08.16.2020 Romans 11
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Romans in Review
Through the 11th chapter in Romans Paul has written about the Gospel that is the power of God for salvation. Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
He spends the next two chapters, acknowledging mankind’s universal struggle with sin, which all are born with, sin that distorts and damages every aspect of our lives,
as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
But God’s greater story is not about the loss that sin has brought to God world and humanity, but rather the promise and power of this Gospel to transform the heart of sinful man. IN chapter 3 the tone of letter quickly changes.
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
This Gospel gets is power from the sacrifice of Christ and His atoning death on the cross, declaring that all who believe in Christ’s saving work are justified
For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
The results of that justification, we have peace with God.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
This Gospel is sealed by the Spirit in the refreshing waters of baptism, where God buries our sorry, sinful lives, only to resurrects us as new creations in Christ.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
From heavens perspective, the believer stands in grace, is justified by faith, enjoys has peace with God, there remains a battle a war going on.
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
In spite of the sin so close at hand and so easily entangles, that makes less than perfect our lives, God’s greater story prevails in the life of every sinner/saint, because God declares for Christ sake,
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
We are a new people for whom are best days are ahead of us, in spite of,
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Bear in mind that this letter is written to the Christians in Rome, primarily to the Gentiles, non-Jews. Yet, Paul points out the heart-breaking truth in Romans 9,10, 11, that the chosen nation of Israel rejected the Christ. That rejection placed Jesus on the cross to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
Their rejection was all a part of God’s greater story of grace - Christ giving His life for the world, for the sins of the world, and God the Father declaring all who believe are justified before Him, no longer condemn.
In these final 4 verses of Romans 11, Paul opens his hymn to sing a doxology, a chorus of praise.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Let’s join with Paul in the wonder of God’s greater story. Let’s take a moment today to realize how blessed we are to be included God’s grace, mercy and love through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let’s confess today that we never fully understand or comprehend…God’s grace, mercy and love. But, even though we will NOT fully understand God, we can can give to God a believing heart full of praise. Let’s not take these gift of faith, forgiveness, justification and peace with God for granted.
Revelation 3:11 (NIV)
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Have you ever had a privilege or a right taken away from you?
Have you ever had anything revoked?
Apparently, your library card can be revoked. If you fail to return the books you borrowed.
Your driver’s license can be revoked for a number of reasons.
Your US citizenship can be revoked… for refusing to testify before congress for your alleged involvement in subversive acts, membership in subversive groups, such as those intended to harm U.S. officials or overthrow the U.S. government. But thanks be to God...
Thanks be to God, that God Gifts and His call are irrevocable.
Which means they can NOT be undo, recalled, annulled, or revoked.
Even though we will never fully understand God’s ways, we can rejoice and live in the confidence that God won’t revoke His gift to us in Jesus Christ.
Nothing we do either good or bad can change what Christ did on Good Friday. Jesus , “finished” the work of our redemption . And no amount of sin from sinner can undo what His death an resurrection have accomplished for us.
No wonder Paul wrote,
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
Isaiah knew our God is transcendent,
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
How truth! If I were God, I would have done things differently, in creation. I wouldn't have made all the bugs, mosquitoes, really. Who needs mosquitoes, apparently God’s world does.
According to Orkin, bats like mosquitoes for food.
Birds like mosquitoes too!
Fish - Goldfish, guppies, bass, bluegill and catfish prey on mosquito larvae. But the most important fish predator, by far, is the Gambusia affinis, commonly known as the mosquito fish. This is probably the most effective predator of mosquito larvae and is used by many mosquito control agencies to augment their control efforts.
But there are more than fish dependent upon mosquitos, Frogs and Tadpoles, turtles, dragonflies, and spiders.
What do you suppose happens if you take away the mosquitos? You’ll see bluegills swimming around with signs, like this one: “Will swim for food”
Take the mosquitoes out of the world, and you take the food out of the mouths of quite a number of creatures.
Would you have thought of mosquitoes when you were making the birds, fish and other creatures? I wouldn’t. In His wisdom, God did.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
We will never fully understand God’s ways, but we can bring to Him a a heart of faith with praise for who He is and what He has done. For this the truth:
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
The truth is: Everything good comes from His hand. Everything
.
God made everything in this world for us to enjoy in fellowship, relationship with Him. And when sin entered God’s perfect world, destroying His creation and His beloved creatures, us, He wrote a new chapter, the Gospel in His story, that Gospel, is the Savior, Jesus, the Christ, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate.”