendants, is a challenging thought. Yet, it is not something new in Scripture, for Moses spoke of this often in recording the words of God. God has set apart a people for himself.
Yet, we can never stop here. I can never look at this doctrine and then close my Bible. I must look at all the truths and commands of Scripture and hold close to all of them. I must continue to speak the truth of God and continue to uphold His name and be an ambassador for truth. The one problem I see is there has been such a huge focus on getting people to the Gospel when it seems rather that what Jesus wanted was for us to bring people to be a follower or disciple. I think at times we place too much emphasis on the confession and not enough on the transformation.
I think the focus is too much on whether God foreknew or not. Our focus should be on helping Christians live a complete life in Christ. And this means upholding all of the commands of the Bible.
Elijah pleads against Israel, not for Israel
I Kings 19:10, He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” And this same thought is repeated in verse 14 of the same chapter.
Elijah pleads to God, for his life to be saved. He is watching the sons of Israel not being true to their faith. And in this rejection of their true north position with God, they are wanting to permanently shut up Elijah. Elijah is pleading to the Lord to save him. And the Lord lets Elijah know that their will be a remnant among the people of Israel, 7,000 to be exact (I Kings 19:18). Elijah felt like he was alone and that there was no one else. God wanted to show him that he was not alone. The world seems so dark at times and it does seem like the Christian has a target on their back. But, God is faithful and He has a remnant. We are to remain a voice, though, and not simply huddle together.
Remnants
In all people groups, Jewish and Gentile, there is "a remnant according to God's gracious choice."
God saves us not because of our good doing or good behavior, but because of His grace.
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 - 7 “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
It is by grace we have been saved. - Ephesians 2:8
Promise: God does not reject His people, He saves them by His grace. It is not everyone He saves, but a remnant.
Message: There is no rejection of God's people. God foreknew His people. Many, seemingly, of the faith, will not follow God in the proper way, but God will save a remnant.
Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome.
What the Lord is Saying:
Background
Again, this is a fitting next thought by Paul. He has just basically said that the Jews have been given opportunity to be accepted by God. It is true that they created their own version of righteousness, by the Law, rather than a righteousness of faith. And they rejected God. They tried to make God jealous by serving other gods and God turned the tables on them, grafting in a previous rebellious people, the Gentiles. They were presented the gospel message and they received it.
But, even in this explanation, Paul clarifies a message or principle from God, that he shows was consistent throughout the Old Testament: God saves whom He saves. He is sovereign and He calls His people to be His. And this calling isn't necessarily based upon certain good behavior or people being faithful. In fact, Israel served other gods and provoked God to anger, and yet He still called them His people.
But, the message now to the Jews is each Jew cannot necessarily think that they are all accepted by God, just because they are a Jew. It is not through keeping the commandments or through being circumcised or through being a caretaker of the oracles of God or by being God's original chosen people that will then always merit God's favor. People must see that Jesus is the ransom. Jesus is the one to be followed. Jesus is the one to trust and they are to trust Him as Lord and Savior. They are to accept His dying once and for all for sin. Just as sin entered the world through one man, through One Man sin can be vanquished from a person's life by having faith. God will impute or transfer the righteousness of the perfect Lamb to the believer through the faith that person states, not in that person's goodness, but in God's greatness in providing a ransom.
This is the Gospel that Jesus lived and died. Man is a sinner. God must deal with sin. He dealt with sin in His Son. Will we follow Him? Will we have faith in Him and trust Him with our entire life? By doing so God grafts us in so that we are now God's chosen people. This is our creed.
No rejection
Don't think for a moment that God rejects His people (Absolutely not), rather people reject God. Paul is an Israelite. Paul is a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul is a "people of God."
I Samuel 12:22 - “For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself."
But, we can't think that God rejecting some people means that God will always and forever now reject Israel.
Hosea 9:17 says, "My God will cast them away because they have not listened to Him; And they will be wanderers among the nations." They will wander, but they will return. God still holds a special place for the Israelites and will come back. The church has not replaced them.
God foreknew His people
Here is the crux of the message. We can be so focused on the thought that we determine our life. We simply wave the white flag and surrender. We tell God it isn't about us, but it's all about him. We aren't out there trying to do our best, trying to make ourselves worthy in order to earn salvation. Salvation is a gift. And there is a giver. We are simply to come to God with open hands; receive the gift. God doesn't reject people because God foreknew people.
Foreknew is a difficult word because its use negates the idea of personal responsibility. To use this word is not to mean that God simply knew in advance who would surrender their lives to Him, but rather he pre-planned His descendants, is a challenging thought. Yet, it is not something new in Scripture, for Moses spoke of this often in recording the words of God. God has set apart a people for himself.
Yet, we can never stop here. I can never look at this doctrine and then close my Bible. I must look at all the truths and commands of Scripture and hold close to all of them. I must continue to speak the truth of God and continue to uphold His name and be an ambassador for truth. The one problem I see is there has been such a huge focus on getting people to the Gospel when it seems rather that what Jesus wanted was for us to bring people to be a follower or disciple. I think at times we place too much emphasis on the confession and not enough on the transformation.
I think the focus is too much on whether God foreknew or not. Our focus should be on helping Christians live a complete life in Christ. And this means upholding all of the commands of the Bible.
Elijah pleads against Israel, not for Israel
I Kings 19:10, He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” And this same thought is repeated in verse 14 of the same chapter.
Elijah pleads to God, for his life to be saved. He is watching the sons of Israel not being true to their faith. And in this rejection of their true north position with God, they are wanting to permanently shut up Elijah. Elijah is pleading to the Lord to save him. And the Lord lets Elijah know that their will be a remnant among the people of Israel, 7,000 to be exact (I Kings 19:18). Elijah felt like he was alone and that there was no one else. God wanted to show him that he was not alone. The world seems so dark at times and it does seem like the Christian has a target on their back. But, God is faithful and He has a remnant. We are to remain a voice, though, and not simply huddle together.
Remnants
In all people groups, Jewish and Gentile, there is "a remnant according to God's gracious choice."
God saves us not because of our good doing or good behavior, but because of His grace.
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 - 7 “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
It is by grace we have been saved. - Ephesians 2:8
Promise: God does not reject His people, He saves them by His grace. It is not everyone He saves, but a remnant.
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