ELECTION OF GRACE FOR SOME NOW

FROM MY

 NEW TESTAMENT

                         BIBLE STORY

                  

                Paul writes Romans 

CHAPTER TEN

     Paul desired to see all Israel saved. He admitted they had a
zeal for God, but not according to correct knowledge. They did
not see Christ in the picture, they only saw the letter of the
written law and were trying to establish a right relationship
with God by serving the Old Covenant law, and had not yet seen
that without Jesus Christ as the foundation, they could not, and
never would, be reconciled or justified with God. The whole
object or end result of the Old Covenant law was to point to
Christ, as the way to be righteous - forgiven, justified, with
God (verses 1-4).

     He points out that Moses wrote about how the Old Covenant
law could make one righteous with God (Lev.18:5), and that was by
obeying all in the law without ever breaking the law. As it is
the law that defines what sin IS, then the only way to be
justified with God through the law, would be to never break any
part of it, then and only then could you live forever. And there
is only ONE human person that has ever done that - Jesus the
Christ. On the other hand Paul says, becoming righteous with God
by FAITH, does not count on doing some mighty deed like ascending
to heaven, but it has all to do with the word preached and faith.
And if you have faith in Jesus being sent by God to be our
Savior, sin bearer, then believing this makes you righteous or
justified with God, no matter who you are, Jew, Greek, Gentile.
God is mercifully rich towards anyone who calls upon Him for
justification through Christ (verses 5-13).

     Paul is once again repeating what he has said before. He
really wanted to nail this foundational truth down for them, and
so often repeated it though in slightly different ways. The truth
was that being forgiven of sins, becoming justified with God,
being declared righteous in God sight, was ONLY through the
sacrificial work of Jesus' death on the cross, as our sin bearer.
And we had to have FAITH and BELIEVE in this way that God had
provided for us.

     He then precedes to show that this way to salvation had been
preached, it had been proclaimed, God had sent it out from way in
the past, people had preached and taught this good news of FAITH
for justification. Faith then comes by hearing and hearing by the
Word of God. Paul relates that it was foretold by prophets such
as Moses and Isaiah, that God would have this truth proclaimed
and that others other than Israelites would hear it and accept
the good news of righteousness by faith. And at the same time
Isaiah said that Israel would hear but would not listen, would
not believe (Isaiah 65:2). Paul is now back talking about this
"election of grace" - only some in Israel coming to God's only
way to be saved and to find salvation (verses 14-21).

CHAPTER ELEVEN

     One of the greatest chapters in the New Testament on the
grace of God's calling, and the overall plan of salvation for
Israel and for all (as Israel being a type of all nations
on earth), concerning salvation. It is the chapter that makes it
abundantly clear that all people are spiritually blinded and only
God's calling of grace can remove that blindness, and God is NOT
removing that blindness but in a relatively few people, yet He
will in His time frame give a calling of mercy to all people.

     In all that Paul has said about Israel not finding the faith
to believe in the way of justification that God had always
declared would be the one and only way, he emphatically declares
in verses one and two, that God has NOT cast away His people
Israel. This is also where we learn  that  Paul was of the tribe
of Benjamin. He relates how in Elijah's time (2 Kings 19) when
Elijah thought he was the only one serving God, that the Lord had
told him, there were seven thousand in Israel that still
worshipped the true God, and had not bowed the knee to Baal
(verses 3-4).
     Paul then says it was even so at the time of his writing,
that SOME in Israel believed, those who were of the "election of
grace." And grace is not works, if it were of works, then it
could not be of grace. Verse 7 is POWERFUL - it is the "election"
that have obtain grace, and ALL the rest were BLINDED. And verses
8-10 blows you away by saying it is GOD THAT HAS BLINDED THEM !!

     Are they lost forever? He says, "GOD FORBID!"  But in God's
plan of blindness to the many, the Gentiles can have grace
extended to them. And then some Israelites may become jealous and
also find grace. He gives a parable of the olive tree in verses
17-24. The wild olive tree represents the Gentiles. Some of the
branches of the natural olive tree were cut off and so the
branches of the wild olive tree could be grafted in. It
was all to do with "belief" - believing the true way of
justification with God. The Gentiles were not to boast, for it
they continued not in the true faith they would be cut off and if
the Israelite continued not in unbelief they would be grafted
back in (verses 17-24).

     Then we have the wonderful verses of 25-36. 

     "I want you to understand this mystery dear brothers, so
     that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Some of
     Israel have hard hearts, and are blinded, but this will last
     only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
     And so all Israel will be saved. Do you remember what the
     prophets said about this? 'A deliverer will come from Zion
     and will turn Jacob from all ungodliness. And then I will
     keep my covenant with them and take away their sins' (Isaiah
     59:2--21). 
     Many of Israel are now enemies of the Good News. But those
     elected are loved by God.
     For the gifts and calling of God are without Him ever
     turning back from. For in times past you did not believe
     God, but now have obtained mercy from Him, when many in
     Israel would not believe. And through your mercy those
     unbelieving Israelites will one day obtain mercy.  For God
     has put all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all
     in due time.
     O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
     of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways
     past finding out!
     For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His
     counsellor? Or who first gave to Him so God could give back
     to them? For in Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all
     things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

     Do you see what these wonderful verses teach? God has put
EVERYONE in a state of unbelief, BLINDNESS to the Gospel. He then
calls and has an "election of grace" - He opens the minds of
SOME, when He decides - the rest stay in blindness, BUT ONLY
till the Lord decides to remove their blindness. With Israel, it
was foretold by the prophets that MOST of them would remain in
blindness to the Gospel UNTIL the coming of the Messiah in glory,
what we call the "second coming of Christ" - and then the Lord
will set His hand to remove the sins of Israel, take away the
spiritual vail of blindness that covers their minds, and start to
save all of Israel. 
     It is all in God's salvation TIME PLAN for all people who
have ever lived. I expounded this is some detail as we went
through parts of the Gospels. All in due time will be given
mercy, given a clear and plain chance to know the truths of God
and the way to be saved through Christ the redeemer. Some have
mercy shown towards them now in this life time, others will have
it shown to them later. As Jesus said in the Gospels, their will
be a resurrection of ALL people, all that are in the graves. Some
will be in the first resurrection to meet Christ in the air, in
the clouds (1 Thes. 4:13-18; with Rev.20:1-4). Those will be the
ones called and chosen from the time of Adam to Jesus' coming
again. Those not called during their physical life time, as most
of the children of Israel were not, will be raised in a second
resurrection, the books of the Bible will be opened to them and
the book of LIFE will be given them. It is their time to be shown
mercy (Rev.20:12-13).

     As Paul said, "O the depth of the riches both of wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His
ways." How wonderful is the love, the patience, and the mercy of
God.