ROMANS UNWRAPPED 181

"For I speak to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them."   Romans 11v13-14

Having established that the Divine hardening of Israel was judicial, and providential for the Gentiles, and ultimately remedial in the case of Israel, he now proceeds to develop three deductions, all beginning with the word for, which he discusses in the course of verses 13 - 24.   These deductions would be in the form of a series of cautions so far as the Gentile nations are concerned and could be summarized as follows: Firstly he cautions against boasting; then he cautions against elitism; thirdly he warns against independence.   In essence, the same God who hardened Israel, may do the same to the Gentile nations who follow the same rebellious pathway.  

As we view the language the apostle uses in this chapter, we can almost feel the pathos in his voice to describe the present defection of his nation.   Verse 7 " Israel hath not obtained what she sought for; " Verse 11 "Israel stumbled;" Verse 12 "Israel was diminished;" Verse 15  "She was cast away;" Verse 17  "The branches were broken off."   All this of an nation who had been given Divine favour beyond anything she could have expected.   Paul now turns to the Gentiles, as he says in verse 13,  appealing to them to rise to the great calling in Christ Jesus, which is now their possession by grace.   He says to the Gentiles, I want to remind you that I, as a Jew, have been called by God to be the apostle to the Gentiles, and as such my prayer is that your conduct, as a result of my ministry, will be such that it will provoke some of my national kinsmen to come into the blessing of God in salvation  "If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might save some of them."

This caution he develops as follows: verse 18  "Boast not against the branches."  verse 20  "Be not high-minded, but fear."  verse 21  "For if God spared not the natural branches take heed lest He also spare not thee."  verse 22  "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God; on them which fell severity; but toward thee goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

 When we are dealing with God, all human beings no matter their background are treated on a level playing field.   There is no respecter of persons with God, there are no special nations with God, we are all dealt with in exactly the same way.   This first warning sounded out by the apostle Paul is saying to all peoples on earth at this present time, that they must look closely at God's dealings with Israel; they must take on board the fact that He can exalt them, and diminish them when He chooses.   Israel and God's dealings with them, are a warning signal to all peoples to value the grace of God and the goodness of God when it is given, and not to give the glory to anyone else except the God who has dealt with us in majestic grace.   There are countries in the world today who have been blessed by God because of accepting the grace of God in Christ.    Some of those countries are turning away from God, by changing His laws and confusing the one true faith in Jesus Christ with the recognition of multi faiths.   "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 14v34     There are many nations today who have been blessed by God because many of their people have embraced the gospel of Christ; however, especially in western nations, where there has come a great departure in the land from the principles of the grace of God, substituting the doctrines of men for the truth of God, there is cause to fear for the directions in which these nations are going.     This is God's world and he will only suffer human departure for so long.   We need to heed the warning, that having embraced the gospel of Christ, we continue in it, else we face the same Divine judicial hardening with all the dread consequences it will bring.  

There is no doubt that the embracing of the gospel of the grace of God in Christ has brought prosperity and a measure of peace to many nations.   The trend, however, is always towards departure.   "To usward the goodness, IF THOU CONTINUE IN HIS GOODNESS: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."   Romans 11v22 

The only alternative to the goodness of God is the severity of God, and all human kind must decide which it is they will choose.   Unfortunately, the fear of God in society is beginning to fade, and the repercussions will be solemn.   We must learn from history, look what God has done to His own chosen people because of their rejection.