Day 26: Romans 11:1-24: God Has Not Rejected His People

Grace leaves no room for pride.

Paul reassures believers that God has not abandoned Israel. He explains there there is still a faithful remnant- a group who continue trusting God by grace.

Paul also warns Gentile believers not to become arrogant. No one stands by superiority. Everyone stands by grace. Using the picture of an olive tree, Paul explains that believers are connected to God's promises through faith.

Reflection ?: Where might spiritual pride quietly show up in your heart?

Dig Deeper: Why is humility important in the Christian life?

Transcript

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Welcome back and happy Monday. I hope you enjoyed your weekend. We're in day 26 today of our Romans Bible study daily devotional. Our topic today is God has not rejected his people. Our passage is Romans chapter 11, verses 1 through 24. And before we get into it, let's think about these questions. Where might spiritual pride quietly show up in your heart? Why is humility important to the Christian life? Let's read the passage together. I ask then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not, for I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Or don't you know that the scripture says in the passage about Elijah how he pleads with God against Israel? Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life. But what was God's answer to him? I have left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal. In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace. Now, if by grace, then it is not by works. Otherwise, grace ceases to be grace. What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for, but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened. As it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear to this day. And David says, Let their table become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and their backs be bent continually. I ask then, they have stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not. On the contrary, by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring? Now I am speaking to you, Gentiles, insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if I might somehow make my own people jealous and save some of them. For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? Now if the first fruits are holy, so is the whole batch, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them, and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast, you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. Then you will say, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. True enough, they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be aware, be beware, because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Therefore, consider God's kindness and severity, severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness towards you, if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? That is the word of God. Let's get into our devotional today. Paul wants believers to understand something important. God has not abandoned his people. Throughout Israel's history, there was often a faithful remnant, a smaller group who continued trusting God. And Paul says that's still true. Then he gives a warning to Gentile believers. As more non-Jews came into the church, there was a temptation toward pride to think that they were now better or more deserving. So Paul uses the image of an olive tree. Some branches were broken off because of unbelief, and Gentiles were grafted in through faith. But Paul says, don't become arrogant, because no one is saved through superiority. Everyone stands by grace. This matters today. Spiritual pride can be subtle. Comparing yourself to others, looking down on people who struggle differently than you do. The gospel humbles all of us equally because none of us earned our place. Grace is the leveling ground. Amen. Talk to you tomorrow.