Romans 11:1-24

Romans 11:1-4 (ESV)
“I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 

Five Stars

Before apps like Yelp or Google Reviews, how did people know which restaurants were worth trying? Usually, a food critic wrote a review in the local newspaper. Today, everyone can be a food critic. With a few taps on a phone, people can share their opinions about everything from the atmosphere and décor to the service and, most importantly, the food. Whether we realize it or not, those reviews carry weight. We will sometimes decide whether to spend our time and money at a restaurant based entirely on the experience of someone we have never met. It shouldn’t surprise us because there is something powerful about the testimony of someone who has experienced something for themselves.

Paul asked an important question: If many of his Jewish brothers and sisters had rejected the gospel and refused to believe that Jesus is Lord, had God rejected them? Had their unbelief finally exhausted God’s patience and caused Him to give up on His people? Paul’s answer is an emphatic no. In fact, his first piece of evidence was deeply personal: his own life. Paul himself was an Israelite who had once rejected Jesus, opposed the gospel, and persecuted those who followed Christ. Yet God had not given up on him. Paul’s life was living proof that God was still pursuing and saving His people.

His second piece of evidence came from Scripture as Paul pointed to the story of Elijah, a prophet of God. Elijah had become discouraged and frustrated, believing that he was the only one left who was faithfully following the Lord. Yet God reminded Elijah that what he could see was not the whole story. He was not alone. God had preserved seven thousand men who had remained faithful and refused to bow their knees to Baal and testify of God’s goodness. 

If we are willing to trust the review of a stranger enough to try a restaurant we have never visited, think about the weight our testimony can carry in the life of someone who is still deciding what they believe about God. Paul’s life was a living review of God’s grace, and the seven thousand in Elijah’s day were evidence that God was faithfully working in lives Elijah could not see. The same is true today. Countless people have stories of God’s goodness, grace, forgiveness, provision, and faithfulness. Your story can be one of them. When you tell others what God has done in your life, you are giving them a firsthand account of His character. You never know how God may use your testimony to help someone see Him differently, take a step toward Him, or trust Him for themselves. People put a surprising amount of trust in the review of a stranger. How much more powerful can the testimony be of someone they know whose life says, “I have experienced the faithfulness of God, and He is worthy of your trust too.”

Practice This:

ake a few minutes to develop your testimony by writing down how you have personally experienced God’s goodness and faithfulness. It doesn’t have to be dramatic or complicated.

Ask Yourself:

• What has God done in my life?

• What has He taught me?
  How has following Jesus changed me?

• Where have I experienced His grace or faithfulness?

Write your answers in a journal or diary, then look for an opportunity to share part of your story. Tell a friend, family member, or coworker, or share it online. Your testimony does not need to convince someone of everything about God. Simply tell them what you have experienced. You never know how God might use your “review” to help someone take their next step toward Him.

Prayer:

God, when I look back over my life, I can see evidence of Your goodness in places I sometimes overlook. You have been patient with me, gracious toward me, and faithful even when I could not see what You were doing. Help me recognize the story You are writing in my life and give me the courage to share it. Bring someone to mind who needs to hear what I have experienced with You,and help me speak naturally and sincerely. May my life and my words point beyond me to You, so that someone else might discover that You are worthy of their trust. Amen.

Romans 11:5-6 (ESV)
“5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.”

God’s Grace Builds Bridges

What is amazing about God is that even though Israel did not earn or deserve His goodness, He continued to pursue them. Many had rejected Jesus and appeared stuck in their ways, lost, or even hopeless. Yet God had not given up. He continued sending apostles and disciples to proclaim the good news of Jesus, extending an invitation to people who had done nothing to deserve it. That is the beauty of grace: God gives what we could never deserve and could never earn.

As Paul mentioned in the previous verses, his own life was evidence that God had not given up on His people. Now he points to a remnant of fellow Jews who had come to faith in Jesus. They were not chosen because God needed them, because they were better than everyone else, or because they had somehow earned His favor. Paul makes it clear that their salvation was entirely based upon grace. If they could earn it, it would no longer be grace. Grace is receiving from God what we could never earn for ourselves.

Are there people in your life you have quietly begun to believe are too far gone? Maybe you have prayed for them, invited them, shared your faith, and watched them continue to reject God. After enough time, it can become easy to assume they will never change. Yet this passage reminds us not to declare someone hopeless while God is still extending grace. We may be ready to burn a bridge with someone while God is still extending one through His grace.

God’s grace builds bridges where we are tempted to burn them. As long as someone has breath, there is still an opportunity for them to encounter the grace of Jesus. So keep praying. Keep loving. Keep living out your faith in front of them. Keep looking for opportunities to point them toward Christ. The person you are tempted to write off today may become tomorrow’s testimony of just how far the grace of God can reach.

Practice this:

Think of one person in your life you may have started to believe is too far gone or unlikely to ever follow Jesus. Write their name down and commit to praying for them regularly. Then consider one way you can keep the bridge open this week. Send an encouraging text, invite them to coffee, check in on them, or simply look for an opportunity to show them the grace you have received from Christ. Don’t give up on someone God may still be pursuing.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for not giving up on me. I did nothing to earn Your grace, yet You continued to pursue me and invite me into a relationship with You. Forgive me for the times I have written people off or assumed they would never change. Bring someone to my mind today who needs Your grace, and help me keep the bridge open through prayer, love, patience, and compassion. Give me eyes to see people not only as they are today, but as who they could become through Jesus. Amen.

Romans 11:7-10 (ESV)
“7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” 9 And David says,“Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

Don’t Learn the Hard Way

Every parent knows the frustration of sounding like a broken record, playing on repeat, when their child just will not listen. Some of the hits include, “Did you brush your teeth?” “Did you change your underwear?” and “Pick up after yourself!” Some parents patiently repeat themselves, possibly for years, while others get creative with consequences like taking away screens or sending their child to bed early. But eventually, children grow up, and parents expect them to know the basics by the time they leave home. How long can a parent keep playing the same broken record or grounding their grown child? For many, there comes a point when the parent stops the record and allows their grown child to learn the hard way.

At the end of Romans 10, Paul describes God saying, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” God had been incredibly patient with Israel, playing His own record again and again. Some of the hits included, “I saved you from slavery in Egypt,” “I performed countless miracles,” “I gave you the Scriptures,” and “I sent you the prophets.” Then came the number one hit: “I sent Jesus.”

That is what makes Paul's words in Romans 11 so sobering. He says that “the rest were hardened” and that “God gave them a spirit of stupor.” God had extended His hands toward Israel, but they continually resisted Him. Eventually, their rejection became part of their judgment. They did not want Jesus, so God gave them what they wanted: life without Jesus. God was not unwilling to receive them, nor had He failed to make Himself known. His invitation had been extended again and again, but He would not force them to receive what they continually rejected.

There is a warning here for us:  A hardened heart rarely happens overnight. It develops through repeated resistance to God's voice until what once convicted us no longer seems to bother us. Yet there is also good news. If you hear His voice and feel Him stirring your heart, respond. His hands are still extended toward you. You may have heard the gospel and the teachings of Jesus so many times that they sound like a broken record, but do not allow familiarity to harden your heart. Let His words soften your heart, take them seriously, and respond to what He is saying.

Practice this:

Take a few quiet minutes today and ask yourself, “What has God been saying to me that I keep ignoring?” Maybe it is something you have heard in Scripture, through a sermon, or through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Instead of dismissing it because you have heard it before, choose one practical way to respond in obedience today.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your patience with me and for continuing to speak even when I have not listened. Forgive me for the times I have ignored Your voice or resisted what You were asking of me. Keep my heart soft and receptive to You. Give me the humility to listen and the courage to respond in obedience. I do not want to simply hear Your words again and again. I want them to shape the way I live. Amen.

Romans 11:11-16 (ESV)
““11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

God is Still Writing

Have you ever felt like your failure, or someone else’s decision, ruined part of your story? Maybe you made a decision you wish you could take back. Maybe someone betrayed your trust, walked away, or made a selfish choice that affected your family, finances, or future. In the moment, it can feel like everything has been ruined and there is no way to undo what has been done. But what looks ruined to us is not beyond redemption to God. No matter what has happened, God still has more to add to the story.

As Paul continues his argument, he anticipates another question: Did Israel stumble so badly that there was no coming back? Paul responds, “By no means!” Israel’s rejection of Jesus was serious, but it did not mean God was finished with them. In fact, God worked through their rejection to bring the good news of Jesus to the Gentile world. Now Paul hoped that as Israel witnessed Gentiles experiencing salvation and enjoying a relationship with the God of Israel, they would become jealous and desire what they had rejected. Israel’s failure had not written the final chapter. God was still at work, bringing salvation to the Gentiles while continuing to hold out hope for Israel’s restoration. 

Paul could see something that many in Israel could not: God was still at work. Israel’s rejection of Jesus did not surprise God or derail His purposes. What appeared to be a hopeless failure became an opportunity for the gospel to spread throughout the Gentile world. And even then, God was not finished with Israel. Paul looked forward to what God could do through their eventual acceptance of Jesus. What looked like the end of the story was actually a story God was still writing.

God continues to work in these kinds of ways. He knows the pain we will experience, whether from our own choices or the actions of others, and none of it catches Him by surprise or puts His purposes on hold. What feels like the end of the story may only be a chapter that we cannot yet understand. God told Habakkuk, “I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told” (Habakkuk 1:5). So be encouraged today: God is still at work. Your failure, disappointment, or pain does not get to write the ending. God still has more to add to your story.

Practice this:

Think about an area of your life that feels like a failure, disappointment, or chapter you wish had gone differently. Instead of focusing only on what went wrong, ask God to help you see where He may still be working. Write down one way you have already seen God bring something good from a difficult situation and remind yourself today: this is not the end of the story.

Prayer:

God, when I can’t understand what You are doing, help me trust that You see what I don’t. Take the parts of my story that I wish were different and use them however You desire. Give me faith when I am discouraged, patience when I am waiting, and hope when I cannot see what comes next. Help me trust that You are not finished yet. Amen.

Romans 11:17-24 (ESV)
“17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

Finger Pointing

There is a saying that warns a person to not point at another person condemningly because they will have three fingers pointing back at them from the same hand. The trap of pride and self-righteousness can sneak into any person’s heart, as their focus may shift over time from God to self, and when this happens the fruit of pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness are clearly seen.

Paul gives a strong warning to the Gentile believers. Although they had been graciously invited into God’s story of redemption, they were not to respond with pride, but with fear. This fear was not about living terrified of God, but maintaining a holy reverence that remembers God is God and we are not. Some of the natural branches, representing people from Israel, had been broken off because of their unbelief. So, Paul warns the Gentiles not to look down on them as if they were somehow better or more deserving. They were standing only because of faith and the grace of God.

Paul’s warning reminds us how easily pride can grow when we forget where our life comes from. The Gentiles had been grafted into God’s people by grace through faith, not because they were more deserving than Israel. Paul reminds them, “it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” The same is true for us. Everything we have in Christ is because of His grace. Scripture, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and even correction from other believers can expose areas where pride has begun to grow. Rather than resisting correction, we should receive it with humility and allow it to point us back to our dependence on Jesus.

Following Jesus should never make us feel superior to someone who chooses not to follow. The longer we walk with Christ, the more aware we should become of how desperately we need His grace. Before pointing a finger at someone else’s sin, failure, or unbelief, remember the three pointing back at you. You are not standing because you are better, stronger, or more deserving. You are standing by faith because of the kindness and grace of God. Let that truth replace arrogance with humility, judgment with compassion, and pride with a holy reverence for God.

Practice this:

Before criticizing or looking down on someone else today, remember the root that supports you. Take a moment to examine your own heart and ask, “Has pride or self-righteousness started growing in me?” Thank God for His grace, and if He reveals an area that needs correction, receive it with humility and respond in obedience.

Prayer:

Father, thank You that I stand before You because of Your grace, not because I am better or more deserving than anyone else. Protect my heart from pride and self-righteousness. When I am tempted to look down on others, remind me of how much I need You. Keep me humble, teachable, and dependent upon Jesus. May Your kindness toward me lead me to extend grace and compassion toward others. Amen.