Romans 9:25-33

It’s all Grace!

 

Welcome!

 

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Announcements

 

√        60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

Many, including me, have drawn a parallel between the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese with the attack upon the USA by Islamic terrorists on 9/11.

 

While I am the first to call for an appropriate military response to secure the safety of our citizens, our nation and the world…

 

…I also want to be careful to guard my heart from bitterness toward the 900 million Muslims in the world.

 

Why?

 

Because God wants to save them too!

 

Ex.     “Finding forgiveness at Pearl Harbor” – you need to read this and pray for opportunity to reach the Muslim in our community with the same love that is expressed in this little tract.

 

Opportunity to go to Sudan and, or Algeria with Operation Christmas Child.

 

Intro

 

√        It might be helpful before we begin this morning to do a quick review of Paul’s purpose in chapter 9…

 

Paul takes a side trip in chapters 9-11.

 

He had laid out for us the security we have in Jesus Christ…that it is by faith, not works of the Law that we are saved.

 

Therefore, Paul declared to us in chapters 1-8 that we can stand firm in our faith knowing that our election is sure.

 

Rom. 8:28    And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

Rom. 8:29    For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 

Rom. 8:30    Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

 

So, the nagging question…

 

“What about the Jews?

 

…if God set them aside because of their unfaithfulness – how can we be sure that God won’t set the Church aside!

 

Thus, Paul’s side trip in chapters 9-11 in which he explains God’s plan for Israel and how that knowledge assures us that God can be trusted to fulfill His promises to us – Jew & Gentile – who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ.

 

√        We closed our study last week with the understanding that God is just in the choices that He makes.

 

Because we must understand….

 

Who are we to argue with God?

God has His purposes.

 

Paul closes out chapter 9, and his argument for God’s character by demonstrating that God keeps His Word!

 

God has a saved a Remnant (vs. 25-29)

 

Rom. 9:25    As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.”

 

Rom. 9:26    “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

 

Rom. 9:27    Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.

 

Rom. 9:28    For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.”

 

Rom. 9:29    And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

 

√        A remnant saved

 

First of all, as we saw in our study last week, Paul quotes from the prophet Hosea to prove his point that God is calling a new people to Himself.

 

Turning from the Jews to the Gentiles.

 

However, Paul then quotes from Isaiah to show that God isn’t through with the Jewish people – that they too have been chosen to become “children of the living God” by the same faith by which the Gentiles are saved.

 

Paul calls this group of Jews a “remnant”.

 

Ex.     Remnant – a small piece of the bolt

 

Ap.     A small group of the Jewish people will be saved

 

Two-fold understanding.

 

1)   By Paul’s 3rd missionary journey very few of the Jews to whom he preached were open to the Gospel.  That continues to be true to this day.

 

2)   Vs. 28 is most likely a reference to the 7 year Tribulation (AKA “Jacob’s Trouble”) during which the Jewish people are severely persecuted by the A/C.  At the end of which only a small group of the Jewish people are left to enter the Kingdom age.

 

The application today as it was in Paul’s day is clear – only a small percentage of the Jewish people will believe the Gospel message and be saved.

 

√        What’s Paul’s point?

 

That God is just! 

 

As God saves some and judges others He is only doing what He promised to do through the prophecies spoken in the Old Testament.

 

In fact, He would be unjust if He didn’t keep His word!

 

This is the cool part – where it all comes together…

 

These prophecies show that God’s election has made possible the salvation of the Gentiles (you and me!).

 

So, the Grace of God is seen in the history of Mankind in that while God rejected the Gentiles and chose the Jews at the Exodus…

 

…He did so that through the Jews He might save the Gentiles!!!

 

The nation of Israel rejected His will, but that did not defeat or derail His purposes…

 

…rather, by their rejection His will was accomplished!

 

So, a remnant of the Jews does (and will) believe the Gospel and therefore God’s word is fulfilled! 

 

How?

 

By Grace – look at vs. 29…

 

Rom. 9:29    And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

 

Understand that except for the Grace of God the Jewish people would have ceased to exist a long time ago!

 

Ex.     God’s judgement upon Sodom & Gomorrah – nothing left of the cities or the people – all that remains is a testimony of salt!

 

Ap.     God’s chosen people the Jews have done all that the inhabitants of Sodom & Gomorrah did – yet, in His Grace God has maintained them as a people so that He could bring about the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

 

√        The testimony of God

 

If you look at the history of the Jews you will find that there has been a systematic program by which the enemies of God have sought to eradicate the Jews from the earth.

 

Ex.     Haman, Herod, Hitler (get quotes from Joan Peter’s book)

 

That fact that the Jews have not only survived but now flourish in their God-given land is a testimony of the existence of God and the goodness of His character.

 

Ap.     What is even more wonderful is that that same God Who keeps His promises to Israel has now chosen you to become a partaker of His love and promises.

 

This is the thought that Paul closes with.

 

God’s Grace (vs. 30-33)

 

Rom. 9:30    What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;

 

Rom. 9:31    but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.

 

Rom. 9:32    Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

 

Rom. 9:33    As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

 

√        Human responsibility

 

Paul closes his discussion of election by moving from God’s sovereignty to human responsibility (the exercise of our free will).

 

Did you notice that as he wraps us his discussion he doesn’t refer to God’s…

 

Elect

Non-elect

 

Rather, the focus is on…

 

Faith!

 

√        He presents us with a fascinating paradox

 

That is…

 

The Jews sought to be right with God – but didn’t make it.

 

The Gentiles who were not seeking to be right with God – did!

 

What’s up!???

 

Paul tells us the reason is that the Jews tried to be saved by works, rather than by faith.

 

They rejected God’s “grace righteousness” and tried to please God through “works righteousness” (keeping the Law).

 

Their mistake was that rather than allowing their spiritual privileges (Rom. 9:1-5) to lead them to Christ, they used their privileges as a substitute for Christ!

 

Gal. 3:24      Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

 

Gal. 3:25      But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

 

What’s so interesting is that in the Jewish mind (even Paul before he was saved) they were thinking that the Gentile had to “come up” to his level to be saved.

 

When in reality the Jew had to “come down” to the Gentiles level and recognize that…

 

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Rom. 3:23

 

…and that he, the Jew, was a sinner just like the Gentiles he so despised and that he too needed a Savior!

 

Ap.     That was the “stumbling block” to the Jew – they rejected the Gospel of Grace and instead of being set on the solid foundation of Christ…

 

…they tripped and fell under judgement because they tried to justify themselves by works.

 

Ap.     So easy to become self-righteous in our Christian experience!

 

Get delivered from sin and then forget that it was God Who did the delivering and begin to judge other’s because they don’t “come up” to our standard of behavior.

 

Ex.     Disciple – my early life as a long distance runner prepared me for what God wanted to do in my life – for me a disciplined life came easier than for others.

 

I have to really watch myself that I don’t become too harsh on others who struggle with self discipline.  Not that I want to excuse their behavior, but at the same time I don’t want to put them under a guilt trip.

 

Grace changes our character better than guilt!

 

Reminds me that we must always guard our heart against the pride that so quickly springs up.

 

I’m just a beggar telling other beggars where to find bread.

 

Close

 

√        What kind of righteousness are you seeking?

 

A righteousness that depends upon your own merit, works, and behavior?

 

Or,

 

A righteousness that trusts in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone for salvation?

 

√        God doesn’t save people on the basis of birth (Jew) or behavior (keeping the Law).

 

He saves people…

 

“by grace, through faith” – Eph. 2:8-9

 

When it all comes down to it you need to understand that it isn’t a matter of whether or not you and I are among God’s “elect”.

 

That’s a mystery known only to God!

 

Rather, we need to understand that God offers salvation by faith to…

 

“Whoever desires,” – Rev. 22:17

 

If you will trust Christ you will then find out by experience that you are among His elect!

 

√        There are many mysteries that we cannot fully comprehend related to the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of Man.

 

But, no where in the Bible does God demand that we chose one or the other!

 

Like Charles Spurgeon said…

 

“I never try to reconcile friends!”

 

Ap.     God’s done His part – He’s chosen – He’s called – He’s provided…

 

Have you done your part?