For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles,... (Romans 11:13)
We mentioned early in this study of the book of Romans that Paul goes back and forth, addressing both the Jews and Gentiles directly in the church in Rome. This particular part of the letter is directed to the Gentiles, all of us who are not descendants or Israel and Abraham in the flesh. ...I [Paul] magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh [descendants of Israel and Abraham] and save some of them. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Romans 11:13-15)
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (Romans 11:16-21) What a powerful and important lesson!
We've said it before and we must repeat it again, that the children of Israel are God's chosen people, beginning with when God told Abraham, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:1-8)
When God uses the words covenant and everlasting, whatever He has established is permanent; “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19) Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:33) Israel is the firstfruit and the natural branches of the Root, Christ Jesus. Jesus taught the disciples, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:1-4)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:5-8) There were twelve disciples, but were all saved? No! Again Jesus said, "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none ofthem is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." (John 17:12)
The apostle Peter later explained, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.” (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) (Acts 1:16-19) So let's not misunderstand, just because someone is a descendant of Israel does not mean they will be saved; For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham;... (Romans 9:6-7)
We who are not descendants of Israel but are Gentiles were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, to their dismay. Remember the apostle Paul shared with the church in Ephesus how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery..., which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. (Ephesians 3:3-7)
Paul also reiterated this to the church in Colossi, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27) Just like the picture of the olive tree above, we can see that the branches grafted in are not part of the original tree, but they can not be separated from the tree. We were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root; remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. We who are not descendants of Israel in the flesh are of Israel and the seed of Abraham because we stand by faith.
Those who are Israel and of the seed of Abraham in the flesh but have not put their faith in Christ Jesus were broken off because of unbelief. However, we who believe must not feel that we are better or more enlightened than Israel who has not believed; Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. (Romans 11:22)
And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:23-24) God always wants us to be mindful not to think of our self more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly. We are no more or less special than anyone else. To God, we are all special, and through faith in Christ Jesus, we all shall be saved. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:12-13)
But the children of Israel are the firstfruit and the natural branches of the Root; For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? For the word of the Lord to them has always been, “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30-32) AMEN!
We mentioned early in this study of the book of Romans that Paul goes back and forth, addressing both the Jews and Gentiles directly in the church in Rome. This particular part of the letter is directed to the Gentiles, all of us who are not descendants or Israel and Abraham in the flesh. ...I [Paul] magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh [descendants of Israel and Abraham] and save some of them. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Romans 11:13-15)
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (Romans 11:16-21) What a powerful and important lesson!
We've said it before and we must repeat it again, that the children of Israel are God's chosen people, beginning with when God told Abraham, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:1-8)
When God uses the words covenant and everlasting, whatever He has established is permanent; “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19) Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:33) Israel is the firstfruit and the natural branches of the Root, Christ Jesus. Jesus taught the disciples, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:1-4)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:5-8) There were twelve disciples, but were all saved? No! Again Jesus said, "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none ofthem is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." (John 17:12)
The apostle Peter later explained, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.” (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) (Acts 1:16-19) So let's not misunderstand, just because someone is a descendant of Israel does not mean they will be saved; For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham;... (Romans 9:6-7)
We who are not descendants of Israel but are Gentiles were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, to their dismay. Remember the apostle Paul shared with the church in Ephesus how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery..., which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. (Ephesians 3:3-7)
Paul also reiterated this to the church in Colossi, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27) Just like the picture of the olive tree above, we can see that the branches grafted in are not part of the original tree, but they can not be separated from the tree. We were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root; remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. We who are not descendants of Israel in the flesh are of Israel and the seed of Abraham because we stand by faith.
Those who are Israel and of the seed of Abraham in the flesh but have not put their faith in Christ Jesus were broken off because of unbelief. However, we who believe must not feel that we are better or more enlightened than Israel who has not believed; Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. (Romans 11:22)
And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:23-24) God always wants us to be mindful not to think of our self more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly. We are no more or less special than anyone else. To God, we are all special, and through faith in Christ Jesus, we all shall be saved. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:12-13)
But the children of Israel are the firstfruit and the natural branches of the Root; For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? For the word of the Lord to them has always been, “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30-32) AMEN!
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