In Romans 9 and 10, Apostle Paul goes into deep detail about the choosing of His Children, both Jews and Gentiles. He talks about our sins, and God's grace. He continues in this trend through Chapter 11.
Tonight we will cover two chapters. We will read through Chapter 11 together, reflecting on the choice of Christ, and then move into Chapter 12 to discuss the call of Christ. I must say that Chapter 12 is my favorite Chapter in Romans, and one of my favorite Chapters in the entire Bible. It's a good one, so hold on!
Romans 11
1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said,3 "LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."*
4 And do you remember God's reply? He said, "No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!"*
5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel* have remained faithful because of God's grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them.6 And since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.8 As the Scriptures say,
"God has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,
and closed their ears so they do not hear."*
9 Likewise, David said,
"Let their bountiful table become a snare,
a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble,
and let them get what they deserve.
10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and let their backs be bent forever."*
11 Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
17 But some of these branches from Abraham's tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree.18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
19 "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me."20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.21 For if God did not spare the original branches, he won't* spare you either.
22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.23 And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree.24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,* so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
"The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,*
and he will turn Israel* away from ungodliness.
27 And this is my covenant with them,
that I will take away their sins."*
28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.29 For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead.31 Now they are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share* in God's mercy.32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
33 Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34 For who can know the LORD's thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?*
35 And who has given him so much
that he needs to pay it back?*
36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
Boast in nothing but Jesus. He is King and His grace is clear. We are not worthy, no matter who your family is. Don't look at denomination, or earthly preferences. Look to Jesus.
Romans 12
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,* I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.*2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
3 Because of the privilege and authority* God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.*4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.10 Love each other with genuine affection,* and take delight in honoring each other.11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.*12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them.15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!
17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
"I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,"*
says the LORD.
20 Instead,
"If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads."*
21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
I absolutely love this Chapter. I am in love with it because it is frank. I am in love with it because it is honest and doesn’t hold back. But, I am also in love with this Chapter because it is full of grace. I find my heart beating faster and faster due to the eloquence that Paul exhibits as he writes this letter of declaration and truth.
In this chapter, we see what we are called to be. We are called to worship. We are called to be humble. We are called to use what God has given us. We are called to love others and be patient with them. We are commanded to forgive. And, finally, we are called to live VICTORIOUSLY! How about that?
Called to Be…
To start off Chapter 12, Paul tells us that we are to do a whole lot more than just exist. Paul pleads with us to give our lives as a sacrifice. A living one at that…
Basically, Paul says that we are called to give up our rights. In our country, we have rights. With the constitution, and etc., we are given freedoms. In our Christianity, we are called to give these rights to Christ. We are to be crucified with Christ.
To follow Jesus, is to do what Jesus does. Well, Jesus was a living sacrifice to the Father. We find Him in the garden on Gethsemane, praying that God’s will be done over His own. We find Him being obedient as He is beaten beyond recognition. And, we see the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings, being a living sacrifice as He dies. Even in his death He remained what The Father called Him to be.
We are to have the same life as the man we follow. We are submit our every desire to the cross as we shout, “Your will be done”, to the Father. We have been called to throw out every plan of man, and pick up our lives to follow Jesus. This means we go to school where Jesus wants us to attend. We work the job that Jesus wants us to work. We marry who Jesus wants us to marry. The call of Christ is to crucify our every right, so that we may have the freedom of Christ. And when we do this, we become the most blessed people on earth.
Acceptable? Paul writes that being a living sacrifice is the only thing that God sees as acceptable. Heart Check: Have you submitted your life to Jesus? Are you taking the steps that Jesus wants you to take? Or, do you find yourself in a self consumed world? I can tell you, submitting to God’s will is not comfortable, but it’s worth it. There is such a peace. Do you have peace about the future? Do you have a peace about the now? Oh, and by the way, you may not understand why God is telling you to do something. Good news: God isn’t calling you to understand, but to obey.
We are called to be a living sacrifice.
Called to Worship
Everything that we do is an act of worship. But, who are we worshiping? If we are anything but a living sacrifice to Christ, then we are not worshiping Jesus.
To follow the commands, and to walk every step in the Spirit, is true worship. We see this as Jesus speaks with the women at the well in John 4.
We are to rise and worship in Spirit and in Truth. Look at your life. Look at who you hangout with. Look at the music that you listen to. Look at the TV shows that you watch. These are all acts of worship. Who are you worshiping?
Called to Humbleness
When asked what a great characteristic of Jesus is, you have to mention humbleness. Jesus was a humble man.
To be a living sacrifice to the Father, we must be HUMBLE. In verse 3, Paul gives the Romans a warning. He tells us to not think that we are better than we are. Recently, God gave me a heart check here. I must say, He wanted to crush my pride. So often we think that we are invincible, and to our surprise, we are not. This is why it is so important to place every thought and desire on the walking altar.
We must make sure that we are not the focal point of our lives. Christ has to be. The glorification of HIS name has to be our top priority.
Who are you? Boast in nothing but The LORD.
Call to use the Gifts of God
As workers in the army of God, He has equipped us with the tools to get the job done.
Paul writes that God gives us these gifts and abilities through His grace. His grace makes these gifts a privilege to use. We should not boast about them, but feel free to use them.
God has given His children different gifts. But, they are all of value. If you follow Jesus, He has blessed you with spiritual gifts so that you may glorify His name. What a privilege! Are using yours?
Called to Love and Love with Patience
People get on your nerves like they do mine. As believers in Christ, we are called to have a SINCERE love for others. Paul reminds us to not pretend, but to be real.
Who do you struggle to love? Why do you struggle to love them? Think about it. Is it something silly, like them smacking their food when they eat? Or is it a serious habit? Do they struggle with honesty or commitment?
Just Saying: You struggle too. Just like me. But, through our stubbornness and sin, Jesus still loves us with a genuine affection. Are we not called to be living sacrifices for the cause of Christ? Then, should we not love the world and be patient with others? Yes, they are annoying, but we are too.
Called to Forgive
This leads us to forgiveness. As Christ loved us, He forgave us.
We have all been hurt. We have all been at the place where we feel that we’ve been wronged.
GIVE IT AWAY! Paul tells us not to hold on to this junk. Unforgiveness drags us down. We have to leave vengeance up to the Lord.
What if Jesus were to hold a grudge against you? What if He refused to show you pardon?
Who are you holding a grudge against?
Called to Victorious Living!
I love verse 21. “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”
God’s will is good, as we discussed earlier. Do God’s will. This is where the extreme blessing comes in. Because, God’s plan contains no worry and no doubt. We can be sure that God’s will is right. We can be sure that when we follow God’s will, we have been made right.
When we walk the way we want to, we walk in defeat. When we walk with Jesus, we walk in VICTORY!
Are you seeking God’s will? Do.
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