Measure of Faith

Romans 12:3-8

Romans 12:1-2 teaches us that all of our service for the Lord begins with offering up ourselves as living sacrifices. The remainder of the book of Romans shows us the many practical aspects of living as a sacrifice. The first thing we learn is that God has given each of us a measure of faith.

Our service for the Lord is motivated by the mercies of God which have been mapped out for us in the preceding chapters of Romans. Now, as we come to the mapping out of our service, the author, Paul, first establishes his authority or right to speak to us concerning our service for the Lord. He says, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you..." (Romans 12:3 ESV) His instruction is based on the "grace given" to him and his instruction is for "everyone among" us.

In Romans 15:15-16, Paul describes the grace given to him.

But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:15-16 ESV)

In these verses, Paul says that he was given grace to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. This echoes the first verses of the book of Romans where Paul describes himself as “...a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” (Romans 1:1 ESV)

Paul was conscious of His special calling as the apostle of Christ to the Gentiles, and reminds us of it on a number of occasions. In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, he says:

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:9-10 ESV)

Paul says his calling as an apostle was by the grace of God, and it is to this grace that he refers in Romans 12:3 when he says, “For by the grace given to me...” As the Apostle of Christ to the Gentiles, he has both the right and responsibility to address us in regard to our service for Christ.

This leads us quite naturally to the part where he says, “...I say to everyone among you.” By this statement, he makes it abundantly clear that his words apply to us all. No one is exempt.

We all tend to think of ourselves as exceptions. When we speed or do not signal when we change lanes, it is no big deal. Maybe we just forgot to signal, and since we are late to work, we are justified to go a little over the speed limit. However, when someone else does these things, they are idiots who are making it unsafe to be on the road. God, however, is no respecter of persons. He shows no partiality. 

Paul’s statement is emphatic and cuts against our tendency to think of ourselves as exceptions. He is addressing each one of us. This emphatic statement is necessary because the first issue he addresses is common to all of us. He says, “...I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” (Romans 12:3 ESV)

Romans 12:3 is not the only place Paul addresses this human tendency to overestimate one’s own importance. In Philippians 2, he says:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3 ESV)

Repeated admonitions against thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought bring home to us the fact that this is a problem common to all. And, it is one of the chief threats to our effective service to the Lord.

Two Scriptural warnings come to mind as we think about this tendency to overestimate one’s self. First, Proverbs 26:12 says:

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Proverbs 26:12 ESV)

Second, Galatians 6:3 says:

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Galatians 6:3 ESV)

Isn’t it interesting? The devil is a deceiver, but if we think we are something when we are nothing, we apparently do his work for him.

In order to guard against this, Paul admonishes us to “...think with sober judgment.” (Romans 12:3) Sober-minded judgment comes with maturity in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul says, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking.” (1 Corinthians 14:20 ESV) It is instructive for us to note that in the church with the most strife, the most error and the most moral corruption, there was a problem with childish thinking.

Sober-minded thinking is necessary to our lives as children of God, followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter gives us two admonitions in 1 Peter reminding us to be sober minded. These are:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13 ESV)

This first admonition comes at the beginning of the letter as Peter lays the groundwork for what he is saying. The second comes at the end of the letter and is much more ominous in tone.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)

This verse brings home to us the importance of being sober-minded. A sober-minded assessment of one’s self begins with being transformed in one’s mind as Romans 12:2 has already instructed us, and it continues as we learn to base our assessment according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Before we go much further we must clarify, sober does not mean somber. Somber means dark or gloomy. We have the joy of the Lord as our strength and are instructed to rejoice in the Lord always. We can rejoice and be glad in the Lord without being childish in our thinking and behavior. A sober assessment of ourselves in light of the grace of God brings us much cause for rejoicing and thanksgiving. The definition of sober I am working from is to be serious and sensible. A serious, sensible assessment of the grace of God brings joy.

Part of the grace of God is the faith that He has gifted us with. Each of us is given a measure of faith. As we see in Romans 12:3, each is given faith in a measure that God assigns. Ephesians 2:8 tells us:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God... (Ephesians 2:8 ESV)

We understand from this that even the faith we exercise in being saved is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God.

Romans 12:3-8 makes it clear that not all have the same measure of faith. If I am honest with myself, at times I am tempted to envy the faith of others. Some people seem to be gifted with great faith. In fact, faith is one of the spiritual gifts. However, God has a reason for giving each of us a different measure of faith. Romans 12:4-5 gives us that reason when it says:

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (Romans 12:4-5 ESV)

The reason God has given us a different measure of faith is that we are a body and individually members one of another. Each of us has a different function, and we are dependent on each other.

This is a crucial part of our service, and it is essential that we understand this. This is why a sober-minded assessment of ourselves is also important. We are individually members of one another.

It is important to realize that we are individuals. Each one is unique, and that uniqueness is both important to the body and necessary for the role the individual has to fill in the body. When we childishly think that our role is the most important, we hurt the body, and in the same way, when we think that we are not necessary to the body, we also hurt the body. Each part of the body has a function. In another place, using the analogy of a body, the Apostle Paul tells us that just as hands, feet and eyes have different functions and yet each is necessary, so it is with us. Each of us has a different function. Therefore, while it is important to realize that we are individuals, it is equally important to realize that we are joined together in a body. We are not independent of each other. Galatians 6:2 & 5 point out the two sides of this when they say:

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

       and

For each will have to bear his own load.

(Galatians 6:2, 5 ESV)

Individually we are responsible for ourselves and yet corporately we are responsible for each other. This is where Romans 12:6 takes us.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them... (Romans 12:6 ESV)

This is the whole point of the measure of faith that has been given to each of us; that we might use our gifts. Let’s read verses 6-8.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:6-8 ESV)

In using the gifts God has given us, we exercise our faith. In these verses, we have listed several ways we can do this in prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, contributing, leading and mercy. This list represents the categories that we serve in. As individuals, we will all serve differently, but all of our service can be categorized under one of these from this list.

Paul’s instruction is to each one of us. As the Apostle to the Gentiles, he has the right and responsibility to instruct us. He clearly states that we each should be using our gifts.

If you are not using your gift, why not?

All our service begins with presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, and our service works itself out as we soberly assess our place in the Body of Christ.

Let us ask ourselves questions in keeping with Paul’s instruction.

Do I think of myself too highly? Am I serving?

Reasonable Service

Romans 12:1-2

The great Apostle Paul begins Romans 12 with an appeal. He urges us to take action. He pleads with us. He urges us to do two things. First, He urges us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, and, second, he urges us to not be conformed but rather, to be transformed.

We are going to focus on these two things, but before we do that we must consider the mercies of God. Paul’s plea or urging is based upon these mercies. He says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God...” (Romans 12:1, ESV)

“Therefore” in this sentence refers back to what has just been said. In chapter 11, concerning the mercy of God, Paul has just said, “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” (Romans 11:32 ESV)

God worked in such a way as to have mercy on us all.

As Jesus hung suffering on the cross, those who had put Him there stood by mocking. They were saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” (Matthew 27:42 ESV) On either side of Jesus was a thief who was also being crucified. Matthew tells us that these two also joined in the mocking. Then came a moment when one of the thieves realized the truth of the situation and he said to the other thief, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41 ESV) This thief realized that his suffering was just. He deserved it, but Jesus did not. He then turned to Jesus and this was the exchange they had:

And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42-43 ESV)

This is a picture of mercy. A man who by his own confession deserved to die for his sins is promised paradise simply because he asked. And what is more, at the very moment he asked, Jesus was suffering to pay the price for that man’s sins. We all deserve to die for our sins, and yet God has mercy on us all.

This mercy is our motivation for service. God can and does command our love. However, He seeks to woo us and draw us to Himself. As 1 John says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 KJV)

In view of this overwhelming love and mercy, we are called upon to serve God. Romans 12 and following will discuss our service and Romans 12:1-2 provides the synopsis of that service.

The first thing we are called upon to do is to present our bodies as living sacrifices.

Inherent in the word “sacrifice” is the idea of devotion. For example, a sacrifice on the altar was consumed by fire. Therefore, it was of no use to anyone else. It had been devoted to the Lord, and was therefore not to be used by anyone else.  A living sacrifice, therefore, means to live a life devoted to the Lord.

The biggest upshot of this is that we no longer live to please ourselves. This reminds me of the battle with the flesh that is spoken of in Romans 7. If we try to do this by the flesh, we will find that we do the very things that we do not want to do. We must rely on Jesus. Walk according to the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires to the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

Not only is the sacrifice said to be living it is said to be “holy and acceptable to God.” 

In the Old Testament, the animal that was sacrificed was to be without blemish, perfect. The idea of a holy and acceptable sacrifice implies a sacrifice without sin and impurity. My problem is that I know that I am not without sin. Certainly, on my own, my sacrifice of myself is not acceptable to God. We must not think that by sacrificing ourselves or even by throwing ourselves into the flames we are somehow made acceptable to God. If we do this, we will hear as Jesus Himself promised, “Depart from me; I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23). We are made perfect in Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Our sacrifice is holy and acceptable because of Jesus, God’s Son and His sacrifice for us. It is important that we grasp this order of things. We are made holy and acceptable by Jesus Christ first and this is why we, in turn, are able to offer up ourselves as sacrifices. 

This sacrifice of ourselves is called our “reasonable service,” or, as the ESV has it, our “spiritual worship.” The word Paul uses for service here is a word that could be translated simply “worship.” It is used in Romans 9:4 to describe the ritual service and worship of the Temple as given to the Jews. Our true, or reasonable, or rational worship is found in devoting our lives completely to the Lord Jesus Christ. While singing songs of praise, praying and reading Scripture are forms of worship, our true worship begins in the heart wholly devoted to the Lord.

This week I read a passage in Ezekiel that brought me up short as it brought home to me how easily I am distracted from purity of devotion to Christ. In Ezekiel 14, the leaders of the Jews in captivity in Babylon came to Ezekiel seeking to hear from the Lord. And, the Lord said, “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?” (Ezekiel 14:3 ESV) If we have things, including self, in our hearts that we are more devoted to than Jesus, then we are not presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, and need to repent.

Along with presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, we are called upon to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Being conformed is a passive thing. We do not have to do anything to be conformed. Wake up in the morning and go to work and the world is busy from start to finish conforming us. We listen to the news. We listen to whatever music is playing. We watch our favorite sitcom. All these things are overwhelmingly shaped by the prince and the power of the air. If we are passive and do nothing, we will be shaped in our thinking in the manner in which the prince and the power of the air wants us to be. Paul’s appeal is in two parts. The first part is to not passively let the conforming process take place.

The second part is to actively participate in the renewal of our minds. We must be intentional about our spirituality, or our minds. Spiritual growth does not just “happen.” What mother would expect her baby to grow if she did not feed it? Yet many of us think we are spiritual giants because we memorized John 3:16. God has given us a whole book, a compilation of 66 books by 44 different authors revealed over almost 1,500 years. And, most of us have barely scratched the surface of knowing what it says. Do not read books about the Bible until you have read the Bible, several times. Maybe I am too harsh. However, we must read the Bible. This is the key to the second part of the two-part appeal. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The renewal of our minds is a work of the Holy Spirit. My part is to yield to the Holy Spirit and to participate with the Holy Spirit. Intentionally putting God’s word in my heart is the chief way I participate with the Holy Spirit.

Romans 12:2 finishes off by saying, “...that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

This brings us back to the mercies of God. If we present our bodies as living sacrifices and are transformed by the renewing of our minds, we will test or prove what is the will of God. We will be able to discern the will of God. The testing or proving is the actual experience of these things. What is it that we experience? We experience that God is good. His will is good and acceptable and perfect. As Psalms 34:8 tells us, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalms 34:8 ESV)

Will you not taste and see how good the Lord is?

Unsearchable Judgments, Inscrutable Ways

Romans 11:13-36

The outline of Romans we have been working from is: 

Romans 1-3:20 Sin

Romans 3:21-5 Salvation

Romans 6-8 Sanctification

Romans 9-11 Sovereignty

Romans 12-16 Service

With the end of Romans 11, we are coming to the close of the section on sovereignty. Since we are talking about the sovereignty of God, Romans 11 comes to an end with a hymn. Romans 11:33 starts this hymn of praise saying:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33 ESV)

When we contemplate God’s sovereignty, we are confronted with His greatness, His unsearchable judgments and His inscrutable ways.

The salvation that God provides displays His riches. As we are told in Ephesians 1:4,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:3 ESV)

The spiritual blessings we have received are part of the riches of the salvation we enjoy. While we enjoy great riches now, the depth or fullness of these riches is not yet apparent. However, as Romans 8:18 says:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18 ESV)

The depth of the riches will become much more apparent when the glory this verse speaks of is revealed to us.

In the same way, the greatness of God’s judgments and ways are beyond our ability to comprehend. This being said, when we talk about God’s sovereignty, we talk about His judgments and His ways. Therefore, we are talking about things that go beyond our ability to comprehend. Because of this, we must approach this subject with humility. God has revealed much to us, and He wants us to understand what He has revealed. In Deuteronomy 29:29, the Scriptures say:

The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions. (Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT)

Today, we are going to try to understand what He has revealed to us about His judgments and His ways in Romans 11:13-36. In doing this, we will consider the following three things:

1. the root (verses 13-24)
2. the deliverer (verses 25-27)
3. the gifts (verses 28-32)

First, then we will consider the root.

The term first shows up in Romans 11 at verse 16 where it says:

...and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Paul is talking in this passage about why he makes much of his ministry. He has stated that the rejection of the Jews has meant the reconciliation of the world and their acceptance will mean life from the dead. Now, we know that reconciliation and resurrection operate according to the sovereign will and plan of God. We also know that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself and also we know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. 

Jesus is the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) and the root out of dry ground (Isaiah 53:2) of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the Hebrew Scriptures, the promises of God to the Jewish people. The New Testament is the fulfillment of those promises. Near the end of the last chapter of the Bible, Jesus says:

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." (Revelation 22:16 ESV)

As the root and descendant of David, Jesus is the root that supports the olive tree of Romans 11. In Romans 11:17-24, we see several things about the olive tree. First, we see that branches were broken off that we might be grafted in. We are Gentiles, and so we see that the tree is Jewish by nature. A number of times this has been emphasized to us in the book of Romans. The law, prophets and forefathers are all Jewish. We might add that all the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ are Jewish.

In view of our grafting in and of their rejection, we are given two warnings. First, we should not become arrogant and second, we should not be proud. 

We show arrogance when we think we are superior to others. In the case of the olive tree, we might think we are superior to the Jews because they were cut off and we were grafted in. This sort of arrogance towards the Jewish people has marked history at different points. This is not of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God moved Paul to say that His heart’s desire and prayer to God was that they might be saved.

We must be aware of developing arrogance in our hearts in regard to any person or group of people. Arrogance grows out of pride. Pride is an awareness of one’s own dignity and value. In one sense, there is a healthy pride that values one’s self as being created in the image of God and loved by Him. However, when we value ourselves above others, pride becomes sinful. Others are also created in God’s image and loved by Him.

In the case of the Church, the Jews were rejected and the Gentiles were grafted in. The root is still Jewish. He is still the root of Jesse. This rejection of the Jews and acceptance of Gentiles is the judgment of God, and it is unsearchable. This means it is impossible for humans to fully search out these judgments. However, we are called upon to note both the kindness and severity of God. God is very severe to those who reject His Son, Jesus Christ, and He is very kind to those who accept Him. Understanding that God’s judgments are unsearchable, and that it is of His mercies that we are not consumed should remove all arrogance and pride from our relations with other people. However, arrogance and pride are so natural to us that we must continually be reminded to meditate on God’s unsearchable judgments.

After considering the root that supports the olive tree, we come to the portion of chapter 11 that speaks of the Deliverer that is to come out of Zion. Romans 11:26 speaks of the “Deliverer” that will come from Zion.

This Deliverer, like the root, is referring to Jesus. Before we get to that though we must speak about Zion. Zion is the name of Jerusalem and of Israel. However, in the New Testament we are introduced to the idea of a heavenly Zion. Hebrews 12:22 says:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, (Hebrews 12:22 ESV)

To shed further light on this concept of Zion, Philippians 3:20 says:

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20 ESV)

It is from this heavenly Zion that we wait for a Savior. Israel also awaits their Deliverer to come from this heavenly Zion to the earthly Zion.

Daniel 9:24 says:

Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. (Daniel 9:24 ESV)

In this prophecy, you will notice that it says, “to finish the transgression and to put an end to sin.” This is the same sort of language used in Romans 11:26 when it says the Deliverer will banish ungodliness from Jacob. The coming of this Deliverer is described in Revelation 19 where it is telling about the end of the tribulation period, the seventieth week of Daniel. Revelation 19:19 says:

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. (Revelation 19:19 ESV)

In Revelation, we see Jesus coming on a white horse and slaying the beast and the kings of the earth. Then He will set up His kingdom on earth, and all Israel will be saved. Romans 11:26 states it as plain as that. “All Israel will be saved.” Romans 11:25 tells us what the delay in completing this plan is. It says, “...until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” In another place the Scriptures say:

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

According to these two passages, the only thing holding back the coming of the Deliverer is the patience of God. This is one of the inscrutable ways of God. Even with all that God has revealed about what He is doing, we find it difficult to understand what is happening and how it fits into God’s plan. Understanding what is being explained in Romans 11 has been one of the major dividing points of the Church and it has been the source of many cults and deceptions as men try to understand the inscrutable ways of God. It is important for this reason that we do not become wise in our own eyes as Romans 11:25 warns us. We must do what verse 26 does and stick to what is written, or in other words, to what God has revealed about His ways.

The key to us understanding what God has revealed about His unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways is found in what I have titled the gifts. This is taken from Romans 11:29 where it says, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” 

In another place in Scripture it says:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17 ESV)

According to this, God does not change. Therefore, God’s gifts do not change. Romans 11:28 assumes this fact when it says that Israel is beloved for the sake of their forefathers. God’s unchangeable nature means that the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David will never change or go away. They are irrevocable. 

The partial hardening is happening for our sakes, so that we can partake in the promises and gifts of God. This also was part of God’s promise to Abraham, when He said He would bless all the nations on earth through Abraham.

Paul warns us not to become wise in our own sight. Three things are warned against in Romans 11:13-36: arrogance, pride and being wise in our own sight.  The hymn of praise at the end of this section teaches the proper humility and awe with which we need to approach such a subject as the sovereignty of God.

We are not His counselor or teacher. We are His creatures, and we are the humble recipients of His grace. 

Chosen

Romans 11:1-12

The descendants of Israel (Jacob) are known as God’s chosen people.

Even today, if one speaks of the “chosen people,” most people understand this is a reference to the Jews.

Along with the association of the Jews with the “chosen people,” the land now occupied by the nation of Israel is known as “the promised land.” The terms “chosen people” and “promised land” have a long and storied history, dating back to the time of Abraham. The bulk of our Bible contains the history, law, poetry and prophets of the chosen people, and most of the events and stories we study and teach in the Church took place in the Promised Land.

God promised much to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the nation of Israel. Jeremiah 31:3 says:

Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. (Jeremiah 31:3 NLT)

However, it does not seem like God has shown much love to Israel.

Less than 100 years ago, one of the mightiest nations on earth tried to wipe the Jews from the face of the earth, and millions were murdered. In 1948, Israel’s neighbors tried to destroy the new nation and were defeated. In 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan tried to destroy Israel again. Even to this day, there remains a sizable portion of the Middle East that would like nothing more than to see Israel wiped off the face of the earth.

For centuries, Israel did not exist as a nation, and it did not appear that God loved Israel. One might ask, even now, if God has rejected His people. Humans break relationships all the time. We make promises to have and to hold, to honor and to cherish until parted by death, and we break these promises. Many know the sting and pain of being rejected outright as relationships end. Experience has taught us that we can expect promises to be broken.

Along these lines, schools of thought exist in the Church that interpret history as revealing that God has rejected His people. One common interpretation is that the Church has replaced Israel and references to Israel in prophecy are interpreted allegorically. This is an error. While the Church certainly partakes of the promises and grace extended to Israel, Romans 11, along with other passages, makes it clear that Israel still has a place in God’s plan.

Even from the earliest days of the Church, as Gentile believers became more numerous, the question of the place of Israel in God’s plan became an issue. Thus, in Romans, Paul addresses the place of Israel in God’s plan. This is the subject of Romans 9-11. 

Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. The other 12 Apostles ministered to the Jewish people. The Church was Jewish. However, the Church grew like wildfire among the Gentiles. At the end of Romans 10, Paul explains how God was found by those who did not seek Him, referring to the salvation of the Gentiles. And then, he quotes Isaiah 65:2, calling Israel a disobedient and contrary people.

With the salvation of the Gentiles and the contrariness of Israel as the background, Paul asks a question:

I ask then, has God rejected his people? (Romans 11:1, ESV)

He answers His own question immediately with “By no means!”

He follows this with an explanation of how Israel remains God’s chosen people, but not all of them are saved yet. They are chosen, but a partial hardening has happened for a time. Today, we are going to look at Romans 11:1-12 where three concepts in God’s plan are introduced. Those three concepts are:

1. The Remnant (Verses 1-6)
2. The Hardening (Verses 7-10)
3. The Fullness (Verses 11-12)

Israel remains God’s chosen people. However at the present time only a remnant is saved. 

Paul uses himself as an example. He says:

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1 ESV)

Paul gives his lineage as an Israelite to show that God has not rejected His people. A complete rejection would mean that he, as an Israelite, would not be saved.

The Israelites were contrary throughout their history. In ancient Israel, when Ahab was king and Jezebel was queen (874-853 BC), the nation of Israel rejected God and replaced Him with the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Jezebel led in the persecution of the prophets of the Lord and many of them were put to death. This led to the statement that Paul quotes in Romans 11:2-4.

God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." (Romans 11:2-4 ESV)

While it seemed to Elijah that all of Israel had abandoned God for the Baals and the Ashtoreths, God says He kept seven thousand men for Himself. These seven thousand then serve as an illustration of what verse 5 calls a “remnant.”  Verse 5 says:

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. (Romans 11:5 ESV)

God, even to this day, has kept a remnant of His people. It is sad that only a small percentage of Israelites accept Jesus as their Messiah. However, those that clearly identify themselves as Jewish and believers in Jesus number over 350,000 world-wide. (This would make the current remnant to be at just over 2 percent of the total Jewish population.)

Paul makes it clear about this remnant that they are chosen by grace. In verse 2, he says that God has not rejected His people “whom he foreknew.” Once again, we are confronted with both the foreknowledge and choosing of God. This is important for us to know because as Paul points out, the election or choosing of God is based on grace. God knew (foreknowledge) that Israel would reject Him, but He chose them anyway. This is grace. This is what is referred to in Jeremiah 31:3 when He says, “With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” God’s grace is unfailing.

However, when we choose to reject His grace, there are consequences. We do not derail His plans, but we suffer for our rejection. The remnant reflects God’s unfailing grace, but the consequences of rejection are reflected in the hardening.

This is the second concept we will look at in relation to Israel in God’s plan: the hardening.

Verse 7 starts with a question, “What then?”

As a side note, you might notice that the three concepts we are looking at today are each introduced by a question. Each concept leads to the next as questions arise. 

The whole of verse 7 says:

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, (Romans 11:7 ESV)

Israel was seeking. In Romans 10, Paul said:

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. (Romans 10:2-3 ESV)

In these verses, we see that they were seeking to establish their own righteousness, and they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Romans 11:7 says they “failed to obtain” what they were seeking. The elect, the chosen remnant, did obtain it. We have already seen that there are those who have received the grace of God and who are not trying to establish their own righteousness. Their salvation is by grace alone (Romans 11:6). The non-elect, the rest, it is said are hardened.

Their hardening takes place in two parts. 

First, we see that they are given a spirit of stupor, or eyes that do not see. (Romans 11:8)

When we refuse to receive the message of truth, even what we do receive is quickly lost. In the parable of the sower and the seeds, Jesus likened the truth to seeds that were sown. Seeds that landed on the path, or hardened soil, were soon snatched up by birds. This is what happens when the truth comes to those who are hardened against the truth. 2 Corinthians 4 tells us:

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 ESV)

This blindness is the first part of the hardening. The second follows after it like floods follow rain.

Romans 11:9 says:

And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; (Romans 11:9 ESV)

Imagine a table laden with good things. How does this become a snare and a trap?

This is a quote from Psalm 69. This Psalm contains a prophecy about the crucifixion of Jesus. To give you more of that context the verses involved say:

They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. (Psalms 69:21-22 ESV)

The “sour wine” is a foretelling of Jesus on the cross. The Israelites who gave up Jesus to be crucified had the Law of Moses. They had the prophets. They had this very Psalm of David that is being quoted. They were partakers in the mighty grace of God. These blessings were and are still theirs. Their table was piled high with blessings. However, these tremendous blessings were the trap that snared them because seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 

If we refuse the grace of God, the very grace we refuse becomes the trap that hardens us to the truth. The hardening of Israel has taken place in two parts. The first part was blindness because they refused the truth, and the second part was to stumble over the grace that would have saved them. 

This hardening brings us back to the original question, “Has God rejected His people?  In Romans 11:11, Paul asks:

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? (Romans 11:11 ESV)

This question is a little different than the question we started with. This is a question of why they stumbled. Therefore, while we are back to the original question, it is with the added purpose of seeking to understand why there is only a remnant and why there is a hardening.

The answer is astounding.

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. (Romans 11:11 ESV)

Here, the purpose of God is revealed in part. “Through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”

This is not some sort of backup plan. God foreknew the Israelites and He foreknew you and me. The Church and the salvation of the Gentiles have always been part of His plan. In Daniel, we have the prophecy of the seventy weeks. In that prophecy, we have a precise timetable for the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ took place precisely at the end of week 69. The seventieth week is still to take place. At the end of the seventieth week, Jesus will return and set up His kingdom, and all Israel will be saved.

This is what is meant by Romans 11:12.

Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! (Romans 11:12 ESV)

These words “full inclusion” are referring to the completion of God’s plan for the nation of Israel. “How much more will their full inclusion mean!” It is not a question. It is an exclamation.

While we might become confused and be conflicted about much of what happened to Israel, there is much we can learn about the purpose and working of God in our world and lives.

As we look at our own lives and families, we see the effects of grace and hardening. And, we may wonder about God’s working. However, I want to leave you with two thoughts.

First, Jesus will return, and it is going to be wonderful. Our present suffering will not be worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed.

Second, let’s remember the words of our Lord Jesus:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16 ESV)