IF SAVED BY GRACE IT CAN NOT BE BY WORKS!- Rom.11

As in all of Paul’s letters, here too he is emphasizing that salvation is by grace and not by works. Doing so because the flesh naturally gravitates toward works when trying to attain anything.

So the problem with the flesh is that it works to attain what it wants. And not that it is evil in and of itself as so many falsely proclaim. And this works oriented nature

is why Paul says in Rom.8 the flesh is at enmity with the spirit. And why in Rom.9 Paul cites where God said Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated to illustrate this enmity.

So in vs.1 what causes Paul to ask whether God has forsaken Israel in the first few verses of this chapter? It is because he is following up on what he said in ch 10. Remember, this is a letter. Sent to teach the believing Jews at Rome about their salvation.So where he quotes Isaiah at the end of ch10 saying, "But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." He continues in ch11 by explaining that even though many in Israel were disobedient God has not cast them all away. Why? Because Paul says it is by grace and not of works that Israel is saved.

So even though many of them were disobedient through unbelief. There is a remnant that does believe. Of which Paul says he is a part saying, "God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin."

Showing that this remnant of which he is a part was there even in the times of Elijah when everything he saw caused him to wrongly conclude that he was the only one left that trusted in God. Consoling him God answered said, "I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal."

So if you have ever felt alone in your faith toward Jesus. Especially in your stand against false teaching like the very popular original sin and sin nature doctrine that has taken so many down the wrong road. Know that God is faithful in drawing people to faith that joins us in a remnant just as He showed Elijah.

A remnant that here Paul says exists because these have known that it is by grace that righteousness is attained so that it can not be of works. Otherwise grace is not grace.

Which means that when people confess a belief that they are saved by the "work of Christ" they nullify grace. They make grace of no effect for them.

But, God always has and always will reserve a remnant that has not bowed their knee to Baal. That have not heaped to themselves teachers who soothe their itching ears. And have not trusted in works, even the "work of Christ", for salvation.

But, instead have believed God's atonement through which God expresses that it is His love for us that made Him choose before He made the world to come as a man to join with men in our mortality.

Through Jesus' death on the cross. So that because of His resurrection we can now join with Him in immortality through the grace of God that is attained by faith without works.

This means we are not alone. Because God always reserves a remnant for Himself. Not through the flesh or a perverted understanding of predestination as Paul explained in Rom.9. But, through the "election of grace". A grace that through faith and not of works creates an assembly made up of all peoples for God, and not only the Jews.

But, this election Paul speaks of here in Rom.11 is a reference to believing Israelites. So we must not confuse these that are the elect of God with gentiles, or other nations, who are God's children too by grace. Because when we do we misunderstand what God is doing when we read about the elect in Mt.24 and Revelation as Jesus tells Israel what will happen to them during the great tribulation.

In my next message as we read through the rest of this chapter Paul will continue to reveal to us the role the rest of the nations, that is the gentiles, have in how "all Israel will be saved".

But, the important thing we need from this portion of Rom.11 is to understand that the election, as well as all others who will be saved, must be saved by grace and not by works. Not ours or anyone else's works. And that if we allow works to have any place in what we believe for salvation it will make grace of no effect for us.

Also that through God’s love for the whole world, and not just Israel in the flesh, He has made Israel jealous so they too will come to a saving faith in Jesus. Rather than a false sense of security in that regard that they believed they could derive from law keeping. Us who are not Israelites in the flesh also realizing that it is by grace through faith, and not any works that can be done or have been done, from which salvation for us is attained.

So we can not, we must not, allow anyone to persuade us that works have anything to do with salvation in any way. They are not what saves us and they do not play any role in keeping us saved.

Salvation comes only by trusting in Jesus just as He trusted the Father while He lived as a man on earth. He showed us what righteousness is by submitting His will to the Father's. Making us an example that we could follow assuring that the righteousness we would attain to would be the same righteousness which Jesus attained.

Thus guaranteeing our place in God's family through the birth of a spirit in us that never existed before. So that now we worship God in spirit and truth as Jesus said we must. That without the spirit birthed in us by being born of God is impossible.

So if you will trust in Jesus and confess He is Lord you will be saved. You will be joined by the elect of God who Paul showed us here in Rom.11 are Israel in the flesh who have also trusted in Jesus as He trusted the Father. Then as we will see later in this chapter “All Israel shall be saved”.

If you will do this then you will have eternal life. If you will do this then you will be made immortal in the resurrection. If you will do this then you will become a child of God and heir to His kingdom. Where you will live in love, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit. If you will do this... then I will see you there or in the air!