Recovered By Grace: Don’t Trip Over God
Romans 9-11
Introduction
So far in our study of the book of Romans, we have read:
-The Good News is God’s Power to Save Everyone
-Everyone needs saving - all have sinned. We cannot overcome on our own.
-Salvation is a matter of God’s grace, accessed by faith/trust.
-When we trust, God credits us with righteousness.
-Only the power of grace can overcome the power of sin.
-In spite of the war within, we are more than conquerors and remain uncondemned because of Jesus Christ.
Today we are going to hit some high points in Romans 9-11.
-Yarbrough: Romans 9-11 pose formidable interpretive challenges. (So, it’s not just me - good!).
-In this section we find some detailed discussion in view of what Paul has shared in the first 8 chapters. One would think that the issues faced in the Roman church would be solved, but Paul wants to dive down deeper into the issues that divide them - attitudes toward God and truth and our own struggles with ourselves.
-The Jews will struggle with this because not only are the Gentiles welcomed into the church with open arms, it seems like the history and journey of Judaism is being disdained.
-The Gentiles will struggle with this because they do not see the point of learning from the Jews anything about their practices and history. They fail to realize that they are in Christ because God has been working through the Jewish people all the way to the cross.
The ultimate overarching point is that God has a plan to save everyone and He has brought everyone to this point in the faith journey. No one has a right to look down on anyone else, because we are only victorious in Christ, not in our heritage!
The problem is that we get tripped up on God’s plan as we try to seek our own path in life.
-Our recovery from sin and struggle requires us to put in the effort every step of the way, while depending upon God.
-The only path to real recovery from sin is to pursue God on his terms and seek His will for our lives.
-This is where many people trip up - trying to do it themselves.
Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Ways we trip over God in our recovery from sin…
1. Some Reject the Rescue (9:1-4a)
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel.
Paul is anguished over his fellow Jews and their rejection of Jesus. He is in anguish over his fellow Jews who have rejected Jesus. He understands this because he was one of them - persecuting Christians. I think he is talking about his fellow Jews who have not become Christians, but he wants the Jews in the church at Rome to remember that their confidence is in Christ, not in their heritage.
Today many people reject the rescue that is provided through Jesus Christ.
When Americans are asked to check a box indicating their religious affiliation, 28% now check 'none.' (NPR report) This always remains a great concern among Christians - to be moved to help other people find their way to Jesus. We realize that when people reject the rescue enacted by God, they reject the only way they can be saved.
2. Some Reject God’s Plans (9:4b-33)
The Hebrew people had every advantage and opportunity to know God and walk with Him!
Romans 9:4 Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
The Gentiles were always part of God's plan to rescue every sinner.
Romans 9:25 "As he says in Hosea: 'I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”"
God always intended to save everyone who believes - something that the Jews were tripped on.
Romans 9:32-33 “Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
3. Some Reject Available Knowledge (10:1-21)
They have a zeal without knowledge
Romans 10:1-4 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Their approach to God is self-righteousness, not righteousness that comes from Jesus. This always fails.
Because we are not righteous! We get zealous about all the wrong things sometimes!
Moser: “The zeal of those without the knowledge of Christ leads them away from, not to Christ.”
Philippians 3:8-9 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
4. Some Reject God’s Call (Romans 10:9-13)
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Notice the inclusive words here such as "anyone" and "everyone" and the declaration that "there is no difference between Jew and Gentile". Once again Paul brings everyone to the same place - all need to be saved and the only salvation offered is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. Some Reject God (Romans 11:22)
Romans 10:17, 21 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ... But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
Just think - after God has spent generations bringing us to this point, we can still think we can do it on our own.
Jesus is for everyone - and we are in our own way if we do not embrace this.
God has a plan to save everyone who believes. We trip over that plan when we:
- Think we can do it on our own.
- Try to ‘wing it’ and not worry about listening to God.
-Try to manipulate God into doing what we want.
- Refuse to submit to the truth He puts in front of us.
We need to consider the truth about God: He is both kind and severe.
11:22 ESV: Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
The kindness of God leads us to repentance and discipleship. (Romans 2:4b God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.)
The severity of God lets us know that if we reject him, our hope for eternal life is lost.
Conclusion
Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
After leading us to the mountaintop of grace and mercy where there is no condemnation in Christ, Paul begins to tell us why he laid all that groundwork:
- God wants everyone to be saved
- God’s plan was that Jesus would rescue sinners who believe
- When we reject God’s plan, there’s no plan B!
Consider God’s truth today - his kindness and severity.
This section has several difficult passages to work through but overarching truths as well - and they move us to recognize God’s power, plan, and path.
Once we receive the truth about Jesus and decide to follow Him, how does that change our lives? Romans 12!
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Discussion Questions
1. What exactly is the "anguish" that Paul expresses in the first few verses of Romans 9? What do you make of his statement: "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people"? How does that compare to our evangelistic zeal today?
2. Paul lists several advantages the Jews had (9:4-5). What do you think Paul is trying to convey in this list? What would this mean to the Jews? What would it mean to the Gentiles? (Teacher Note: The Gentiles seemed to think they didn't need to know anything about the Hebrew history; Paul contradicts that. See 11:17-21.)
3. Paul identifies that Jesus is a stumbling stone. How is this true for the Jews? For the Gentiles? For us today?
(Romans 9:32-33)
4. Twice in Romans 10:9-13 Paul encourages speaking aloud our faith. What is the significance of this?
5. Romans 11:22 says God is both Kind and Severe (Stern). In what ways are both of those descriptions true?
6. In Romans 11:35 Paul quotes a saying that God spoke to Job in Job 41:11. Think about what God was saying to Job. What is Paul communicating by quoting that verse?
7. At the end of Romans 11 is a Doxology (an expression of praise). This difficult section has outlined several things about God. What do you think moves Paul to express this praise at this point?
Next Week: Romans 12
Resources
https://www.npr.org/2024/01/24/1226371734/religious-nones-are-now-the-largest-single-group-in-the-u-s
