The message of Romans 9-11 is that the mercy of God is here. The mercy of God is available to all who will receive it. In Romans 9 we observed Paul asking us to consider what we are doing with God’s mercy. Is God’s mercy moving us to serve him or to resist him? In our second lesson from Romans 9:30-10:4 we saw that the reason people resist God’s mercy is because they are establishing their own way of righteousness. We do not want to do things God’s way. We want to do things our way and believe that we are saved and that we are God’s people. In Romans 10 we saw Paul teach that it is not too hard or too far out of reach to do what God has asked us to do. God has not asked the impossible from us. The problem is not that it is too hard but that we do not want to listen. If we believed, then we would be transformed in heart to obey the gospel. This brings us to Romans 11. As we come to Romans 11 I want us to think about why God keeps telling us about his judgment and his offer of mercy. Is God being mean or insensitive or uncaring by telling us about his wrath and coming judgment? This is a common response that people have to hearing about the idea of wrath, judgment, hell, and the like. I want us to notice where this teaching concludes in Romans 11.
For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (Romans 11:32 ESV)
What is God doing with all this judgment if he does not want any to perish? How does God’s mercy work when all have been disobedient to him?
God’s Elect Is The Remnant (Romans 11:1-10)
Paul begins by asking an important question: Has God rejected his people? The answer is clearly not. We see this throughout Israel’s history. All that God did over and over again was hold out his hands to a disobedient and contrary people (cf. Romans 10:21). But in Romans 11:1 Paul points to himself. He is an Israelite. He is a physical descendant of Abraham. He is from the tribe of Benjamin. But he belongs as God’s covenant people. It is not that God has rejected Israel out of hand. So what happened? Romans 11:2-3 reveal that Israel has rejected God. Even in the days of Elijah, Elijah thought he was the only one left who was truly seeking the Lord. Israel had killed the prophets of God and destroyed the altars to worship God. But God’s answer to Elijah was that Elijah was not alone. There were still 7000 people who had not worshiped and submitted to Baal. The point is that even when Israel was rejecting the Lord, there were a few, a remnant, that were seeking the Lord and the Lord received them.
In Romans 11:5 Paul says that the same is true now. There is still a remnant chosen by grace even though Israel had rejected the Lord. The remnant was not chosen by their works. It was not because of circumcision, food laws, bloodlines to Abraham, feast days, or any other works of the law. It was and always has been a remnant chosen by grace. It has never been the whole. It has never been the majority. It has always been the few. Jesus would say that many are called but few are chosen (cf. Matthew 22:14). Jesus said that it is the narrow door that leads to life and few find it (cf. Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:24).
Now Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 29:10, and Psalm 69:22-23 to prove this point. The context of each of these scriptures is how God was doing great things before the eyes of the people but they would not see these wonders and be transformed. Psalm 69 is especially notable because it is a messianic psalm. God’s great works were not causing belief and obedience but rejection. They had eyes and ears but they would not see or hear.
Here is the point: if you do not want it, then God is not going to allow you to have it. If you do not want what God is offering, then you are not going to have what God is offering. It seems like an obvious point but it is a critical point that must be made. If you do not want God’s mercy, then you are not going to have God’s mercy. If you do not want to be God’s people, then you are not going to be God’s people. If you do not want to love him and serve him now, then you are not going to love him and serve him for all eternity. If you wanted his mercy, then you would seek him and change. But most do not want it.
How All Nations Would Be Blessed (Romans 11:11-24)
So is all hope lost? Amazingly, no! Israel’s rejection was the means for the Gentiles to receive salvation (cf. Romans 11:11). The inclusion of the Gentiles was also designed to prick the hearts of those who had rejected God so they would change their minds and hearts and enter in (cf. Romans 11:12). God’s goal in all of this was still to save those who were physical Israel (cf. Romans 11:13-14). As the Gentiles come into and enjoy the mercy of God, God’s desire is that the Jews will be jealous of their salvation and want to come into that salvation also.
Now Paul is going to use an illustration of an olive tree to help us understand this teaching. The olive tree represents the kingdom of God. Some of the branches were broken off. This is referring to the people of Israel who because of their disobedience and unbelief have been broken off of the tree. The Gentiles are not natural branches but are described as wild olive branches that are grafted into the olive tree. But he warns the Gentiles to stand fast in the faith and do not become proud because they also can be cut off. If God was willing to cut off the natural branches (physical Israel) for their disobedience due to unbelief, he will certainly do the same to the wild branches (Gentiles) if they are also disobedient due to unbelief. But notice the hope God has in verse 23. If physical Israelites do not continue in their unbelief, they can be grafted in also, for God has the power to graft them in again. Do we see how this answers the question. Has God rejected his people? Has Israel stumbled with no ability to belong as God’s people again? Not at all! But they must stop their unbelief and turn to the Lord. It is not too late for anyone if they will not continue in unbelief!
But we must emphasize this point in Romans 11:23. Some read Romans 11 and think it says that all of physical Israel is going to be saved regardless of their faith or obedience when Christ returns. Please notice that this is not at all what Paul just said. He just said the opposite. Paul said in Romans 11:14 that it is his ministry to the Gentiles that might save some of the Jews. Paul said in Romans 11:23 that they can be grafted into the tree “if they do not continue in their unbelief.” It goes against everything in the scriptures if physical Israel belongs regardless of their faith and obedience. This would mean that God does show partiality and favoritism! Paul’s point is that the fullness of the Jews are all those who will listen to the word of faith and stop their unbelief.
The Mercy of God Displayed (Romans 11:25-36)
The hardening of Israel was the means for the fullness of the Gentiles to come in (Romans 11:25). Does this mean every Gentile will be saved? No. This means that Israel’s rejection of Jesus as the Christ was the way for all the Gentiles who want to believe to come into the kingdom of God. The Gentile inclusion is to bring about the inclusion (fullness) of the Jews who want to believe and come into the kingdom of God. Please now listen to the words of Romans 11:26. “And in this way all Israel will be saved.” In what way? What is the way that all Israel will be saved? All those of both the Jews and the Gentiles who believe to be saved. If we were not sure, Paul says it again in Romans 11:30-31. Just as the Gentiles were at one time disobedient to God but have received mercy because of physical Israel’s disobedience, so now physical Israel has been disobedient so that the mercy shown to the Gentiles will bring them to come in and receive God’s mercy. Who is “all Israel” in Romans 11:26? Do not forget what Paul has been teaching in these three chapters. Not all who are descended from Israel are truly Israel (cf. Romans 9:6). It has always been a remnant, not the whole group. Who is the remnant? Who is the true Israel? True Israel are all those who end their disobedience of unbelief and are grafted in by God’s mercy. God’s desire is for as many as people as possible to be saved and this purpose is never going to change (cf. Romans 11:29). Oh how our Lord wants to have a people who desire to be with him!
This brings Paul to his thunderous conclusion in Romans 11:32. “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” I asked a few important questions at the beginning of the lesson. Why is God telling us about his wrath and judgment? Is God uncaring, mean, or insensitive? We do not want to hear about judgment and hell. So what is God doing by telling us these things? Romans 11:32 is the answer. God declares his condemnation so that we will seek for mercy and grace. If we are not told that all have sinned and all fall short of God’s glory, then there would be no reason for us to seek his offer of salvation. God is emphasizing his mercy so that no one would ever think that they deserve his salvation. God’s saving work completely rests on his own mercy and grace. This is what Paul is saying in Ephesians 2:1-4, a scripture that we love so much.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us… (Ephesians 2:1-4 ESV)
What are we being told in Ephesians 2? We are doomed, consigned to disobedience. But God is rich in mercy. But God, because of the great love that he has for us, made us alive in Christ.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)
No one is going to reach for repentance if we have not been told that we need the mercy of God. But we need to see the patient mercy of God. The best thing God can do is show us the prison of sin that we are bound in. Then God can show his love and mercy through his Son so that we can be set free from that prison. The gospel message is not that we are all fine and to keep doing what we are doing. The gospel message is that we are not all fine and we cannot keep doing what we are doing. The gospel message is a call to repentance. The gospel message is that we are all in sin and need to come to Jesus. But please hear this also: the gospel message is also God’s reminder that we must remain in his kindness and not return to disobedience in unbelief.
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. (Romans 11:22 LSB)
We have a saying that the first place you must begin is admitting that you need help. God through the scriptures is holding up a mirror so that we will see if we are walking according to the Spirit or according to the flesh. It is God’s mercy to convict us so that we can be grafted into the tree and remain in the tree. God has not rejected you. But have you rejected his ways and his mercy?