Romans 11:25-36

                                                                 Romans 11:25-36

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord,or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

The mystery of salvation is beyond our ability to comprehend.  None of us from any nation is deserving of salvation.  We are all completely dependent upon His grace and mercy.  It is important that we have a clear understanding of the Gospel.   Both the means and reasons for salvation are vital for us to know.  God’s glory is evident in the way He works in history to bring us to Himself.

 

GOD HAS SAVED MEN FROM SIN: The reason Christ came into the world was to save men from sin.  This is God’s mission from the time of the fall and will continue to be His mission until the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth.  His means on this mission have been partially documented in Scripture.  For generations, Israel was the primary means through which God worked to save men from all nations.  Many in Israel became proud and callused to the mission and rejected the Messiah.  The partial hardening of Israel has resulted in the primary advance of the mission occurring among the Gentile nations.  This will continue until His mission is complete amongst the Gentile nation and then He will work in the events of the world to bring about a spiritual revival through which the nation of Israel will recognize Jesus as Messiah and they will be saved in mass.  No matter which nation we are from; God is on mission to save us from sin.  

 

GOD HAS SAVED ALL BY MERCY: God’s turning from Israel to save Gentiles was due to His mercy and all his working amongst Israel, both in the past and future have been and will be due to His mercy.  No person on the planet has ever been saved by any other means than mercy.  All people everywhere are justly deserving of eternal condemnation in hell.  The fact that so many or any have been saved is purely by the mercy of God.  The constant and repeated disobedience of men throughout history is being used by God do demonstrate his unfailing and boundless mercy.  The only acceptable response for any of us is to bow down and worship Him with thankful hearts.

 

GOD HAS SAVED FOR HIS GLORY: The glory of God is the purpose for which we were created.  As we grow in our understanding of God’s mission and see His glorious and merciful salvation, we must stand in awe of His greatness and glory.  His profound wisdom, judgment and ways are far beyond our ability to comprehend or adequately describe.  Some things are too big and too glorious for us to adequately describe or fully understand.  We stand at the base of a majestic mountain and are filled with awe.  We stand on the shore of a massive ocean and are overwhelmed by the size and beauty.  However, we are only seeing the surface of these things.  As we explore different parts of the mountain, we come across breathtaking lakes, trees, flowers and wildlife.  When we dive below the surface of the sea, we find an entirely new world of plants, fish and sea creatures.  These discoveries are only simple illustrations of what the study of God is.  The beauty and greatness of His glory will be the subject of our study and the fuel of our worship for eternity.

 

APPLICATION: Join God on His mission to bring men from all nations into His salvation.  Understand that His mercy is the only reason any of us have been saved and be thankful for the mercy He constantly showers on us.  Seek to grown in our understanding of God so that we will be growingly inspired to worship Him and live for His glory.

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