The Grafting Power of God’s Love

Fernando Cinco

Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Romans 11:17–24

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Introduction

In today’s text, we read about two sides of God, His soft side and His hard side. Contrary to ignorant claims of individuals who don’t know the complete God according to scriptures, they believe that God is only loving and that He will never send anyone to hell. Anyone who possesses this view has failed to account for one attribute of God that I believe is above all - His Holiness. I believe His Holiness is often misunderstood or underestimated. Knowing everything about His Holiness will definitely change the way we follow Him. Let the whole world be warned that while He is loving, gracious, merciful and kind, we exist before a Holy God. What happened to both Israel as a nation and the Gentiles is also because of this attribute.

The Parable of The Olive Tree

His goodness and His severity. His severity is manifest in the removal of Israel from the favored-nation status. His goodness is seen in His turning to the Gentiles with the gospel

Things to know about the Olive Tree in relations to Israel.

Its branches symbolize peace and this is the wish of Israel. Surprise? We should not be, after all, majority if not all of her neighbors desires for her extinction.

TheState of Israel chose the olive leaves around the Menorah as its emblem. The olive leaves symbolize peace, as this is the wish of our state. The olive also symbolizes light, as the oil produced from the olive lightened the Menorah in the Temple. ... Some olive trees have been known to live for more than 2,000 years.

The olive tree was the most useful, productive, and valuable tree in Israel; therefore, it was precious to the economy and welfare of the nation. Because of this, the nation’s relationship to God was sometimes pictured as an olive tree (see ; ; ).

Now note the exact picture given. The natural branches refer to Israel, and the wild olive branches refer to Gentile believers. The olive tree refers to God and a right relationship with Him.

There are the natural branches and the one from a wild olive tree grafted into it.

The natural branches broken off and rejected are Jews who did not believe in Christ as the Messiah, and because they don’t believe in Him, they are not attached to Him. They did not have the right relationship with Him although they thought they were in good standing with the heavenly father. The Father and Son are one, you reject one, you reject both.

1 John 2:23 NASB95

Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

The wild olive branches that were grafted into the tree represent the Gentiles, not as a nation, but in reference to only those who believed in Christ as the Messiah.

As believers they now attached to God.

Because of their faith the are in a right relationship with God.

Being connected to the tree it means they also get to partake of the root and the health of the tree.

All branches attached to the tree, natural and wild one grafted into it, is being nourished by that tree symbolizing God. A picture of two groups of people depending on the same God.

There is only one race, that’s the human race that ought to worship the One God who created them.

Ephesians 4:4–6 NASB95

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

We are one big family regardless of nationality - those who believe Christ as their only Savior and Lord.

As believers let us not take for granted God’s love and graciousness to us. Let’s live out our relationship with God with some warnings.

Warnings

Warning 1: DO NOT BE ARROGANT (v.18)

Romans 11:18 NASB95

do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

Be humble towards the Jews.

Don’t look down on those who deny Christ.

Don’t ridicule them just because they have a different belief.

Respect them as humans that Christ also came here to die for. Regardless of anyone’s background, at the foot of the cross we are all sinners in need of one Savior, the Lord Jesus.

Let us not think and convey to all that we know Christ because of that we are better than them.

The Gentile believer has no right to elevate himself over the Jews nor over anyone else. The reason is clearly seen. We were wild branches, very wild. We did not bear the root (Judaism); the root bore us (Christianity). If it had not been for Judaism, there would be no Christianity. If it had not been for Jewish believers, there would be no Christian believers. If Peter and Paul and the others had not surrendered their lives to preach Christ, then the message of Christ would have never reached us. We must never forget that “salvation is of the Jews” ()

If it had not been for Judaism, there would be no Christianity.

If it had not been for Jewish believers, there would be no Christian believers.

If Peter and Paul and the others had not surrendered their lives to preach Christ, then the message of Christ would have never reached us. We must never forget that “salvation is of the Jews” ()

John 4:22 NASB95

“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

Warning 2: REJECT COMPLACENCY & UNBELIEF. (vv.19-21)

Romans 11:19–21 NASB95

You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

Romans 8:19–21 NASB95

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

We must fear complacency and unbelief.

Romans 8:19-21

A designated title that sounds privilege like the one given to Israel as “the chosen” does not mean salvation. Titles don’t have baring to salvation. Our position in Christ on the other hand means a lot.

There is the danger of Gentile believers thinking …

• that they are more acceptable to God because they have replaced the Jews as the true followers of God

• just because one calls himself a Christian or being part of such religion that you already safe and secure.

remember, it was unbelief that caused God to reject them. It’s not a matter of lip service but a decision in the heart causing oneself to obey God’s ways.

God did not reject the unbelieving Jews to make room for us. There is enough room in God’s house for anyone who believes.

Romans 10:13 NASB95

for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

HOWEVER

Matthew 7:21 NASB95

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

is not saying that you can loose your salvation. Salvation is synonymous to believing, it is either you believe or not or either your are save or not. A believer cannot stop believing nor a saved person loose his/her salvation. On the contrary and believer may stop following and obeying due to failed expectations.

Not all who perform miracle in the name of Christ come from Christ. Take for instance the miracles performed in where magicians and sorcerers of Egypt whose “secret arts” impressed many with their craft, but clearly these were not men of God.

In the New Testament, Paul confronted Elymas the Jewish sorcerer and false prophet, calling him a child of the devil, full of all kinds of deceit and trickery (). So we see that not all miracles come from God and not all who perform miracles in the name of Jesus are truly His.

He calls them evildoers because the miracles they perform have evil as their source. In fact, Jesus warned us to be on guard against their deception as the end times draw near ().

Remember the Jews were the natural branches and the Gentile believers were the wild ones, If God did not spare those who belong to the special race how much more those outside of it and still don’t believe.

Just because you were born into a Christian family means that you are one or that your protected. Faith in Christ is an individual decision. One cannot extend his/her salvation benefits in order to have one. My faith my influence you but my faith will not save you, you can have the same but you have to have your own decision.

Warning 3: TAKE SERIOUSLY THE KINDNESS AND STERNNESS OF GOD. (v.22)

Romans 11:22 NASB95

Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

The Gentile believer must take a serious look at the kindness and sternness of God.

The Gentile believer must take a sharp look at the kindness and sternness of God.

The spiritual fall of Israel is a dose from God’s severity.

The word severity (apotomia) means abrupt, sharp, rough, cut off. The Jews had committed the very sins the Gentiles are being warned about in this passage. The Jews …

Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Romans (p. 212). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

• had developed an attitude of arrogance and boasting toward other people, refusing to carry the Word of God to them

• had felt highminded and complacent, feeling safe and secure, thinking themselves to be more acceptable to God than other people

In addition to these gross sins, the Jews had rejected God’s prophets down through the centuries until they eventually killed God’s very own Son. In one brief word, their sin was unbelief. The vast majority of the Jews never did believe God, not to the point that they loved God supremely. As a result, the judgment and severity of God fell upon them.

How does the severity of God affect the stubborn believer? Any believer misbehaving will taste the discipline of a loving father. One may not be cut off from the family but to insist in living in sin like a nonbeliever invites stiff discipline from the Father.

Hebrews 12:6 NASB95

For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

I see our heavenly Father with a big heart but a heavy hand on the disobedient child. For God to be silent and not hear ones prayers because he/she regard iniquity in his/her heart can be painful in such ways.

The goodness of God is seen in the grafting in and acceptance of the Gentiles by God. But note the stress of this point: the goodness of God is given only to those who continue in God’s goodness. A person who knows about the love of God must walk and live in God’s goodness. The word continue (epimeno) means to remain, be steadfast, abide, persevere, endure. The idea is both position and relationship. The believer …

• is positioned in the goodness of God

• is related to the goodness of God

It is the picture of a person who is remaining and abiding in the house of God’s goodness. A Gentile believer must continue and abide, endure and persevere in the goodness of God, or else he too will be cut off (ekkopesei) from His blessings just as the Jews were cut off from the privilege of carrying the Gospel to the world because he did not believe in it.(v. 17).

Warning 4: RESTORATION IS POSSIBLE. (vv.23-24)

God is in the business of restoring lives in accordance to His original purposes.

So it is with Israel. The Gentile believer must know that Israel’s restoration is a probable event.

Notice that it is condition with the word “IF.” If they abide in belief instead of unbelief. Genuine faith is the only acceptable version for salvation.

The Gentile believer must know that Israel’s restoration is a probable event.

Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Romans (p. 212). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

One has to shift from unbelief to belief in order to be grafted in and accepted by God.

NO one comes to God unless he believes in His Son Jesus Christ.

Acts 3:19 NASB95

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

God is able to graft the Jews back into the Olive tree. This is possible because:

of His enormous love for anyone and everyone

because of His love, He is willing to forgive anyone from anything if that man will turn his life from sin of unbelief to believing Him as SAVIOR AND LORD.

He will accept anyone who will go through His Son. - the narrow gate, the One choice.

Matthew 7:13 NASB95

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

God’s enormous love is backed by enormous power. He has the power to stir Jewish hearts to turn to Him in large numbers. The valley of dry bones mentioned in can be resurrected by the power of God.

Ezekiel 37:1 NASB95

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.

He can replace a heart of stone with a heart of flesh.

He has the power to stir Jewish hearts to turn to Him in large numbers. The valley of dry bones can be resurrected by the power of God ().

He can give us a new spirit in us who will call Him Father.

Ephesians 1:18–20 NASB95

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Lessons Learned

1. God is able to give life to both the Gentile and the Jews as long as they believe.

The glorious privilege of being nourished by God becomes as much the right of the Gentile as it is of the Jews.

2. God may have His chosen by has no favorites when it comes to punishing disobedience and rewarding obedience.