Scripture:
Rom. 11:1 “I ask then, had God rejected His people? By no means!
Rom. 11:5 “… at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”
Rom. 11:6 “But if it is chosen by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”
Rom. 11:11 “… Through their (Israel’s) trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles. So as to make Israel jealous.”
Rom. 11:13 “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.”
Rom. 11:30-33″For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they 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 judgements and how inscrutable His ways!”
Observation:
Paul want to explain to the Romans (and all non-Jews) how they can be brought into the family of God.
In the same way that the Jews did not earn their way into God’s family (vs 6 “chosen by grace”), the Gentiles, us, also are saved into God’s family by actions not our own.
God is now wanting to graft all people into one family tree.
This can be exceptionally confusing when we all live such different lives in such different manners and in such disobedient ways.
But through the mystery and grace of God, after trespass there can be salvation, after jealousy there can be mercy.
Application:
Paul receives the grace of God and then lives his whole life as ministry. He says his ministry, which is his life, will make his fellow Jews jealous. But they will be jealous of his relationship with God! I think there is something strange in our culture that likes to provoke or create jealousy in others. (Jealous of our stuff, jealous of our family, jealous of our kids, jealous of our status, jealous of our social life.) But jealous of our relationship with God?! Do I live in such a way that people around me would think, “I want what he has, but not his stuff or family. … He has something I can’t see … but I know I don’t have it … And I want it.” Are people jealous of my relationship with God? Am I living in such gratitude for God’s mercy, such joy in the Lord, such love of others that it couldn’t be of my own power? Am I condemning others or showing mercy to others? Am I living in such a way that people even ask what makes me different?
Prayer:
God, thank you for your salvation.
Thank you that even disobedience is not the end of the story.
Thank you that you honor your covenant.
That you show grace and mercy.
Forgive me when I don’t.
Give me the courage to live life as ministry for you’d
Amen.
-Dan Shontere