Romans 13:1-7 Every Christian must be a Good Citizen (part 2)

(part 2)

 In the Bible, we discover three institutions that God has ordained. These three are a) the home, b) the church, and c) the state or government. These three have separate areas of authority and operations under God on earth. Romans 13 is in the practical application section of the book of Romans. This section instructs genuine believers who understand the gospel of God and the doctrines of salvation on what their duties are now that they have embraced Jesus by faith, repentance, and surrender. The home, state, and church must only function in their proper spheres.

I.       God has given duties and responsibilities to the state/government. vs. 1, 3-4, 6

    A. The state’s authority was established and granted by God. vs. 1

    B. The state was ordained by God vs. 2

    C. The state is not to be resisted when it is functioning biblically. vs. 2

    D. The state functions as a substitute for God in certain areas; thus, to rebel against biblically lawful mandates is a sin punishable on earth and at the judgment. vs. 2

    E. The state is to punish evildoers and praise those who do good works. vs. 3-4

1. This punishment includes death for certain crimes (Gen 9:4-6; Exod 21; Deut 17).

2. Swift justice serves as a fearful deterrent to crime (Eccl 8:11).

3. When the state is operating properly, only evil men will be afraid of its actions.

    F. The state is to serve God by providing certain things for its citizens’ welfare. vs. 4, 6

1. It is to protect its citizens against unwarranted harm.

2. It is to punish those who practice evil.

    G. The state is to preserve law and order. vs. 4

    H. The state is to provide for its services by taxation. vs. 6

 

II.      God has given duties and responsibilities to the believer concerning the state. vs. 2, 5 -7

    A. We are normally to submit to the state/government. vs. 2

1. The federal government on interstate matters.

2. The state and local governments on local matters.

3. The institutions and employers we contract to join or serve (colleges, Wal-Mart).

    B. We must realize that opposing biblically lawful mandates of the state is to oppose God. vs. 2

    C. We must submit to lawful orders to maintain a clear conscience. vs. 5

1. Lawful orders are laws, or rules that do not contradict God’s righteous standards in the Bible.

2. Unlawful orders are ones that contradict the Bible’s clear commands.

    D. We must realize that God asks us to be the best citizens in the land. vs. 5

    E. We must not evade our tax obligations (taking legitimate exemptions is wise). vs. 6-7

    F. Application.

1. Are we submitting to God by believing on His Son, Jesus the Messiah for salvation? Are we submitting to God by obeying the lawful orders of those in authority over us?

2. Are we submitting to the state in every area required, including traffic laws?

3. Are we willing to obey in the little things as well as the big things?

4. Are we willing to adjust our attitudes towards God, other believers, our enemies, and the state (Romans 12 and 13)?

    G. We must disobey the state (or church or home), however, when they mandate in areas in which they are not ordained to serve and when a law or order is clearly not biblical.

1. If the state forbids what God requires (Daniel 6 prayer; Acts 5:29 witnessing).

2. If the state requires what God forbids (Exod 1:15-21 murder; Daniel 3 idolatry).

3. The same disobedience is required for the church and the home if they do (1. or 2.).

    H. Test cases.

1. A pastor calling a sitting president by a pejorative term (Paul and the High Priest)

2. A disruptive person in a church service—they are throwing things, using profanity, endangering the welfare of the church body. Three deacons approach this person. What should they do and not do?

3. A well-liked lawyer who is a Sunday School teacher gets caught in the act of molesting a 9-year-old girl during Sunday School. He is 48 yrs. old, married with children, a deacon, and a respected leader in the community. Only a few church leaders know about this act, which is a felony. What should they do? Can they just choose to forgive him and look the other way?

4. You work for a lawyer, and he tells you a government inspector is coming, so you must start shredding documents that he hands you to cover up the firm’s illegal activities. Should you obey your employer?

5. A teenager witnesses a parent commit a felony. The parents ordered them to tell no one, as their authority in the home. What should they do?

I. The magisterial reformers (Luther, Calvin) operated in a state church that blended two of God’s separate institutions too closely, so that the state wrongly executed heretics.

J. The Anabaptist doctrine of two worlds/kingdoms also contradicts Rom 13:1-7:

III.    God has given the duty and responsibility to believers to stop owing anyone any late debts. vs. 8a

IV.   God has given the duty and responsibility to believers to start loving each other. vs. 8b-10

V.     God has given the duty and responsibility to the believer to replace ungodliness with Christlikeness using God’s strategy. vs. 11-14

[Outline modified from George W. Anderson, class substitute lecture for Richard Belcher]

 

Romans 13:1-14: Christian duties to the state, humanity, and godliness (part 1)

 Romans 13 (part 1)

This chapter must be studied along with Exodus 1:17, 2:3; Joshua 2:3-17; Daniel (1:1-21, 3:1-30, 6:1-28; Acts 4:1-23, 5:17-42, 12:1-19; Matthew 5:44, 21:23-27, 22:21; Titus 3:1; and 1 Peter 2:13-17 to not be mis-applied. The state is to be obeyed when it requires biblical ethics (do not murder) and biblical principles (provide safety for your neighbor on your property) and on indifferent matters (release a caught flounder under 14”). Taxes are to be paid, and respect is to be given. However, whenever the state orders a believer to disobey the Bible, the state is to be humbly resisted with no compromise (Exd 10:24-26). We must obey God over man every time (Acts 4:19-20, 5:29, Matt 22:21) when the two are in conflict (e.g., do not sacrifice, do not pray, do not share Jesus, do not sing, do not meet). God is the higher authority; the government only has delegated authority from God that is to be resisted when it defies the God who delegated the authority to it.

I. The believer’s duty to the state and those in authority. vs. 1-7

A. The government’s authority in certain limited areas is from God. vs. 1-7

1.       All human authority is delegated by the Creator, the God of the Bible.

2.       God ordained three institutions: the family, the government, and the church. God alone is over all three. Each has a limited sphere of influence.

3.       Each institution must submit to God and remain only in its allotted domain.

4.       The Christian is to submit to leaders in all three institutions when they can.

5.       There is a difference between blind obedience and submission. Subordinates only submit to lawful orders and humbly accept the consequences of refusing to obey unlawful ones.

6.       The concepts of government, law and order, and natural order are all God’s ideas. He ordained these things (in general) for the earth.

a.    There is no divine right of kings here.

b.    Allowing bad rulers is part of God’s wrath on a sinful people. God allowed Saul to be king, but actively chose David to be king.

c.     A Christian who follows the Bible is the best ruler.

7.       The state is responsible for warning and punishing evildoers and promoting the well-being of all its citizens, keeping order and peace.

8.       The state is to be the servant of humanity, not its master. “The moment, therefore, the state turns itself into a master and into a tyrant, it is disobeying the law of God that brought it into being and it must itself be punished; and the form the punishment takes is that the Government is thrown out and replaced by one that is prepared to abide by the teaching of Romans 13:1-7.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans 13: Life in two Kingdoms (2021: Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth), 46.

B. The taxes and tolls are to be paid on time by the believer. vs.6-7

C. Appropriate honor and respect are to be paid to those in positions of authority.   vs. 7

D. When the state contradicts God’s word, we must always obey God instead and take the punishment humbly in faith. vs. 4

1.       “It is quite clear in the Scriptures that if the state ever comes between me and my relationship to God, then I must not obey it.” (Lloyd-Jones 2021: 52)

2.       A fiery furnace and a den of lions for obeying God (Daniel chapters 3 and 6)

3.       Beatings and a command not to preach (Acts chapters 4 and 5) “We must obey God rather than men.”

4.       Love and pray for your enemies who persecute you. (Matt 5:44)

5.       The early Christians would not say, ‘Caesar is Lord’ and worship him. Jesus was their Lord, and they were martyred obeying King Jesus.

6.       The Particular Baptist John Bunyan was put in jail for 12 years because he obeyed his call to preach when he did not have a license to preach from the state church. He wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress in jail.

E. When the state orders us to violate our consciences, we must obey God’s word and maintain our fellowship with God, accepting the punishment for keeping our consciences pure. (Luther at the Diet of Worms)

F. The state and the church are not one. The church is not above the state. The state is not over the church. The two institutions are separate realms, and both are to be equally under God with different domains and duties. Jesus is Lord of the church, not Caesar.

II. The believer’s duty to love other individual humans. vs. 8-10

A. Avoid being in debt to others. It changes the relationship. vs. 8

B. The primary Christian duty is to love. vs. 8, 9 (Matt 5:43-48)

C. Biblical neighbor love fulfills the moral law concerning humans. These are repeated for Gentile Christians. vs. 9

1.       Do not commit adultery. (Exd 20:14; Deu 5:18; Matt 5:27-30)

2.       Do not murder. (Exd 20:13; Deu 5:17; Matt 5:21-22; Jam 2:11)

3.       Do not steal. (Exd 20:15; Deu 5:19; Luke 18:20)

4.       Do not covet. (Exd 20:17; Deu 5:21; Rom 7:7-8)

5.       All the additional (commandments, mitsvah) moral laws.

III. The believer’s duty to live a godly life. vs. 11-14

A. Be alert, awake, and vigilant vs.11

B. Stop living in the dark; rather, put on the armor of light. vs.12

C. Live a holy life, forsaking wild parties (orgies), drunkenness, sexual impurity, promiscuity (lustful indulgence), quarreling (arguing), and jealousy. vs. 13

D. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no plans to satisfy these fleshly desires. vs. 13

 

 

Romans 12:1-21: The Christian’s Responsibilities to God, the Church, and the World

 This chapter begins the practical application section of the book of Romans for the Christian, based on all the doctrines taught in chapters 1-11. Chapter 12 begins with a "therefore," signaling the author draws a conclusion from what chapters 1-11 revealed. Based on who they are in Christ and because of the great doctrines surrounding the gospel of God, he has just made clear, Paul now explains the believer’s responsibilities to God, other Christians, and the unbelieving world in Romans 12.

I.   The believer has many responsibilities before God. This follows and strengthens his/her relationship with God. vs. 1-2

A. The responsibility of consecration (choosing a godly lifestyle). vs. 1

1. Holy living is a serious responsibility.

2. Holy living is a reasonable responsibility. “Therefore,” because of God’s amazing grace extended to us, we have these responsibilities. First, Paul tells us who we are before he tells us how to obey. The relationship precedes the rules. Belonging is taught before behavior alteration.

3. Holy living is a clearly stated responsibility.

a. Dedicate your body to God’s service.

b. Become a living sacrifice, holy, separated from sin, which is our part in the sanctification process.

c. Our desire for holy living is pleasing to God, being acceptable in our worship before God alone.

B. The responsibility for the transformation of our minds. vs. 2

1. The negative command: “Stop conforming yourself to this age.” (Psalm 1)

2. The positive command: “Instead, undergo a continual transformation of your mind” by the Word of God.

3. The result or purpose of these commands is: You will discover God’s will for your life. You will never know God’s will until you are dedicated to and practicing holy living and continual mind transformation by the Word of God.

II. The believer has many responsibilities to other believers. vs. 3-13

A. Pursuing humility of mind and heart vs. 3

B. Promoting unity and serving in the local church. vs. 4-8

1. There is a unity and diversity of member-to-member ministry mentioned. A body has interdependent unity and diversity at the same time.

2. There is a list that displays the unity and diversity of spiritual gifts. These are motivational gifts: teaching, mercy, exhortation, service, leadership, giving, and prophecy.

C. Loving other believers well in the local assembly and community vs. 9-13

1. Love other believers sincerely and genuinely. (Rom 5:5, 8, 8:28, 35, 39)

2. Despise the things that are evil. (Rom 3:12)

3. Cling to what is good and godly. (Rom 2:7, 10, 7:12, 16)

4. Be devoted to one another with mutual love.

5. Honor one another above yourselves.

6. Don’t be lazy; be diligent, hardworking.

7. Serve the Lord with spiritual fervor.

8. Rejoice in the Lord with a know-so-hope. (Rom 4:18, 5:2, 4, 5, 8:24-25)

9. Patient, persevering/enduring through tribulation. (Rom 5:3-4, 8:25, 35)

10. Persistent in prayer. (Rom 10:1)

11. Sharing/contributing to the needs of God’s holy people. (Rom 1:7, 8:27)

12. Seek to show hospitality in your homes.

III.    The believer has many responsibilities to those outside the assembly. vs. 14-21

A. Pray and ask God’s blessings on those who persecute you. Don’t curse them or wish evil to fall on them. vs. 14 (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:28, 23:34; John 5:20; 1 Cor 4:12-13)

B. Rejoice with joy rather than being envious, covetous, or jealous. vs. 15

C. Weep with those who are grieving and weeping. vs. 15

D. Live in harmony with those around you. vs. 16 (1 Cor 13:5)

E. Don’t proudly think you are better than others. vs.16 (Prov 3:7)

F. Associate with people who have no cultural status. vs. 16

G. Don’t be conceited and overestimate your wisdom. You don’t know everything. vs. 16

H.  Don’t respond with evil to pay back someone who does evil to you. vs. 17

I. Let your actions be honorable and ethical in the estimation of every reasonable person. vs. 17

J. Cultivate peace with others. vs. 18

K. Don’t attempt to get revenge for yourself. vs. 19

L. Leave revenge and pay back to the Lord. vs. 19

M. Meet your enemy’s need for food and water when you can. vs. 20 (Prov 25:21-22). The metaphor ‘coals of fire’ could refer to the practice of giving someone live coals carried on a mortarboard on their head to start a fire for warmth and cooking. [Matches had not been invented yet.] Alternatively, it could be symbolic of the shameful, guilty, and humbling feelings one has when receiving kindness while in need from someone they have abused. This could result in their repentance before God and man and be used to soften a hard heart.

N. Do not let evil defeat or conquer you. vs. 21

O. Overcome evil with good. vs. 21

[Modified from class notes from Richard P. Belcher, Sr.]

Rom 11:25-36: The Salvation Plan of Our Awesome God

 Part 3

Ethnic Israel’s past was that she was a physical descendant of Abraham the believer. Ethnic Israel’s status in Paul’s day was that she remained partially blind and hard-hearted toward the gospel of Yeshu’a the Messiah. Ethnic Israel’s future after the set number of Gentiles enters the church—she will experience a mass conversion, surrendering to Jesus the Messiah. Spiritual Israel, the believing remnant, has continued to follow Jesus since the first disciples around 30 A.D., and is made-up of converted Jews and converted Gentiles.

I. [God is still saving a remnant of Jews from Ethnic Israel according to election. vs. 1-10]

II. [God is now saving a multitude of Gentiles to wake up Ethnic Israel. vs.11-24]

            III. God will save multitudes from Ethnic Israel in the future. vs. 25-32

A. The Jewish people will once again receive God’s blessings. vs. 25

1. The revealed secret is the temporary partial hardening of Ethnic Israel and their future restoration. This is revealed to prevent pride among the Gentiles.

2. The coming fullness of salvation for Ethnic Israel will include greater blessing for the world than their fall produced for the Gentiles.

3. The olive tree trunk (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) is holy. Thus, the branches grafted back into the trunk (the Patriarchs) will also be holy before God.

4. The branches being grafted back into their own olive tree from which they were temporarily removed illustrate the restoration of Ethnic Israel to spiritual and physical blessings.

5. When God has saved His set number of Gentiles (the fullness of the Gentiles, Luke 21:24) He will add most of Ethnic Israel back into the faith-based covenant community, the church of Yeshu’a the Messiah (Spiritual Israel, Gal 6:16).

B. The Old Testament predicted Israel’s salvation through the Messiah. vs. 26-27

1. The future Jewish conversion will be so massive that it will be described as “all Israel is saved.”

2. This could be the work of God the Son at His second coming (the Gentile armies die in battle, not Jewish), or this could be the work of God the Holy Spirit.

3. The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression. This is the LORD’s declaration. As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the LORD: My Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children’s children, from now on and forever, says the LORD. (Isa 59:20-21 HCSB) Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days—the LORD’s declaration. I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them — this is the LORD’s declaration. For I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sin. (Jer 31:33-34 HCSB)

4. The Deliverer in the OT quote is Jesus. But these quotes can refer to His first coming or His second coming, or both. [Isaiah ‘to Zion,’ Paul ‘from Zion’]

5. Redemption for Spiritual Israel was accomplished at Jesus’ first coming. Restoration of Ethnic Israel will not happen until His second coming unless this is the prior work of the Holy Spirit.

C. The conflicting status of those in Ethnic Israel in Paul’s day. vs.28-29

1. From the perspective of the Gospel of grace, most in Ethnic Israel are enemies of the truth and are persecuting those that are part of Spiritual Israel.

2. From the perspective of God’s choice, Ethnic Israel is loved for the Patriarchs’ sake.

3. God’s gifts and God’s calling to salvation cannot be refused by the Jewish people. When the time comes for all Israel to be saved, God will not rewrite this chapter because His offer of salvation was rejected. God’s grace is effectual and His plan is irrevocable. When He calls, you will come.

D. The mercy of God in relation to both the Jews and the Gentiles. vs. 30-32

1. The Gentiles were rebellious, but were shown mercy and saved.

2. The Jews also rebelled, but will also be shown mercy and saved.

3. God has allowed all humans to be bound by their sin nature so that He can show mercy to all races of humans. The Jews did not escape Adam’s original sin by their descent from Abraham. Everyone disobeys God’s law and needs mercy.

              IV. God has planned this salvation in His wisdom and power and deserves all the praise for His awesome plan. vs. 33-36

A. The immeasurable value and extensiveness of God’s wisdom and knowledge. vs. 33

B. The incomprehensibility of God’s decisions, plans, and methods. vs. 33

C. The mind of the Lord is unknowable by finite humans or any creature. vs. 34

D. No one is qualified to be the Almighty Sovereign God’s counselor. vs. 34

E. No one has ever given God a loan to get Him out of a fix. vs. 35

F. All created things are: vs. 36

1. From Him. God is the source. His power, wisdom, and goodness govern all.

2. Through Him. God is the creator. Jesus is the primary agent of creation.

3. To Him. God owns all created things. They belong to Him. They are for His enjoyment and glory; that is the purpose of all things.

4. God is the originator, sovereign director, and His glory is the goal of all things

G. God’s glorious plan of redemption should be recognized by men in every era. vs. 36

1. We should glorify God for all the things He has created.

2. We should glorify God for all the humans He has redeemed.

3. We should recognize that God alone should be glorified for saving humans.

Romans 11:11-24: The People of God seen as an Olive Tree

Part 2

Gentile Christians have no grounds to boast about their inclusion in the New Covenant as if they were now superior to the Jews (Ethnic Israel). The Jewish branches were broken off because of unbelief. God grafted in the Gentiles because of their faith in the Messiah. Salvation is by grace through the gifts of faith and repentance that both Jews and Gentiles exercise as they surrender to the Lordship of Jesus the Messiah. Boasting about salvation is not permitted!

I. [God is still saving a remnant of Jews from Ethnic Israel according to election vs. 1-10]

II. God is now saving a multitude of Gentiles to wake up Ethnic Israel vs.11-24

A. Salvation has come to the Gentiles (the world) because of the temporary rejection of Ethnic Israel vs. 11, 15, 30

1. God’s work among the Gentiles should awaken many in Ethnic Israel to the relationship they have forsaken vs. 11

2. The stumbling of the Jews was not a permanent fall vs. 11

B. Blessings came to the Gentiles through the stumbling of Ethnic Israel vs. 12

C. Blessings will be even greater through the restoration of Ethnic Israel vs. 12, 15

1. View # 1: Paul is just discussing all the elect Gentiles & Jews that will be saved over time

2. View # 2: Paul is just discussing the Jews that will be saved over time until the end

3. View # 3: Paul is discussing a future mass conversion among those who are part of Ethnic Israel [the correct view]

D. Salvation coming to all nations is good for the Gentiles and the Jews vs. 13-16

1. The more Gentiles the Apostle Paul and the church can reach with the gospel, the more likely Ethnic Israel will be awakened to the truth vs. 13-14

2. Ethnic Israel comprises fellow countrymen to the Apostles of Christ vs. 14

3. Ethnic Israel’s rejection was part of the reconciliation of the Gentile world

4. Ethnic Israel’s future acceptance will be like a resurrection for the entire true church of the Lord Jesus Christ vs. 15

5. Paul gives two illustrations showing transference and inclusion: bread dough and an olive tree. If a sample of dough is pure, the source lump is pure. If a tree’s roots are healthy, then the branches will be healthy vs. 16

E. Salvation coming to the Gentiles does not justify pride or prejudice against, or hatred for, citizens of Ethnic Israel (The olive tree Illustration) vs. 17-24

1. Do not arrogantly pretend that you Gentiles, the grafted-in branches, gave life to the Jewish olive trees’ roots. The roots gave life to the branches

2. Christianity’s roots are Jewish. All the prophets were Jewish men. All the Apostles were Jewish men. All the NT writing prophets were Jewish men (some debate Luke’s Jewishness, but he may have had a Jewish mother, like Timothy). Jesus, the Messiah, was Jewish. The first church in Jerusalem was initially only Jewish. The Gentiles are the branches, not the root. Kill the ethnic pride

3. Some branches thought that the Jewish branches were broken off because they were so much better, wonderful Gentile wild olive branches. Arrogantly thinking we are special and others are not special is sinful vs. 18-19

4. The original branches were removed because of the unbelief among Ethnic Israel. The same warning applies to the visible church. If the majority are full of unbelief, that church will be broken off like Ethnic Israel was. In both cases, the remnant will still be saved vs. 20-21

5. Gentile church members need to take faith seriously and revere our holy, awesome God. Our covenant community stands only by its faith—it remains connected to the tree trunk by faith, not ethnicity vs. 21

6. God will not tolerate disloyal unbelief anywhere He finds it. He will judge the visible church just as He did Ethnic Israel vs. 21-22

7. Make sure you understand God’s kindness and severity, His love and holiness, His mercy and justice vs. 22-23

8. Ethnic Israel will be restored to the people of God after they come to Him through Jesus the Messiah in faith vs. 23

9. Ethnic Israel’s restoration to the true people of God will be easier than it was to transform and include former wicked pagan idol worshipers to the people of God vs. 24

III. God will save multitudes from Ethnic Israel in the future vs. 25-32

IV. God has planned this salvation in His wisdom and power and deserves all the praise for His awesome plan vs. 33-36

Rom 11:1-10: God is Still Saving a Remnant among the Jews

 Rom 11:1-10

Since Ethnic Israel has not completely understood the gospel of grace and has rejected the gospel of grace, what will God’s response be? Will God completely reject, replace, or cast away Ethnic Israel? Did He not call Ethnic Israel “My people” in the Hebrew Scriptures? Paul, what is going on here then, since Ethnic Israel is not receptive to the gospel of grace through Yeshu’a the Messiah? Paul answers the question, ‘Has God rejected His people?’ with the term we can translate as ‘NO WAY,’ don’t even think that. God has not totally rejected all Ethnic Israel during any period, and He has a plan for mass salvation for Ethnic Israel. Complete rejection of Ethnic Israel is impossible. God is righteous in His handling of the Jews and the Gentiles in every era.

    I. God is still saving a remnant of Jews from Ethnic Israel according to election. vs. 1-10

A. Evidence # 1: Paul is a saved Jew. Tribe of Benjamin, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, thus a true and ‘full’ Israelite from Ethnic Israel. vs. 1

B. Evidence # 2: A remnant from Ethnic Israel is currently being saved by God’s sovereign plan and gracious choice. vs.2-5

1. God has loved beforehand and ordained beforehand certain Jews out of Ethnic Israel who are entering the new covenant.

2. God has not totally rejected nor bypassed everyone in Ethnic Israel.

3. God’s working with a remnant inside Ethnic Israel is nothing new.

a. Elijah’s pitiful prayer, I am the only one who loves Yahweh. vs. 3

b. God’s answer, I have preserved 7,000 men loyal to me who will not worship the false god Baal. vs. 4

4. God is still graciously choosing and calling out a remnant today from Ethnic Israel (Paul’s day and our day). vs. 5

C. Evidence #3: A remnant from Ethnic Israel is saved by the sovereign gracious activity of God despite the majority in Ethnic Israel rejecting God’s grace and gospel. vs. 6-10

1. Grace-based transferred righteousness is the exact opposite of works-based self-righteousness. Deliverance from sin’s penalty and authoritative control is by grace-based righteousness alone. The opposites cannot be mixed.

2. Once we understand salvation by grace, we no longer try to earn salvation by works and merit. The Pharisees, Judaizers, world religions, and modern-day ‘Christian’ legalists have no logical basis for trying to mix the two opposites. Grace is unearned, unmerited favor. Works are earned and merited. vs. 6

3. Ethnic Israel could not achieve right standing with Yahweh by their works. vs. 7-10

a. God still selected individual Jews to receive grace-based salvation. They were saved ‘by the election of grace’ (NKJV), not by a choice based on foreseen works: past, present, or future. Even faith is a gift (Eph 2:8-9).

b. God allowed the other Jews to continue in their sin, and they became more resistant to the truth (their hearts were hardened).

c. Ethnic Israel’s works-righteousness mentality brought about spiritual callousness in most of the Jews. Agents of callousness or hardening are most often: sin, Satan, unbelief, the world system, error, and selfishness. This coming callousness was prophesied. In the covenantal curses it is written:

‘Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, you have seen with your own eyes everything the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to his entire land. You saw with your own eyes the great trials and those great signs and wonders. Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear (Deut 29:2-4 HCSB). Isaiah said, stop and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with beer. For the LORD has poured out on you an overwhelming urge to sleep; He has shut your eyes—the prophets, and covered your heads—the seers. For you, the entire vision will be like the words of a sealed document. If it is given to one who can read and he is asked to read it, he will say, I can’t read it, because it is sealed (Isa 29:9-11 HCSB)

David wrote: Let their dining table before them become a snare; when they are at peace, let it become a trap; ²⁴ let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see, and let their bodies always be stumbling (Psa 69:23-24 CJB). Paul applies this prayer of David to those Jews still rejecting the Messiah in his day after clearly hearing the gospel and his answers to their objections.

 

II. God is now saving a multitude of Gentiles to wake up Ethnic Israel. vs.11-22

III. God will save multitudes from Ethnic Israel in the future. vs. 23-32

IV. God has planned this salvation in His wisdom and power and deserves all the praise for His awesome plan. vs. 33-36