Presuming upon the Goodness of God

OPEN: Of course God will forgive me; that's his job.

The above quote is attributed to German poet and journalist Heinriche Heine (1797-1856). He supposedly gave this answer when a priest asked him on his deathbed if he thought God would forgive him for his sin (from the Stylos Blog on jeffriddle.net/2008/03; accessed on 11/1/2022)

Transition: We would probably not state it in so bold of terms, but it is still a very modern hobby to presume upon the goodness and grace of God. Our generation puts it like this, “how could a loving God send anyone to Hell?” The attitude behind that question is one of accusation, and it is an attitude that fails to understand the Goodness AND the Holiness of God. Paul has something to say about the danger of presuming upon the Goodness of God in this next section of his letter to the Romans

READ the Text: Romans 11:11-24

We presume upon God when we think that others are beyond saving (Romans 11:11-16)

Explanation: In this section of the letter Paul continues to explore the Jew/Gentile divide as it relates to faith in Christ. He looks at the attitude of a Gentile believer and how this type of believer might view a person of Jewish ethnicity. Remember, Paul has just informed his readers that God was the One responsible for hardening the majority of Jews and giving them “a spirit of slumber” (Rom 11:8). The Gentile hearing this was thinking, well if God is finished with the Jews, why should I care anything about them?

This is the rhetorical question that Paul uses to begin this next section: Have the Jews “stumbled” to the point of failure? Is God finished with the Jews? His answer: God Forbid! Paul informs this Gentile questioner that the fall of the Jews is what has opened the door for Gentile salvation. Paul admonishes his Gentile questioner for not realizing the blessing that he is receiving because of their continued unbelief as a people group.

Argument: Paul is pointing out the wrong-heading thinking of the Gentile who is thinking that God has rejected the Jews and that nothing good is left for the Jewish people. If God has rejected them, why shouldn’t we?

Paul is quick to point out that God has not rejected them in a full and complete sense. Yes, they are guilty of rejecting their own Messiah (John 1:11), but Paul informs his readers that the full inclusion of the Jews as a national entity is in the future. Paul argues from a less than to greater than positions when he states that if the partial rejection of the Jews is riches for us (we are Gentiles after all), then just imagine the benefits of their full inclusion!

Application: The Jew / Gentile divide can seem foreign to us, and we can walk away from a message on this passage wondering what value it has for us in the 21st century. A few brief points to ponder:

God’s plans and purposes are beyond our comprehension (Isa 55:8-9)

God is able to bring good out of the negative (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28)

As recipients of the grace and goodness of God, we should never dismiss any person or group

We presume upon God when we think that it is all about us instead of Him (Romans 11:17-19)

Explanation: Paul gives further consideration on the Gentile believers who may be feeling smug in their acceptance of Jesus, especially when comparing themselves to the Jews who were rejecting Jesus. Paul uses the metaphor of the olive tree to get his point across. The natural branches that were broken off refer to the ethnic Jews (the Chosen People) who have rejected the Messiah through unbelief. The wild branches that have been grafted into the tree represent Gentile Christians. The meaning of the tree is not clearly defined in the text, but I like the position of Douglas Moo when he states, “the tree itself represents the people of God in the broadest sense of that concept - a people spanning both ages of salvation history and both major ethnic/religious groups, Jews and Gentiles” (The Epistle to the Romans, Douglas Moo, p. 698)

After defining terms, Paul comes to his point to the Gentile believers: because we are the wild branches that have been “grafted, contrary to nature” (v. 24) into the cultivated tree, it is arrogant to look down on the natural branches that have been removed. Paul reminds the Gentile Christian that “it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” (v. 18)

Illustrate: Shakespeare said, “how sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child”

Argument: Christian believers benefit greatly from Jewish heritage and culture. Jews were the foundation of the New Testament Church and Jesus was Himself a Jew. Paul wrote that the Gospel was “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16)

None of us saved ourselves. None of us was worthy of our salvation. None of us is smarter than the other people. So, not a one of us has the right to express the thought in v. 19 - “branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.

We are NOT the center of the universe. God has a plan and a purpose and He is graciously allowing us to have a part. Make no mistake, God is receiving the Glory in the act of redeeming the unredeemable. He is the One who creates the miracle of new birth and He is the One who receives the credit.

Application: Take a self checkup. It is easy to drift theologically and think like the world instead of biblically. We are immersed in an atmosphere that calls us to gratify self. The messaging says IT IS about you, and that you DESERVE better. It is good to step back and draw near to God and repent of self-centeredness. It is easy to fool ourselves (cf., Jeremiah 17:9) so ask God to reveal His truth to us.

We presume upon God when we fail to give Him Reverence for His power and ability (Romans 11:20-24)

Explanation: Paul agrees with the Gentile objector when he affirms that the Jews were removed “because of unbelief.” Paul also points out the reason the Gentiles were grafted in was because of faith. The nature of faith excludes boasting. In Salvation terms, faith is trusting in what Jesus has done, not what an individual does. So, faith undercuts every effort at boasting or pride.

Paul continues with a warning: “be not highminded, but fear.” (v. 20). The fear is directed towards God and carries a sense of reverent awe. The Gentile objector was moving into dangerous theological waters. In His pride, he was neglecting to glorify God for His role in salvation history.

This warning is explained as Paul begins to deal with God’s attributes of goodness (Grace) and severity (Justice). The unbelieving Jews received severity from God in that He removed their branches, even though they were natural branches. His goodness is seen in that He grafts in the unnatural branches - He extends forgiveness to Gentiles.

Because of what the readers were experiencing in history (the natural being removed and the foreign being brought in), they should have a sense of wonder and awe and a healthy dose of reverential FEAR. If it happened to the natural branches, it could happen to them as well!

Argument: God is consistent in His character and He does not change. He deals with humans in a consistent manner, and He is not arbitrary or whimsical in His choices. God’s severity (Justice) is expressed in His settled opposition towards the sin of unbelief. God is also for His own goodness (Grace) because He extends forgiveness to those who are unworthy.

Paul is sharing the revealed truth that all persons will either receive grace or Justice, but nobody will receive injustice from God. God is not sentimental or sappy with His love. He is not going to overlook sin just because a Jew has Abraham for his great to the 15th power great-grandfather, nor is he going to forgive a Gentile just because her grandfather was a Christian man who served as a missionary to China!

This warning IS NOT teaching that a saved person can lose his or her salvation (Romans 8:1; John 10:27-30). The warning is directed at a collective group, not an individual. As a national entity, the Jewish people had presumed that they were OK with God just because they were Jews. The NT reveals this is not the case.

Application: The warning does operate on the individual level as well. It applies to those who think they are OK just because they are “good” people

It applies to people who have been baptized and think that the act itself obligates God to forgive them

It applies to church members who are trusting in the fact that their name is on a church roll