Skip to main content

Romans 11:21-22: Note Then The Kindness And The Severity Of God


Romans 11:21–22
[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. (ESV)

There is an old expression in the church that says, "God has no grandchildren." Some have made the mistake that they believe they are a Christian because their family is Christian. Their parents were Christian. Their nation is a Christian nation. There were many Jews who made that mistake. They were part of the nation of Israel, God's chosen nation. They did not follow God, or even know him.

God did not spare the Jews who did not belong to him. Even though they belonged to the Jewish nation by birth they did not follow his Law. They did not love him. They followed after other gods, worshiping idols and living as rebels to the true God who called them. These natural branches were cut off. God did not spare them.

Paul reminds the Gentiles that they should not make the same mistake that many of the Jews made. If the Gentiles continue in rebellion to God and never surrender their lives to the Gospel of Jesus Christ they will be like those branches that were broken off of the tree. God is loving. He is also just. He will not be mocked.

God's kindness will be shown to those who continue in his kindness. This is a wonderful point that we need to grasp. We are not at all saved by works. We have already established in Scripture that salvation is by grace. However, a truly saved person will demonstrate that they are continuing in the kindness of God by the works they are doing, which they were created to do.

Are you truly grafted into the family tree of God's kingdom? One will know by the works of righteousness which you are doing. You are not God's grandchild. You are either a child of God or a child of the devil. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [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. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co