Romans 11:25-36 ESV
“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
‘The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob’;
‘and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.’
“As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
‘For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?’
‘Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?’
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Who was Paul addressing in these words in Romans 11? The Gentile believers in Christ, right? And if you had to summarize what his central message was to these Gentiles, what would you say that his point was, overall, in what he was saying to them? What were his key points? And why was he telling them all of this? I believe the reason for this discourse with the Gentiles was two-fold, one to correct some of their misconceptions, and two, to make the Jews jealous and desirous of wanting to be saved, too.
His overall message to the Gentiles was to correct some of their misconceptions and to set the record straight. Yes, many of the Jews had rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Christ, and so God had cut them out of Israel, and he had grafted into Israel all the Gentiles who believed in Christ. But it appeared that some of these Gentiles were getting proud that they were included now in the nation of Israel but that the bulk of the Jews who refused Jesus as their Messiah were now excluded. And they seemed to have had the idea that God was now finished with the Jewish nation.
What else was the point Paul was making in Romans 11? Paul wanted to see the Jewish people believe in Jesus Christ and so be saved and have eternal life with God. Some of them believed, but the majority did not. So this was what was on his heart. It is on my heart, too, for all people who do not believe in Jesus Christ, that they would believe and be saved, i.e. that they would die with Christ to sin and be raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God (Romans 6:1-23).
And then Paul went on to talk about how the Jews’ rejection of the Promised seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ, meant the salvation of Gentiles, which was in God's plan. But the Gentiles were not to be conceited about this. And then Paul went on to talk about how the unbelieving Jews were cut out of Israel, so they who do not believe in Jesus are not Israel (see all noted Scripture references), but they can be grafted back in if they believe in Jesus Christ, which is the only way that any of us can be part of Israel, the Israel of God.
So if any Jew does not presently believe in Jesus Christ, he is not part of biblical Israel of the New Covenant. And then Paul went on to talk about the subject of election. There are Jews who are elected of God to be saved who are right now hardened in their hearts against the Lord. But when he mentions "Israel" in combination with "until the full number of the Gentiles has come in," he is referencing spiritual Israel, of the promised seed of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ, and only by faith in Jesus Christ.
He is saying that this spiritual Israel (Jew and Gentile, who are now one in Christ, by genuine faith in Jesus Christ) includes Jews who are yet to believe in Jesus, but by election, not as their current status. And once all the Gentiles have entered into Israel, by faith in Jesus Christ, these Jews will believe in Jesus, too, and thus all Israel (both Jew and Gentile by faith in Jesus Christ, God’s elect) will be saved.
The bottom line in all of this is still that the Jewish nation, the majority of whom do not believe in Jesus as the Christ, is not presently biblical Israel, and they are not presently heirs of the promise God made with Abraham and his seed, Jesus Christ. But there is a promise here that there will be some Jews who will believe in Jesus before the Lord returns to judge his people. They are a remnant. And they will be grafted back into Israel, the Israel of God, of the New Covenant God made with both Jew and Gentile.
[John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 9:4-8; Romans 11:17-25; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 John 2:22]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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