Untitled Sermon (2)

Romans 11:23 “And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.”

Once again, Paul is establishing a promise previously stated that all of those from the nation of Israel who do indeed take heed of this very message will be saved. The whole purpose of Paul, as we looked at previously, is to provoke them to jealousy. Come back and hear the words of your God.

Like the unbelieving Gentile nations, the world so to speak, God promises that those who are contrite in heart, who would repent of their sins and wickedness, he will truly save. Paul is encouraging Israel to take heed of Moses’ own words in Deuteronomy 10:12–13, 16 ““And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?”… “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.”

There the grace principle, being under the covenant of grace is in play, to fear the Lord your God. Then, to walk in his ways and serve him as the subsequent action to a new heart. How is this done? Because they must circumcise their own hearts. It always been a heart issue, not a work issue. Abraham’s heart was regenerated, therefore we are told in Genesis 15:6“And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

Being grafted into the olive tree has two elements to is. An external calling by profession of faith and an internal calling wherein one receives the benefits of faith, which we would call saving faith. The Jews, previously, were those who merely outwardly, or externally, aligned themselves as the people of God, but could be cut off.

Why could they be cut off? They were not of faith. They, “continued in their unbelief.” They were cut off for that very reason. Yet, when one who is inwardly called, effectually and irrevocably by the Holy Spirit, they will be saved and receive those benefits temporally, in the present, and in the glory to be revealed. (Turretin 1:372).

Romans 11:24“For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.”

Finally, Paul circles back on what was established previously in the text.

Romans 11:12 “Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!”

Romans 11:15“For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?”

And now we come to that great building up, how much more, will the reception of Israel mean when they come back into the fold of God. The hope for Israel is to be as the Psalmist declares in Psalm 52:8“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.”

Or in Psalm 128:3“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.”