Today’s passage: Romans 11:33-36

Helpful thoughts:

• The last three chapters in the book of Romans are some of the hardest in the Bible to wrap our heads around.  Great job working through them and being willing to wrestle with these matters!
• These final verses in chapter 11 remind us of God’s place in everything.  We are His creation and He alone is worthy of all glory!
• The right response to all of the knowledge and understanding obtained from the first eleven chapters in Romans would not be pride.  Our natural response to gaining knowledge that others do not have is to want more and to see ourselves as “above” others.
  • The right response to all the things we have learned is humility.  We see ourselves as even smaller than we thought we were…and see God as even bigger than we thought He was.  And we rest in that truth.

Questions to consider:

1. What are the ways that Paul declares God to be superior to us?  How much superior?  Can we even figure out how much bigger and wiser God is than us?
2. How does our inability to repay God for all He has done give Him still greater glory?  Why would our inability to repay be hard to accept for some (Think…even when we do righteous things after our salvation, those acts are also a result of His grace)?  Why/How does the increase of our understanding and appreciation of His glory give us greater joy?
3. Can you, with the Apostle Paul, say, “Amen” to all of these truths?  Are you resting in God’s complete sovereignty?  Have you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation?  How does agreeing that all things are from, through, and to God allow you to simply rest with a thankful, “Amen”?

Today’s passage: Romans 11:25-32

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul uses the word “Mystery” to refer to something the Old Testament did not entirely reveal.  What this passage speaks of is something the Old Testament pointed toward, which is now further clarified.
• The identity of “All Israel” has been debated.
  • It cannot mean every Jew who has ever lived.  This would contradict many other passages in Scripture.
  • It could mean all in Israel who will be saved.
    • And this could include all in Israel who will be saved from the beginning to the end…or it could refer to a future large ingathering of Jewish people at the time of Christ’s return.
  • Others believe it refers to all the Jews and Gentiles who believe.  Using the terms for true spiritual Israel and the Church interchangeably.
    • For what it’s worth, it seems to make the most sense to me that the use of “All Israel” being saved refers to all of Israel who will be saved from beginning to the end.  This would agree in the context with the idea of the “fullness of the Gentiles” coming in.
    • Whichever option proves to be the correct one, faith in Jesus Christ alone will remain the means of our salvation.
• “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”  Everyone has been and will be to the glory of God.  Even people’s disobedience is used by God to bring about the obedience of others.

Questions to consider:

1. Why will there be a people in eternity who are without sin and enjoying God forever?  Who has put this plan into motion and who will bring about its fulfilment without fail?
2. What must be true of all of us in order for God to show us mercy?  What are some attributes of God that would be on display even in a perfect, sinless world?  What are some attributes of God we have only know because of the existence of sin?
3. People can tend toward debate and argument over who the “True Israel” is and who the Church is… What parts of that issue are the most important?  If we were to get too involved in arguing with other Christians concerning that issue, what greater priorities might we fail to pursue?

Today’s passage: Romans 11:11-24

Helpful thoughts:

• The salvation of Gentile people in the church age will be used by God to draw more Jewish people to salvation.
  • Paul is looking forward to the day when all the Old Testament saints who are Jews, and all the New Testament saints (Our time) who are Jews are united after Christ’s return and the resurrection.
    • It appears this gathering of saved Jews is the “Full inclusion” and the “Whole lump” he refers to in this passage.
• God has included people from every tribe tongue and nation into His kingdom.  But to start thinking that an earthly kingdom, or bloodline, or family tradition is what saves us, would be to make the same mistake so many from national Israel made.
  • No one goes to heaven because they’re an American from the Midwest who went to a Baptist church their whole life.
  • Salvation is always by grace, through faith, in Christ alone.
• If one generation loses sight of why we are included in God’s Kingdom, the next generation may never hear the truth of the Gospel.  It doesn’t take long.  Church, don’t lose your first love (Revelation 2:4-5).

Questions to consider:

1. How does this passage seem to answer the question about the distinction (Or lack thereof) between Israel and the Church?  In what ways are Israel and the Church the same?  In what ways are Israel and the Church different?
2. In our culture, country and day, what things do you see that appear to be taking precedence in the minds of many Christians and churches over the Gospel, the Great Commission, and the command to seek God’s kingdom first? (This is a struggle for every generation!  What are the main struggles for ours?)  Where is your first citizenship (Philippians 3:20)?  How should this truth actually make us more valuable to our earthly country while also teaching us to prioritize what matters most?
3. If you were to ask the people closest to you, what would they say you are most passionate about?  What things motivate you to action, to speak, to reach out to others to bring about change?  How can you be growing in cultivating the “branches” of the “Olive tree” of God’s kingdom?

Today’s passage: Romans 11:1-10

Helpful thoughts:

• Grace is unmerited favor.  God could never reject those whom He has already elected by His grace (“Foreknew”).  Those actions are mutually exclusive.
• Even when it looks like all Israel has rejected God, there is a remnant of those who have been saved by His grace.
• Paul quotes Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 29:10, and Psalm 69:22-23 in reference to the idea of God hardening the hearts of some in Israel.  This isn’t just “Pauline” doctrine.
  • God has mercy upon whom He has mercy – Exodus 33:19
  • And He hardens whomever He will. – Romans 9:18

Questions to consider:

1. What is already true of every heart that might be hardened (Romans 3:10-18)?  What is true of any person’s heart before God shows them mercy and grace (See Romans 3 again)?  Would God harden a heart that He has already redeemed?
2. How would a passage like John 6:60-68 be helpful after reading through this portion of the book of Romans?  If we read this and decided it is not acceptable, what role would we have taken on in relation to approving or disapproving what God does?
3. How do the truths of this passage help us to better understand a verse like 2 Corinthians 5:17?  Why do we need to be a “new creation?”  What all did God do to save us?

Today’s passage: Romans 10:14-21

Helpful thoughts:

• Verses 14-15 can be a great encouragement to us to be faithful to take the good news of the Gospel to the lost.  In the context of the chapter, it also reminds us that God made sure that all these things were provided for Israel.  All that was left for them to do is believe, but they did not.
• Sometimes we are prone to wonder what message will “work” to see people get saved.  The answer is the word of God concerning Christ (Verse 17).  But, there are people who hear this word and do not believe.  We cannot will people into salvation.  Only God can do that.
• Israel heard, understood (Verse 19) and chose to be disobedient and contrary.  Now, the Gospel has gone to the rest of the world and people are being saved from every tribe, tongue and nation.

Questions to consider:

1. From this passage, what would you say is God’s plan for evangelism?  What is our part?  What is His?  How does this give us confidence in sharing the Gospel with others?
2. Having read the passage that came before these verses today, how do these verses we hear so often fit into their context?  What are these verses telling us about God, about Israel, and about the plan of God to redeem His people, the Church?
3. Contrast what is said about the description of the feet of someone sharing the Gospel (Verse 15) and Isaiah’s question (In verse 16).  What can’t be our motivation to share the good news?  What then must be our motivation to share the good news?

Today’s passage: Romans 10:5-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Verses 6-8 refer to Deuteronomy 30:12-14.
  • The purpose of the comparison is to point out that God graciously brought His revelation to His people.  The Jews didn’t have to go searching for Him He revealed Himself to them.  The New Testament saints did not have to search high and low to find a savior, God gave Him to us by His grace.
  • In both the Old and the New Covenants, God’s grace and salvation through faith were central.
    • The Old Testament saints who sought to keep the Law because of their faith (As the fruit of their faith in God’s promise) did so because God had put His word in their mouth and in their heart.
• Because God has graciously put His word in our mouth and in our heart, the one who says, “Christ is Lord” and believes in His heart that God raised Him from the dead, that person is a recipient of God’s grace.
• This grace has been extended to Jews and Gentiles alike.  “All” who call on the name of the Lord are saved, and all who call upon the name of the Lord do so because God graciously put His word in their mouth and in their heart.
  • This passage supports both of these ideas:
    • The Gospel should be preached to all people.  There are no people we could look at and think they couldn’t be saved.
    • God will have mercy upon whom He has mercy.  Whom He graciously saves will believe and call Christ their Lord.

Questions to consider:

1. The last couple of passages have said much about the sovereignty of God in our election and even God’s grace in our repentance and conversion.  Some people feel like these biblical ideas prevent evangelism.  Instead, how do these truths guarantee our success in evangelism?  When we obey the Lord and share the Gospel, if God graciously opens that person’s eyes and heart, what will they do?
2. In what ways has God put His word in your heart and mouth?  Whom did God us to preach the Gospel to you?  How could God use you to share the Gospel with others?
3. If you sincerely call out to God for salvation, what has He promised He will do?  Why is this promise so wonderful?  On whose character and faithfulness does our security rest?  Why is that such good news?

Today’s passage: Romans 9:30-10:4

Helpful thoughts:

• The Gentiles “not pursuing righteousness” in verse 30 is simply a reference to them not having followed the law as Israel was to do.  But all people who obtain righteousness obtain it through faith.
  • If we seek to obtain righteousness through obedience to the law, we will always fall short.
• Zeal without knowledge can be a dangerous thing.  Knowledge of the truth of the Gospel that doesn’t result in zeal can be just as bad.
• Those who choose to pursue righteousness in their own way, according to their own works are not submitting to God.  They are disobeying.  Therefore, even their “good works” are sin.

Questions to consider:

1. How does Christ’s righteousness put to our account through faith free us to do good works for the right reason?  If we were trying to earn our conversion or our salvation, what would our good works be?  Now that we are already resting securely in the righteousness of Christ, what are we enabled to do from a sincere heart?
2. Again, what is Paul’s heart for the salvation of the people of Israel?  In this social media age, people might have expected Paul to mock the Jews for not seeing eye to eye with him.  How should we treat people who don’t know Christ?  Should we openly criticize or make fun of people who disagree with us or should we be taking the Gospel to them?

Today’s passage: Romans 9:19-29

Helpful thoughts:

• In case we might think yesterday’s passage didn’t mean what it looks like it meant, today’s passage confirms it.
  • It’s not up to people to like or dislike God’s plan.  He is our holy maker, righteous and just.  He is also merciful, gracious and loving.
  • If God is righteous and everything He does is right, then who are we to object?  It is not a good place to be in to read Romans 9 and say “No” to God.
• If God had not shown patience in executing His wrath against sin, no one would be able to receive mercy.
  • Remember, no one is righteous and no one seeks after God of their own volition (Romans 3:11).  All people are bent to choose against God…under the curse of sin and of their own will.  This means no one will go to hell having wished they could have followed Christ but just couldn’t.  And all those who do desire to follow Christ are people whom God has given mercy.
• This plan of patience toward wrath in order to show mercy to others is also true of the nation of Israel.  Israel’s unbelief was used to present the Gospel to the Gentiles.
  • A specific example of this would be the account of Acts 18:5-6.  The people heard and willfully rejected the truth, then Paul went to the Gentiles.

Questions to consider:

1. This is a hard series of questions, but good to think about.  How does the eternality and sovereignty of God coincide with the finiteness and will of people?  Do we think the way God does?  Do we see time and events that way God does?  Can we reconcile these differences?  How “big” is God?
2. What all is revealed about God through all that we see and experience?  What attributes wouldn’t we see if things weren’t the way they are?  What would be true of our worship if we did not know all that there is to know about God?
3. Are there people who you have shared the Gospel with who have rejected Christ?  Who else could you go tell next?

Today’s passage: Romans 9:1-18

Helpful thoughts:

• The Apostle Paul has answered other hypothetical questions so far in the letter to the Romans.  The next hypothetical question might be stated this way, “If the Gospel is true, why have so many Israelites rejected it?”
  • The Gospel is not true or false because people either do or don’t accept it.  People do not get to decide reality.
  • The Gospel is not a failure if people do not accept it and believe.  All who are called according to His purpose will be glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
• Being a physical Jew did not make a person a follower of God anymore than being a child growing up in the church makes a person saved.
  • There is a distinction between physical Israel and spiritual Israel.
  • All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
• “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated” could also be understood as, “Jacob I chose, Esau I rejected.”
  • In their sin, both Jacob and Esau had rejected God.  They both were already guilty.  In our sin, we rejected Him as well.
    • The wages of sin is death.  But God has mercy upon whom He has mercy.

Questions to consider:

1. Knowing all that Paul knew about God’s sovereign election, what was his heart still toward the lost?  What can we learn from this?  How should we think of others who do not know Christ?  What should we still be willing and eager to tell them?
2. Sometimes people can be put off by the idea of election, but what would we think of God if there was no election?  Does anyone seek for God on their own (Romans 3:11)?  Where would we be without God’s unmerited favor (Grace)?
3. What would have to be true of us to be able to find fault with God?  If we found fault with Him, who would be with sin and who would be without sin?  Who would be saving (Or condemning) who?  How do these truths result in worship instead of condemnation when we think about them rightly?

Today’s passage: Romans 8:31-39

Helpful thoughts:

• The argument from verse 32 is a “greater to the lesser.”  God already did the hardest thing. Christ’s death and suffering guarantees that God will finish what He started.  God wouldn’t waste Christ’s death on the cross by failing to fulfill it’s purposes.
• The most powerful person in the world may speak condemnation on you.  God’s power surpasses any power in this world. (Matthew 28:18, John 19:11)
• Christ has overcome the world.  In Him, we are more than conquerors. (John 16:33)

Questions to consider:

1. Who could defeat God’s plan?  Which attributes of God give us the greatest reasons to feel safe in the center of His will and purpose for our life?
2. Does this passage sound like it’s suggesting that life will be easy for Christians in this world?  Why would life ever be hard for a follower of Christ?  What kinds of responses should we expect to receive, at least occasionally, if we are being conformed to the image of Christ?
3. Earlier in this chapter, we learned that the Holy Spirit prays for us perfectly.  What does Jesus Christ do for us at the right hand of the Father when others might accuse us (Verse 34)?  If Christ already paid the penalty for all our sin, can anyone accuse us of something and see us condemned?