Lesson 147
Romans Chapter Eleven
The Faithfulness of God
Grace and the Future of
11:28-29. Here Paul summarizes God's dealings with
In
order for God to bring the gospel to Gentiles He had to deal with
- me.n...... de. structure gives us the logical
sequence;
- me.n on the one hand according to the standard of the
gospel,
- de. On the other hand according to the standard
of His choice (they are) beloved because of the fathers;
This
is another reason
A point made very forcefully in vs:29. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (lit., "for not repented of are the
grace-gifts and the calling of God").
What
He gives and whom He calls is irrevocable; that is He will not change His mind
and will not regret not changing His mind.
He
called
- Here Paul places the word first in the sentence, places
great emphasis on the fact that God will not and does not change His mind.
- "Calling" = klh/sij refers
to God's bringing into existence and preservation of the nation
- All these things, are irrevocable, that is, something
that God will never change His mind on or regret in any way.
11:30-32. The Gentiles to whom
Paul wrote were at one time disobedient to God, but in this Age of Grace
Gentiles (you) have now received mercy.
Consistent theme here is that man is recipient of God’s
mercy!
Israel
now at this time, is now corporately disobedient to God, broken off branches,
so that now God's mercy, the offer of salvation through Christ might come to
the Gentiles (you) until it reaches its full number (Rom. 11:25), at that time
Israel will again receive mercy (cf. vv. 26-27); They will be regrafted in.
In
Rom 1-3 Paul proved exactly what is said here in vs:32;
For God
has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
"Both
Jews and Gentiles are all under sin" (3:9), So that "there is
no distinction" (
When
we first read verse 32, we might get the idea that God has arbitrarily
condemned both Jews and Gentiles to unbelief, and that there was nothing they
could do about it.
The
unbelief was their own doing. What the verse is saying
is this: having found both
Jews and Gentiles disobedient, God is pictured as imprisoning them both
in that condition, so that there would be no way out for them except on His
terms.
We
must know the Word of God and flowing from that, we must have strong
convictions about what God's plan and purposes are!
From
the context, what can we add to our convictions?
God
accomplishes all that He promises. God
finishes what He starts.
God's
commitments to the patriarchs, to
He
promised to set this people apart, to sanctify them, and through them to bless
the whole world.
This
He has done, in part, through their disobedience, now and through their future
salvation and restoration.
Two
dominant themes are found in verses 30-32.
The
first is disobedience, and the second is mercy.
First,
Paul emphasized that disobedience is the occasion for God's grace and mercy.
- The disobedience of men sets the scene for God to
display His grace toward sinners by providing everything needed for salvation,
forgiveness of sins,
the gift of eternal life, and the imputation of Christ’s
righteousness.
Second,
Paul emphasizes that there is really no distinction between the Jews and the
Gentiles in that both were disobedient sinners saved by grace.
TO THE PRAISE OF GOD (
This
concluding doxology I believe also reflects Paul's response to the fantastic
truth of this Epistle and the divine wonders that have been unfolded.
What
has been unfolded to this point?
1. Paul has expounded the marvelous plan of salvation by
which a just God can save ungodly sinners and still be just in doing so.
2. He has shown how Christ's work brought more glory to
God and more blessing to men than Adam lost through his sin in the garden.
3. He has described the fantastic provision of our
identification with Christ in His death and the fact that we're raised together
with Him so that we're able to walk in newness of life.
4. He has explained how living under grace, being
motivated by grace produces holy living in a way that law could and will never
do.
5. He has traced the unbreakable chain of God's purpose
from foreknowledge to eventual glorification. [eternal security]
6. He has set forth the doctrine of sovereign election and
the companion doctrine of human responsibility.
7. And he has traced the justice and harmony of God's
dispensational dealings with
Oh,
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
The
riches of God! He is rich in mercy, love, grace, faithfulness, power, and
goodness.
And then to expand on the depths of the riches of the
wisdom and knowledge he says;
“How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable
His ways!"
- There is a thread that runs through this verse as Paul
speaks of the depths, the riches, are unsearchable and untrackable; what Paul
is emphasizing is that the wisdom, the knowledge the judgments and the ways of
God are inexhaustible, that is they cannot be tapped out.