Feb 9, 2020
Romans: The Integrity of God and the Wonder of Grace
Originally Presented: April 13th, 2008
Scripture Reading: Romans 11:1-6
In Romans 11 Paul answers the question concerning the future of the people of Israel. Because of Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ and the spiritual deadness of their hearts, most Jews were not being saved. The status of their being lost called into question both the integrity of God and the future of Israel. Paul speaks to both those issues in this chapter.
The theme statement of the chapter is the implication of the rhetorical question in the first verse . . . "God has not rejected His people, has He?" (Rom 11:1). The statement is repeated, for emphasis, in verse two. God is shown in this chapter to be true to all His promises to Israel, both at the present time and in the future.
The evidence of God's faithfulness to His promises to Israel presently is that, in spite of Israel's spiritual rebellion, God has kept for Himself a remnant of Jews, whom He has granted salvation (Rom 11:5). Paul does not miss the opportunity, at this point, to laud the wonder of the grace of God. The salvation of this Jewish remnant is totally dependent on the work of God to save the Jews who were being saved.
It is the sovereign grace of God that determined our salvation. God's choice to draw us to Himself, based on the good pleasure of His divine will alone, is the definition of 'grace'. By this grace our pride is crushed and our delight in and our passion for God are thereby heightened.