Lessons about God

29 September 2013 AM – Romans 11:1-36 – Romans – Scott Childs

Introduction

Peter tells us that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. He preached at least 100 years while he built the ark, yet only his immediate family believed. God has never forces salvation on anyone. It is a gift of His grace. God’s offer always has a limited duration. In Noah’s day, it was limited by the flood. Today it may be limited by death or the Rapture.

Transition

This chapter identifies four lessons about God and His salvation that are important for us to remember.

I. God Does Not Force Salvation on Anyone (v1-10)

God foreknew those in Israel who would believe.
1. That was true back in Elijah’s day (v2-4)
2. It was also true in Paul’s day (v5)
3. It is still true about people today. Believers are far outnumbered, but they do exist.
God blinded unbelievers in Israel (v7-10)
1. God did not cast them away. They turned their back on God (1). God did not force His salvation on them.
2. They sought righteousness by keeping the law, but did not get it because of unbelief (v7). Righteousness is only by faith!
3. God let their table become a snare… (v9). A person’s table is usually a place of eating, fellowship, safety, and security. The Jews spiritually feasted on the Old Testament, yet they refused to believe it pointed them to Christ for salvation. Thus, it became a snare, a trap, and a stumbling stone for them. It trapped them in sin and tripped them.

Because Israel would not believe on Christ, God blinded their eyes. This can be true today as well. If a person refuses to believe the gospel after hearing it several times, the Holy Spirit may remove his conviction and that person will remain spiritually blind.

II. Salvation is a Privilege We Must Not Neglect (v11-24)

Israel rejected and God turned to the Gentiles.
1. God did not forsake Israel, but He turned to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous so they might believe.
  1. When Israel sees God’s blessing on Gentiles, He wants them to be jealous and believe on Him.
  2. God used Israel’s fall to make us spiritually rich (v12). Salvation is now available to all people.
2. Paul too longed to provoke his people to believe and be saved (v14).
  1. Several times we have seen Paul’s great passion for souls, Romans 9:2-3, 10:1, and again here.
  2. We too ought to pray the words of the hymn that say “give me a passion for souls dear Lord, a passion to save the lost.”
Gentiles who are grafted in dare not boast
1. Here Paul illustrates his point with grafting (v17). Grafting is taking a shoot from one tree and carefully attaching it to the branch of another tree. He said that God cut Israel’s branch off and grafted the Gentile’s branch in its place.
  1. God warns us not to boast of this. Life comes from the rootstock not from the branch (v18).
  2. God cut off Israel because of their lack of faith. The only way a Gentile can be grafted in is because by faith (v19-20).
  3. Since God did not spare Israel, the natural branches, we must not think he will spare Gentiles if they do not continue in his goodness. This is not teaching that we can lose our salvation.
    Paul’s point was, if God set aside Jews temporarily because of their unbelief, He could do the same with Gentiles because of boasting. – Constable’s Notes
God will gladly graft back Israel if they will believe on Christ (v23). If God could graft in Gentiles, He can easily graft back in those of Israel if they will believe (v24).

Twenty-three years ago when we lived in PNG, I witnessed many times to an old white-haired man named Sone. I believe he understood the gospel, but he would never place his faith in Christ. I never heard that he ever did. Salvation is a privilege we must not neglect. When God offers you salvation do not turn it down. If you do, you may lose the opportunity to be saved altogether.

III. God’s Offer of Salvation is for a Limited Time (v25-32)

Israel will only be blind for a time.
1. God says that Israel’s spiritual sight will return when “the fullness of the Gentiles is come in” (v25). That phrase speaks of the full number of Gentile believers. From the time of Pentecost until the Rapture, God is saving Gentiles. When the Rapture takes place, God will take all true believers to heaven and He will open Israel’s eyes.
2. During the Tribulation period that will last seven years, scores of Jews will be saved (v26).
Gentiles now have mercy because of Israel’s unbelief.
1. Believers now receive God’s mercy.
2. Jewish believers will one day receive God’s mercy.

No one knows when the “fullness of the Gentiles” will be complete. It may be today. It may be in a few years. However, it appears to be fast approaching. Unbelievers dare not put off salvation because God’s offer is for a limited time only. God tells us that during the Tribulation, those who have already heard the Gospel and neglected it, they will be the lie and be damned because they did not believe when they had the chance (2 Th 2:11-12).

IV. We Have No Right to Questions God’s Ways (v33-36)

God’s reasons are flawless
1. His wisdom and knowledge are endlessly deep. No one has wisdom or knowledge like that of God.
  Colossians 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
2. His judgments are perfect and thus unsearchable. He has never made an error in judgment. He knows all the facts.
3. His ways are incomprehensible. His conduct is spotless. We cannot comprehend this.
4. His mind is beyond our knowing. We struggle to know our own mind let alone God’s.
5. His thoughts are beyond man’s counsel. No one can tell God a better way to do things. His way is always the best.
God’s sovereignty is universal
1. He owes no being anything as he alone is eternal. Because God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, He was before all things so no one can give Him something that He did not already have.
2. He created and sustains all things. All things are from Him, and through Him, and unto Him.
3. He alone deserves glory forever.

God chose Israel as His special people. Through them He would provide the Messiah, the Saviour of mankind. God offered salvation to Israel by faith, but they rejected it. Christ died and rose again to pay for their sin, but they would not believe. Because of their unbelief, For a limited time, God now offers salvation by faith to Gentiles. We all deserve His judgment. God is so good to us.

Conclusion

God’s salvation is for everyone. We must not neglect this privilege. His offer is for a limited time only. We must not delay to believe and receive it. Have you believed that Christ died for you and received His offer of salvation? If not, do it today.

Christian friend, do you have a passion for souls? When is the last time you passed out a tract or shared the gospel with a person? Time is running out. Ask God to give you a greater passion for souls.

Though we do not fully understand the reasons God is working as He is with the Jews and Gentiles, we do know that he makes no mistakes. If you have questioned God’s ways, ponder over the last four verses of this chapter.

Song: Give Me a Passion for Souls – 306

Sermons

Lessons about God – Romans 11:1-36