Disobedience in Contrast to Mercy

Transcript

GR 1461
02/20/11
Disobedience in Contrast to Mercy
Romans 11:26-36
Gil Rugh

We're in Romans 11 in your Bibles. Paul has been carefully unfolding the plan of God for the nation Israel and how that relates to God's present activity in focusing on the Gentiles. He is writing to a Gentile church, the church at Rome and he is concerned that the Gentiles don't develop an attitude of superiority or arrogance toward the Jews. He warned them in verse 18, do not be arrogant toward the branches, the branches being the Jews, because God has a purpose and plan for the Jews. And even your place in God's plan of salvation as Gentiles is part of His overall plan in dealing with Israel.

I want to just review a couple of things we noted in chapter 11 beginning with verse 25 that area crucial to Paul's whole argument in what has been unfolding in chapters 9-11. He said in verse 25, I do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, of this mystery. And God's work of salvation in dealing with the Jews and the Gentiles and then the Jews again is a mystery that cannot be understood apart from revelation. That's what a mystery is in scripture we noted. It is something that cannot be understood apart from revelation from God. Now the mystery that he is talking about in verse 25 is not that Gentiles would be saved. The Old Testament talked about that. It's not that Jews would come under the judgment of God. The Old Testament talked about that. Or that the Jews would experience God's salvation. The Old Testament talked about that. But what has not been clarified in the Old Testament is the order in how God will unfold His work of redemption in dealing with Jews and Gentiles. That first the Jews would be the beneficiary of God's blessing and focus in salvation. Then they would come under His judgment and His focus would then turn to the Gentiles, the church age in which we are living. But that's not the last chapter either, for then God is going to finish His focus on the Gentiles and return and place His focus of blessing for salvation back on the Jews. Now that was not clear in the Old Testament how this would unfold. You read the Old Testament and you think, Jews and Gentiles are going to get saved before all is said and done, enjoy the blessings of God. And some by not being clear on this mystery have thought that the Gentiles and the church have replaced the Jews in the plan of God. That's not the case.

So what Paul has been unfolding here is essential for the Gentiles in particular, as well as the Jews, to understand. This time of Gentile salvation is part of the overall plan in dealing with the nation Israel, that while Israel is under this devastating, withering judgment of God and they have been removed from the focal point of His salvation, the Gentiles are brought into His saving blessing. But this time of God bestowing salvation blessing on the Gentiles will come to a conclusion and He will return His focus to the Jews.

So the first thing to note in verse 25 is that this can only be understood by revelation from God. It is a mystery.
The second thing we noted, Israel's hardening today is partial and not complete. Verse 25, a partial hardening has happened to Israel. Israel is not totally excluded from the saving work of God in this day, this period of time, the church age as we call it. It's a partial hardening. But there are some Jews being saved. But they are in a small minority compared to the number of Gentiles that comprise the church of Jesus Christ today.

A third note we observed, Israel's hardening is temporary. It is a partial hardening until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. So it is temporary, this hardening that Israel is enduring now which closes them out by and large as a nation from God's salvation is partial. There are some Jews who are being saved. And it is temporary. It is until the designated end. And the until brings us to the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.

And that's a fourth thing we noted. The time of Gentile blessing, the time of God's focus on Gentiles in His work of salvation in the world will come to an end. It's until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And we noted that fullness of the Gentiles is this time when God's focus in salvation in the world is on the Gentiles. And we observed the distinction of that from the phrase used in Luke 21, the times of the Gentiles. The times of the Gentiles ran from the Babylonian captivity in 605 B.C. and will run down until the end of the tribulation and the return of Christ to earth, when Jerusalem is under the domination of Gentile powers. But the fullness of the Gentiles is the time when God is focusing His work of salvation in the world on Gentiles.

Following that verse 26 says, all Israel will be saved. We noted there will be a national salvation. That doesn't mean every single Jew will be saved, but God's focusi n salvation will be on the nation Israel and there will be a mass turning of the Jews to Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior. This will happen in connection with the Second Coming of Christ. Verse 26 makes that clear, all Israel will be saved. The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. So after the rapture of the church and God's focus of dealing in the world turns back to the Jews for the 70th week of Daniel, that will climax at the end of that with Israel as a nation finally having their eyes open to see the disaster of their sin, the tragedy of their rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah. And they will cry out, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, and Christ will return from heaven. That will be a time when Israel's sin will be removed. This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins. That's the ultimate restoration, salvation of the nation Israel.

Now picking up with verse 28 and really running through verse 32, Paul is going to bring together what he has just said about the relationship of Jews and Gentiles and the ultimate salvation of the Jews. Come back to Ezekiel 37. Ezekiel wrote approximately 500 years before Christ in the context of the Babylonian captivity. In chapter 36 he has talked about the coming restoration of the nation Israel and nations like Edom who have taken upon themselves to appropriate the land, and nations associated with them, the land that God had promised Israel. That is a personal attack against God and He will rectify that and ultimately restore Israel to its land and to its blessings.

Pick up with Ezekiel 36:22. This is a reiteration of what we call the New Covenant. We looked at it in Jeremiah 31 in previous studies. This is the New Covenant, Jeremiah 31 records it, and here it is recorded also in Ezekiel 36 beginning with verse 22. Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God. It is not for your sake oh house of Israel that I am about to act, but for My holy name. This is foundational. We have seen this in Romans 9-11. God is acting on the basis of Himself. There is no doubt Israel has been ungodly and unfaithful concerning His holy name which you have profaned among the nations where you went. So I'm going to act on behalf of Israel but not for Israel's benefit ultimately, but for My holy name, to reveal and declare My glory, My holiness before the world. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you, Israel, have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord, when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from your filthiness, from your idols. I will give you a new heart, put a new spirit within you. I will put My spirit within you. That's the fulfillment of the New Covenant for Israel. Israel back in the land in right relationship with God, experiencing His salvation, having His Spirit dwell within them.

He reminds them in verse 32, I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Lord. Let it be known to you, be ashamed and confounded for your ways, oh house of Israel. Keep these statements of God in mind when we come to Romans 11 again in a moment. God is going to emphasize He is acting on the basis of mercy, something undeserved. And this is not because Israel is deserving of any of God's blessing, but God has promised something to Israel and He will keep His promises because He is a promise-keeping God.

In Ezekiel 36:27 He says, I will put My Spirit within you. A promise to Israel. Turn over to Ezekiel 37:14, He repeats that promise. I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life. And I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord, have spoken and have done it.

Come into Ezekiel 37, the vision of the dry bones. Many people know about the dry bones from the song, which has nothing directly to do with Ezekiel. But Ezekiel is talking about Israel's future. The hand of the Lord was upon me, He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord, set me down in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones. And he looks around this valley and the bones are scattered over the surface of this dry valley. And like you would have with bones that have been out exposed to the elements over a long period of time. He says, verse 2, they were very dry, dry bones. And God said to Ezekiel, son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, oh Lord God, you know. Again He said to me, prophesy over these bones and say to them, oh dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, behold I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, put breath in you that you may come alive. And you will know that I am the Lord.

So Ezekiel prophesies over the bones and the bones begin to get together, and a skeleton is formed as the bones connect. And then the muscles and the flesh come on to the skeleton. And then the wind blows and brings breath and life into the bones. And so I prophesied, verse 10, as He commanded me and the breath came into them. They came to life, stood on their feet, an exceeding great army.

Now the interpretation. Verse 11, He said to me, son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. What are we talking about? We're talking about the nation Israel. And Israel, they say, our hope is dried up, it's perished, our bones are dried, we are completely cut off. Prophesy to them and say, thus says the Lord God, behold I will open your graves, cause you to come out of your graves, My people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, caused you to come up out of your graves My people. I will put My Spirit within you, you will come to life, I will place you in your own land.

Down in verse 21, behold I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land. Verses 15ff have used the picture of two sticks, one has Ephraim for the northern kingdom and one has Judah for the southern kingdom. They are going to be joined into one stick. The divided nation Israel will be reunited into one nation, the nation Israel and be re-established in the land.

Verse 22, on the mountains of Israel one king will be king for all of them. They will no longer be two nations, no longer be divided into two kingdoms. And they'll be cleansed from their sin, verse 23, they will be My people and I will be their God. David My king will rule over them. Verse 26, I will make a covenant of peace with them, it will be an everlasting covenant with them. Verse 27, My dwelling place will also be with them. I will be their God and they will be My people. And note, and the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel. The nations are going to be present, the Gentiles at this time because we've come to the kingdom and Jew and Gentile will be in that kingdom. There will be saved Gentiles and saved Jews, the ultimate salvation of Israel, the fulfillment of all the promises of God.

Come back to Romans 11. That is what is entailed when he says all Israel will be saved. It's important we understand how this all takes place and how Israel gets to that place. It's important that Gentiles don't misunderstand God's judgment on Israel today does not mean God is done with Israel. That's what Paul has unfolded in the mystery. Israel was in the place of blessing, now it's under a time of judgment and the Gentiles are receiving blessings. But He is going to restore His focus on Israel when He is done with the Gentiles. And that will bring the salvation of Israel to completion and prepare the way for the kingdom.

So when he picks up in verse 28, talking about Israel and God's dealing with Israel and the relationship to the Gentiles. Verses 30-32 have two words that are key, each one is used four times—disobedience and mercy. Disobedience is used four times in these verses and mercy is used four times. And that's the contrast. Ultimately it will be the disobedience of Jew and Gentile alike and the mercy of God that is brought to Jew and Gentile alike, that could bring a disobedient people to God's salvation.

So he picks up, verse 28, from the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's election, God's choice, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. So let's look at the Jews from two vantage points, from the standpoint of looking at them from their relationship to the gospel and from the standpoint of looking at them in light of their relationship to God, in light of His choice. You look at Israel as it stands in relationship to the gospel right down to today, Israel as a nation is the enemy of God. They are the enemies of the gospel. The nation is still in disobedience. From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies, they are opposed to the gospel. There are individual Jews here and there who are saved, but the nation Israel is the enemy of the gospel, it's the enemy of Christ, it's the enemy of God. That is their position.

Now he adds this little expression on the end, they are enemies for your sake. And that's crucial. That's what he has been talking about in Romans 11. He has placed Israel under judgment for their disobedience and refusal to believe so that He might bring blessings on the Gentiles and bring salvation to Gentiles. And place them into the position of His favor as the recipients of His salvation. We noted the distinction. The Old Testament, there was no plan of evangelizing the Gentiles. We talked about when Israel was sent into the land of Canaan. It wasn't to do evangelism, it was to kill every man, woman and child. God's focus was with Israel, salvation focused in Israel. But with the coming of Christ and the final climactic sin of Israel in rejecting Christ, Israel has been set aside, if you will. God's focus now is on the Gentiles.

So from the standpoint of the gospel, Israel is the enemy of God for our sake, for our benefit as Gentiles. So we could experience the mercy of God and His salvation. But we have to look at them from a different vantage point—from the standpoint of election. We have the word “God's” inserted before choice and it gives you the idea, it's the word election. From the standpoint of election, that would take us back to Romans 9 where for the first 29 verses Paul unfolded the sovereignty of God in election and demonstrated that He had chosen the nation, the physical descendants of Abraham, but not every physical descendant of Abraham. The physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac, and not every physical descendant of Isaac, but through Jacob. And the sovereign choice of God in this matter.

So from the standpoint of election, God's choice, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. From the standpoint of election, God's sovereign choice, He has chosen the nation Israel. So from that standpoint they are beloved of God. Still to this day as we are here, almost 2,000 years after Paul wrote this letter to the Romans, there is only one nation on the face of the earth that is the object of God's love as a nation. That's the nation Israel. So Paul says, from the standpoint of the gospel they are the enemies. But from the standpoint of God's sovereign election they are the objects of His love.

Come back to Deuteronomy 7:6, for you are a holy people, God addressing the nation Israel. You are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. That's it. One nation chosen of God. Not the United States, not any other country on the face of the earth. It's Israel. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the people. For you were the fewest of all the peoples. You can't get any fewer. It was Abraham and his barren wife Sarah, that's not much of a nation. But God chose them. Egypt was already a mighty empire with something of a history. I might have chosen Egypt to have something to start with, something to work with. But no, God chose Israel when they were nothing.

So He didn't set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number. But what was the reason? Because the Lord loved you, kept the oath He swore to your forefathers. Can't go back any further. Why did God choose Israel? Because He chose to choose Israel. That's as far back as you can go. It was the sovereign choice of God.

Come back to Romans 11. From the standpoint of election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the sake of the fathers takes up back to the Abrahamic Covenant. We spent some time looking at the Abrahamic Covenant earlier in our studies in Romans 11, the covenant God established with Abraham, reiterated with Isaac, reiterated with Jacob. So it's for the sake of the fathers, because of the covenant He made with the founders of the nation, if you will, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are beloved. Nothing has changed. Additional revelation from God does not alter or change earlier revelation. It may clarify it, give us a clearer understanding as he has done here so we can appreciate God's program and how it will unfold in order. But it doesn't change anything. Just as God had promised to save Israel, restore to them the land, He will. Just as He promised to save Gentiles, He is. But now we understand more of the sequence as it unfolds.

They are beloved for the sake of the fathers. Now in this context we are talking about nations, not primarily individuals. Some of what is said may have application to individual salvation, individual election, but the focus of what he is saying here is on nations. We have noted that, verse 25, a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in. He's talking about the nation Israel and the Gentile peoples. So he's talking about from the standpoint of the gospel, the nation Israel is the enemy of God. Paul was not the enemy of God even though he is a Jew. But the nation Israel is in a position of enmity against God. The Gentiles, not every Gentile is saved but look around the church and the churches across the country and around the world. They are primarily Gentile churches.

So from the standpoint of God's election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers because God chose to enter into a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants.

For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Tremendous verse. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. If we only had these two verses in the New Testament, verses 28-29, that would be enough to make clear the church has not replaced Israel. All the promises of God to Israel have to be fulfilled to Israel. I know I've stressed this, I stress it again, the church cannot replace Israel. There is a major group within evangelicalism that says with the coming of Christ we now have the right to reinterpret the Old Testament in light of the coming of Christ. So reinterpret the Old Testament passages. They'll talk about the church being Israel. That can't be. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. From the standpoint of election Israel is beloved of God because of the covenant promises He made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. And we can't do a sleight of hand and say, well, the church is spiritual Israel so God is fulfilling His promises, just not the way that the Old Testament thought they would be fulfilled. No, that would be a change.

Somebody says, I'm going to give you and your children $100 million, Gil. Then it turns out, well, I didn't really mean you and your descendants, I meant some old man with gray hair and his descendants. Well that doesn't count. The promise has been changed. You can't say the content will be the same but the recipients will be different. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. We've been back in the Old Testament and we just started out by looking a little bit at Ezekiel 36-37 as another place of God's promises. How clear could it be. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. What are some of the gifts of God to Israel?

Back up to Romans 9:3, I wish myself accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen or according to the flesh. He's talking about Israelites, who are Israelites like Paul is. And what does he say about some of the blessings God has given them? To whom belong the adoption of sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the temple service, the promises, whose are the fathers, from whom is the Christ according to the flesh who is over all, God blessed forever. I mean, these are some of the gifts of God that are associated with the call of God. God calling Israel to Himself, choosing them for Himself. With that comes all the blessings that He has called them to receive.

So even though Gentiles are now in the place of God's favor and being the recipients of His salvation, Romans 9:6 reminds us, it is not as though the word of God has failed. And then he reminds us, not everyone who is a physical descendant of Abraham is in the line of promise, just the physical descendants who are also spiritual descendants, who have physically descended from Abraham but also have the faith of Abraham, as he unfolded in Romans 4.

Come back to Romans 11. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. They can't be canceled, they can't be changed, there is no going back, there is no changing. In Greek as in other languages they can rearrange the order of their words. We say there is a certain order that we follow, but in Greek if you wanted to give a certain emphasis you could just rearrange the order of the words. By the ending of the words they have and so on you can tell where it fits in the sentence. I say this because the first word in verse 29, if you would look at a Greek Bible as Paul would have written this, is the word irrevocable. It comes before the preposition for. Irrevocable, for the gifts and calling of God are. Are irrevocable. So he puts that right up front to get the stress. It's irrevocable, it cannot be changed, you cannot go back on it. The gifts and calling of God. So establishing from the standpoint of election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. Irrevocable are the gifts and calling of God. So it is settled.

How do so many people come up with ideas that the church has replaced Israel. There is no future for the nation Israel. Irrevocable are the gifts and calling of God. From the standpoint of election Israel is the object of God's love right down to today. I can talk to a Jew and say, you are part of a nation that God loves is a way that He loves no other nation. How sad it is that you are the enemy of God, by your refusal to submit to Him and place your faith in the Messiah of Israel, the Savior. Both are true. And we Gentiles need to understand that. There are some people in our recent history of the nation who talk about the United States as though it were God's chosen nation and the future of the world hangs on the future of the United States and what will happen to the gospel and what will happen if something happens to the United States. Nothing in the plan of God that I can find in the word of God is altered one bit if something happens to the United States. It could be annihilated tomorrow and nothing in the word of God would have to be changed. But if Israel were annihilated tomorrow, the word of God has failed, God is not God, there is no truth in the word because He has promised and it is sure. We ought to know that, I mean, here we are 2,000 years after Paul wrote this and Israel is still the focal point in the world. Can't escape Israel because of their place in the plan of God.

Now explain it. For just as you once, back in Romans 11:30, were disobedient to God. It's characteristic of the Gentiles, disobedience. But now we have a Gentile church, a church comprised of Gentiles basically in Rome. You once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy. You see the words disobedient, mercy. We were disobedient but we have become the recipients of God's mercy. Because of their disobedience. You understand it was because of Israel's persistent disobedience and rebellion against God and refusal to believe in Him that God placed them under judgment and opened the door of salvation to us Gentiles. So it's because of their disobedience we have received mercy. That's been the subject of the bulk of chapter 11.

Verse 31, so these also, these Jews, now, also have been disobedient. So that because of the mercy shown to you, they may also now be shown mercy. And you see the unfolding pattern here. Israel first had the blessing, then they were disobedient when the blessing was theirs through the Old Testament, through the gospels, through the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension of Christ, the establishing of the church in Acts 2. They have blessing, now because of their disobedience they are placed under judgment. As a result of their judgment God has opened the door of salvation to Gentiles. So there will come a time when His focus on Gentiles will come to an end. The end of verse 25 says, the fullness of the Gentiles will come in. The God will turn to show mercy again on the Jews. That shouldn't be so hard for us to understand as Gentiles. If we in our disobedience were made the recipients of His mercy, how much more reasonable is it that those who were the original recipients of His mercy and all the promises that brought that mercy should someday be brought out of their disobedience to be the recipients of His mercy. That's his argument, that's the unfolding of the mystery. You see how God's plan is clear. The facts were presented in the Old Testament, just like the crucifixion of Christ and the reigning in glory of Christ. They are both presented in the Old Testament but Peter said in his letter that Old Testament prophets couldn't figure out how He could die and also reign in glory. That waited additional revelation. The additional revelation didn't change any of the prior revelation. He had to die exactly as Isaiah 53 said He would, even buried in the tomb of a rich man. But now we understand He would come twice, the first time to suffer and die to pay the penalty for sin, then ascend to heaven and at a future time return again to reign in glory. That's so clear. But it wasn't clear in the Old Testament. But the basic facts were there. So the basic facts of Israel's judgment, Israel's blessing, Gentile judgment, Gentile blessing and a kingdom that includes both Jew and Gentile, that's all there. How does it unfold now? Well, we're just putting it in order. Israel had blessing, then because of disobedience they are under judgment and now Gentiles who were disobedient are in blessing. And God is ultimately going to close the door of blessing to Gentiles and reopen it to Jews. And then Christ will come. Oh that's how that all unfolds. Didn't understand it just from the Old Testament. Now it's clear.

This issue of being disobedient. Turn over to Ephesians 2. You know this is the outstanding characteristic of an unbeliever's life, disobedience. In every area of life the unbeliever is living in disobedience against God. That's why in Ephesians 2:2, verse 1 says, you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the Spirit that is now working, note, in the sons of disobedience. Among them we all, too, formerly lived. We were sons of disobedience. That means disobedience characterized our lives in every way. From the perspective of God there is one outstanding characteristic of the unbeliever—disobedience.

Look over in Ephesians 5:6, let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.. Disobedience is the characteristic of a life of the unbeliever. We like to categorize some people and say, at least they are not so bad. And some unbelievers are worse in their actions than other unbelievers. From God who looks at and searches the hearts, He sees one who is desperately wicked, in constant rebellion against Him. There is one word you can write over the life of every unbeliever, can write over your life until you became the recipient of mercy and grace and became a believer—disobedience. The whole lot of unbelievers, all of us, we all lived there at one time because we were all born in sin.

Back to Romans 11:30, you who once were disobedient to God but now have been shown mercy. Now these also who have been disobedient, that they also may be shown mercy. Come to verse 32, for God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. Now keep in mind there is national election and there is individual election. Some people who are Arminian who believe you can lost your salvation come to a passage like this and say, see, you can be in the place of mercy, but if you are disobedient you lose that. Well he's talking about the nations, not individuals. The nation Israel was chosen by God, we saw that in passages. But not every individual in the nation Israel has been chosen to be the recipient of God's salvation. What he is talking about here is God's work in dealing with national entities, the nation Israel and all the other nations. God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. That doesn't mean there is universal salvation in the sense of universalism, either, as some have taken verse 32. The context limits it. What have we been talking about? Israel and the Gentiles. He has shut up all in disobedience, all Gentiles and all Jews so that He shows mercy to all. And at their time through Old Testament mercy is being shown to Gentiles. Then as a result of their disobedience and persistent unbelief, they were shut up in disobedience and excluded from mercy, by and large. And the Gentiles who had been excluded from God's saving mercy, with few exceptions, now have become the recipients of God's saving mercy. When God closes that door, not tightly, but by and large in dealing with Gentiles we're back to showing mercy to the Jews.

So all have been shut up in disobedience. Come back to Romans 1, where we began. How did Paul begin? Showing that the Gentiles are sinners. Romans 1:18, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. And the end of verse 20, they are without excuse. Verse 32, they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death. They not only do the same but give hearty approval to those who practice them. The Gentiles manifest clearly their depraved, sinful condition.

Chapter 2 focused on the Jews who thought they were better than the Gentiles because they didn't do all those dirty things that the Gentiles did. But you understand God is going to judge us on the basis of our hearts and what flows out of those hearts and on the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ as he says in verse 16. So he warned them in verse 17, if you bear the name Jew and rely upon the Law and boast in God and all this and that, you understand you have to have a changed heart. And so he concluded chapter 2, it's not just an outward, physical relationship to Judaism, but you have to have a changed heart to connect you to Abraham.

So Romans 3:9, what then, are we better than they, we Jews better than they, Gentiles? No not at all, for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. So Jew and Gentile alike are all under sin. So God shut up all under disobedience, so you could come to verse 21 where he starts to unfold that salvation would be by grace through faith. It's an act of God's mercy. So Romans 3:21 through chapter 4 and into chapter 5 he talked about salvation is by grace through faith.

Come back to Romans 11:32, God has shut up all under disobedience so that all might be shown mercy, Jew and Gentile alike. Now you'll note, there are no exceptions to either side. The disobedience characterizes us as sinners. What we need is mercy. No one is saved by merit, it has to be by mercy. Mercy be definition is undeserved, we're talking about sinful people. If you have not done anything wrong, if you are not guilty of anything you don't need mercy. The speed limit out here is ................ If I get stopped by a policeman and he says, the speed limit is 40 and you were going 38, I think I might show you mercy. I'd say, what do you mean, show me mercy? I didn't do anything wrong, I don't need any mercy. Now if I'm going 70 and he says the speed limit is 40 and I'm going to show you mercy, I say, thank you, Lord. Why? Because I was doing something wrong, I deserve something different.

So by the very fact he says he has shut up all in disobedience, we are in the position of needing mercy and He is showing mercy to all. So when all is said and done, what has happened? Salvation is there for disobedient Jews and disobedient Gentiles. The fullness of those salvation blessings is not evenly distributed. In the Old Testament there were some Gentiles saved, but basically Jews. In the church there are some Jews saved, but basically Gentiles. Then we're going to go back so all Israel can be saved. Then we have the kingdom that we all share in.

So how does he wrap this up? Look at verse 33, and this really ties together everything he has said in chapters 9-11 and basically almost everything he has said about the gospel beginning in Romans 1. How marvelous is God's plan of salvation. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways. He's talking about the wisdom and knowledge of God as unfolded in His work of salvation. I mean, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God and the salvation that has been unfolded through these first eleven chapters of Romans. How unsearchable are His judgments, unfathomable His ways.

Come to I Corinthians 1. The depth of the riches of the wisdom of God. Verse 18 talking about the cross of Christ that Paul preached. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Jews ask for signs, Greeks for wisdom. We preach Christ crucified. To the Jews a stumbling block, to the Gentiles foolishness. To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, the wisdom of God. We're talking about the wisdom of God in His salvation. Oh the depth of the wisdom of God. The foolishness of God is wiser than men, the weakness of God stronger than men. That's evident. Who does God save? You don't have to be in the upper 2% of intelligence to get saved, God saved the average, normal people, not the mighty and the powerful because He doesn't save men by clever arguments because they search through the evidence and came to realize through their scientific studies that there must be a God and He is the God before whom I will bow. And I understand the rationality of the .................. Do you know what happens to smart and stupid alike? If you're going to be saved, you hear the gospel and believe it. That's it. That's the wisdom of God. It's beyond what man's mind could have conceived, a plan of salvation for sinful, hell-deserving people.

You'll note God's sovereignty in this. Verse 27, God has chosen; verse 28, God has chosen; verse 29, so that no man may boast before God. We're coming to that in Romans 11 in a moment. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God.

So I Corinthians 2:2, I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But the Greeks want wisdom. When I came to Corinth I determined I have one message—Jesus Christ and Him crucified. You understand you can witness and share the gospel with anyone. Doesn't matter. The most intelligent person, the richest person, the most powerful person. What would I say to them? The same thing you say to anyone and everyone—Jesus Christ was crucified to pay the penalty for your sin. If you bow before Him you can experience forgiveness.

My message, verse 4, and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, demonstration of the Spirit and power that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God. Yet we do speak wisdom, a wisdom however not of this age, but we speak God's wisdom. Oh the depths of the riches of God's wisdom and His salvation. And that's what we are speaking when we share the gospel with people. They think it is stupidity. The word for foolishness in I Corinthians is the word we get the word moron from, moronic, foolish, stupid. They think we are for telling it. We just don't know as much as they so we think we have to act smarter so they'll see we are intelligent and listen to us. The issue is a spiritual issue, they need to hear the wisdom of God. And when they come to believe in the wisdom of God, they'll come to see the depths of the riches of the wisdom of God.

This is something closed out to the unbelieving world except by the operation of God's grace. He goes on to talk about, you can't find this through the eyes and ears and the searching of man. But verse 10, God revealed them to us. So we are privileged to know.

Come back to Romans 11. Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has become His counselor? Quoting from Isaiah 40. I mean, did God get counsel from anyone? Did God come to ask me what He should do? No. Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has become His counselor? Who has given Him information and advice. A quote from the book of Job. Who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again, from Job 41:11. God is a debtor to no man, God owes no one. He has created everything, He has called everything into being. All things belong to Him as the Creator. Read the next line as you have time in Job 41:11. To whom does God owe anything? Does He owe you salvation? Does He owe me salvation? He owes no one anything, He is a debtor to no one. That's why His salvation is an act of mercy and grace. Undeserved by Gentile, undeserved by Jew. There is no room for arrogance, there is no room for self-exaltation. We were sons of disobedience, whatever your nationality, whatever your background. Well I wasn't as bad as they were. What does that have to do with anything? You were a son of disobedience. Like the people in prison say, well I'm not as bad as they are. What does that have to do with anything? One criminal comparing himself to another criminal, one guilty hell-deserving sinner comparing himself to another guilty hell-deserving sinner and proud he is not like that one. We need the mercy of God.

So verse 36, from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. He is the source, He is the means, He is the goal of everything. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. That's it. All the glory, all the honor goes to Him. Why is any Gentile saved? Why are we as Gentiles blessed with God's salvation and mercy and grace? Why us? I have no answer. Why did you hear the gospel and believe it? Because God chose to put His love on you. I don't know. It's in the councils of God, He planned it, He carries it out. It will all come to fruition in Him so that as we read in Ezekiel, so that all the world will know and He'll receive all the glory and acknowledgment that He is the holy God. And why we should be privileged to be part of that and share in that holiness as a result of His mercy and grace. There is no good human explanation except God in mercy and grace has done it.

In light of all that, isn't it tragic that there are people sitting here who hear this and die and go and spend an eternity in hell. Walk in the door as a child of disobedience, walk out the door as a child of disobedience. Unwilling to take advantage of the mercy and grace of God. The book of Revelation says when they are sentenced to hell, they deserve it, they are worthy. But why not avail yourself of God's mercy. This is a day of salvation, this is a day of opportunity. You have heard that Jesus Christ has died to pay the penalty for sin. You can be saved from your sin, cleansed, made new, given a new heart, the Spirit of God dwelling in you, if you will humbly bow before Him, believing in Jesus Christ. That's the wisdom of God and that's the only salvation there is. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. But that's all we need. That way of salvation is available to you, to me, to all.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your great mercy and grace. Lord, in our disobedience we are proud and arrogant, self-confident, self-sufficient, doomed. Thank you for mercy and grace. Thank you for these days when we as Gentiles have such a glorious privilege of hearing and believing the gospel. Thank you, Lord, even in these days of Gentile salvation your grace and mercy is extended not only to Gentiles, but to Jews also. I pray for any who are here who perhaps hear this message week in and week out that have remained firm in their disobedience. May they see the greatness of your mercy and kindness and grace and come to believe in Christ even now. We pray in Christ's name, amen.