Lesson 138

Romans Chapter Eleven

The Faithfulness of God

 Israel’s Future  

 

Review:

 

 

 

 

- Elijah was a prophet, but he was not infallible. He was wrong about Israel's future.

 

 

The B.L. is that the principles by which God has dealt with Israel in the past hold true to the present.

 

The principle is this: God will finish what He starts, on the basis of His sovereign grace, achieved through a remnant of those whom He chooses, prepares and preserves.

 

 

- This remnant was and is the assurance that God's purposes for this people would be fulfilled sometime in the future.

 

 

- This remnant was a remnant "according to God's gracious choice," that  is, a remnant in accordance with [kata the standard] the principle of His sovereign grace, literally His gracious choice.

 

 

 

- Since it was a remnant according to grace, Israel's future was not dependent upon her good works but upon God, whose purposes and promises are based on grace.

 

 

While Israel's hope is a future hope, it is a certain hope based upon the principle of grace and upon the character and power of God.

 

 

In Romans 11:5-6 Paul summarizes this important principle that governed God's dealing with Israel in the past, that is by His Sov. GRACE;

and he also makes the application to the present time, the now time, the Church age.

 

 

                        

 

"there has also come to be at the present time"

 

- the verb here is gi,nomai used with the sense of events arising or happening, taking place, coming to pass; here its a remnant according to the gracious choice of God.

 

 

Many people fix their eyes upon what is taking place in the world today and they get all frustrated and flustered and even frightened because they fail to understand God's purpose and program for this present age.

 

 

Observations on WHAT IS GOD DOING IN THE WORLD TODAY?  Central issues in  His Plan. Big Picture!

 1) Acts 15:14

 

 

- What is God doing in the world today?

He is visiting the Gentiles (the nations) to take out of them a people "for His Name" that is to show the greatness of His person, and in particular, to show the greatness of His grace through this people.

 

 

2)  Matthew 16:18

 

What is God doing in the world today? He is building His church. The Greek word for church is evkklhsi,a and it refers to God's CALLED  OUT assembly.

 

 

3)  1 Corinthians 12:13

-  this verse explains the how, the mechanics of people becoming members of the church, which is the body of Christ.

 

He is identifying believers with Christ, a positional placing into union with Christ; this is what being baptized by the Spirit refers to, the result is making the believer members of God's unique and special organism the body of Christ, the Church [Eph. 1:22-23].

 

 

4)  Acts 2:47. [Day of Pentecost]

Notice that God is saving individuals, He is not saving the world.  The world system headed by Satan is condemned and is appointed to destruction.

 

 

- God graciously saves individuals out of this world system  (John 15:19; 17:14).

 

 

God's purpose is not to Christianize the world so that the governments, businesses, schools, and homes of the world operate according to Biblical principles.

 

 

 

5)  Romans 11:25

 

 

He is doing a special work among the Gentiles until the full number has come in. God is daily adding more and more persons to His church (Acts 2:47) as the Church is being built (Matt. 16:18).

 

 

 

11:6 Principle that governs all of God's dealings with man, always!

- We never receive from God what we actually deserve.

 

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise  grace is no longer grace.

 

 

 

- It says very strongly that grace and works do not mix; grace and human merit do not mix.

 

 

- Here grace mixed with works or any merit of man is no longer grace!

 

 

The Doctrine of Grace

 

* Observation on Grace by  Dr. Ryrie:  "God's grace is unique among religions.  It is not found in any of the world's cults or religions,  nor in much of what poses for Christianity.  From the Pharisees  stress on deeds to the mystics focus on meditation, all religions emphasize human achievement. 

They are all bilateral agreements:  God does part,  we do part...But the God of Christianity is a God of unilateral action...God acted on His own, making a unilateral declaration of grace.

    [pg. 132 So Great Salvation]

 

1.  Definition:

a. In its most general meaning refers to everything that God is free to do for mankind on the basis of the cross.

 

b. Grace then is God's freedom and consistency to express His love towards mankind with out compromising in any way, any part of His essence.

- God cannot and will not change His character to accommodate mankind in any way.

 

c. Therefore Grace is a plan, a policy, a function of the divine modus operendi in His relationship with mankind.

 

 

2.  Concept of Grace:

a. Grace is always totally dependent upon the essence or character of God. Therefore on who and what God is never on who and what we are.

 

b. Grace then is what God can do for us and be consistent with His own character.

 

c. Grace really is a manifestation of the genius of God.

 

 

 

 

3. The Characteristics of Grace

a.  Grace stresses God’s character and man’s sin­fulness while mercy stresses God’s strength and man’s helplessness.

Grace finds its necessity in (1) the fact of God’s holiness and in the sinfulness of man, and (2) in the nature of God as the Creator and man as the creature.

b.  Grace is opposed to and excludes any idea of works for merit, works done as a means of blessing or as payment for what is done.

 

Grace means you never deserve it nor can you earn it even by the old fashion method of working for it. Paul’s statement in Romans 4:1-5 is crucial:

 

Romans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.