Romans Lesson 21

Introduction

Very pleasant good day to you, and welcome to Let the Bible Speak. I hope you’ll get your New Testaments and be opening with me to the reading in the eleventh chapter of the book of Romans. We continue our verse by verse study of this epistle written to the saints that were in Rome. In our last lesson, we talked about the first 15 verses of the 11th chapter, in which the question was raised, has God cast away his people? That’s in verse 1, and the answer was, God forbid, or certainly not. And yet the apostle, the apostle Paul, who’s writing this letter by inspiration, explains that he himself was an Israelite, and that within itself is proof that God hasn’t cast away Jews just because they’re Jews.

But as a nation, the Israelite nation fell, he explained, because of their unbelief. The nation of Israel fell. But not all Jews are lost. That’s really the point that’s being made in those first few verses. You see, even back in Romans chapter 9 and in verse 6, he had said that they, not all who are Israel, are of Israel. That is, the fact is that just because one may be a Jew in the flesh, does not mean that he is a Jew or an Israelite in the spirit. So there are some Jews fleshly who are lost, but there are some Jews fleshly who are saved, and they’re saved because they’ve obeyed the gospel. In fact, he used uh Elijah as an illustration, even back in earlier time of Ahab and Jezebel, when most of the nation of Israel had gone after Baal, an idle God.

Yet Elijah was told by the Lord there were 7,000 who had not bowed their knees to Baal. And so it was that the apostle could say in chapter 11 and verse 5, even at this present time. There’s a remnant. That is, some of the Jews are saved by the election of grace. That is, according to the system of salvation by grace that’s been revealed in the gospel. And so in those first fifteen verses, he really deals with this fact that men today who are saved, it’ll be by grace, but by grace through faith. The system of salvation that is revealed in the gospel and not according to the law of Moses, a system of salvation by works, our perfect law keeping. Why had Israel fallen? Well, it was because of their unbelief.

1. Boast Not Against the Branches

And that’s really going to be continuing the thought as we go through this the rest of this chapter. In fact, just to remind you, in verse 13, he’s now saying, I speak to you Gentiles, and so much of what we’re about to read is a message that says, Well, now, if you are not a Jew in the flesh, though you may be a Jew uh a Gentile, and you may be in a saved condition by the grace of God, don’t boast against the Jews in the flesh. That’s mainly what he’s saying. Let’s read chapter eleven, beginning in verse 16 through 21. When he says, For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy. And if the root be holy, so are the branches.

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were graft in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree, boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might be graft in. Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear. For if God spare not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Now to the Gentiles, he’s speaking. And really, you notice the gist of this is don’t don’t boast yourself, don’t be high-minded. Don’t look down your nose at the Jews and think as though you deserve to be God’s children and they don’t deserve.

The reason the Jews were cast off was only because of their unbelief. And they can be grafted back in. When we use the term grafted back in, you have to say that there is a metaphor here being used by the apostle. There’s a figure of speech being used. In fact, two metaphors are used. In verse 16, he talks about the first fruit being holy, the lump is also holy. That seems to refer even to their uh their sacrifice unto God, the heave offering. You may know according to the law of Moses that whenever they brought in from the harvest, they would take the first fruits, and that’d be sacrificed unto God. And if it was given unto God in this offering, then really the rest of the harvest was as as though consecrated.

That is, it was acceptable to God. But the first was given to God, and then the lump was also consecrated. Now, not only is that a metaphor used to describe the very fact that some of the Jews have obeyed the gospel. The apostles were all Jews, and those early Christians were all Jews. And that’s proof in itself that not all Jews have been cast away just because they’re Jews. God loves the Jews. God wants the Jews to be saved, but they’ll be saved by faith. But not only does he use this fact of the offering, the first fruit in the lump, he then talks about an olive tree. And uh larger part of this context describes a tree, a natural olive tree, from which some of the branches have been cut off, and others from a wild olive tree, and that is not really what would be natural, yet they’ve been grafted in to the good tree.

Who’s the root of this tree? Well, Abraham is the root of the tree, in the sense that it was through Abraham that God made the promise that he would bless all families of the earth. But the real point of this whole context is that God rewards according to man’s response of faith. He cut off the Jews when they did not believe. He grafted in the Gentiles when they did believe. That’s really the message Jesus preached when he gave the Great Commission. You remember Mark chapter 16, verses 15 and 16, right before he ascended into heaven. He said, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned. God rewards men according to their response.

Salvation is by grace, but God hasn’t elected a specific individual to be saved. God has chosen the plan by which all men could be saved. Men who believe in the Christ are saved. Men who reject the Christ shall be lost. God responds to our response. And he really illustrates that in the Jews and the Gentiles. You see, the Gentiles, though they are now accepted, should not boast. Because, as he said, Abraham is the root, or verse 17, you were grafted in among them, and you with them partake of the root and the fatness of the olive tree. Well, Abraham’s the root. In what sense? Even back in Romans chapter 4 and verses 11 and 12, when he was describing how that we’re saved by grace and not by a system of works, he even there described Abraham as the father of all them that believe.

Those who walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham. What did Abraham do? When God called him, he obeyed. It wasn’t just a mental agreement, but Abraham had the kind of faith that saves because he obeyed what God asked of him. And so it is today, when Gentiles, or when anybody obeys the gospel, he is of the lineage of Abraham. He is of the seed of Abraham, in the sense, even as described in Galatians chapter 3 and verses 29. By faith we become the children of God, as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have but own Christ. So do the Gentiles, don’t boast. Don’t brag, as though you deserve to be there, and Gentiles don’t, or Jews don’t. In fact, he says, verse 19, the branches were broken off that I might be graft in.

2. Behold the Goodness and Severity of God

Don’t say it that way. Only because of unbelief, verse 20, they were broken off. And you stand by faith, therefore be not high minded. But fear. Now let’s read verses 22 through 24, when he says, Behold, therefore the goodness and severity of God, on them which fail, severity. But toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness. Otherwise thou also shall be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graft in. For God is able to graft them in again. For if thou were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were graft contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree.

Behold the goodness and severity of God. Many today want to behold the goodness of God, but they don’t want to talk about the severity of God. But here’s a passage that talks about how God has severity against those who do not believe. His wrath. Even Romans chapter 1, verse 18 speaks how that the wrath of God is against those who who practice ungodliness and unrighteousness, is against them who hold the truth in unrighteousness. And he showed in that chapter, in fact, those who were sinners were going to be cut off. Well, he is severe, you may say, to the Jews. Has God cast away his people? Well, not at all. Not his people who obey. But people who reject God, who reject the Christ, shall be cut off.

Now notice verse 23, it’s a very important verse. In fact, it underlies much of this whole context. When he says, they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graft in. For God is able to graft them in again. What about the Jews? Does God still love the Jews? Absolutely. Does God still want Jews to be saved? Certainly. But it’s conditioned on their response of faith. If they abide not in unbelief, they shall be graft in again. Here we’re in a time where many preachers have been talking about Israel. All the Jews are going to be saved. And they take verse 26, which we’ll talk about in just a moment, but they take that verse and make an assumption that it says, someday, someway, all Jews are going to be saved regardless of what they believe, or maybe they say someday they’re all going to be persuaded to believe.

But that isn’t what this context is saying.

There’s a remnant of them saved, chapter 11, verse 5, and Romans chapter 9 and verse 27. There’s a remnant that might be saved, a part of them. But notice, even here, considering the goodness and the severity of God, if, last part of verse 22, if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise, thou also shall be cut off. Those who advocate a doctrine of once saved, always saved, should take note of Romans chapter 11. How could the Gentiles be cut off if they abide not in belief? How would they continue in God’s goodness? Only if they continue, that is, by believing in the Lord. Otherwise, thou shalt be cut off. Those who teach a doctrine of once saved, always saved, say, really, it’s impossible to be cut off.

But this verse certainly implies otherwise, doesn’t it? In fact, it goes along with a passage in Hebrews chapter 3, where in verses 12 through 14, the apostle there says, Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called a day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. Just as the Jews were cut off by unbelief, and the Gentiles were grafted in because of belief, roles can be reversed. And if the Gentiles cease believing, they shall be cut off. If the Jews begin to believe, they shall be grafted in.

That’s the point. And certainly the lesson is to all of us that we must continue believing, or else we can fall from grace. Hebrews chapter 3 really talks about departing from the living God. You can’t depart if you’ve never been there. Sometimes they say, oh, well, they never really were believers if they quit serving God. But, my beloved, you read the text in Hebrews 3 12 through 14, you can’t depart from a building you haven’t been in. You can’t depart from a relationship with God if you’ve not been in a relationship with God. And the warning there, as well as here in Romans 11, is take heed, lest you depart with a heart of unbelief. You can cease believing in God. There’s security of the believer.

3. So All Israel Shall Be Saved

But it’s possible for us to quit serving and obeying God. And when we do that, we shall be cut off. Well, we’re going to pause for just a moment. When we come back, we’re going to talk more particularly about this question. So all Israel shall be saved. And how is it that they shall be saved? And what about God’s attitude toward the Jews? You stay with us, we’ll be back in just one moment. In Romans chapter 11, in verses 25 through 32, the thought continues, where the Apostle Paul says, I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits. That blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles become in.

And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, there shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes. But as touching the election, they are beloved for the Father’s sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief. Even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all. Verse 26, particularly, and so all Israel shall be saved, is a rather famous verse.

There are some who’ve taken that one verse and sort of lifted it out and read it as though here is a conclusion that all Israelites or all Jews are going to be saved. But if you’ve been studying with us, you know we’ve been talking about the context here, really, that shows much more to that statement than what may at first impression seem to be the meaning of it. Instead of saying that one day every Jew is going to become a believer, and therefore every Jew will somehow be saved. The book of Romans throughout has been saying God is no respecter of persons. Romans 2 and verse 11. And it’s begun in chapter 1, set forth the theme that the gospel is God’s power to save, not some physical birth.

The gospel’s God’s power to save to everyone that believeth. Then he said, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. But the gospel is the where God’s righteousness is revealed. And if we’re going to be saved, it’ll be by belief. Well, what we’ve learned even in our first part of this lesson, how that Israel was blinded until the Gentiles could be saved. You remember back even in verse 11, he used the expression, how that they stumbled, they fell. That is, by their trespass, through the sacrifice, through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the sacrifice of Christ, came salvation. Came salvation to the Gentiles. Now, in chapter 11, or in verse 12, he says, How much more their fullness, I think they’re referring to the fact that if the Jews one day would be saved, the word fullness there, meaning salvation coming to the Jews, what a great blessing it would be.

God still loves the Jews, and God wants the Jews to be saved. Well, in verse 25, we have this word, the fullness of the Gentiles become in. What does it mean? That Israel is blinded until the fullness of the Gentiles become. Well, he starts this verse by saying that he doesn’t want people to be ignorant of a mystery. And what is the mystery? Well, that blindness has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles become in.

Again, it fails in considering the whole context.

What a great blessing it would be when Jews, if some of them would be saved, even by hearing and believing the gospel. I believe what he’s saying here again, in simple way of putting it, is that the Jews were blinded. That is, their own hearts being obstinate and rebellious to God, by their failure to hear, and by failure to see, by their failure to receive Jesus as the Son of God, they crucified him. And that blindness really brought salvation, made it possible for all the world. But they were blinded until a point in time, until the Gentiles have salvation preached to them. Now, the underlying thought through this is that perhaps, maybe even by the fact that some of them, now seeing Gentiles, receiving blessings of God, may be provoked to obey the gospel.

That’s what verse 11 says. That perhaps by their fall, even the Gentiles may provoke them to jealousy, to emulate them. 11 and 12. So what the apostle is wishing for, the underlying thought is that maybe one day Jews would receive the gospel as well as Gentiles. So, in like manner, the expression in verse 26, so all Israel shall be saved. In like manner, the word so is an adverb. And it really means in the same manner. They’ve seen Gentiles saved. How were Gentiles saved? By faith. And maybe when they see the Gentiles being saved by faith, then they receiving the blessing of God might stir or arouse in the Jews a desire to have the same kind of blessings. That really coordinates with verse 23, where back in verse 23 he said, they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in.

And there’s the key that the Jews are grafted in by faith, just like Gentiles were grafted in by faith. And now when they see the Gentiles grafted in by faith or salvation given unto them, maybe the Jews in turn would be aroused to want to do or receive the same blessings of God. The point of the whole context surely doesn’t contradict the rest of the scriptures. That the Gentiles who are saved by faith simply have shown away that God is no respecter of persons in every nation. He that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted. You see, salvation is offered to all upon the same terms. That’s really what he’s saying throughout this text. Salvation is for all men. In fact, verse 28, when he says that’s concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes.

The Jews may have persecuted the way of Christ. They crucified the Christ, and they were the first ones who persecuted the church of the Lord. And so, in the sense that they are enemies of the gospel by the rejection of the gospel. But as touching the election, they were loved for the Father’s sakes. God loved Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he made a promise that he would bless this nation, and he did. He kept his promises of developing them as a nation and giving them a land to live in. But as a people who’ve fallen away, God would still wish for them to come back. You see, God still loves Jews. And when he says in verse 29, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

God doesn’t change his plan. Man may change. God still wished for Jews to be blessed, though the Jews may have rejected, if they rejected, it’s because of their change that they’re no longer favored with God. But as in verse 30 and 31, he says to the Gentiles, in time past, you didn’t believe in God. But now you do believe in God and you obtain mercy through even the unbelief of Jews who crucified the Christ. But in verse 31, even so have these also now not believed. The Jews now don’t believe, Paul is saying, but through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. That is through the same means that you as Gentiles have obtained the mercy of God, the Jews can obtain mercy. How is it?

Has it possible? Well, verse 32, the fact of unbelief made the Jews just like Gentiles who earlier had been unbelievers. All were concluded in unbelief. That is, they were bound up together. They were alike each other, both as unbelievers, Jew and Gentile, both stood as sinners. Romans 3 23, you remember earlier, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Whether he be a Gentile or whether he be a Jew, he needed the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. And so verse 32 says, God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all. God wants all to be saved. But how does he save them? The thought throughout the book is, and it doesn’t contradict itself in any way. That man who accepts Christ by faith, that kind of man is the man who saved.

4. The Depth of the Riches of God

And it doesn’t matter what nationality he may be, whether he be a Jew or whether he be a Gentile. But then look at the doxology. You might say the closing verses of this chapter. Verses 33 through 36. He says, Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor, or who had first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again. For of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. What a praise of God. The depth of the riches, both of his wisdom and his knowledge.

He raises some questions really that are rhetorical in the nature. Who’s known the mind of the Lord? Certainly no one. Who’s been the counselor of God, the instructor, the teacher of God? No one. Who’s given to God and God owes him a debt? Whose resources has God needed in order to help carry out his purposes? No one. God is sovereign. Of him, through him, to him are all things. Who is man, therefore, to challenge God’s plan? You see, the thrust of this Roman letter has been that because God no longer uses the law of Moses, a system of perfect law keeping, a system of works. Since no longer is that the way of having a relationship with God. And since he has replaced that, the law came to an end with the cross of Christ, Colossians 2 and verse 14.

Since the law of Moses was nailed the cross and it’s been replaced by the grace of God, revealed in the gospel, by grace through faith now are we saved. Who is man to challenge that God shouldn’t have done it that way? The Jews were doing that. They were challenging God for bringing salvation through Christ instead of through the works of the law. And he’s saying, Who is man to challenge that? How do we know the mind of God? Well, there’s a lesson. You may not be a Jew, but there are men today even who come along and say, Well, I know the Bible may not say this or that, but I think that God would be pleased with it. There are people today who even reject baptism as important or necessary for remission of sins, even though Acts 2.38 teaches that it is essential.

And even though Galatians 3 verses 26 and 7 teaches that’s the means by which children of faith are baptized into Christ or reach relationship with him. There are people who say, Well, I’m not sure God would mind if we aren’t baptized. Well, who are we to search the mind of God and say this is the way it ought to be or shouldn’t be? Isaiah 55 verses 8 and 9, the prophet said, My thoughts, or God through the prophet said, My thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways, my ways, said the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Man needs to keep an open Bible and an open mind.

Conclusion

Man needs to say, Lord, thy will be done and not mine. The only way you can know the thoughts of God are coming to the inspired word of God. First Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 12 says, It was revealed that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Well, with the close of this chapter, we’ve closed the argumentative part, you might say, of the book of Romans. A grand book, a grand theme, saved by grace through faith. Until our next study, we bid that the grace of our Lord be with you.