Verses 25 to 36 draw Paul's great theology of the gospel to a close. He has been directing us in the first 11 chapters to the heart of God's love towards us. As he concludes he speaks of a future time when the Jews (ethnic Israel) will come to know the fullness of the gospel through Jesus Christ. For now they have been partially hardened towards the good news, but when the fullness of Gentiles has been achieved (a time and number we do not know), then God will remain faithful to his covenant people. Paul is clear - the only way for Jew or Gentile to know salvation is and can only be through Jesus Christ.

As we live gospel lives today we have great certainty that God is faithful to his promises and he will remain so. Our faith is not misguided, but is well placed.

Romans - The heart of the Gospel is a teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. Find out more at www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

As we come to the final section of Romans 11 this evening

2

we are simply picking up where we

left off last week because the first

3

24 verses of chapter 11 has focused

our attention on what it means to be

4

engrafted branches into this great

salvation plan of God and this was where

5

the Gentiles had been brought into the

covenant promise of salvation by the

6

kindness of God and this was due to the

rejection of the gospel by the Jews.

7

Paul explained this rejection as

being of benefit to the Gentiles,

8

as being of benefit to us.

9

Because it meant that we have the

opportunity now to respond to the gospel.

10

Now, that's not to say that

Gentiles couldn't respond to God's

11

love and become members of his

covenant family in the Old Covenant.

12

But it is in the New Covenant that

this is through Jesus Christ because

13

of what he achieved in Calvary's

cross and through the empty tomb.

14

One of the key teachings was a warning

to the Gentiles not to be arrogant about

15

this because if God did not spare the

natural branches then he would not spare

16

them either if they took for granted by

their birth or by their culture any form

17

of right to this gospel and salvation.

18

So that's kind of a short little

introduction of where we're going

19

to go or pick up from this evening.

20

But I want to use an illustration

that I hope might help us as

21

we go through, uh, tonight.

22

I'm sure many of you have been to

the theatre in one shape or another.

23

I enjoy going to the theatre.

24

I was given a ticket to a show

later on in the year and I am

25

looking forward to going seeing a

play later in Belfast in the year.

26

But I also enjoy going to hear

music, be that the Ulster Orchestra

27

or indeed New Irish Arts and their

wonderful Christmas performances.

28

And one thing that you have, uh,

whenever you enter into wherever the

29

theater is, you're normally thrust

or something's thrust in front

30

of you by the shape of a program.

31

Now, ordinarily you'll have to

pay for this, but the program

32

lets you know who's taking part.

33

It lets you know who the key leads

are and what's going to be happening.

34

But more importantly, it tells you what is

going to be the structure of the evening.

35

It's a little bit like

an order of service.

36

And for many plays and indeed for

concerts, it'll be described in acts.

37

Act 1, Act 2 mainly or sometimes Act 3.

38

These acts are there so that we know

not only where the breaks are going to

39

be, but also how the story or the rhythm

of the music will flow because each act

40

will have its own significant part to

play in creating the whole big story.

41

And I use this example of the theater and

the acts in a play to help us understand

42

this passage this evening so that we

can understand something of Salvation

43

history as being played out in three acts.

44

This Salvation History is the story, it's

our story, and it takes centre stage.

45

But we need to understand it as

God does, and what his perfect

46

and pleasing will is in it.

47

And in our passage tonight, Paul will

present to us three acts of this story.

48

Each one necessary,

and each one important.

49

And in these verses, Paul is continuing

to address his audience of verse 13,

50

because there we discover that Paul

was speaking to Gentiles when he said,

51

Now I am speaking to you, Gentiles.

52

And as much then as I am an apostle to

the Gentiles, I magnify my, my ministry

53

in order somehow to make my fellow

Jews jealous, and thus save myself.

54

And so Paul starts in verse

25 by stating that he wants

55

complete clarity on this issue.

56

He doesn't want his Gentile audience

to be ignorant in any way about this

57

mystery that he's about to speak of.

58

Paul is demonstrating a pastoral

concern here for these believers.

59

He doesn't want them to be

conceited in their own wisdom.

60

And at each stage in his letter,

Paul is arguing so that there

61

is clarity and not ambiguity.

62

And this is what the mystery

is, as we read in verse 25.

63

Lest you be wise in your own

sight, I do not want you to be

64

unaware of this mystery, brothers.

65

A partial hardening has come

upon Israel until the fullness

66

of the Gentiles has come in.

67

We've heard this from Paul before,

but here again he is saying that this

68

hardness in the hearts of the Jews

is happening, and it is happening

69

for the benefit of the Gentiles.

70

The Jewish hearts have been hardened

for a period, and that period

71

will come to an end when the full

number of Gentiles has come in.

72

Now hardening occurs when God lets people

deepen their spiritual insensitivity

73

and become settled, lulled into a life

in this world, even confident in what

74

this world offers, and they become

confident then in their godlessness.

75

That's what it means to have a hardened,

to be confident in your godlessness.

76

Once the full number of elect Gentiles has

come into God's family, then we're told

77

in verse 26 that all Israel will be saved.

78

And the proper interpretation of what

this is saying here is a much debated one.

79

And it all begins with the term

Last week I said that we would

80

use what Paul has already said to

help us interpret this chapter.

81

And in all nine previous uses of the

word Israel, in Romans 9 to 11, it

82

refers to Jews contrasted with Gentiles.

83

Therefore, using what Paul has already

given us in this letter, it is mistaken

84

to understand Israel as a national,

political, or physical entity.

85

Simply because what Israel

are we talking about?

86

Are we talking about an Israel that

entered into the promised land?

87

Are we talking about an Israel at the

height of the rule of David and Solomon?

88

Are we talking about an Israel

that came back from exile?

89

Are we talking about an Israel post Rome?

90

Are we talking about an Israel

91

Exactly what Israel, if we're looking

at geopolitical, are we talking about?

92

Paul doesn't use it in

terms of a nation state.

93

Paul does not use it in terms

of a geopolitical country.

94

As Paul talks about Israel between

Romans chapter 9 and 11, Israel

95

is defined as the Jewish children

of Abraham, wherever they live.

96

Because in both the 1st and indeed the

21st centuries, most Israelites were and

97

are scattered through many nation states.

98

And so Paul's concern here, as we

would expect, is a spiritual concern.

99

It's not a geographical concern.

100

And it has to be spiritual.

101

Because our land will never save us.

102

Salvation, as Paul has told

us from chapter one of this

103

letter, is through Christ alone.

104

It's of a spiritual nature.

105

And so the line, in this way, all Israel

will be saved, in verse 26, foretells

106

the future of ethnic Israel, not a

geopolitical Israel that can change with

107

any battle or war or with any century,

as it has done throughout its history.

108

You see, geopolitical Israel will

remain hardened, in part, until the

109

fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

110

That fullness is the complete

number of the redeemed.

111

Now we don't know what that number is, we

don't know when that number will be met,

112

but to gain a picture of this fullness,

let's turn to Revelation chapter 6 and

113

verse 11, because it's here that John

speaks of the fifth seal being opened,

114

and here we're given a picture of those

who faced the death of persecution.

115

So he speaks of them who were persecuted,

that they were each given a white

116

robe and told to rest a little longer.

117

When?

118

Until the number of their fellow

servants and their brothers should

119

be complete, who were to be killed

as they themselves had been killed.

120

God is doing something that we don't

fully understand how he will do it.

121

We simply have the confidence

to know that he is at work for

122

the sake of his eternal kingdom.

123

Indeed, Israel has been hardened.

124

The Jewish people, their hearts are

not towards the gospel, and so we,

125

as Gentiles, are benefiting from

the blessing of that in these days.

126

But it is only a partial

hardening of Israel.

127

And so here in Revelation 11, John, along

with Paul, speaks of a fullness that is

128

to come, or that will come, to heaven.

129

That is what we're seeing.

130

That's what the end result will be.

131

But as we come back to Romans 11, if

Israel means ethnic Israel, then the

132

statement, in this way all Israel will

be saved, foretells a time when the

133

great majority of Jews will believe.

134

Individuals may still stray

at the end since all commonly

135

speaks of a great number.

136

Whenever you go back into

scripture it says all, it

137

doesn't mean every single person.

138

Trace other passages of scripture and

let scripture interpret scripture.

139

Even whenever we're told that all Judea

and Jerusalem went out to Jerusalem or

140

went out to see Jesus in Matthew 3 and

verse 5, it doesn't mean that the city

141

was emptied and not a person was in it.

142

When we say all, it

means the vast majority.

143

Because even Paul knows, under

the Old Covenant, all Israel

144

indeed would never be saved.

145

Because they would

never meet the standard.

146

Only those who would be true

in their worship of God.

147

Paul is not trying to

create something new.

148

Paul is relying on what the whole

canon of Scripture tells us.

149

That indeed all Israel will be saved.

150

What that looks like, we do not know.

151

But we can be sure the vast majority of

ethnic Jews will come in the last days.

152

to know Christ as their savior.

153

And so there will be

a surge of evangelism.

154

Jesus will redeem

Abraham's biological seed.

155

But until then, ordinary evangelism

continues and will often be

156

successful in every age, even as

it was in the early church with

157

Jews, ethnic Israel coming to faith.

158

And Paul confirms this.

159

And as he does, he draws this to a

conclusion with a quotation from the

160

Old Testament from Isaiah 59 verses

20 to 21 and Isaiah 27 and verse 9.

161

So straight after, when he says that

indeed all Israel will be saved,

162

as it is written, he continues.

163

There's no full stop.

164

The Deliverer will come from Zion.

165

He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.

166

And this will be my covenant with

them when I take away their sins.

167

In the New Testament, Zion is more

city of God than city of David.

168

It is the heavenly Jerusalem, as Hebrews

chapter 12 and verse 22 tells us.

169

The Jerusalem above, as Paul states

in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 26.

170

In Zion, God made Jesus the

cornerstone of his new spiritual house.

171

As we read in 1 Peter

chapter 2 and verses 4 to 7.

172

Jesus is the Redeemer from Zion because

redemption proceeds from his sacrifice for

173

sins accomplished at the place where the

physical and spiritual Jerusalem overlap.

174

And so the Deliverer from Zion,

this Redeemer who will come

175

has a three fold ministry.

176

First of all to banish

or turn away ungodliness.

177

Isn't that a wonderful thing, to think

that all godliness will be done away with?

178

To restore God's covenant, then secondly

with Israel, and finally to take away sins

179

as we see it here in verses 26 and 27.

180

So to banish ungodliness is to

undo both vertical and horizontal.

181

and horizontal aspects of sin.

182

Because ungodliness starts

vertically, as a disregard for

183

God between ourselves and God.

184

But it also then leads horizontally,

because horizontal sin in the ungodly

185

disregards God's structures for his world.

186

That means there's strife

within our communities.

187

That means there's

strife within our homes.

188

Because whenever we're not right

with God in the vertical sense.

189

then horizontally with those

around us and beside us.

190

Those relationships and the world

that God has given us will always be

191

godless if we're not trusting in Him.

192

See, when people pursue happiness,

security, or pleasure with no

193

reference to God, Immorality follows.

194

The ungodly assume that there is either no

God at all, or no God worthy of attention.

195

The Roman gods, for example, had no

abiding interest in human affairs.

196

They were more concerned with themselves.

197

And so, add Roman apathy towards

virtues such as mercy and humility,

198

and we see that a disregard

for God leads to social sins.

199

Today, people may be godless even

if they believe that some god

200

got the universe started in the

Big Bang before wandering away.

201

They may pay lip service, but they

remain godless because they do not

202

believe or trust in the God whom

we know, the God of salvation.

203

And so when the Redeemer

banishes Israel's ungodliness, he

204

covenants to take away their sins.

205

He does the same for the nations,

so that all the redeemed can

206

stand before God without fear.

207

The price of sin is death, but

Jesus already died for the ungodly.

208

He died for us, as Paul has

already said in chapter 5.

209

Again, the Deliverer came to re establish

the covenant between God and his people,

210

the new covenant in Christ's blood.

211

And since the penalty for betraying the

covenant is the blood of the sinner, Jesus

212

shed his blood to take away our sins.

213

So each element of

Jesus works holds today.

214

He banishes godlessness.

215

He welcomes people into his covenant.

216

And he forgives sins.

217

This is personal first.

218

As we each stand before a saviour who

offers with arms open wide to receive

219

us, but it's also corporate, because it

impacts how we live as God's people today.

220

And we need to understand that,

that that is the nature of the

221

sin that needs to be dealt with.

222

And the only person to deal with

it is God through Jesus Christ.

223

And so it is first personal, as we seek

forgiveness of our sins, but we are to

224

live as God's people as he commanded.

225

And therefore there is a corporate

nature to seeking that the

226

Redeemer banishes godlessness.

227

That the Redeemer welcomes people into his

covenant and the Redeemer forgives sins.

228

And Paul continues in verse 28 by saying

as regards the gospel, speaking of Israel,

229

ethnic Israel, they are enemies for your

sake, but as regards election, they are

230

beloved for the sake of their forefathers.

231

And Paul here states that as far as

the gospel is concerned, the Jews are

232

enemies to it on account of the Gentiles.

233

And again, going back to where Paul,

uh, we started in verse 13 this evening,

234

Paul wanted the Jews to be jealous.

235

He wanted to see the gospel take

root in the Gentiles so that they

236

would see the living faith and

the assurance of salvation that

237

they had, and here it comes again.

238

You see, they're enemies for

the sake of the Gentiles in the

239

hope that some might believe.

240

But when it comes to their election,

when it comes to God's choosing, they

241

are loved on account of the patriarchs.

242

The reason being that God's gifts

and his call are irrevocable.

243

And here there are two things going on.

244

First, the Jews are enemies of the Gospel.

245

They can't stand it.

246

In their mind it messes up

their religious tradition.

247

They refuse to acknowledge the

Messiah, the one whom they look for.

248

And this, this is the great irony.

249

For the Jews, but they are enemies of

it because the gospel has been opened

250

up to the Gentiles, something that they

believe is completely unacceptable.

251

But the second thing, they are

loved when it comes to election.

252

Whenever we talk about election

in Scripture, it's not going out

253

and placing your vote and whoever

gets the most amount of votes wins.

254

Election, when it comes to Scripture,

is the act of God saving by his grace

255

some guilty sinners whom he has chosen.

256

And Paul is making it clear that it is

on account of the patriarchs that indeed

257

the election of ethnic Israel is secure.

258

This does not mean that the acts and

relationships of the Patriarchs will

259

save the nation people of Israel, but

it does mean that God will be faithful

260

to the promises that he made with the

Patriarchs concerning his chosen people.

261

As we said last week,

we see this regularly.

262

Perhaps not in large numbers, but through

agencies such as Jews for Jesus or the

263

International Mission to Jewish People.

264

Jewish souls being one for

Christ, both within geopolitical

265

Israel today and ethnic Israel

as spread throughout the world.

266

And in verse 29 Paul goes on to say

that it is the gifts and calling

267

of God that are irrevocable.

268

The gifts here of what Paul's talking

about would be the covenants, law,

269

worship and promises that he's already

mentioned in chapter 9 and verse 4.

270

These go back to Abraham,

even to Adam and Eve.

271

And God's calling brought Israel into

existence and made her his special

272

people, his treasured possession.

273

These gifts and this

calling are irrevocable.

274

The enmity of Israel neither

erases God's gifts nor silences

275

his call for them to believe.

276

And this fits what Jesus, as he told

his disciples, love your enemies, And

277

he gave his life as a ransom for many.

278

We can echo God's irrevocable love when

we show mercy to people who wound us.

279

A bond formed at work or in church or

a promise given through friendship can

280

inspire us to endure with someone despite

his or her enmity or indifference.

281

How much more does the Lord

continue to call Israel for

282

the sake of the patriarchs, his

promises, and his covenants.

283

He is continuing to save his elect

people, Jew and Gentile, because

284

in the fullness of his time he

will bring both into his eternal.

285

And so we move on to verses 30 and 32.

286

And this is where I bring in

our picture of the theatre and

287

three acts of salvation history.

288

Verse 30 tells us that Act 1 is

when the Gentiles at one time were

289

disobedient to God and the Jews

received the full blessings of God.

290

They were established as a nation, but

they were the ones, the only ones, who

291

had access to God through the sacrificial

system and correct worship of God.

292

If you wanted to worship God, you

had to practice the way the Jews did.

293

Verse 30 goes on to say, 2 that there was

a time when the Gentiles are now center

294

stage so that they can know the blessings

of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

295

And this happened because of

the disobedience of the Jews who

296

rejected God's promised Messiah.

297

But that does not mean that

some Jews today will be excluded

298

if they come in living faith.

299

Because we come to the bits

that we don't fully understand

300

of how it's going to work.

301

We can believe it, and I hope we do

believe it, but Act 3 is the true Israel.

302

It is the true people of God who are

sealed by his covenant for all eternity.

303

For God has consigned all to disobedience,

that he may have mercy on all.

304

No longer is it ethnic Israel.

305

but covenantal Israel,

Jew and Gentile alike.

306

No one is automatically saved because

of their birth, but each on their

307

understanding and acceptance of

the gospel message in Jesus Christ.

308

And we have been thinking about this

with the image of a theater play.

309

And if you want to know what this play is

called, it is called Salvation History.

310

In John chapter 10 and verse 16, Jesus

helps us to see why it is called this.

311

Why indeed it is God's salvation

plan, that it is his salvation

312

throughout all of human history.

313

John 10 is the passage where Jesus

describes himself as the Good Shepherd,

314

and there he says And I have other

sheep that are not of this fold.

315

I must bring them also, and

they will listen to my voice.

316

So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

317

Jesus doesn't distinguish

between two tracks to salvation.

318

There is one flock, there's

only one shepherd of the sheep.

319

So there is one rule for everyone

under the one good shepherd.

320

Faith in Jesus is the only way for Jew

and Gentile in this New Testament age.

321

to no salvation.

322

And this takes us back to the

pastoral point that Paul was making.

323

The Gentiles cannot be arrogant or

conceited about their current position.

324

The time will come when they

will be just like the Jews.

325

Their only claim will be salvation.

326

So what does this mean for us?

327

Well, our learning can

be just as Paul intended.

328

We cannot put down, nor

can we elevate the Jews.

329

They are part of God's salvation history.

330

Just as we are.

331

as the Gentiles are.

332

The Jewish hearts are

hardened for our benefit.

333

Sometimes that is hard for us to

understand today as we are so far removed

334

from a church that was dealing with

converts from both Judaism and from

335

the Gentile world of pagan beliefs.

336

But Paul encourages us to keep going

with the gospel message until it is clear

337

that the full complement of Gentiles

are in and then the Jews will join us.

338

On the center stage, and together as

the elect of God, we will acknowledge

339

with one voice, Jesus as Lord.

340

And in a way, that's how Paul finishes

this chapter, and he finishes what is

341

the first half of Romans, the great

theological explanation of our faith.

342

And he expresses it in what

could be described as a doxology.

343

Our time is gone, um, but this, in

this doxology, we see the sovereignty

344

of God proclaimed and the place

of humanity God is not human.

345

He does not fit into our human moulds.

346

He is God.

347

And the depth of His wisdom and

knowledge is more than we can comprehend.

348

In verse 34 and in verse 35,

Paul quotes from Isaiah chapter

349

40 verse 13 and Job 41 verse 11.

350

Job and the audience of Isaiah

were blessed by God, but then were

351

subject to, really to sin and to

judgments that they considered unfair.

352

After they question God's righteousness

while asserting their own, God

353

gives them revelation that they find

difficult and they find it unsatisfying.

354

Paul has worked through these

difficulties in his own life and

355

in his ministry setting, and he has

arrived at a fresh and indeed a joyful

356

apprehension of God's superiority.

357

God's justice and God's perfect

righteousness all shown through his

358

mercy or in his mercy through Christ.

359

And so the ascription of praise in

verse 36 flows naturally from Paul.

360

For from him and through him and to him

are all things to him be glory forever.

361

Amen.

362

And that's an amen that all God's

people should declare because

363

Paul ends his account of God's

redemptive plan and salvation

364

history with this wonderful praise.

365

We glorify God because all things

are from him, since he created them.

366

All are through him.

367

He sustains and he rules all.

368

And all are to him.

369

He is the goal of all things.

370

Because he creates, sustains,

and directs all things.

371

God is worthy of our

worship and our adoration.

372

After what has been 11 long chapters,

particularly in understanding the last

373

few verses that we've looked at, isn't

that how we should all respond to God?

374

Whether we fully understand

or not, it is to worship Him.

375

Because ultimately that's what he

calls Jew and Gentile alike to do.

376

Worship Him as through Jesus Christ.

377

And as we look at this great plan

of salvation, salvation history,

378

it's going to do two things for you.

379

It's going to be wonderful assurance

because whenever we understand God at work

380

in all of human history, past, present,

and future, whatever that future will look

381

like, we have this wonderful assurance

that God knows what he's doing so that

382

when we place our trust in him, we know

him to be good and we know him to be true.

383

If he has kept his people of

old, if he has made his covenant

384

promises and he is faithful to them.

385

Then we can trust Him.

386

We can trust Him with our burdens.

387

We can trust Him with the

very sin that weighs us down.

388

We can trust Him with our grief and our

unhappiness and our sickness and our pain.

389

We can trust Him because we can be

assured that the God of the ages

390

is still ruling and reigning and is

working out His plan of salvation.

391

that will come to fulfillment

when Christ returns.

392

And so I hope that this passage,

as well as these 11 chapters of

393

Romans, are assurance for you.

394

But there's also another response,

and it's one of challenge.

395

Perhaps they challenge you

because it gives you the

396

stark reality of who you are.

397

That we are not simply pawns in the world.

398

That we're not simply

here for our own devices.

399

That we simply don't make

up our own way of salvation.

400

God says there is only one way

and Paul has demonstrated that

401

for Jew and Gentile alike.

402

It is the redeemer of Zion foretold of

old, fulfilled in Jesus who will come.

403

And he will banish ungodliness.

404

He will forgive sin, and he

will establish that covenant

405

for all people, Jew and Gentile.

406

But it will only be through

himself, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

407

You see, the only way to salvation

is through this Redeemer of Zion.

408

We may be in Act 2 of this great

play, but Act 3 is coming, and at the

409

close of Act 3, we will know wonders

in heaven for those who are redeemed.

410

And for those who are not, who simply

think they can make their way in this

411

world without cause of thought for God

and be content in their godlessness, will

412

face an eternity where they will perish

and punish and be punished forever.

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So is this assurance for you?

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I came to know living faith in

Jesus Christ at the age of nine.

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I do not question that moment in my life.

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It was genuine faith.

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And as I read Romans, as I read this

passage this evening, I have great

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assurance that even tonight, if my

eyes close in death, I have a Savior,

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the Redeemer of Zion, foretold of old.

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Who will keep me and

who will bring me home.

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It's wonderful assurance

to have, let me tell you.

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But if it's your challenge tonight,

it can be assurance because as Paul

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said, as Paul himself speaks to us

from Romans 5 and verse 8, God shows

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his love for us in that while we were

still sinners, Christ died for us.

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He's done it all.

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He did it before we

even knew we needed it.

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This is how we answer that challenge.

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To trust in the Lord.

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and to live for him until that day when

Christ will come or call us home when Jew

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and Gentile, all Israel will be saved with

Gentiles that have been opened up to this

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wonderful truth of the gospel so that we

will know salvation in all its fullness.

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May you know the assurance of this

salvation this night and forevermore.

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Let's pray.

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Our Father God, we thank you that

as we come to this passage, we

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almost have a sigh of relief.

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Because you have remained faithful, not

just in these 11 chapters of Romans, but

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you have remained faithful in your plan

of salvation throughout human history.

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You have made yourself known, you have

saved your people, and you will continue

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to save the Gentiles and in due course

the fullness as well of the Jews.

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Father, we thank you for what

you will do, that you are

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faithful to your promises of old.

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Thank you that it's all because of Jesus.

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And so may we truly rest in him this

night with full assurance of salvation

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that as we, as we close our eyes tonight

in the great hope that they will open in

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the morning, that even in the darkness

of the night we will have full assurance

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in Christ as the one who keeps us.

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May that be our joy.

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May that be our expression as Paul

says, for from him and through

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him and to him are all things.

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To him be glory forever.

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And so we pray.

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Amen.