Lessons From Romans – Lesson 15
Rom 11:25 For 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 fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Paul has made it clear over and over that God has not forsaken the Jews. In the end He will fulfill His promises to that people group.
It says blindness in part is happened to Israel and it says until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
It is clear that God has not blinded all Israel, it says in part. And this is until the fullness of the Gentiles comes, and that is when the tribulation starts.
And God has always had a remnant of saved Jews since Abraham. Granted percentage wise they are in the minority. But there has always been some, and there are some saved Jews today.
And Paul has made it also clear that as a people group God has blinded the eyes of most of the Jews, but it is also clear that on an individual level that is done out of God’s foreknowledge. God knows who will reject Him and so when He blinds them so they cannot see the truth, He is just giving them a stronger dose of what God knows they have chosen.
God’s offer of salvation is still open to the Jews and there will always be a few who will accept it and get saved.
But for the most part God has turned now to the Gentiles.
You have heard me say many times, the Bible is not made to be speed read. You should take your time and really slow down and think about what you read and not speed read your Bible.
Some of it if you read it too fast you can miss out. And the next few verses are an example.
In the verses before the context is that Paul has been talking about 2 groups of people. Jews and Gentiles. In these next verses the context has not changed. Paul is still talking about those 2 groups.
You need to bring that context with you when you read the next couple of verses.
The For as ye in verse 30 is talking about gentiles.
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
In times past is referring to the time before God turned to the Gentiles later in the book of Acts and before that they had not believed God. Yet now they do believe God. They have now obtained mercy. They have now like in Jesus’ parable of the publican have cried God be merciful to me a sinner.
Since God has turned to the Gentiles in as far as bringing conviction and opening the eyes to a larger extent, they are getting saved.
The through their unbelief is talking about the Jews. And they (the Gentiles) have obtained this mercy through their (the Jews) unbelief.
This is talking about God turning from the Jews to the Gentiles.
So since God had in large part turned from the Jews to the Gentiles because of the hardness of the hearts of the Jews; that gave Gentiles more access to the word of God and the Holy Spirit worked to open their eyes.
In verse 31 the even so have these is talking about Jews.
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
So now the Jews do not believe. The that through your mercy. It talking about the Gentiles.
So let’s read it with adding who it is talking about.
Rom 11:31 Even so have these (Jews) also now not believed, that through your mercy (Gentiles) they (Jews) also may obtain mercy.
Just as the Gentiles have received the mercy from God, they are to extend mercy to the Jews so that the Jews may also obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
This is a declaration that God wants to have mercy upon all. God wants all to get saved. God wants both Gentiles and Jews to get saved.
I think that the implication here is that God does not want the Gentiles to keep the Gospel to themselves. God wants them to also care about Jews getting saved.
One reason (God often does things for more than one reason), one of the reasons that God turned to the Gentiles was to provoke Israel to jealously. That means to get Israel to ponder their situation. To get them to think about how they are wrong.
And the end goal of that is mentioned in these verses. So that some of Israel can receive mercy and get saved. And we learn here that God’s plan is that Gentiles are involved in that so that some Jews can receive mercy and get saved.
And that plan makes a lot of sense. There is only going to be a remnant of Jews saved during this entire time period from later in Acts when God turns to the Gentiles until the Tribulation.
Therefore there are not enough saved Jews to give the gospel to the lost Jews during that entire time period. More help is needed and it is God’s plan that the extra help comes from Gentiles.
When we give to Chick Tract missions a part of that goes to get tracts written in Hebrew and English to Jews in Israel.
And this is why we boost at least two messages on X a month into Israel.
To recap Jesus died for everyone, Jesus paid for everyone’s sin. Jesus told the believers to go into all the world and preach to every creature. Jesus wants all to repent and get saved.
And that includes Jews and Gentiles. But because of the hardness of the hearts of Israel, God has turned most of His work to the Gentiles. And a huge majority of those that will get saved during this entire time period from late in Acts to the tribulation will be Gentiles.
And God has in part blinded Israel. But He still wants Israel to get saved and He wants Gentiles to show mercy to Jews so that Jews can receive mercy and get saved.
The effort from saved Jews and from saved Gentiles works together to maintain a saved remnant of Jews all the way to the tribulation.
Some people will not like this plan. In fact there are some people who claim to be Christians who do not like this plan. Some of them are wolves in sheep’s clothing, but some of them are really saved, they just either do not read their bibles or are confused or they are misled.
Some wrongly believe that God blinding Jews so they cannot see the truth is forcing them to go to hell without a chance. We know that is not true. When God does that it is out of foreknowledge.
He knows they do not want Jesus and that they will reject the truth no matter what so He is just giving them a larger dose of what they will choose.
God does not have any problem balancing the free will of man and His Sovereignty. God does not even break a sweat make both 100 percent true.
Can we with our little finite minds understand all of this in every aspect and in every detail? Absolutely not. God is infinitely above us. In faith we are to accept what God has revealed.
Frankly it does not matter if we like God’s plan or not. This is not about us or our likes or feelings. We are not to judge God. No one can teach God a better way. He is the one that is perfect and has all knowledge and all wisdom.
His plan is always best. This is what Paul goes over next.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
God’s wisdom and knowledge have a depth to them that no man can fathom. They are so great that they are unsearchable and past finding out.
And I love the order of the words here. With man wisdom is making correct choices based on knowledge. With man he has to first accumulate knowledge so that he can make wise choices.
With man it is first knowledge and then maybe wisdom.
But with God it is not that way. With God it is both the wisdom and knowledge. With God Wisdom is mentioned first. God does not need to first gain knowledge so He can have wisdom. God already has perfect wisdom because He is the all-knowing, all powerful perfect holy God.
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
The obvious answer to both of those rhetorical questions is no one. No one ever has or ever will know the mind of the Lord. No one ever has or ever will be His counsellor.
No one will ever teach God. No one first gives to God and makes God a debtor to him.
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
What Paul is teaching here goes so well with the song bend the knee.
… There are moments on our journey following the Lord
Where God illumines every step we take
There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us
As we try to understand each move, He makes
When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him
… Bow the knee
Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see
Bow the knee
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity
And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan
In the presence of the King, bow the knee
… There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall
The cold and lonely winds won’t cease to blow
And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel
We are tempted to believe God does not know
When the storms arise, don’t forget, we live by faith and not by sight
… Bow the knee
Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see
Bow the knee
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity
And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan
In the presence of the King
… Bow the knee
Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see
Bow the knee
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity
And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan
In the presence of the King
Bow the knee.
Whoever wrote that song gets it.
Trust God and leave His plan to Him and we trust that it is the best plan because it is His plan. We trust in His judgment and His perfection and His love and His holiness.
Our place is not to pass judgment on God or to question His plan. Our place is to walk by faith and trust in and lean on Him.
Our place is to walk with Him and try to please Him.
That should be the natural response to every Christian who learns the truth that Paul just covered. And so this natural response to this truth is what Paul goes into next.
As Christians we should present ourselves to God as a Living Sacrifice
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
I beseech you therefore. Therefore. So based on the truths that were just presented, therefore. You should do what I am about to tell you based on, and because of, what was just taught.
And Paul beseechs us that we do this.
Beseech is to To entreat; to supplicate; to implore; to ask or pray with urgency;
Paul is pleading for Christians to do this. It brings glory to our Lord, and honors Him and what He has done for us. It shows the world that we think He is worthy.
And of course Paul is pleading for us to do this for our own sake. Pleasing the Lord in this way is what is best for us as well. What is he imploring us to do.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
That we choose voluntarily to present our bodies a living sacrifice. What does that mean? It tells us in the same verse. To be holy, acceptable unto God.
To be holy is to be separate to God for God’s use. That means departing from and forsaking sin. It means living a life that brings glory to God. That means living for Jesus.
It means choosing to live the way our Holy Sinless God wants us to live. That means putting His will for us above our will. This means yielding to and submitting to our Lord.
And Paul says which is your reasonable service.
It is reasonable. We are not being asked to do something that is hard and unreasonable.
Paul just showed that God’s wisdom is far above ours and that God’s plan is best. And since He loves us and cares for us and helps us and since He wants our best, then His plan is obviously what is best for us.
Therefore choose to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.
And right in the verse Paul says by the mercies of God we are to do this. We are not to do it in our own flesh.
We are to do it by the mercies of God. We are to ask Him for help to do this. God will have mercy and give us the help we need to live for Him.
This is good and right and reasonable.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We are to live in a way that is not conformed to this world. We are not to behave or think like or be driven by the same things and same goals as the world.
The world is driven by many things. Fame, fortune, houses with 4 car garages that you don’t need.
Greed, lust of the flesh and the pride of life is of the world.
Racism is of the world. Letting violent criminals off over and over with cashless bail is of this wicked world. The list goes on and on. We are not to conform to any of that. We are to depart from any of that kind of thinking.
Instead we are to be driven by and conform to God’s ways that are clearly revealed in His Word.
And we do transforming from the world’s ways to God’s ways by the renewing of your mind.
And that simply happens by reading and spending time thinking about God’s Word. And thinking about how it says that His commands are not grievous and how Jesus said if ye love me keep my commandments.
And how much He loves us and how He tells us that we should live is actually for our best.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
That ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.
So when you decide to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God and you decide to be not conformed to this world and instead renew your mind with God’s Word and live God’s way.
When you do that, then in time you will see and experience the reality that God’s will is perfect and that His ways was in fact best for you. By living this way you prove the reality that God’s way is best.
It all make perfect sense and this is all very reasonable and is what is best for us.
And this should all be a no brainer as they say. Since this is the will of God and it is best and reasonable you would think that the response from Christians would be AMEN and AMEN.
God is good. God is worthy. God knows best. Amen and Amen.
But sad to say percentage wise that is not what I have seen.
When I have preached separation from the world and living for Jesus I have seen all too often the response of Christians crying out I am preaching legalism.
Of course I am not talking about this group here this morning. I think we all understand that choosing voluntarily to life like the Lord wants is not legalism. It has nothing to do with getting saved.
And God does not force this on anyone. Paul is beseeching us to make this choice. It is a choice that is in our best interest.
It is simply the reasonable service that we can do for our Lord. It is simply putting real trust in His ways and His care and in His Word.
Another principal from God’s word I think should be mentioned here.
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Salvation happens in a moment as soon as a person calls upon God to save them with a repentant heart.
But you don’t get saved and 5 minutes later are a mature Christian.
Becoming a Christian takes a moment, learning your Christianity and growing in it takes a lifetime.
The critical part is not getting everything right all the time, for that is impossible. No one has arrived. We all carry that old sin nature with us and it does at times cause real problems.
The critical part is that out of a free will and from a heart of love for Jesus that you choose to do your reasonable service to our Lord and to sincerely work on living how He wants you to. And to keep growing and striving to please God more and more as you walk with Him.