“For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in UNBELIEF, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.” (Romans 11:16-23 KJV)
Some are teaching Romans 11:22 is stating that a believer can lose salvation. Others teach that Romans 11 is proving that the Church and Israel is the same and that Israel is more prominent to God and others that Gentile believers are more prominent. But is that the truth when we look at the context? Not at all. Romans 11 is not addressed to anyone saved and born again by the Gospel of Grace that Paul taught except that we all need to be humble. His point is that he believes a majority of Jews and Gentiles will one day be saved and become part of The Body Of Christ through faith and belief on Christ alone, apart from works. That God had a plan knowing Israel would reject Christ and that that plan was to save the Gentiles. That said, God also plans to turn back to save Israel in the future as well. Of course, I am commenting in a corporate sense as both Gentiles and Jewish individuals come to salvation everyday.
The whole point of Romans 11:16-23 (written Apostle by Paul) is the same as Jesus said in John 3:14-18 ; Salvation is only by belief by faith on Christ’s atonement on the cross as the foretold Messiah. God in the flesh. Paul is not flip flopping in his belief and teachings from his other writings to say salvation can be lost in Romans 11. Not at all.
“For BY ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into ONE BODY, WHETHER WE BE JEWS OR GENTILES, whether we be BOND OR FREE; and have been all made to drink into ONE SPIRIT.” (1 Cor. 12:13 KJV)
The whole point of Romans 11:16-23 (written Apostle by Paul) is the same as Jesus said in John 3:14-18 and Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9; Salvation is only by belief by faith on Christ’s atonement on the cross as the foretold Messiah. God in the flesh. The Jews relied on their works and Law following to have the favor of God. This is not acceptable to God and our best works are as filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). The Jews who rejected Christ (corporately as a people) were as dead branches that broke off from the tree/root which is Christ (See John 15). Gentiles are grafted in by faith; not works in self righteousness.
Paul’s marching orders from the risen Christ were to take the Gospel of Grace to the Gentiles. That stated, if a Gentile tries to be grafted in to eternal life in Christ by any manner other than by faith and belief on Christ crucified and thinks he has replaced the Jews, or because of his good works is justified, that person will be cut off. Why? Because Salvation is a free gift to be received, not of works but by belief on Christ alone. Paul is not contradicting his own teaching in other letters:
“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And BY HIM ALL THAT BELIEVE ARE JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts13:38-39)
“For the law of THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS hath MADE ME FREE
from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2 KJV)“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Philippians 3:9 KJV)
It is the faith is what Jesus DID on the cross. Salvation can only be achieved through faith in the Lord’s redemptive work on the cross. And that goes for both Jews and Gentiles.
“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” (Romans 11:5-6 KJV)
We see the context more clearly looking at verse 5 and 6. Paul in Romans 11, by context, is speaking about a a remnant of the UNSAVED Jewish people that believed, and became saved by the Gospel of Grace Jesus. Just as Jesus foretold, the unbelieving of Israel killed the prophets of old and will not accept the truth that He is the foretold Messiah and because of this will be condemned. Yet a remnant of Israel did believe.
“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24 KJV)
At the cross, God then turned away from Israel (as a whole corporately as a people, those unbelieving Jews) who had fallen away from the truth and in fact blinded them to the truth!
“What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.” (Romans 11:7-10 KJV)
Who is the election? It is all who believed on Christ. There was and is today a remnant of Israel who believes and have obtained salvation. They are members of the Body Of Christ in the Spirit. To the unbelieving of Israel, God basically gave them what they wanted in their unbelief but God is not done with Israel as a people yet. That said, in verse 18, Paul reminds the Gentiles and us saved believers that we should not think of ourselves as superior to the Jews either. We need to be humble too having been given such a great salvation. Paul also reminds them, and us today, that the root supports the branches – not the other way around. Here it is God’s plan what happened to Israel and God’s plan that He sent Paul to the Gentiles because of what happened with Israel. In this sense, Israel is a root from which the Church began as Paul preached. The root is Christ who was a Jew and there were many Jewish believers in the early church who died for their faith in great suffering. Christ was born physically as a Jew. And God had, and still has, a plan for Christ and the Jews. God wants all to become in union with Christ even though some will continue to reject them until it is too late. Paul’s office toward the Gentiles will also cause some unbelieving Jews to come to salvation too.
“I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” (Romans 11:10 KJV)
Israel has STUMBLED but not fallen completely away from God. They are still God’s people and there is, and always will be, a remnant of believing Jewish people. We see here that God foreknew that Israel would crucify Christ. Jesus even foreshadowed the cross event as the event required for salvation of anyone when answering Nicodemus in John 3:14-16.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:14-16 KJV)
Salvation by the death, burial and rising of Christ was God’s plan for the salvation of ‘whosoever believeth on Christ’ right (John 3:14-18)? So God was and still working in His grace, even toward Israel today. Remember that on the cross, as the Jews were killing Him, Jesus prayed to the Father to not hold it against them because they know not what they are doing. Even while suffering in death He called for grace upon them! How great is our Lord?!
At the same time, when Christ was rejected as Messiah and murdered, God then turned toward the saving of the Gentiles and that is what Paul’s office and his marching orders from Jesus were; bring the message of grace and salvation to the Gentiles. Paul goes on to state that,
“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.” (Romans 11: 13-14 KJV)
Now we see the truth of Romans 11 and what Paul is conveying. Paul wants to also bring any Jews of the Jewish faith, to hear the good news of Gospel and how God worked in sovereignty to save all who will believe, whether Jew or Gentile. Paul knew that it was God’s plan to use the preaching of the Gospel Paul taught to bring a jealousy to some Jews who would then also be saved. Paul is just saying that, he was given this office of preaching the Gospel of Grace to the Gentiles but he also will in the process provoke ‘those of his flesh’ (Unbelieving JEWISH PEOPLE as Paul is a Jew by physical birth) to see the truth that they may also get saved and become members of The Body Of Christ! God’s grace is still for Israel and the Jewish people. Members of the Body Of Christ are in union with Christ, IN THE SPIRIT, and as such are all one IN CHRIST.
In fact, God’s grace is so amazing that He will still keep His promises for the Jewish peoples, yet unbelieving. There is a remnant of them that will one day become saved by belief on Christ and His finished work on the cross! And God is working to save whosoever will believeth on Christ in faith for salvation.
“For God hath concluded THEM ALL in unbelief, that he might have mercy UPON ALL.” (Romans 11:32 KJV)
Earlier in Romans Paul wrote,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 KJV)
Do you see how Paul explains that Israel is not done for in God’s eyes. Yes, God has put Israel aside after rejecting Christ but He will one day turn back and save them all. It was God’s plan all along to save all who will believe, first the Jew and then the Gentile. Today we should not look negatively upon Israel and the Jewish people. They are God’s chosen people. Jesus was born a Jew as well. And just look how God protects them against all odds today! They are back as a nation and in Jerusalem as God had promised them. So we as the Gentile born again Members of the Body Of Christ need to remember where our salvation came from (Christ crucified) and how that came to happen (in Israel, by the Jews) and not look down upon then as if being saved we are somehow better. HA! No we are not! What we are is blessed in having receive the riches of the GRACE OF GOD! God allowed what happened in Israel for a purpose and that purpose was to save you and me today! To have you and me as MEMBERS of HIS FAMILY in Christ! In union with Christ and the Father (John 17, Colossians 2, Eph. 1:13-14), having been recreated as the righteousness of God IN CHRIST by faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross and his rising again (2 Cor. 5:17-21, 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Sealing us forever in eternal life (Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30)!
There is NO BOASTING in ourselves in salvation my fellow believers. NONE!!!!! (Eph. 2:8-9) and we need to walk HUMBLE and with great gratitude. And knowing the plan God has for Israel’s future, where God will save all of Israel, we give them their due as the first. God has a plan for Israel today and in the future.
“And so ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” (Romans 11:26 KJV)
God declared this long long ago and He keeps His promises! Humans have free will and God is working all things to the good of them that believe! And that is WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH! Salvation is only by faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross, whether Jew or Gentile. There are Jewish unbelievers and Gentile unbelievers, then there are members of the Body of Christ which are both Jews and Gentiles.
And we know that ALL THINGS work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.” (Romans 8:28 KJV)
“For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And BY HIM ALL THAT BELIEVE ARE JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts13:38-39 KJV)
“For the law of THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS hath MADE ME FREE from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2 KJV)
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Philippians 3:9 KJV)
Salvation can only be achieved through faith in the Lord’s redemptive work on the cross. And that goes for Jews and Gentiles.
