Romans 11:15
15 For if their [the Jew’s] rejection [of the Gospel] means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? (ESV)
Salvation involves:
- The Grace of God
a. God’s saving Grace (v 1).
God rejected the Jewish people’s unwillingness to believe the Gospel, He did not reject the Jews, as Paul (being a Jew) illustrated with his own conversion.
b. God’s selecting Grace (vv 2-10).
God’s past and present selection. If we are saved, it is because of the grace of God – not ourselves. - The Grafting of God
a. The Reason (vv 11-15) –
The Jewish people refused to receive Christ, which opened the way for the salvation of the Gentiles, which served to make the Jews envious.
b. The Results (vv 16-17)
The natural branches having been broken off, made space for us Gentiles to be grafted in to have access to God through Jesus, the door through whom we may enter in.
c. The Reminder (vv 18-24)
Those grafted in are not to be arrogant and prideful over those who have been broken off.
The branches don’t support the root – it’s the root that supports the branches. - The Guarantee of God
a. His Promises (vv 25-27)
b. His Purposes (vv 28-32 - The Glory of God
a. His Greatness (vv 33-34)
He knows everything. No man or woman can fully understand the mind of God. We are not His councillors – He does as He pleases.
b. His Grace (v 35)
God owes no one anything. He is a God who moves first. People are debtors to God – we owe Him everything! He wants in return nothing less than our love.
c. His Glory (v 36)
Everything in this world exists because God willed it (Col. 1:16). He is not only the center of the Universe – He created it! Is He the center of your universe? The world does not revolve about us, but around God.
This passage teaches us about God’s grace in calling us to faith in Jesus and it reminds us that our God is a promise keeping God. It teaches us that we should always seek to honor the Lord in all we think, say, do and are.
Are you in the Lord Jesus Christ?