Romans 12

Question #9: What walk is worthy of the gospel? Rom. 12:1-15:13

This question about the “walk” and the next question about the “work” of those who believe the gospel indicates we have come to the “application” section of Romans.  I have good friends who object to that word “application,” reminding me that it is all “application.”  I could call this the “practical” section but again I would be corrected in the same way.  How about the “visible” section.  Justification and sanctification are “spiritual” works done by God, in the heart, that can’t be seen.  So here we see the work of God in producing fruit in the lives of believers.  These are matters which should be evident.

The diagram shows us a critical truth in this concluding section of Romans.  Romans 12-16 are built on and securely attached to Romans 6-8.  Remember that those chapters told us that whereas “justification” declared us to be righteous before God, in Christ, that God’s intent was that we would “made righteous” (5:19).  As we were reconciled to God through the death of Christ, so we would be saved by His life (5:10), saved to live the new “resurrection life” God has given us in Christ (6:4). 

Paul has dealt with the question of Israel, as we have noted, an essential question, But now, in 12:1-2, he reconnects us with the victorious truths of Ch. 6-8.  Romans 12:1 says, present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  “Present” is the same word and concept we saw in Rom. 6:12-14.  Romans 12:2 says, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  This is the same truth given in Romans 8:5-11, that we must set our minds on the things of the Spirit.  We have to think differently than the way we have learned to think from the day of our birth.  We are no longer “natural” people, controlled by the flesh and incapable of pleasing God.  We have died to sin and been raised with a totally new life, the life of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:20).

And I want to share this admonition.  Even if you were raised in a Christian family, with godly parents, who disciplined you properly, this applies to you.  I have heard people give testimony of their salvation, saying that because of their upbringing they weren’t bigtime sinners, doing drugs and alcohol and living immoral lives.  If this is your attitude, you don’t understand how deep is the sin in these bodies of ours, and I encourage you to repent of this thought. 

Romans 11

Romans 11 tells us that the story for Israel is not yet finished.  God’s plan for both Israel and the Gentiles is being worked out.  God is keeping His word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

·       There is a remnant of believing Jews today in the Church, 11:1-10.

The concept of the “remnant” is important in Scripture when considering the place of Israel in God’s plan for the ages.  In Israel’s darkest times, when overcome by enemies and seemingly destroyed as a nation, God still promised a remnant and fulfilled that promise time and again.  In this passage we are reminded of Elijah who repeatedly said he was the only righteous man left in the Northern Kingdom in the days of King Ahab.  Yet God corrected him, telling him there were seven thousand who were true to the Lord.  Paul notes that as he writes, there was a remnant of Israelites who were true to the Lord.  As is the case to this day, they were believers in Christ, now in the Body of Christ, the Church.

·       Salvation has come to the Gentiles, 11:11-22.

Furthermore, we see that this time of Israel’s national rejection of Christ has had the amazing benefit of the salvation of many Gentiles, which is also true to this day.  The fall of Israel means riches for the Gentiles, as the Apostle says, “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (11:25).  This comes with a warning, to the Gentiles, the “visible” Church, that if they are not faithful the same thing can happen and Israel can be grafted back in to the tree.  Don’t misunderstand what is said here.  The tree is the people of God, Israel.  The Gentiles are grafted into the tree.  Our place is dependent on God’s plan in bringing the Savior through Israel.  Scripture indicates a future “falling away” (Mt. 13:36-43; 2 Thess. 2:3) will be part of paving the way for God’s plan for Israel, which is …

·       All Israel will be saved, 11:23-32.

Israel’s current situation is this: blindness in part has happened to Israel.  When Paul says “all” Israel will be saved this seems to be very literally prophesied in Scripture.  Here are but a few passages to consider: Isa. 59:20; Zech. 3:9-10; 8:1-8; 13:8.  There are three attitudes or mind-sets we should have in all of this.  First is our consideration of Israel, even today: concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.  Second is our view of God: the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.  The working out of this plan, “the mystery of God,” is done precisely so as to show the sovereign wisdom and faithfulness and mercy of God.  This is His doing.  And thus, third, we should lift our hearts and voices in praise to God.  Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! … For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen.

Romans 9:30-10:21

If it was not God’s fault, then why did Israel reject Christ?

·       Israel was ignorant of faith, 9:30-33.

This is a conclusion to the preceding verses of Rom. 9. “What shall we say then?”  Gentiles have become righteous (justified) because, having no written law, they attained to the righteousness of God by faith.  This is what Rom. 1-8 already explained.  But the Jews, having the written law, mistakenly assumed that they could keep the law and thus attain to the righteousness of God.  But justification is never by works.  Thus, Israel stumbled over Christ who came to offer righteousness by the grace of God, a righteousness received only by faith.

·       Israel was ignorant of Christ, 10:1-13.

This is an amazing passage.  Israel had a great zeal for God but it was misguided (not according to knowledge, v2).  Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes.  The purpose of the law given to Israel was to point them to their need of Christ, the Savior, the One promised to Adam and Eve and throughout the Old Testament.  The Apostle Paul proves this by using the Old Testament. 

If you want to be righteous according to the law you must live by the law (v5, quoting Lev. 18:5 and Ezek. 20:11,13,21).  But no one could do this.  God, through Moses, had even warned the Israelites, just before they entered the land, that they would not be able to keep the law.  Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day (Deut. 29:4). 

But, you might ask, why did God give them the law if they could not keep it?  As we saw in Romans 7, it was to point people to Christ, to trust the Savior.  Moses said this in Deut. 30:11-14, the very passage quoted by Paul in Rom. 10:6-8.  Israel needed to admit her inability.  Being righteous on her own was like trying to reach into heaven to bring the Savior down or reach into the abyss to bring Him up.  It would not be done.  Instead, the answer was in their hearts.  The greatest command was to love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength.  This would have led them to put their trust in God.  Rom. 10:9-10 are clear: heart-faith in Christ is the only means of righteousness.  Two other OT quotes reaffirm this message to Israel (v11: Isaiah 28:16; v13: Joel 2:32). 

·       Israel was ignorant of God’s plan, 10:14-21.

In Paul’s day and to this day, Israel must hear and believe the gospel of God’s grace.  They need to hear the gospel because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (v17).  Israel did hear, and as the chapter concludes, those who did not seek God found Him (Gentiles) but Israel was constantly disobedient and contrary.  Israel’s rejection of Christ was because of Israel’s unbelief.

Romans 9:14-29

Concerning Israel’s rejection of the gospel in the days of the Apostles, Rom. 9-11 generally give us three statements: Israel’s rejection is not God’s fault (Ch. 9), Israel’s rejection is Israel’s fault (Ch. 10), and Israel’s rejection is not the end of the story (Ch. 11).  First, consider Rom. 9:1-29.

·       Paul grieved for Israel, 9:1-5.  He even wished it were possible that he could be “accursed from Christ” for his brethren.  It is important to note that Paul is talking about “my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites.”  He is talking about the nation, God’s “special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deut. 7:6).  The nation of Israel was the recipient of many blessings from God, chief of which was that Christ came as an Israelite when He dwelt among us.  You might want to think that God failed in some way, having given Israel all these benefits and yet still seeing them reject His Son, the Messiah.  Thus, Paul makes it clear: God did not fail Israel.

·       God’s word was not ineffective, 9:6-13.  God’s choice of the nation came in three stages: first He chose Abraham (Gen. 18:10,14), then Abraham’s son Isaac (Gen. 21:12), and then Isaac’s son Jacob (Gen. 25:23; in this it was said that God hated Esau and loved Jacob, Malachi 1:2-3).  You can read in the OT and see in the Gospels and Acts that God’s choice did not fail.  The chosen people are not from Ishmael or Esau.  They are from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  But don’t miss 9:6: For they are not all Israel who are of Israel.  This is a theme Paul raised in Rom. 2:28-29: … he is not a Jew who is one outwardly … but he is a Jew who is one inwardly … whose praise is not from men but from God.  Keep this in mind as you read through these chapters.

·       God’s choice was not unfair, 9:14-18.  Was God unfair (unrighteous) to choose Jacob and not Esau?  No!  Not any more than He used Pharoah for His purposes in the time of the Exodus.  It is important to note that God’s choice of Jacob over Esau, and His use of Pharoah, is not saying that He chose one for salvation and the other damnation.  These choices had to do with the nation Israel.  Ishmael, Esau and Pharoah could have at some point put their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  But they were appointed by God for the role they played in His choice of one nation.

·       God’s plan is being fulfilled, 9:19-29.  The bottom line is that God made choices (election), and He has that right as the Creator, the “potter.”  He had a reason, which ultimately is to bring glory to Himself.  He poured out His wrath on Pharaoh and Egypt so that He might be exalted among the people of Israel, and the world.  In the same way, His choice of Israel did not mean that all Israelites would be saved (remember v6: they are not all Israel who are of Israel) nor did it mean that no Gentiles would be saved (v24-29).