Milo

OCTOBER 11

Reading 284

CHRIST’S LordSHIP Romans 14

“For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Rom. 14:9).We are to hold our convictions between ourselves and the Lord.

Background

Convictions.

Some things are clearly labeled “sin” in Scripture. We Christians agree with God, and not only give up those things, but also seek to purge them from our fellowships (cf. 1 Cor. 5). Yet there is a whole range of practices which don’t bear that biblical label. And, at various times various groups of Christians have considered practices not called “sin” to be inappropriate for those who honor Jesus Christ. The congregation I joined as a new Christian in 1956 had convictions against smoking, drinking alcohol, going to movies, dancing, and other things I probably wasn’t aware of. Since everyone in our congregation shared these convictions, no conflicts arose. But folks in the first-century congregation in Rome did have conflicts over convictions. Some thought it wasn’t appropriate for believers to eat meat. Some thought Sunday ought to be kept as a special day, much as the Jews kept the Sabbath. And others simply did not agree. Soon the harmony and unity of the church was in jeopardy, as believers judged, criticized, and looked down on one another. If you’ve ever wondered how to handle those differences that drive wedges between Christians, Romans 14 will be an especially exciting chapter for you.

Overview

Warmly welcome others without judging their convictions (14:1–8), thus affirming Christ’s lordship in each life (vv. 9–12). Yet be sensitive to others’ convictions (vv. 13–18), and do what promotes peace and growth (vv. 19–21). Personal convictions should be kept to oneself, as a matter between the individual and his Lord (vv. 22–23).

Understanding the Text

“Accept him whose faith is weak” Rom. 14:1. In this chapter Paul spoke of the “strong” and the “weak.” What did he mean by these terms? Simply put, the strong are those who have a mature Christian perspective on what Paul called “disputable things.” The weak are those who do not yet have a mature or an accurate grasp of such issues. The striking thing is that Paul didn’t side with the strong against the weak, or with the weak against the strong! Instead he modeled exactly what he called for in Romans 14: acceptance. Without looking down on either, or criticizing either, he shows that each believer is a valued member of the local body of Christ. Each is welcome. Each is loved. Each belongs. What an important wonderful thing for every believer to know. Wherever you or I may be on the journey of faith, we are one with those before us, and behind. In the fellowship of Jesus, we are one. “Passing judgment on disputable matters” Rom. 14:1. A “disputable matter” is any practice which God has not labeled “sin” that some Christians feel is all right, and others feel is wrong. We may use a biblical principle as basis for feeling that a particular practice isn’t appropriate for Christians. But unless God has clearly stated a practice is sin, our opinion is “disputable.” That word, “disputable,” reminds us to stay humble. We may be right in our opinions about disputable matters. But we may also be wrong. So while we follow our consciences and do what we believe is right, we also free others to reach their own conclusions. You and I must surely do what we believe will be most pleasing to the Lord. But in “disputable matters” we have no right to try to impose our beliefs on others. “One man’s faith allows him to eat anything” Rom. 14:2–3. You can easily generate your own list of “disputable matters.” Here’s how. First, start with Paul’s two cases: eating meat vs. vegetarianism, and strict vs. lax observance of “holy days.” Add to your list everything you can think of that are like these two. Then note how disputes over such issues affect relationships. Some folks start judging others. They are critical and condemning. Others ridicule. They treat people with differing convictions with contempt. Now add to your list any issues that seem to have such effects on Christians you know. When you have your list complete, post it. And remember. These are the things that you’re to pay no attention to at all as you build Christian friendships. God has accepted those who differ with us on all issues like these. Since God has welcomed them, we surely must welcome them too (see DEVOTIONAL). “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” Rom. 14:5–8. If you look over that list of convictions you just made out, you’ll undoubtedly have an opinion about most items there. How can you tell what position you should take on each matter, not publicly, but for yourself? You should study each issue to convince yourself: (1) That you can or cannot do this “to the Lord.” (2) That you can or cannot do it giving thanks to God. When you’re “fully convinced in your own mind,” do what you believe is right without fear of what others might think. “That He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living” Rom. 14:9–12. What does Christ’s lordship in disputable matters mean? First, that you and I are responsible to Jesus to do only that which we honestly believe will please the Lord. And second, that our Christian brothers and sisters are not responsible to us! If Jesus is Lord, then judging is His job. And I am free forever from the burden of determining what is right and wrong for others. How good that freedom feels. I don’t have to condemn others. I don’t have to try to argue them over to my point of view. All I have to do is love others, accept them, and share the joy of our common faith in Jesus Christ. It’s a terrible burden for a church, a pastor, or for you and me to play God. How freeing it is to let Jesus be Lord, and focus all my attention on serving Him. “Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way” Rom. 14:13–21. Have you ever noticed how some people flaunt their freedom? They make it a point to do things that shock others, or even offend them, just to show they can. Paul was used to overreaction from the young Christians he’d nurtured over the decades. So he guarded against overreaction now. We’re free to live according to our convictions. We’re not free to use our convictions to club a brother to death! This is an overriding concern felt by every mature believer. We really are to care about others and their welfare. Since flaunting my freedom might provoke someone to judge, or encourage a young believer to act against his conscience, I must exercise my freedom with restraint. Sometimes this principle is misapplied, and we let those with the least maturity in disputable matters impose their views on the whole church. That’s not what Paul asked. Paul was talking relationships, not church rules. He was telling you and me that when we suspect something we are free to do might harm a less mature brother or sister, then for Jesus’ sake we should freely choose not to do it! What a joyous freedom this is. It’s the freedom we really want. Not a freedom to do what we like, or what we know is lawful for us. But a freedom to do what is loving. To do what expresses the warmth, the wonder, the joy of putting the welfare of others before even our own “rights.” “Whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God” Rom. 14:22–23. The best way to handle “disputable matters” is simply not to talk about them. To discuss and argue, to try to convince others we’re correct, does nothing to promote harmony in the body of Christ. And it does nothing to build up a brother or sister in his or her faith. All that disputing is likely to do is to create doubts and uncertainty. That’s why Paul reminds us that whatever “does not come from faith is sin.” Whatever we do, we must do it in the conviction that we are pleasing Jesus Christ. So be convinced in your own mind before you act. When you are convinced, feel free to do what you believe is pleasing to the Lord. But at the same time, be sensitive to the convictions of others, and how your actions affect them. Value your brother’s well-being even more highly than your rights. And never, never make personal convictions the subject of debate.

DEVOTIONAL

There’s a Welcome Here(Rom. 14:1–4)

Paul immediately launched into the very heart of the issue. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” That’s really what it’s all about. Not who’s wrong and who’s right. Just acceptance. The Greek word translated “accept,” proslambano, is one of the most powerful relational terms in the New Testament. It means to actively welcome. It’s a glad smile, arms reached out to hug, a hand on an arm drawing a newcomer into a circle of close and loving friends. Psychologists tell us how important acceptance is. If a child fails to feel acceptance from his parents, he’s likely to grow up ridden with doubt and a sense of unworthiness. If an adult fails to feel acceptance from others, she will always be uncertain, fearful, isolated, and alone. Paul reminds us that the church of Jesus Christ is God’s family. Here every child of God is to experience welcome, and so feel the great value God places on him or her. The church of Jesus is home: it’s where we can relax and be ourselves, knowing that here we belong. And here we are loved. Acceptance is one of the most important gifts you can give another person. And one of the most valuable gifts you will ever receive. No wonder Paul began his discussion of disputable matters with the command, “Accept him.” However we may differ from others about issues the Bible does not label as “sin,” and however passionately our convictions are held, our brother or sister in Christ has been accepted by God. And we are to welcome him or her too.

Personal Application

Give the gift that costs nothing, but means everything.

Quotable

“On Sunday they come from the town and stand in the doorway and so keep out the cold. One is not cold among his brothers and sisters. What if there is less fire on the hearth, if there is more in the heart!”—Henry David Thoreau

OCTOBER 10

Reading 283

CLOTHED WITH JESUS Romans 13

“Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Rom. 13:14).The Christian lives as Jesus did, in self-chosen submission and love.

Overview

Christians are to submit to governing authorities (13:1–7). We are always to display love (vv. 8–10) and holiness (vv. 11–14).

Understanding the Text

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities” Rom. 13:1. For some, “submission” calls up the image of someone being dragged off in chains and forced to slave in some dark, underground mine. Not for the Christian. For us “submission” is a choice we make freely, gladly. We live as good citizens of our nation, because we are citizens of Jesus’ kingdom, and represent Him here on earth. “There is no authority except that which God has established” Rom. 13:1–2. It’s not that God puts His stamp of approval on every government, whether it is just or unjust, democratic or tyrannical, capitalist or Communist. Paul’s point was that God established the principle of human government, and thus existing governments derive their authority from Him. In honoring our government, whether good or bad, we honor God. “He is God’s servant to do you good” Rom. 13:3–4. Why did God ordain human government? Because government restrains sin, and serves as an “agent of wrath to bring punishment on wrongdoers.” Life is safer for the individual under even bad government than under no government at all. It’s not that governments consciously see themselves as God’s agents. Not at all. It is simply that to survive, any government must provide its citizens with some, measure of tranquility. Citizens must be able to work, to produce the food and goods that government can tax. Laws that protect life and property must be enacted. It is in government’s self-interest to see that citizens are prosperous and multiply, for a strong citizenry guarantees the survival of the state. How wise God is. In creating human government, as flawed as governments may be, God ordained a system that can only survive by serving God’s own gracious purpose of doing good. “Because of conscience” Rom. 13:5–7. We Christians freely choose to keep our country’s laws, to pay the taxes government is due, and to show respect to our nation’s leaders and institutions. In this we’re not motivated by fear of punishment. Instead it’s a matter of conscience for us. We do these things because it’s right to do them. In supporting our government, we support something which God has instituted for the good of all, even when we support government by disobeying unjust laws (see DEVOTIONAL). “The continuing debt to love one another” Rom. 13:8. The Christian is obligated to support his government. And we have one further obligation. We are to love our fellowmen. Whether Christians or not, we are to love. In explaining this, Paul said something that should open the eyes of those who see their primary obligation as keeping God’s Law. The Law, said Paul, has always been a matter of love! Those commandments that define how we are to treat each other outline the way that real love finds expression in personal relationships. If you really love someone, you won’t covet their possessions. If you love, you won’t commit adultery, or murder, or steal. So in effect, “Love is the fulfillment of the Law.” Concentrate on loving. And you won’t need to constantly refer back to the Law. True love will move you to do spontaneously what the Law requires. “Love is the fulfillment of the Law” Rom. 13:10. Let’s not make the mistake that “situation ethics” makes. That approach to ethics suggests a person compute the consequences of his or her acts, and then do the “loving thing.” That is, the thing that he believes will turn out best for the other person. In essence this approach to moral choice says, “Love instead of the Law.” But Scripture says that “love is the fulfillment of the Law,” and this is a very different thing indeed. The Bible teaches that God’s commandments are loving. Thus the loving thing to do is always to act in harmony with God’s revealed will. Law is something like the landing system used in commercial and military airplanes. As a plane approaches the runway, a repeating beep tells the pilot he is on course. If he drifts off course to either side, the pitch and frequency of the beep changes, warning him to make a correction before it’s too late. This is how Law serves the Christian. Law never produces right action: love does that. But as we act in love, we need to glance frequently at what the Law says. If our loving acts do not fulfill the Law, we know we’re off course, and need correction. There is such a thing as “dumb love”—really caring and wanting to help, but doing something that harms instead of heals. What we need is “intelligent love.” Really caring and wanting to help, and being guided by Scripture to actions which are right and good. “Let us put aside the deeds of darkness” Rom. 13:11–13. For us, as J.B. Phillips translates verse 11, “The present time is of the utmost importance.” Yes, we look forward to the soon coming of Jesus. But until then, we are on a mission for our Lord. That mission requires us to “put on the armor of light” and live decent, holy lives here and now. What an image that “armor of light” is. It’s as if Paul envisions an army approaching as the sun rises and the darkness begins to fade. There, on the ridge across from us, the sun touches the armor the soldiers wear, and they glisten with a thousand points of light. That’s how the Christian is to appear to all in this world. We are the vanguard of Christ’s coming invasion of man’s sin darkened world. We are to live such holy lives that His beauty will glisten in the darkness. By your complete commitment to God’s moral vision for mankind, you put on, and proudly wear, God’s armor of light. “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” Rom. 13:14. We watched the remake of Ivanhoe on the Disney channel last night. That was unusual. We don’t usually stay up that late, because Sue and I get up at 5 A.M., she to go to her teaching, and me to my computer. But it was a fun movie, and very well done. In one sequence a Saxon noble’s court jester entered the castle where the noble was being held prisoner. The jester wore a friar’s brown robe. Inside, he exchanged it with the noble he served. When the “friar” left, it was the noble in disguise. No one even noticed the difference. That’s what Paul was telling us here when he said, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” We’re to slip into Jesus, and wear Him everywhere we go. We’re to look like Him. Walk like Him. Talk like Him. Act like Him. In fact, we’re to be Jesus to others. What a challenge. To wear Jesus so well that no one will notice the difference. To be in Him. And to let Him be fully in me.

DEVOTIONAL

Civil Disobedience(Rom. 13)

How can we obey God’s command to submit to human government, if a government asks us to violate a divine law? That has happened more than once. It even happened at the beginning of the Church Age. Remember how the Sanhedrin commanded Peter and John not to preach Jesus? They disobeyed, saying, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.” In the case of direct conflict, the Christian must of course obey God. But we can still submit to government’s powers even when we disobey! You see, there are two ways that a person can uphold law and order. One way is to obey the law. The other is to accept the punishment the law requires. Each course of action upholds the law. Those who in the ’60s chose civil disobedience to protest discrimination against blacks were often jailed. Going quietly to jail, as Martin Luther King, Jr. did, upheld the principle of law, even as laws were broken. But there were those in the late ’60s who ran to Canada to escape the draft. They protested what they thought was an unjust war. But rather than uphold law and order by accepting punishment, their flight was a refusal to submit to the law of man and of God. In the ’90s there are other issues that may well demand Christians of conscience to break the laws of our land. But any who do must also submit willingly to any punishment the law decrees. If they do, they will honor their cause and show that Christian respect for the government that God commands.

Personal Application

We can obey God by breaking the law only if we are willing to accept the punishment law decrees.

Quotable

“A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone.”—Martin Luther

OCTOBER 9

Reading 282

LIFE IN COMMUNITY Romans 12

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Rom. 12:4–5).Love binds the members of Christ’s one body to Him, and to one another.

Background

A righteous community. Romans 12 opens the fifth major section of Paul’s exploration of righteousness. Romans 1–3 demonstrated that no one is righteous in God’s sight. Romans 4–5 showed that God credits righteousness to sinners who have faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 6–8 showed that union with Christ frees believers from the Law and, in the Holy Spirit, supplies the power needed to enable us to live righteously now. Romans 9–11 showed that Israel’s temporary fall was due to its failure to seek righteousness from God, and that God Himself was righteous in His dealings with Israel. Now, in Romans 12–15, Paul is about to describe the righteous lifestyle of the new, Christian community. This description is especially important for a church made up of Jews and Greeks, from different cultures, with diverse traditions. How could the two groups avoid conflict, and together form a just, moral community that would display God’s righteousness in man’s dark world? The question is just as vital today as in the first century. Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another, and said, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples” (John 13:34). Only as our modern churches live in community, as community is portrayed in Romans 12–15, will the world know that we are Christ’s. And that Christ is real.

Overview

The Christian’s new motive for righteous living is worship, not Law (12:1–2). By nature the New Covenant community is an organism, the body of Christ (vv. 3–8), called to live together in love (vv. 9–21).

Understanding the Text

“I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy” Rom. 12:1. The Law demanded. Grace invites us to consider God’s love, and respond to Him. By implication Romans 12:1–2 lays out a principle that replaces Law in the Christian’s life. We do not look to the Law, and respond because we must. We look at all God has done in showing us mercy, and respond to Him freely out of grateful love. If you ever find it hard to do what you know is the right thing, don’t say, “I ought to do this or that.” “Ought” won’t help. Instead, think of God’s mercy to you, and of Christ’s great love. In view of God’s mercy, you will want to do right. “Your spiritual worship” Rom. 12:1. The Old Testament worshiper brought animals to the temple, to be killed and laid on the altar. Paul reversed the imagery. Bring yourself to the altar. But do not die for God: live for Him! This is one of the wonderful things about worship. We do worship God when we go to church, when we pray, when we raise our voices in song. But we also worship God every day whenever we do anything that pleases Him. Our hand on the arm of a hurting brother can be worship. Our effort to do our job honestly and well can be worship. Stopping to listen to an upset child, even though we’re tired, can be worship. Everything we do, when done with a desire to please our Lord, is worship. How gracious of God, in view of His mercy to us, to provide us with so many opportunities to worship Him. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom. 12:2. I’m sure hundreds of sermons have been preached on the Greek words in this verse. Each tells listeners that the idea behind being “conformed” is that of being squeezed into a mold. And each tells listeners that the idea behind “transformed” is metamorphosis—that passage which converts a creeping caterpillar into a beautiful, airborne butterfly. What a goal for the believer: to become beautiful and new. Paul also tells us how: by the “renewing of your mind.” “Mind” here is nous, not so much the organ of intellect as the organ of perception. What is to be transformed is the way we look at life: the values, the thoughts, the motives, the viewpoint from which we evaluate choices. Simply put, we need to see everything from God’s point of view. What a clue to meaningful Bible study. We don’t read Scripture simply to learn doctrine and know what we believe. We read to understand how God thinks and feels about issues we face in our daily lives. How does God view my responsibilities as an employee? How does God want me to respond to this person who seems to dislike me? How does God want me to deal with the hurt of my recent rejection? If you come to God’s Word with questions like these, He will give you His answer. And you will experience that renewing of your mind that transforms. “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is” Rom. 12:2. If you and I don’t learn to look at life from God’s point of view, we will never know His will. And we’ll never make the grand discovery that God’s will is best—“good, pleasing, and perfect.” So come to Scripture with your questions and uncertainties. Ask God to speak. And then do what He tells you. Try it. You’ll like it. “In Christ we who are many form one body” Rom. 12:3–5. What’s the basis for fellowship in our churches? Is it common doctrine? A common preference for our particular traditions or ways of worship? Is it the conviction that our particular denomination best reflects New Testament principles, or that it is “the” church that traces its origin to the Apostles? Not according to Paul. The basis for fellowship is the simple fact that we Christians are bound together with others in a living organism: the body of Jesus Christ. Because we are united to Him, we are necessarily united to each other. And therefore, Paul says, “Each member belongs to all the others.” Oh, it’s not wrong for some to prefer the Episcopal high church to charismatic enthusiasm. And it’s not wrong for some to believe in irresistible grace, while others emphasize free will. But it would be wrong for you or me to look at another believer in Jesus, and draw back because he or she raises his hands, or speaks in tongues, or baptizes infants rather than believers only. Or to draw back because one’s skin is lighter and the other’s darker, or because one’s home is a hovel and the other’s is a mansion. Christ is the great leveler, not by bringing anyone down, but by bringing all up. And so we gladly welcome anyone who confesses Jesus Christ, affirming with Paul that “each member belongs to all the others.” “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” Rom. 12:6–8. Unity doesn’t mean sameness. The church in some ways is like a casserole. My mother used to make a delicious tuna casserole, using mushroom soup, fresh peas, tuna, and several other ingredients. Blended together the taste was delicious: each ingredient seemed to bring out the best in the others. This is the real secret of Christ’s body, the church. God blends together persons who are different, each with a different gift, so that each ingredient can bring out the best in the others. Only as we live together in love, serving one another with the spiritual gifts God has provided, can we as individuals be all we were meant to be in Christ. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” Rom. 12:9–16. Three themes are always found together in New Testament passages. The body of Christ, spiritual gifts, and love. There are important reasons why these three themes are inseparable. Our relationship with other Christians is defined by participation together in a single body. Our service to other Christians is defined as using our gifts and abilities to serve them. Our attitude toward other Christians is one of active, caring love. Unity, service, and love are never separated in Scripture. Without unity, there can be no experience of service. Without service, there can be no experience of love. Without love, there can be no experience of unity. Each depends on the other. If you love and serve others, you will begin to experience the unity of the body of Christ (see DEVOTIONAL). “Leave room for God’s wrath” Rom. 12:17–20. My wife, Sue, was deserted by her first husband when she was three months pregnant with Sarah, and trying to care for two-and-one-half-year-old Matthew. There was no seeming reason for the desertion: he simply left. Over the years, this passage’s reminder, “Do not take revenge,” has been a constant challenge for Sue. Her ex-husband has wanted to keep in contact with the children. After we met and married, about three years after Sue’s divorce, her ex visited us in Florida, staying in our home. What a challenge for her to live an “on the contrary” life, and “if your enemy is hungry, feed him.” In every way Sue has tried to show kindness and concern for the man who shattered her world and burdened her with bringing up their little ones alone. But how exciting it has been to see the fulfillment of God’s Word. For Paul said, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (v. 21). He didn’t mean that our good will overcome the evil in others. What he meant was that by doing good, we can overcome the evil in us! The ugly things that we might have justified in anyone treated so wrongly—anger, hatred, hostility, revenge—have been overcome in Sue, and her life has instead displayed a love, forgiveness, and kindness that could come only from God. I have no idea what Sue’s obedience to this passage has done for her ex-husband. But I know what it has done for her. And to glorify the Lord.

DEVOTIONAL

Meat and Potatoes Love(Rom. 12:9–16)

Love, Paul said, must be sincere (v. 9). But “love” is such an amorphous term in our society. Why, folks often use it to cover the basest of motives or actions. Like the person who uses “I love you” to manipulate another into satisfying mere sexual passion. But “love” isn’t an indistinct or slippery term in the New Testament. Love is practical, blunt, ordinary. It’s the meat and potatoes of the Christian life. What is meat and potatoes love? That dish we’re to serve up daily, and live on within the Christian community? Here’s the checklist Paul provided in Romans 12. Use it, not to measure how others perform, but how you’re doing as Christ’s disciple: * I show real devotion to others. * I honor others, and am more eager for their advancement than my own. * I share with others when they are in need. * I welcome others into my home, and into my life. * I rejoice with those who rejoice. * I mourn with those who mourn. * I live in harmony with others. * I associate as an equal with those who are socially or in other ways “beneath” me. There are other passages that further define love, such as 1 Corinthians 13. But this passage gives us the meat and potatoes of Christian love. If you actively love other Christians in these ways, you’re doing your part to bring vitality and life to the body of Christ on earth.

Personal Application

The most important thing you can do for others is to love them.

Quotable“

There are two ways of being united—frozen together, and melted together. What Christians most need is to be united in brotherly love.”—D.L. Moody

OCTOBER 8

Reading 281

ISRAEL TO BE SAVED Romans 11

“And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ’The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins’ ” (Rom. 11:26–27).God doesn’t break any of His promises.

Background

The remnant.

The concept of a “remnant” is consistently emphasized in the Old Testament prophets. The word means “survivors.” It is used of those Israelites who survived the various devastating judgments that God brought on His Old Testament people when they sinned. The 6,000 who refused to worship Baal in the time of Elijah were a spiritual remnant, whose faith survived the efforts of Ahab and Jezebel to impose Baal worship on Israel. Those who were carried to Captivity in Babylon when Judah fell and Jerusalem was destroyed were a physical remnant. From them God chose a spiritual remnant to return and rebuild the Jewish homeland some 70 years later. Paul argued that those Jews who became Christians were the remnant. As always, God preserves some of His people, even though the majority turn away. Picking up the argument from Romans 9 and 10, then, Paul showed that God’s Word had not failed. The vital, living Word of the Gospel was heard and believed by those within Israel who, as the remnant throughout sacred history, displayed the matchless grace of God.

Overview

Some Israelites are among those chosen by grace (11:1–6), though not all (vv. 7–10). The fall of Israel permitted Gentiles to be grafted as branches on the Jewish root (vv. 11–24). Yet the fall of Israel is temporary. One day all Israel will be saved, and all God’s ancient promises will be fulfilled (vv. 25–32). In view of the beauty and complexity of God’s plan, all we can do is praise (vv. 33–36).

Understanding the Text

“There is a remnant chosen by grace” Rom. 11:1–6. This first paragraph reminds us that we’re never alone in our commitment to Christ. Sometimes it may seem like it. Many a teen complains he or she is the only one who maintains moral convictions. Many an adult feels just as lonely when trying to do what he or she believes is right. God wants us to know at such times that there is a remnant. Always. The grace that gave us a vision of Jesus and snatched us out of the world has been poured out on thousands more. The fact that it’s grace reassures us. If salvation depended on human effort, we might well be all alone. But salvation is an expression of divine grace, and God brims over with grace. Surely His grace has overflowed and showered others with the kindness we’ve experienced in Christ. “God gave them a spirit of stupor” Rom. 11:7–10. Does this passage teach that God kept the majority of Israel from responding to the Gospel? Not at all. Paul said that Israel’s earnest search for a works—righteousness caused that spiritual deafness and blindness which God “gave” as a consequence. Last night I burst into Sarah’s room and, shouting to be heard, told her to turn down her cassette player. She was listening to her “New Kids on the Block” tape—turned up as loud as possible. I told her to turn it down, because if she didn’t she was going to lose her hearing for sure. Muttering unhappily, she turned the music down. It’s the same with a solar eclipse. People are warned not to look directly into the sun. Yet they do and lose their sight. Too-loud music dulls the hearing; too-bright sunlight darkens the sight. And earnestly searching for works—righteousness in God’s Word creates a spirit of stupor, so man can neither see nor hear the Gospel. “Salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious” Rom. 11:11–16. Israel’s fall is temporary. For a time Israel has been set to one side, and the salvation of the Gentiles has become central to God’s activity in the world. But, Paul said, this is only for a time. One day Israel will again be showcased, as a dead people brought to life. And that restoration will bring riches to the world. Some Christians, recognizing the Jews as God’s chosen people, insist that our nation support the present Jewish state, whether that state’s actions are right or wrong. We need to make a distinction between the people of God, and the modern state of Israel. The restoration that Paul predicted in Romans 11 will come. But it is not here yet. Farmers in Bible times grafted branches from cultivated olive trees onto wild stock, to improve the quality of the fruit. Paul pictured God, grafting wild Gentile branches onto cultivated Israel’s roots—an act of amazing grace. The image is also a reminder. The natural branches lost their place because they failed to understand grace. We dare not lose sight of the fact that salvation is a gift of God, a demonstration of pure grace (vv. 17–24). “Do not be arrogant, but be afraid” Rom. 11:20. Arrogance is always an enemy of grace. The arrogant person assumes that there is some virtue or quality in himself that wins God’s approval. The fact is that there is nothing in any man or woman that merits praise. We are all sinners. We all fall so short that all we can rightly do is fall humbly to our knees. If you catch the slightest hint of arrogance in any attitude, be afraid. You are rushing headlong away from grace. You are rushing headlong away from God. “Grafted into their own olive tree!” Rom. 11:24 Paul wanted us to realize the great debt we owe to Israel. The roots of our faith are sunk deep into the history of the Jewish people, and their pilgrimage with God. The roots and trunk of Christianity are Jewish: we are but branches grafted on a mighty, living tree God has tended lovingly for thousands of years. One day the Jewish people, cut off now because of unbelief (v. 23), will be grafted into their tree again. And every true Christian will shout for joy. “God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” Rom. 11:25–32. Paul looked back into history, and reviewed in his mind the many promises that God gave to Abraham and the patriarchs. He heard again the thundering voices of the prophets, shouting stridently against sin, yet growing warm and loving as they looked ahead to a future filled with blessings for Israel. There was no doubt in Paul’s mind about the future. Those promises will be kept. Not as the “spiritual” experience of the church but as God’s plan for the future of Planet Earth. “All Israel will be saved.” “A Deliverer will come from Zion.” “God’s gifts, and His call are irrevocable.” There is a future for Israel as Israel, when “the full number of the Gentiles has come in” (v. 25). Why is this important to us? In one sense it isn’t. We live in today, not in tomorrow. God’s future plan for Israel is less important to us than His will for our present. Yet there is a sense in which Paul’s statements about Israel truly are important to us today. That importance is summed up in Paul’s saying, “God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” It’s important to us that God be a Person of His Word. If He took back His promises to Israel, or if the promises were deceitful, not saying what they meant, then we might doubt the promises God has given to you and me. Thank God this is not the case. God is a Person of His Word. He doesn’t change His mind. He doesn’t take back His promises. He doesn’t try to fool us with words that fail to say what He means. We can count on God. We can trust His promises. His Word to us too is irrevocable. He will never go back on His Word.

DEVOTIONAL

Doxology(Rom. 11:25–36)

“Doxology” is a compound term, from doxa, glory, and logos, word. Together they mean a “glorifying word”; an expression of praise that glorifies God. The doxology that concluded Paul’s survey of Israel’s relationship with God and the Gospel expressed praise for the complexity and beauty of God’s plan. It was as if Paul had picked up a diamond cut by a master craftsman, and saw brilliant lights reflected from a multitude of facets. And suddenly he would find his heart filled with praise of the variegated wisdom, the vast knowledge, the intricate matrix of God’s plan. Theologians argue over Israel. Is there a future for Israel as Israel? Or is Israel today integrated within the church, which has inherited the ancient promises of the prophets? Personally I think the church and Israel are separate facets of a single, beautiful, complex divine plan. I think that this is exactly what Paul taught in Romans 11:25–32, with his reminder that “all Israel will be saved” and that God’s “gifts and His call are irrevocable.” Perhaps verses 35–36 have an even more direct application to you and me. From my perspective I can only see a tiny facet of what God is doing in the world. I see my tiny circle of brothers and sisters. I know the prayers He answers for us, the little daily miracles He performs. But all too often I forget that there are literally millions in this world who experience God as I do. Who see Him at work. And who rejoice in His goodness. If you or I could travel out in space, we’d see a globe inhabited now by over 5 billion human beings! And, if we had the spiritual sight, and each work God performed gave off an instantaneous flash, this globe would be alight with millions of points of brilliant light! Perhaps then we would catch a glimpse of the qualities of God that Paul praised here. And we would say with him, in awe, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” And, in renewed love, we would cry, “To Him be the glory forever! Amen!”

Personal Application

Consider the complex kindness of God. And offer Him your praise.

Quotable

“Though we speak much we cannot reach the end, and the sum of our words is, ‘He is the all.’ “—Ben Sira

OCTOBER 7

Reading 280

HAS GOD FAILED? Romans 9–10

“It is not as though God’s Word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel” (Rom. 9:6).God’s choice leaves room for man to decide.

Background

God’s sovereignty.

Two things are involved in this concept, His freedom to act and the fulfillment of His purposes. Freedom to act means that God is able to do as He chooses, without His choices being limited in any way by the actions of other beings, or by circumstances. Nothing can thwart God’s will. The fulfillment of God’s purposes means that what God decrees will come to pass. Again, no actions by other beings, and no circumstances, can thwart God’s will. The problem is, the rejection of Jesus by the Jewish people seems to do the unthinkable, and to actually thwart God’s will, so that His purpose for Israel has not been achieved! It is this vast issue, not the question of individual predestination, that Paul took up in Romans 9–11. He argued that the Jewish rejection of Jesus had not thwarted God at all. Instead, that rejection fitted patterns found in the Old Testament, and revealed a purpose more complex than believers often suppose. It’s important to remember as we read these chapters that the issue is not one of individual predestination to salvation. Anyone tempted to read this issue into the text can find some comfort in Paul’s observation that “not all the Israelites accepted the Good News.” The absolute freedom of God to act need not limit man’s freedom to accept or to reject the Good News about Jesus. Our freedom to choose does in no way limit God’s sovereignty, for God has freely decided to extend the Gospel invitation to all—and to permit each to respond as he or she will.

Overview

Had God failed because His promises to Israel had not produced faith in Christ? (9:1–6) No, for sacred history shows only some in the family line had been chosen (vv. 7–13), though all are within the framework of God’s purpose (vv. 14–23). As for Gentiles, God has always intended to show grace to them as well as to the Jews (vv. 24–29). Israel misunderstood God’s righteousness (v. 30–10:4), which is gained by faith rather than by Law (vv. 5–13). The failure of Israel to believe is not God’s failure, but Israel’s own (vv. 14–21).

Understanding the Text

“I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish” Rom. 9:1–5. Paul, despite the view of some, was certainly not anti-Semitic. He identified strongly with his race, and he loved his Jewish people intensely. Paul was fully aware that God had poured out many blessings on Israel, and that these were evidence of God’s committed love (vv. 4–5). While “Christian anti-Semitism” has often cropped up in history, and raises an ugly head in our own country today, to place “Christian” and “anti-Semitism” together is a contradiction in terms! How can a person who loves God not love the people loved by the Lord? “It is not as though God’s Word had failed” Rom. 9:6. This verse is the key to unlock the argument of Romans 9–11. It is also a key to our own peace of mind. All too often we pray and witness to folks who simply don’t seem to understand. Or who refuse to respond. That may make us feel like failures. What did we do wrong? Why didn’t they hear? Paul reminds us that God’s Word does not fail. Ever. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Even if a person willfully refuses to respond, the failure is not in the Word, but in him or her. So share Christ with a sense of confidence. God’s Word does, and will, succeed. “Through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” Rom. 9:6–13. One of several basic mistakes made by first-century Jews was to assume that physical descent from Abraham guaranteed a person God’s favor. How does history show this was a mistake? It records the fact that Isaac inherited the covenant promises, while Ishmael did not. Both were physical descendants of Abraham. If one wanted to argue that Ishmael had a slave as a mother, Paul pointed to Jacob and Esau. They had the same mother and father. But only Jacob inherited the promise. Physical descent is no guarantee of divine favor. Thus the failure of first-century Israelites to believe in Jesus did not indicate that God’s Word had failed. One of my professors at the University of Michigan was a Christian who had an atheist son. He kept reminding the son that it didn’t matter. God, my professor thought, was obligated to save the children of believers, so his son would believe in Christ one day, no matter what. The view may have brought my professor comfort. But it was wrong, nevertheless. God was not under obligation to all physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac, and no child of believers is guaranteed salvation today. That fact shouldn’t discourage us, however. It should encourage us—to pray for our children, to share with them, to teach and love them while they’re with us in the home. Through our love God’s love can be made real. “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” Rom. 9:13. Don’t misunderstand Paul’s point. He used the language of inheritance to drive home his lesson, that Jacob was chosen to inherit the covenant promise and any claim of Esau was decisively rejected. Here “love” and “hate” are legal terms, not expressions of emotion. Why did Paul emphasize God’s choice of Jacob even before the twins were born? To show those who relied on works that they have no basis to argue, “Well, Esau was rejected because he despised his birthright.” God’s choice was announced before either son did anything, either good or bad. We’re not to extend this principle, as if Paul were teaching the predestination of individuals to salvation. That’s not what he was writing about. He was simply making the point that God was not obligated in any way when He chose Jacob to inherit the Covenant. God’s word of salvation in Christ has not failed, simply because first-century Israel rejected Jesus. God didn’t have to save Israel, any more than He had to bring Ishmael and Esau into the covenant line. How great a need we have to remember God’s freedom. He doesn’t have to act as we expect, or even want Him to. God is God, and we are creatures. The awesome wonder is that God has freely chosen in Christ to offer us salvation. When we choose Jesus, God welcomes us into His family. Then, whatever God chooses to do will be for our good. “Does not the potter have the right?” Rom. 9:14–23 The image of God the potter molding human clay seems to some a harsh one. Yet we shouldn’t soften it too much. The fact is that even Pharaoh, who was raised up and “hardened” to display God’s glory, was not mistreated. Paul knew the Old Testament, and the Exodus passage makes it clear that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, as well as it being hardened by God. Exodus also makes it clear how Pharaoh was hardened: not by God, forcing Pharaoh against his will to resist God, but simply by revealing more and more of His divine power. The same heat which melts wax hardens clay. The same revelation which creates love for God in the heart of the believer intensifies the resistance of the person who has chosen not to believe. But this was not Paul’s point. Paul’s point was that even those who reject God’s grace, bring God glory. One of God’s purposes in creating the universe as it is was to display His wrath against sin, even as another is to display His love for sinners. Israel’s failure to turn to Jesus was not a failure of God. God’s purposes will be accomplished in those who reject as well as those who accept Jesus as Lord. Thank God, you and I will display the riches of His grace, rather than the majesty of His wrath. “I will call them ’My people’ who are not My people” Rom. 9:24–30. Had the Gentile response to Jesus surprised God? Not at all. The Old Testament makes it clear that God had always intended salvation to come to the Gentiles. And that always a remnant—a few rather than all—Israelites have maintained their trust in God. Again, God’s purposes have not failed. Salvation history is on course. What is happening now is what God intended all along. “A righteousness that is by faith” Rom. 9:30–10:4. How do we explain Israel’s failure to respond to Jesus? The Jews took the Old Testament as a rule book, and expected to gain merit with God by trying to keep His Law. They were so busy trying to establish their own righteousness, that they completely missed the message of Scripture, that God gives man a righteousness based on faith. In making this statement, Paul summed up all he had taught in Romans 1–8. There are only two ways to seek a relationship with God: man’s way or God’s. Man’s way assumes God is satisfied with merely human righteousness. God’s way abandons self-reliance, and trusts God’s word of promise. Today those two choices still loom before us. We must trust ourselves. Or trust God. And only trust in God can save. “Their voice has gone out into all the earth” Rom. 10:16–21. Is it possible that Israel hadn’t heard the Good News of God’s grace? “Of course they did,” Paul said. We can say the same thing today. Is it possible that someone hasn’t heard God’s voice? No, all have heard. All the earth has heard God speak in the creation, if not in the Gospel (cf. Ps. 19; Rom. 1:18–20). The failure of any man or group to respond to God is not the fault of the Lord. It is because of man’s obstinate disobedience when God’s voice is heard.

DEVOTIONAL

Inside and Out(Rom. 10:1–15)

“Henry! Henry Aldrich!” When I was a kid, that call introduced one of my favorite radio programs. And always Henry’s quavering voice replied, “Coming, Mother!” Henry wasn’t the greatest of sons. But you could still count on him to respond when Mom called. As the Apostle Paul went through his explanation of Israel’s failure to heed the Gospel, he made something perfectly clear. We need a righteousness that God is eager to give. We must claim it by faith. And faith is an “inside and out” response to God’s promise. What’s the inside? “Believe in your heart that God raised [Jesus] from the dead.” And the out? “Confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord” (v. 9). Why are both inside and out stressed here? When I ask nine-year-old Sarah to do something, I expect her to at least let me know she’s heard. I admit I sometimes get irritated when Sarah, engrossed in play or in some TV show, never even looks up or in my direction when I speak to her. Somehow words addressed to another person not only have to be heard, but also need to be acknowledged. It’s the same with God’s Word to us. Yes, God knows our hearts, and He knows when we’ve believed with our hearts. Yet God’s Word is dynamic, and in a sense demanding. If we truly hear, we will, and must, respond. And so Paul said that salvation comes to those who believe in their hearts, and confess with their mouths. The Word has found a home in our hearts, and is acknowledged in our lives. I have a hard time imagining that old radio show, opening with Mother crying out, “Henry! Henry Aldrich!” And not hearing Henry respond. It’s almost as hard as it is to imagine a human being hearing and truly believing God’s voice in his heart, and giving no evidence by his life that he has heard. As the old chorus says, “If you’re saved and you know it, shout ’Amen.’ If you’re saved and you know it, shout ’Amen.’ If you’re saved and you know it, then your life ought to show it. If you’re saved and you know it, shout ’Amen!’ ”

Personal Application

God knows your heart. Let the world hear your “Amen.”

Quotable

“He that believes in the heart will not be ashamed to confess with the mouth.”—Matthew Henry