As we approach the 11th chapter of Romans, I need to remind you again of a fundamental rule of Biblical interpretation. Ascertain the author's primary goal in writing the current passage. This means studying the context in which the passage is placed, and the relationship of the passage to the entire message of the Bible. The Bible is the presentation of truth, and truth is consistent.
Isolated passages, quoted out of context, are dangerous, and lead to many errors in Christian teaching. Some have quoted Paul, where he says (in verse 26) "And so all Israel shall be saved", as proof that the nation of Israel is to receive a special dispensation, at some time in the future, and will be saved by God is some special way. I think this misses the whole point of what Paul is trying to say. Let us look carefully at the entire passage, in the context of the entire book of Romans, and in the context of the entire Bible message.
I continually go back to the scene in the Garden of Eden, for that is where the problem was created, which, when imitated by all future generations, made necessary the sacrifice of God's Son on the Cross. What was the problem? Adam and Eve, with urging from Satan, refused to accept God as their Creator, and their role as creatures, here for His purposes and not their own. This is God's world, not ours. As a result, men have incorporated into their pattern of life practices which are contrary to the will of God. This is sin. It alienates men from their Creator, makes the world a miserable place, and leaves them without hope.
The purpose for which Paul wrote Romans is to point out that man cannot solve the problem. In the beginning of the book, he says, "The Gospel is the power of God to save all who believe...for in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed...that is by faith from first to last...The just shall live by faith." He goes to great lengths to point out that the law of God must be obeyed, because it is God's will, but that obedience to the law cannot save anyone. We all fail at times, and commit sin.
There is no provision in the law to forgive sin. So forgiveness must be given by the grace of God. That forgiveness is vested in the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, and God has decreed that we access it by faith. This is the theme of the book of Romans. It is also the theme developed throughout the history of the Biblical story.
In this 11th chapter, Paul is trying to make plain, to Jew and Gentile alike, that the basis of their justification is not their blood line, nor their strict obedience to the law, any law, but the necessary element is absolute faith in God, and in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
If Paul was going to promise a special dispensation to the Jews, why would he spend so much time and emotional energy saying such things as, "I would gladly be accursed myself, if it would save my people", or, "My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved...but they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God"? In earlier writing in this book, Paul has said very clearly, that the true children of Abraham are not the bloodline children, but the
ones who have exhibited the faith of Abraham. Here he is saying to Jew and Gentile alike that the only pathway to acceptance by God is the path of real and dedicated faith.
The lesson for us today, if we will hear it, is to stop depending on our membership in the church, and in keeping its rituals with exact precision. We must begin to realize that it is not enough to claim that we are of the Christian family. Faith, in Paul's definition, is a dynamic energizing force which changes lives, permeates our decision-making processes, intensifies our worship, expresses itself in fervent prayer, and disciplines our lives in spite of the age we live in, or the opinions of
current society. It is not a nice club we belong to, nor a set of rules by which we can achieve the prize.
Legally we are all sinners, no matter how well we keep the law. Only by returning to the Garden, where He is the only law, and His will the only acceptable way to live, can we be justified. Placing our total confidence in His grace, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is what faith is, and it is the only promise we, or the Jews, have of being saved.
