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This passage in Romans 11 is
sometimes not a source of blessing to God's people. Sometimes people
avoid reading it because it has many difficulties in it, and
of course then it is not a source of blessing to them. Sometimes
the passage is come to with preconceived ideas, and then it is not a blessing
to those who read. And perhaps this morning, because
of the heat, we might find ourselves in a place of difficulty in receiving
help and instruction from this passage. May the Lord help us
to not be overcome by the heat, nor to give in to prejudice,
nor to give in to the difficulties of this passage, and thus to
be driven to disinterest. When the elders were praying
before the service, one of the men said to the Lord that surely
it was not the Lord's purpose to give us this passage to create
difficulties. Certainly it was not His purpose
to give us this passage so that there could be no blessing from
it. That the purpose for this passage is for us to be instructed
And the purpose for this passage is to give us help in living
as Christian people. So may that be the case this
morning. Before we read the text, let
me just take a moment to set the context of Romans chapter
11. Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11
are always to be taken together as one complete part. It is not
possible to rightly understand any one of the sections without
having a comprehensive knowledge of the whole section. And in
those three chapters, the Apostle Paul is dealing with the relationship
of God to the Jews and to the Gentiles. And especially in chapter
11, he is also dealing with the relationship of the Jews and
the Gentiles to one another. An issue that lies behind this
whole section is this question. How can it be that the Jews,
being the chosen, the elect, the especially loved and specially
privileged people of God, How is it that they can, at the point
of Paul's writing, find themselves in a state of general apostasy,
having rejected their Messiah? How can it be such privilege
to now be in such a condition? And in chapter 9, the Apostle
Paul answers that question from the standpoint of God's divine
sovereignty, from the standpoint of election. He says it is that
way because God has chosen to deal with only some as opposed
to dealing with all of the nation. He says, Paul says, that what
God was doing at his time was just what he had done again and
again and again throughout the history of the nation of Israel,
where he had chosen to deal with a small part, with a remnant,
as opposed to dealing with the nation as a whole. And then at
the end of chapter 9 and on through the end of chapter 10, he deals
with this from a different perspective. How is it that they could be
so privileged to now be in a place of apostasy? The second answer
he gives is because they were responsible for their rejection
of the Messiah. They were responsible for rejecting
God's method of salvation by grace, through faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. They would not receive that.
They wanted to hang on to their misunderstanding that God would
save them on the basis of works. And they wouldn't relinquish
that. And they wouldn't open up their heart to receive the
gospel as it was given to them through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And then in chapter 11, having given those two broad reasons
as to why the privileged people were in a state of apostasy,
then he asks this question in beginning of verse 1 of chapter
11. I say then, did God cast off his people? And chapter 11
is devoted to answering that question. They were privileged. They are apostate. Does that
mean that God has rejected them? And in verses 1 through 10 of
this section, Paul says, no, He has not rejected them totally
because He's still dealing with a remnant. And in verses 11 through
the end, he says, no, God has not rejected them totally because
he's still dealing with a remnant, and God has not rejected them
finally because there is yet a time where he will deal with
the fullness of Israel. We began last Lord's Day to look
at the first section, verses 1 through 10, And God willing,
we'll finish with that section this morning. Please follow with
me as we read together Romans chapter 11, verses 1 through
10. I say then, did God cast off
his people? God forbid. For I also am an
Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God
did not cast off his people, which he foreknew. Or know you
not what the scripture saith of Elijah, how he pleadeth with
God against Israel? Lord, this is what Elijah said,
Lord, they have killed thy prophets. They have digged your altars
and I am left alone and they seek my life. But what saith
the answer of God unto him? God said to Elijah, I have left
for myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Even
so, then, at this present time also there is a remnant according
to the election of grace. But if it is by grace, it is
no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. What then? that which Israel
seeketh for, that he obtained not. But the election obtained
it, and the rest were hardened. According as it is written, God
gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see
and ears that they should not hear unto this very day. And
David said, let the Let their table be made a snare and a trap
and a stumbling block and a recompense unto them. Let their eyes be
darkened that they may not see and bow down their back always. Now in this section, Sorry for
this long review, but it's important to have the background before
we get to the material this morning. In this section, we said it breaks
down into three headings. There's the question that Paul
puts before them, the question, the answer, And then having given
the answer, Paul makes three implications, three things that
he wants to say to the Roman Christians. So there's the question,
the answer, and then three implications. Last time, we looked at the question,
did God cast off his people? And we considered the issue as
to who those people are. Who does the phrase His people
refer to? Some think it refers to the nation
as a whole. Other think it refers to the
remnant and only to part of the nation. We said that the passage
is referring to God's dealings with the nation as a whole. Will
God cast off the nation as a whole? It would not be a relevant question
to ask, will God cast off the remnant? That's not a question.
Of course He won't cast off the remnant. The issue is, will He
cast off the nation as a whole? And we said that it refers to
the nation as a whole for two reasons. One is that the scriptures
throughout the Old and New Testaments refer to the nation as God's
chosen people. Such passages as Deuteronomy
4.20, Deuteronomy 7.6-8, Deuteronomy 10, 14 through 15
established that the nation, composed of some that loved God
and some that didn't, the nation was the peculiar object of God's
favor. He loved them from the beginning.
He loved them and promised that he would love them forever. Later
in their history, in 1 Samuel 12 and Psalm 94 and Jeremiah
30 and 31, later at various strategic points in the history of the
nation, when the nation was generally apostate, God came again and
reminded them that he had right to bring the curses of his covenant
upon them, which he did. And though he might have cast
them off again and again and again, he came to them and said,
I am committed to you with an everlasting love. And he promised
his faithfulness to them. The second reason that we said
this refers to the nation as opposed to the remnant is because
of the context of Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11. The context virtually
requires that this phrase refer to the nation as a whole and
not as a remnant. And we won't go over all of that
ground. That's the question. Will God cast off the holy nation? Now we have the answer. And the
Apostle Paul, in verses 1 through 5, makes four statements. Four statements which all together
are a very powerful no. No, he will not cast off the
nation. Look at these very quickly. The
first statement is in the first verse. God forbid. Will he cast them off? Absolutely
not. It's unthinkable. May it never
be. The second statement is at the last of verse one. For I
am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin.
Will God cast off his people? Number one, absolutely not. Number
two, look at me. I am a Jew. I am a well-pedigreed
Jew. I hated Christ. I opposed Christianity. I was self-righteous. God has
saved me. Is God casting off his people?
No. I'm one of those people. He didn't
cast all of us off. The third statement he makes
is in verse two, God did not cast off his people. which he
foreknew. And again, the reference here
is to Israel as a whole, not to the remnant of the people.
The people of Israel as a whole are said to be loved with an
everlasting love. The nation is called the elect
nation. The nation is said to be redeemed
by God. The nation is said to be adopted
by God. And here the nation is said to
be foreknown by God. And what does it mean to foreknow?
What does it mean for God to foreknow? Well, to foreknow is
to think upon beforehand. It is to give prior thought to
or to give priority in thought. To be foreknown is to be in a
place of special consideration. And God did think upon Israel
as a nation in a special way. He did regard them with favor
before others. He did place them in a place
of special and undeserved favor. If they were loved from everlasting
and chosen as his people and redeemed and adopted, then it
is certainly necessary that they were foreknown, that they were
fought upon in a previous way regarded with special favor. Now, all of these words to be
love from the foundation of the world, to be chosen, to be elect,
to be redeemed, to be adopted, to be foreknown. All of these
words are used in the New Testament in reference to the individual
people of God, in reference to our individual salvation. But
those very same words are used in reference to the nation of
Israel, not in terms of their salvation and forgiveness of
sins and going on to heaven, but in terms of special privilege.
The whole nation was elected, not in the sense that they would
all go to heaven, but they were elected in the sense they were
all brought into the context of special blessings. The whole
nation was redeemed, not in the sense that they would all go
to heaven, but they were all redeemed out of the slavery of
sin in Egypt. The whole nation was adopted,
not in the sense that they would all go to heaven as sons of God,
But they were all adopted and God became their father. The
whole nation was loved from before the foundations of the world.
And Jeremiah 31 brings that to bear in the time of their apostasy.
Doesn't mean they would all go to heaven, but it does mean they
were all the special objects of God's affection in terms of
bringing them into great privilege. So we need to be careful that
when we see these words in reference to individual Christians, they
mean one thing. They mean election unto salvation. They mean redemption unto freedom
from sin and bringing you into heaven. When those same words
are used in reference to the nation as a whole, they mean
elect unto privilege and adopted unto privilege and foreknown
unto privilege. One of the places that speaks
so plainly of these special privileges is in this very section. Look
back, please, in chapter nine. Paul says in verse 3, for I could
wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's
sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites. Now he's referring here to lost
Israelites. He is referring to the great
nation that is apostate. He would give up his own salvation,
he says, if he could but save them. This is not a reference
to the remnant. This is a reference to the whole people who are Israelites. And he says in the present tense,
whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and
the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises,
whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning
the flesh, etc. These were a privileged people.
They were foreknown. They were highly esteemed previously
in God's mind. God will not cast off his people
whom he foreknew, whom he loved with an everlasting love, whom
he elected, whom he redeemed, whom he adopted, to whom he made
promises and with whom he made an everlasting covenant. And
that's his point. God did not cast off his people
whom he foreknew. The fourth statement that Paul
makes The fourth strong statement answering the question, will
God cast off his people, is in verses 2 through 5. The fourth
statement is that God has not cast off his people because he
is doing just now, in Paul's time, exactly what he did in
Elijah's time. And now you have reference to
that historical event as recorded in 1 Kings chapter 10. You remember
the event in 1 Kings chapter 19. It's a time of general apostasy
in the northern kingdom in Israel. General apostasy. Elijah confronted
the pagan prophets. They were defeated. Many of them
were killed. The wicked queen threatened to
kill Elijah. Elijah runs off afraid. And Elijah,
in a point of self-pity, says to God, please take my life.
I am the only God-fearer left. And God's response to Elijah
was settle down, get some rest, get some food. And he told Elijah
that there are 7,000 men who have never bowed the knee to
Baal. And notice what Paul says in verse 5. Even so, then, at
this present time, there is also a remnant according to the election
of grace. Now, what was true in Elijah's
time? The truth was that God had not given up on the whole
people, and the proof was that he continued working with a remnant. And he promised that he would
continue his workings with the nation. And Paul is saying exactly
the same thing is taking place in his day. Has God forsaken
his people, the nation? No, because he's doing now just
what he did then. He is working with a remnant
and working with the remnant is the token in the pledge that
he yet has an eye for his people. I think that it is worth noting
in verse five that the emphasis is upon in this present time. In this present time, in Paul's
present time, God is doing just what he did in Elijah's time.
But when you get to verse 11, there's a marked contrast with
what Paul refers to. In verse 5, in this present time,
God is working with a small part of the nation. God is working
with a remnant. But when you get into verse 11,
you begin to find Paul writing about what God will do later.
In verse 11, he draws attention to the fact that later God will
deal with Israel in her fullness. Now, God is dealing with a remnant
as in other times of apostasy. Later, these branches that are
broken out and taken away from the tree of salvation, those
branches will be grafted back in. Later, those who are now
the enemies of the gospel and disobedient to the faith, but
beloved by God, will be made obedient to the faith. In the
present time, God is proving his faithfulness by dealing with
a remnant with a few. Later, he will show that the
gifts and calling of God are without repentance by bringing
the many unto salvation. That's a rather lengthy review,
and I do in some ways apologize for such a lengthy review, but
everything that's going to be said now in terms of those three
implications that Paul makes hangs on an understanding of
the previous verses. So now we come to the three implications
that the Apostle Paul makes. He's asked his question, he's
given his answer, and now he makes three implications. Verses
6 through 10. The three implications are these.
Number one, salvation is all of grace. Number two, the Israelites
who did receive salvation were elected unto it. They were chosen
unto it. And number three, the Israelites
who did not receive salvation were hardened. Salvation is all
of grace. The Israelites who did receive
salvation were chosen unto it. And the Israelites who did not
receive salvation were hardened. Look, please, at Romans chapter
11, verse 6. He's just made a clear statement
that God is presently dealing with a remnant of Israel. God
is presently saving a remnant of Israel. Remember last time
we talked about that, how thousands of Jews were being converted.
In the city of Jerusalem, thousands of Jews were being converted.
A great number of the priests were being converted. Though
there was huge opposition from the nation, still thousands of
them were being converted. That was the case at the time.
Now, Paul says in reference to that in verse five, even so,
then at this present time, there is a remnant according to the
election of grace. But if it is by grace, it is
no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. Now, Paul is sounding a note
here that he has sounded again and again in the book of Romans.
Salvation is by grace. And in this passage, more precisely,
it is that election is according to grace. Election, salvation
is according to grace. Now, it's easy to want to just
quickly go by that. You're in the Sunday school here.
You're in the ABCs. You're in the most basic elements
of the gospel. But I fear that even the people
of God who have some degree of maturity get hung up on this.
What does it mean for salvation to be by grace? Well, the most
elementary definition is it means that it's given to you without
your deserving it. It's given to you freely. It's
not given to you because you've purchased it. It's not given
to you because you've earned it. It's not given to you because
God owes you something. He owes you nothing but wrath.
freely, without you doing anything, without you deserving it, God
gives salvation to you. He says in this passage, it is
no more of works. The Jews in Paul's day who became
Christians may have once thought that their election was according
to something of value in themselves. But Paul is making it plain,
the Jews in his day who composed the remnant, they were elected
on the basis of grace, never on the basis of works or of merit. He says, if it is of grace, I'm
sorry, if it is of works, then it's no more grace. The two systems
to be saved on the basis of grace, as opposed to the system of being
saved on the basis of works, he says, are absolutely incompatible. It's like you're having absolutely
pure white paint. The smallest drop of a black
pigment will ruin it. You've got something else when
you put in the smallest pigment of black paint. Grace is pure,
and if it isn't pure, it isn't grace. If you have a method of
salvation that is almost totally based on grace, but one thing
is left to you. If there's one thing that your
salvation hinges on that God doesn't freely give, then you've
got 99.999 to the nth degree grace and .00001 works. No more
grace. No more grace. You have religions that promote
grace, but Paul's point is the two systems are absolutely incompatible. It's either of grace or it isn't.
It's either totally of grace or it isn't. This contrast, as
I said earlier, between a method of salvation based on works and
a method of salvation based on grace is central to this book. And as we've seen earlier, in
Paul's mind, it is the crucial issue to understand if you understand
why the Jews are apostate. It's because they wouldn't bow
to this. That's what he stated at the
end of chapter 9 in the first several verses of chapter 10.
I'd like you just to look back, please look back to Romans chapter
3. I want you to see how repetitious
the Apostle Paul is in making this point. These two methods
are always in contrast, never mixed. Romans 3, verse 21, But
now, apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been manifested, being
witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness
of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe,
for there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Verse 27, where then is
the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner
of law? Of works? No, but by a law of
faith. We reckon, therefore, that a
man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Now, this same contrast is set
forth in chapter 4, verses 2 through 6. It is set forth in chapter
9, verses 11 through 16, and chapter 9, verses 30 through
32. It is set forth in chapter 10, verses 2 through 6. And now,
in the shortest and most concise language, it is set forth again
in chapter 11 and verse 6 and 7. Why does Paul do that? Why does Paul, in a relatively
short compass, again and again and again and again press this
point? There are two, theoretically,
there are two methods of salvation, one based on works, another based
on grace. They're absolutely incompatible.
They must always be contrasted. Why does he do that? He's not
writing an evangelistic tract. He's not writing a tract that
is meant to be given as an evangelistic tool to make sure that some non-Christian
understands the gospel. Why is he doing that in this
book, which is written to a Christian church in the city of Rome? Why
is this so important to him? Well, I think it's so important
to him because the Apostle Paul is dealing with what is often
a real problem to Christian people. He's dealing with what is often
a real problem to Christian people. The Apostle Paul is not in a
literal sense a pastor, but as you read his epistles, it becomes
obvious that he is not an acommodition. He is not somebody that's just
out to spin theological niceties. He has very practical concerns
at the heart of the things that he brings to his people. And
in this passage, he is determined to keep this issue of the contrast
between works and grace before the Christians because his experience
has shown him, as I trust we'll see in a few moments as we look
at the scriptures, that even the people of God, that even
the people of God, in their feelings as opposed to their thoughts,
in their feelings as opposed to their thoughts are very quick
to go back in their feelings to a method of salvation that
is based upon works. The people of God, when you ask
them to think and you ask them, is salvation based upon works?
Absolutely not. with their minds, they would
answer very clearly, absolutely not. But in their feelings, in
their dispositions, in their unspoken attitudes toward God
as expressed in their prayers or expressed in their absence
of joy, the fact is in their feelings, Many of God's people
find themselves falling back into a kind of salvation that
is based upon works as opposed to based upon grace. Now, how
does that happen? It happens because salvation
based upon works is natural to every human being. It's natural
to every human being. you analyze the major religions
of the world and whatever their view of salvation is. They don't
all have a Christian view of salvation. But whatever their
view of salvation is, again and again and again, natural religion
is a religion that is based upon works. Just think of some of
the major religious systems. Judaism is clearly a religion
that is based upon works. Buddhism is based upon works. The Buddhist way of thinking,
if you live a good life, then you can attain the perfections
of nirvana based upon the way you live. Hinduism is very similar. If you lead a good life, you
can be reincarnated into a higher caste again and again until you
are confirmed in happiness when your soul is completely identified
with the One World Spirit. But it's all based upon how you
live. You live well, you'll be reincarnated in a higher way.
And if you live badly, you'll become an ant. But it's all based
on how you live. You look at Roman Catholicism
as an example of a modern religion that has a Christian tent, and
what are you given there? You are given measures of grace
from the Church, but always on the basis of some work on your
part, some act of devotion, some gift of money, some work of penance,
some effort to obtain sacramental grace. These religious systems
are based upon works because that's what's natural to human
beings. There's a universal appeal to all human beings to be drawn
to a religion that is based upon work. Why is that? Because natural
to the human heart is this idea that they do think, people do
think, that they are able to take a hold of themselves and
please God. They do think that it is right
for God to expect them to do what is right. A lot of parents,
you know, they expect their child to obey them. And when the child
does obey them, they shower them with kindnesses. And they expect
that. They think they ought, they think
God is right to require them to do certain things and then
you're blessed. That's just natural thinking. Well, because it's
natural thinking, all the religions of the world are based on that.
But also because it's natural thinking, even Christian people,
who are not sanctified wholly, who are not yet glorified spirits. Even Christian people find their
feelings and their attitudes going back to that system of
works. Look, please, at some passages.
Look in the book of Galatians, please. The book of Galatians
is written to address this issue specifically. The gospel had
come to the Galatians. They were taught that there was
salvation based upon the free grace of God given to everyone
that would believe the gospel. And they embraced that. They
embraced that. They came to understand that
their salvation and their acceptance was not on the basis of how well
they lived, of how perfectly they repented, of how perfectly
they believed. They came to understand that
their salvation was based upon how perfect Jesus' righteousness
was, which was given to them. They came to realize that their
salvation was based upon the perfect atonement of the Lord
Jesus. They came to realize that their salvation was based upon
the perfect intercessions of the Lord Jesus, which are presently
carried on. Now, having come to that position, you might think,
well, they'd be secure forever. You'd think that they would have
a clear mind forever. You'd think that they would have
no mental wanderings, no mental reservations, no feelings that
would destroy their security. But look in Galatians chapter
three, verse one. Oh, foolish Galatians, who did
bewitch you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth
crucified? This only would I learn from
you. Receive you the spirit by the works of the law or by the
hearing of faith. Are you so foolish? Having begun
in the spirit, are you now perfected in the flesh? Did you suffer
so many things in vain if it be indeed in vain? He, therefore,
that supplieth to you the spirit and worketh miracles among you,
doeth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?
You see his argument? Who bewitched you? What's happened
to you? How did you get mixed up in this
area? He says, only have this one thing
to ask you. He says to them in verse two, did you receive the
spirit by works or grace? The spirit has been given to
you. If you believe the gospel, how did you get that? Did you
get that because you deserved it? Or did you get that because
it was given to you through faith freely upon the basis of grace?
That's my question, he says to you. How did you get the Spirit?
He says he knows how they'll answer. He knows they'll answer,
well, we received the Spirit on the basis of the gospel. We
received it through faith. We didn't do anything to earn
the Spirit. Of course not, Paul. So then he goes on and presses
the question a little bit further. He says in verse 3. Are you so
foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now perfected
in the flesh? Are you so foolish to believe
this, that you could have been saved by grace and been given
the Holy Spirit through grace? But now you're going to just
sort of turn away from that and believe that having done that,
God now expects you to take hold of yourself and stir up yourself
and make you continue in the faith on the basis of your flesh,
on the basis of yourself. Look what he says to them in
Galatians chapter 5. For freedom did Christ set us
free. Stand fast, therefore, and be
not entangled again in a yoke of bondage. Freedom from the
law. Freedom from the condemning power
of the law. Freedom from the curse of the
law. He says in verse two, behold,
I, Paul, say unto you that if you receive circumcision, Christ
will profit you nothing. Yea, I testify again to every
man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the
whole law. You are severed for Christ, you who would be justified
by the law, you are fallen away from grace. For we, through the
Spirit by faith, wait for the hope of righteousness. For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered
you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion came
not of him that calleth you." What's Paul's concern? They began
well. They believed once that they
could be saved only on the basis of grace. But some of them were
in danger of going back to believing that they could do something
in themselves to save themselves. Now, Paul does not say that they're
apostate, but Paul does speak to them as if they're in danger.
He says, if you do go back to that, then you've fallen away
from grace. I asked you to look at these
passages so you would see an example, an historical example,
of how people who received the gospel did find themselves falling
back into a way of thinking where they thought or felt that everything
really did, in the final analysis, hang upon their performance.
Now I ask you to look at your own experience and to see if
there aren't many of you who, though you would never say that,
don't find yourselves feeling that and acting that way in many
of your relationships with God. If you were in a theological
classroom and you were asked to define salvation by grace,
you'd do it. But is it not true for many of
you, for some of you? Is it not true for some of you?
that when you've sinned, that it's very difficult for you to
simply believe that if I confess and forsake my sins, that God
will forgive me. Is it not true that some of you
try to make bargains with God? God, if you'll do this, then
I'll do this. Or some of you are so bold to say, I'll do this
and then you'll do this. Do you not find yourselves in many cases
hanging back, thinking that there will be no help for me until
I've done something to reform my life? Do you not find yourselves
believing in grace but spoiling it by throwing in the black pigment
of paint into this pure white thing and destroying grace by
adding these little bits of works? And my concern is not that you
have a theologically correct mind merely. My concern is that
in your experience that you don't abuse God's kindness. My concern
is that in your experience you don't turn away from the full
face of grace because you're feeling that I've got to do something
to get back into God's good graces. You'll never be able to do anything
to get back into God's good graces except this. What you're asked
to do is to believe the gospel freshly. What you're asked to
do is to set your heart fully to seek him and to obey him.
But God has no thought that you could ever do it so well that
you would merit his favor. And we must not have that thought
either. Salvation is based on grace. Election is based on grace. Salvation is based on grace.
Paul isn't just some narrow-minded Jewish theologian who's caught
up in this little twist, so he's got to bring this up again and
again and again and again, keep making this contrast between
grace and faith because he's got some foolish bent in his
mind. He's a practical man. He knows
that the Lord's people to whom he's writing, the Christian church
in Rome, they need to have this straight. And there's danger
to always be going back. I really encourage some of you
who find yourselves not being able to truly believe in God's
grace, but always thinking, God, I'll do this, I'll do this. Smile
upon me, I'll do this. I'd really encourage you to think
that you are not properly applying the gospel. The gospel is that
we are saved by grace without works. The gospel is that we
are kept by grace without works. The gospel is that we are blessed
by grace apart from merit. That doesn't mean we don't do
any works, but it does mean that the works are never the basis
for God's blessing us or keeping us or saving us. And until we
have that right, we'll be crippled. That's why Paul again and again
and again is bringing this before the church in Rome. So the first
implication that the Apostle Paul makes is that salvation
is by grace. And if I may just add this, if
I may just add this before we go on to the next point. He takes
advantage of a very powerful argument to make his point. He
is saying this in the context of saying there is presently
a remnant that is being saved. Who is that? He's referring to
the fact that Jews are presently being saved. Who are they? Well, many of them, perhaps,
were very wonderful people. Many of them, perhaps, were God-fearers
who all their life followed the religion laid down by Moses faithfully. When Messiah came, they were
so delighted. Many of them may have been like
that. But many of them were like the Apostle Paul, who hated Christ,
hated the church. tried to murder Christians, persecuted
them, sought them out, opposed everything that was important
to Christianity. Many of them were like the Jews
that were saved as recorded in Acts chapter two, who were actually
there on the day of the crucifixion, crying out for Jesus to be crucified.
Those are the kinds of people that were being converted. Those
were the kinds of people that were in that remnant that he
says is presently being saved. What greater proof could there
be that salvation is on the basis of grace? If anybody ever deserved
to be absolutely and unpardonably condemned to hell forever, it
was those Jews who cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus.
But it was among those Jews, those very ones, according to
Acts 2, that cried out to crucify him. It was among them that God
began saving thousands. Salvation is not on the basis
of works. If there was ever a people, if
there were ever individuals, if there was ever a nation that
deserved to be unpardonably damned, it was the Jews of Paul's time.
Especially those who were actually culpable in the death of the
Lord Jesus. But Jesus saved many of them. Many of them he saved. A remnant of them he saved. A
declaration, a statement. Salvation is not on the basis
of merit. Salvation is on the basis of grace and is extended
to the most heinous of sinners, to those who would crucify the
Son of God. So that's the first implication
that he makes from this historical situation, that salvation is
all of grace. The second implication that the
Apostle Paul makes from this fact that God is saving a remnant
is this. The Israelites who did receive
salvation were chosen. They were elected unto this privilege. You see that in verse 5, and
then you see it again in verse 7. What then? that which Israel
seeketh for, and that's a reference to Israel as a nation seeking
for righteousness, seeking for salvation, seeking to be accepted
by God. The nation that sought for it,
that he obtained not. But what? The election obtained
it and the rest were hardened. Paul is saying, in his day, a
remnant of the nation is being saved. And now he's making this
practical implication, making this practical statement. Those
who are being saved in my day, he says, are saved on the basis
of election. They were chosen to this end.
Now we talked at some length about that when we looked at
chapter 9, verses 6 through 13, and also chapter 9, verses 14
through 24. So I think that the better part of wisdom would be
simply to pass over it, now as we come to this text, simply
to make note of it. It's one of those things Paul
won't let go of. Paul wants the people, the Christians in the
Church of Corinth, to know over and over and over again, salvation
is by grace. And if you have received salvation,
it's because you've been chosen to that end. He doesn't want
anyone to go home and say, blessed be God and how wonderful I am
that I believe the gospel. He doesn't want any of that remnant. He doesn't want any of those
converted Jews to say, well, I am really a wonderful fellow
in comparison to my fellow Jews who wouldn't believe. He wants
it to be clear always. If anyone's received salvation,
they received it because of grace, and they were chosen to it. It
was not that there's something in themselves in which to boast. So let's move then to the third
implication that he makes from this, and that is at the end
of verse 7. The Israelites who did not receive
salvation were hardened. Look again at verse 7. What then?
that which Israel seeketh for that he obtained not, but the
election obtained it and the rest were hardened. Here's this
whole nation of Israel seeking it. The it in this passage would
be seeking salvation, seeking grace, seeking justification.
The whole nation is seeking it, but the whole nation didn't find
it. Only those who are chosen to it found it, and the rest
who are seeking it, he says, were hardened. Now he's talking
about his own time. That could have been said in
terms of historical perspective. That would have been true in
terms of, but he's saying it about his own time. There is
a remnant right now, he's saying, that's being saved. They're being
saved by grace. But the rest of Israel that's
seeking to be righteous is not being righteous, and God is hardening
them. In order to support that God
is hardening them, the Apostle Paul makes two quotes. In verse
8, he makes sort of a paraphrase. He quotes from Isaiah 29 and
from Deuteronomy 29 and perhaps from another place, perhaps from
Isaiah 6, but it's not a literal quote. He makes a general reference
to what was said in the prophets. Verse 8, according as it is written,
God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see
and ears they should not hear unto this very day. Now, the
unto this very day is not quoted from the Old Testament. That's
Paul's interpretive statement. He's making reference to how
in the Old Testament it said that the nation would be given
a stupor and slumber and hardened. And Paul says it happens under
this very day. And then having established from
that general reference to the Old Testament, he then quotes
from David, from Psalm 69, verse 22, and David saith, Let their table
be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a
recompense unto them. Let their eyes be darkened that
they may not see, and bow down their back always. In Psalm 69, David is referring
to his enemies. Enemies of Israel. Enemies of
God. Enemies of King David. Enemies
of the representative of Messiah in the theocratic nation. Psalm
69 is a messianic psalm. Psalm 69 is one of those psalms
that's somewhat hard to understand where David writes about his
own experience. But quickly you see that he's using language
that transcends his own experience. New Testament takes it up in
reference to Jesus. He's the King of Israel, David is. He's
writing about his own experience. But he's writing about his experience
as Messiah, too. It gets very complicated to understand
that sometimes. But that's what's happening in
Psalm 69. David is referring to the enemies
of Messiah in Psalm 69. And this is what he's praying
for them. Let their table be a snare and a trap and a stumbling
block and so forth. Verse 10, let their eyes be darkened
that they may not see. Bow down their back always. Humiliate them. Force them into
a posture of bowing down, bending the back always. Blind their
eyes. Make them to stumble. Make them
be bowed down forever. And the Apostle Paul takes that
language which David used in reference to Messiah's enemies.
He said, that's what's happening in my present day. We have Messiah's
enemies, he says. There's a remnant of the Jews
that have loved Jesus and are saved, but the majority of them
are Messiah's enemies. And what David prayed for Messiah's
enemies, he says, Paul says, is being answered in reference
to the Jews of Paul's day. They were being hardened. They
were being stumbled. And in terms of their relationship
to God, they were not standing to God with open face, full of
faith and love and hope. They were forced down with their
backs bent until this day. Now again, it is not only in
this section that Paul writes about the hardening that God
brings upon disobedient people. Look back in chapter nine where
he refers to hardening. in this general passage dealing
with God's sovereignty and choosing some and rejecting others, God's
sovereignty and loving some and hating others. It's in that context
that Paul uses Pharaoh as an example, and he says this in
verse 16, So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that has mercy. For the scriptures
say unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise you up, that
I might show in you my power, and that my name might be published
abroad in all the earth. Verse 18, so then he hath mercy
on whom he will, and whom he will, he hardeneth. The verses
that I just read have reference to Pharaoh. God chose to take
Pharaoh and not give mercy to him. He chose to take Pharaoh
and harden him. Others, he chose to not harden,
but to have mercy upon. In this passage in chapter nine,
Paul is saying that in reference to its application to all the
Jews. All Israel is not Israel, he'd
been saying. Just like God dealt with Pharaoh, proving that he
hardens whom he will and chooses to have mercy upon whom he will,
so with the nation. Among the Jews, he hardened whom
he would and he had mercy upon whom he would. That's the argument
of chapter nine. Now that's exactly the argument of chapter 11 again.
Here's the nation, the people of God, the privileged people
of God, the elect, beloved, adopted, redeemed, foreknown people of
God. Just as in chapter 9, he's chosen to be merciful to a remnant,
and he's chosen to harden those who would not receive the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 3, verse 13
and following, please don't look there. We may look at that passage
in a moment. But in that passage, Paul says
that from the day of Moses until his present day, that there is
a veil over the nation of Israel, there's a hardening over the
people of Israel, that when Moses is read and when the gospel is
brought to them, they do not believe. That's just what he's
saying here. To be hardened literally means
to be calloused. To be hardened literally means
to cover with a thick skin or to callous. They're brought to
a position where they're hardened toward God. Their conscience
Their mind, their sensitivities are like your hand when it's
been terribly burned in a scalding water and all the skin is ruined
and it's all calloused and rough and the nerve endings are dead
and you touch something and you don't feel it. It's calloused,
it's hardened. Men's minds, men's consciences,
men's religious sensitivities become so affected that when
they touch God, they feel nothing. When they touch sin, they feel
nothing. When they touch righteousness, they feel nothing. When they
touch love, they feel nothing. When they touch horror of hell,
they feel nothing. Because they're hardened to it. They're insensitive to it. That's
what Paul said God was doing. to Israel except for the remnant. Now, how does that apply to us?
I'd like to ask a practical question. How does God harden people? How
does the Lord harden people? Well, think for a moment of some
of the texts that actually give some answers. Number one, sometimes
God hardens people by exposing them to truth. Sometimes God
hardens people in the context of exposing them to truth. Look, please, at a couple of
passages. Look in the Old Testament in the book of Isaiah, chapter
6. Isaiah, chapter 6. This passage is quoted in the
Gospels in reference to Jesus' time, but this is written in
Isaiah's time about the people of Israel at the time of the
prophet Isaiah. Isaiah had been given a vision
by God in chapter 6. God had commissioned him to go
and to preach. And notice what it says in that
passage. Isaiah chapter 6, verse 8. Isaiah
said, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send
and who will go for us? Then I said, here am I, send
me. Verse 9. And God said to Isaiah, go and
tell this people. Hear you indeed, but understand
not. See you indeed, but perceive
not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy,
and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear
with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again
and be healed." What's his commission? Go preach to them. Preach to
them. Preach to them. Preach to them.
Fill them with knowledge and blind their eyes. Fill them with
knowledge so that it can be right before them and they won't eat
it. So it can be right before them and they won't see it. Fill
them with knowledge, go to them, preach to them. And Isaiah did
that. And the generation of his day
did respond just as God said they would respond. They had
a surfeit of spiritual food, which they choked on, which they
would not receive. Now look at how Jesus quotes
that very passage in Matthew chapter 13. In Matthew chapter
13, you have Jesus speaking to multitudes and to his disciples. And he's speaking to the multitudes
in parables. And the disciples can't understand
that. The disciples ask him, Jesus, why are you speaking to
these folks in parables? Why don't you speak straightforward?
Why don't you speak plainly? It's interesting that they should
ask that because parables usually are so illustrative. The parables
really are plain speaking. When Jesus used the parables,
he made things so that the children could understand them. They were
plain, they were illustrated. But the disciples asked Jesus,
why are you speaking to the crowds in parables? Look at Matthew
13, 10. And the disciples came and said, why speakest thou unto
them in parables? And he answered and said unto
them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath,
to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But whosoever
hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.
Therefore speak I to them in parables, because seeing they
see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, and there's
the statement then that we read earlier, which says, by hearing
you shall hear, and shall in no wise understand. And seeing
you shall see, and shall in no wise perceive. For this people's
heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and
their eyes have they closed, lest happily they should perceive
with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and should turn again, and I should heal them.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for
they hear. In John chapter 12, Jesus quotes
this passage from Isaiah again. In this passage, in Matthew chapter
13, Jesus speaks in such a way that places the responsibility
for their hardening upon themselves. In John chapter 12, Jesus quotes
the same passage from Isaiah, and there he speaks in such a
way that puts the responsibility completely upon God. God hardened
them, Jesus says in John chapter 12, so that they could not believe.
In this passage, it seems to be something of a reverse emphasis,
because those two emphases are throughout the Bible in reference
to hardening. God's hardening is not ever considered to be
arbitrary. God hardens those who harden
themselves. God hardens those who don't want
him. God never goes to somebody that's
sensitive and eager for the Lord and he says, no, you can't have
me. I'll harden you. It's never that way. In reference
to Pharaoh, that point is illustrated over and over. Pharaoh hardened
his heart and God hardened his heart. Jesus is making the same
point by emphasizing the two sides of this passage here in
Matthew 13 and there in John 12. God did the hardening. They were responsible because
they would not believe. Well, the point of the question
I'm asking, though, is how does God harden? In this case, He
hardened them in the context of much truth. He hardened them
in the context of great preaching. He hardened the Jews of Isaiah's
day under the influence of Isaiah's preaching. He hardened the Jews
of Jesus' day under the influence of Jesus' preaching. Again and
again and again and again, truth was brought to them. And they
received truth and would not respond. They heard truth and
would not respond. And in the surfeit of truth,
God hardened him. It is a fearful thing to me to
think of some of you who have heard so much truth and do not
respond. It's amazing. You sometimes hear
these wonderful accounts of somebody that knows almost nothing about
the gospel, and someone goes and teaches them the gospel,
and they just get a hold of a few strands of truth. and believe. It is so glorious to them. It's
so amazing to them that there would be a God in heaven that
would love them and forgive their sins, that his son would come
and die on the cross. And just the minimal details
of the biblical gospel so enthuse them. They embrace that and believe.
And yet there are others who hear and hear and hear, and the
years go by, and they become expert theologians, but they
do not believe. They can recite and recite, they can recall and
recall, but they have never believed, they have never said, Jesus is
my Lord, I will give myself to, never done that. I fear that
God hardens his people in the context, I'm sorry, I fear that
he hardens people in the context of much preaching, in the context
of much truth. How does God harden people? Well,
there's another way that he does it. Sometimes he hardens them
in the context of exposing them to truth. Sometimes he hardens
them, though, by letting sin run its course in their life.
Please turn to the book of Hebrews, chapter three. How does God harden
people? Sometimes by exposing them to
truth. How does God harden people? In second place, sometimes by
simply allowing sin to run its course. In Hebrews, chapter three,
you have this verse six, whose house we are if we hold fast
our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end.
He's writing to Christians. He's making the statement that
you are a Christian. You are Christ's house if you
continue, if you hold firm your faith, if you don't fall away.
And then he refers to Psalm number 95 in verse 7 and following. Verse 7, today, if you shall
hear his voice, Harden not your hearts as in the provocation. As we're going to talk about
hardening here. How does God harden people's hearts? These
people in Psalm 95 are being exhorted, get a hold of yourself.
Don't let your heart be hardened as did happen years ago in the
day of provocation. Now that is the basis for what
he's going to write to them. He's saying, you present-day
Christians, you're in the same position as those people in Psalm
95. Don't let your heart be hardened.
He says, verse 12, take heed, brethren, lest happily there
shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief and falling
away from the living God, but exhort one another day by day
so long as called today, lest any one of you be hardened by
the deceitfulness of sin. For we are become partakers of
Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the
end while it is said, today, if you shall hear his voice,
harden not your hearts as in the provocation. Now this is
a passage which is addressed to Christians who are in danger
themselves of being hardened. And the concern is that they
will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, according to verse 13. The passage is a warning. The
passage is a call to duty. The passage is a statement of
what you're supposed to do in order to not be hardened. So
just lay all that aside. The point I'm trying to draw
your attention to is what's fundamental to this passage. Why is there
a concern? Why should they do these things?
Why should they exhort each other? Why should they be concerned
about today getting a hold of themselves? It's because when
sin runs its course it is so deceptive that it will eventually
harden the soul. Somebody sins whether it's a
lie and he continues to lie. Somebody sins by violating the
fourth commandment and he continues to do so. Somebody sins by violating
the fifth commandment and he continues to do so. Somebody
sins in ways that they believe are small and continues to do
so. What happens? Sin deceives them. and eventually
sin will harden them. I'm sure that every Christian
in this room has experienced this in a minor way. In a minor
way. I'm sure that every Christian
in this room has known what it is at one point in their life
to have a very keen conscience, unwilling to do certain sinful
things. But along the way, the keenness of the conscience has
been dulled. And a year or two later, you find yourself doing
things that once you would never have done. How did that happen?
Sin deceived you. It hardened your heart. You weren't
as keen as you want. You weren't as sensitive. You're
hard. You're calloused. That's minor. He isn't talking
about something minor. He's talking about something
that will lead to apostasy. What is it? It is not maintaining
a sensitive conscience in reference to sin. allowing yourself to
go bit by bit into sin, be gradually deceived by it to the point where
now there's a callous over your whole conscience. And when the
conscience touches those things that are wrong, it's like the
burned hand. It's all scarred. It doesn't feel. And so you don't
draw back. Rather, you embrace. How does
God harden people? Sometimes he hardens them in
the glut of truth. Sometimes he hardens them by
allowing sin to run its course. And whereas they might once have
been sensitive to spiritual things, they become finally very insensitive
and are lost forever. Another way that he allows people
to be hardened or causes people to be hardened is by allowing
them to be deceived with a false sense of security, a false sense
of privilege. That's exactly what happened
to the Jews. They were convinced that they were safe. And they
weren't. And God allowed them to believe
that, and they hardened their heart toward gospel preaching. They
didn't need Jesus. They didn't need those preachers. They didn't
need this gospel. Why did they think that? Why were they hard?
Because they were secure. Well, I don't think you have
to go very far to make the applications of these points. I am very concerned
about some people that are sitting in this very room. I am very
concerned about some people who have heard the gospel again and
again and again, and know so much. but have never responded. Some people that have little
pockets of sin that they will not deal with. And as the time
goes by, you see them being more and more distant from the people
of God, more and more distant from the joys of worship, more
and more distant from the prayer meeting to the point where they
don't come to the prayer meeting, more and more distant from things.
Once they were keen to these things, now sin is running its
course. Hardening is coming to bear.
It's a terrible thing to be hardened by God. You may never recover
from hardening. Now let me say these things in
closing. Number one. If you are not sitting
here with a dull mind and a dull conscience, if you are sitting
here with some interest in spiritual things, if you are sitting here
with some sensitivity to sin, if you are sitting here with
some sensitivity to eternity, if it's something you're thinking
about is how will I die, if it's something that you're thinking
about is what are God's ideas toward me, what is God's, if
you're sensitive to those things, if you're not dull and slumbering
and stupid and calloused, You should bless God. You should
bless God that he has not chosen to harden you. Those of you who
are Christians, those of you who are so disappointed in a
thousand things, you're disappointed that you're not more consistent,
you're disappointed that you're not more fruitful, you're disappointed
that you're not more prayerful, you're disappointed that you're
not more spiritually minded, you think God is away from you,
think of this. As long as you're sensitive to those things, as
long as you're longing for improvement, as long as your heart yearns
to be more faithful, bless God. As long as that is the case,
you are not in that position of being hardened. Bless God. The passage that we read in Matthew
chapter 13, where Jesus quotes the passage in Isaiah 6, and
he says, I'm speaking in parables in order to harden them, in order
to make them slumber so they won't understand. He says, but
blessed are you who have ears to hear, and blessed are you
whose eyes see. We need to appreciate the Almighty
God saves whom He will, chooses whom He will, rejects whom He
wills, hardens whom He wills. And if we are not hard, we must
bless the Almighty God for His great grace to us. Some of you children are not
hard. Some of you children are very
interested in the gospel. Some children write me letters
or speak to me and talk about their interest and their sensitivity
to heaven and to spiritual things. You, dear children, while you're
sensitive, you should believe the gospel. While you're sensitive,
you should cry out to the Lord Jesus to forgive you. While you're
sensitive, you should devote your life to his service. While
you're sensitive, you should make your pleas with God. God,
thank you for giving Jesus. I believe in Jesus. I come to
Jesus. I will live for Jesus all the
days of my life. You may never have the sensitivity
of a little child in your adulthood. Don't think that you have to
be a teenager or an adult to come to Christ. If you're sensitive
now, come to Christ now. Some of you teenagers have been
sensitive, but some of you teenagers find yourself in a place where
it's not so interesting now to sit at family worship. Some of
you teenagers once were very eager to go to Sunday school,
but now, you know, going to Sunday school. Some of you teenagers
were once very interested to read the Bible, very interested
to please your parents, very concerned what the elders of
the church would think. Not anymore. What is that? You say, well,
I'm growing up. No, you're being hardened. You're being hardened. And you may not be able to escape.
You have had opportunities like the Jews had opportunities. You
have been taught like the Jews were taught. God chose to harden
those who would not receive his gospel. Dear teenagers, don't
attribute your growing indifference to growing up. Don't attribute
your growing indifference to the fact that, well, I've got
a bigger mind now. I'm more exposed. You're being
hardened. See it for what it is and beg
God. Beg God that he be merciful to
you. And you don't have to beg God
for what I'm going to say now. Some of you aren't fully hardened.
Some of you do still have some cares. You take advantage of
that sensitivity, take advantage that the callous hasn't completely
covered you up. And in this day, to quote from
Hebrews chapter three, today, the day of salvation, with that
bit of sensitivity that you have left, cry out to God and repent
of your sins and repent of your hardness and repent of your indifference.
The Lord has promised that all that come unto him, he will in
no wise cast out come this day. while there is a bit of sensitivity
left. So the first implication, an
application rather, is that we should bless God for whatever
degree of sensitivity we may have. And the last thing, the last
implication, is to me a very positive word. It is the scriptures
indicate that this judicial hardening by God is not always, is not
necessarily permanent. This judicial hardening by God
that some of you may right now be under is not necessarily not
always permanent. Some of you are just about asleep.
That's hardening. Some of you are in fact not interested. You're hardened. Is there any
hope for you? Maybe not. But the scriptures
do indicate that hardening is not necessarily permanent. Look at the passage in Romans
chapter 11. That becomes a central issue to Paul in the remainder
of this passage. Verse 25 says this, for I would
not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest you be
wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen
Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. Look
in verse 32, for God hath shut up all unto disobedience, the
present hardening. that he might have mercy upon
all. He's saying that in this large
cosmic sense, Israel as a nation has in part been hardened until
there's a point when the hardening will be over. They've all been
made disobedient in order that they might one day all be made
obedient. In this national sense, the hardening
is not permanent. That was true in the Old Testament,
and I'm sorry that our time is so far gone. But I would ask
you at your own to look in Nehemiah chapter 9, verse 16 through verse
31, where they're praying in reference to their former sins
and how they were hardened. Their neck was hard, their heart
was hard as a nation. God, he says, could have rejected
them, but God was merciful. God kept his covenant. Even when
the covenant would have allowed God to damn them and curse them,
would it not have been unjust? The covenant stipulations of
curse could have been faithfully and justly discharged. But the
prayer in Nehemiah is, blessed be God that when we were hard,
you were merciful. That's just the point here. They're
hard. God could justly curse them according
to the covenant curses. Many in that generation were
cursed justly. But God is going to remove that
hardening. There's a day coming where the all that are disobedient,
the all will say, And the scriptures indicate that that happens with
individuals as well. And I'd ask you to look at one
passage in 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, please, chapter three, 2 Corinthians
chapter three, verse 12. Having therefore such a hope,
we use great boldness of speech. And are not as Moses, Paul's
saying, we apostles, we are not as Moses, who put a veil upon
his face, that the children of Israel should not look steadfastly
on the end of that which was passing away. You remember the
incident? Moses came down from the presence
of God, his face shone so much he had to cover it. He put a
veil on his face so that the people would not be driven back
by the shine that was on his face. He says, verse 13 again,
and not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children
of Israel should not look steadfastly on the end of that which was
passing away. But their minds were hardened. For until this
very day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remaineth,
it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ.
But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon
their heart. But, but, whensoever it shall turn
to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the
Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in
a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit."
What's he saying? Paul is making a historical reference and making
a very large application from it. Just like when Moses put
that veil over his face and the Jews couldn't see the glory of
God because of that veil, he says in the same way, from then
until now, to Paul's day, when Moses was read, it was veiled.
The Jews didn't understand. He says, from then until now,
what a sweeping statement. But when it turns to the Lord, it
could be he turns to the Lord. It could be it in terms of the
nation turning to the Lord. But the point is, there is a
terminus. There is an end to the hardening.
It wouldn't be perpetual necessarily. When he or it would turn to the
Lord, the veil would be removed. And without a veil before their
face, it says we would see the Lord. Just like we, Paul, say
we now see the Lord, so will they. You sit here today and
you're hardened. You sit here today and you're
calloused and you're indifferent. Is there any hope for you? Maybe
not. But maybe so. If there is any
hope for you, it's this. It's that you would turn to the
Lord. In the language of this passage, it is that you would
see yourself and you say, this hardening, this indifference
to spiritual things, this inability to be excited by what this Christian
is, this inability to feel spirit. This is hardening. I'm under
a blanket. It's like I can't see reality.
I must shake this. I must turn to the Lord. I must
ask the Lord for mercy, for pardon, to remove this. The implication
of the passage is that where one does that, where one does
that, the veil will be removed. Some people take this idea of
God's hardening as something that they have no recourse in.
Let me remind you, Hebrews chapter three is talking about hardening,
and it's telling those people to not let themselves be hardened. Hebrews chapter 3 is drawing
attention to their responsibility to not be hardened. This passage
is talking about hardened people who have a responsibility to
turn to the Lord. You're not allowed to fall back
and say, well, woe is me. What can I do? God has hardened
me. How can I raise my hand against God? God's hardened me. It's
hopeless. Nothing in the Bible to give you that attitude. Everything
in the Bible would say that you are in a hopeless state and therefore
you must cry out to God. Because with the Lord there is
hope. If you would turn to the Lord, the veil would be removed. If you would turn to the Lord,
the hardening that makes you this moment indifferent would
be removed. Hardening is a very sobering
thing. But the hardening which the Bible
speaks of is not necessarily permanent. If you would turn
to the Lord, you will be saved. This passage is not given to
confuse us. This passage that is so intricate about the Jews
and the Gentiles and all the rest is not given to give us
just food for theological charts. This passage is given to us to
teach us about God, about grace, about election, about hardening,
and about hope. Because this great God who does
harden justly continues to show mercy. And all those that will
turn to the Lord will still be forgiven and saved. Let us pray
together. Our great God and Father, it
is amazing to us to think about your works with your ancient
people, Israel. How much privilege you gave to
them, how much truth you gave to them, what striking historical
miracles you performed to convince them of your truth and of your
care. It has always been surprising to us to read the accounts of
how many would not believe in you. We thank you that in the face
of their frequent disbelief, that you remained faithful to
your covenant. The promises that you had made
to them, you did continue. But more than that, we bless
you that when you might justly have cast them away, and when
you might have permanently exercised the curses of the covenant, that
you still chose to be merciful. And we bless and thank you that
we who stand in a better place, and that we who stand with our
feet upon the fullness of the new covenant, can have such security
that you are sure in your mercies to us. Father, we do plead with you for those among us who are sensitive
to your word. and yet have not known repentance
and faith, we pray that you would not allow them to slip out of
this blessed place of sensitivity, but that you would please bring
them to a point of true faith, of true repentance, of open alignment
with Christ. And we pray for those that sit
here with dullness and plead with you that you would give
them enough light to make them recognize their terrible state,
and that you would give them enough light to make them hope
in Jesus, and that you would turn them to yourself. Please
be merciful to the hardened among us. We ask you in Jesus' name,
amen.
Salvation Is All of Grace
Series Romans
| Sermon ID | 816232048175200 |
| Duration | 1:20:03 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday Service |
| Bible Text | Romans 11:6-10 |
| Language | English |
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