Romans 12:1-2: "Living and Holy Sacrifice"

MacArthur writes, "having concluded eleven chapters of profound and stirring teaching about what God has given believers, Paul now charges those believers with what they need to give God". Chapter 12-16 will be more of an application of what we have learned in the previous 11. Now that we understand who we are in Christ, and what true salvation is, our response should be . . . Paul begins, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God". Paul is urging, or coming alongside to exhort or help his brethren. Paul, understanding the beautiful riches he has in Christ, and all that Christ has done for his fellow believers, knew that he must get them to understand their calling. Paul knows his urging is not in vain because he is addressing the "brethren". It is only those who understand the beautiful truths of all Paul had said in the previous 11 chapters, and have accepted them in faith, that could possibly obey what Paul is about to tell them. Only spirit-filled believers would have the ability to give of their lives, minds, and wills to the obedience of Christ. MacArthur writes, "The unregenerate person cannot give God his body, his mind, or his will, because He has not given God himself. Because he has no saving relationship to God". I Cor. 2:14 says, "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised". And it is only, "by the mercies of God" that any of us have the opportunity to obey Christ. If it were not for the grace and mercy of God, we would all be left in our depraved state, completely unable to save ourselves.

So, with all that to say, what is Paul "urging" his brethren to do? "Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice". Once we have accepted Christ in faith and our spirits have been washed inside, we are asked to outwardly respond by giving our bodies in obedience to God. MacArthur explains, "Our bodies therefore encompass not only our physical being but also the evil longings of our mind, emotions, and will". Paul understands we are battling with the flesh (see. Rom 7:14ff), and therefore, must urge and remind us to give our lives as a living and holy sacrifice. We must, therefore make a concerted effort to battle the impulses of the body that would cause us to live in selfish sinfulness. Paul wrote in I Cor. 9:27, "I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified". We must understand our ability to fall, and take the urging of Paul to give our bodies to Christ. As we live out our lives, we must battle with sin in order to set it apart for God's service. In order to be properly used by God, we must be holy and pure. I can definitely see the ineffectiveness in my ministry when I find myself neglecting His word, or harboring sin in my life. God desires to use us, but He can only do so when the vessel being used is holy and and will be a good examples to others as they bear the name of Christ. We must be urged by His word to remind us that our sacrifice of ourselves should be "acceptable to God". It is only when we are living a life that is holy and pure, that we can effectively be used by God, and it is when we are effectively being used by God that we are acceptable in His sight. MacArthur writes, "Only a living and holy sacrifice, the giving of ourselves and the giving of our best, is acceptable to God. Only in that way can we give Him our spiritual service of worship . . . service of worship translates the single Greek word latreia, which refers to service of any kind, the context giving it the added meaning of worship". We can therefore, understand another way to worship God and that is with obedient and pleasing service. We must think of ourselves as a living sacrifice, willing to do whatever it takes to be pleasing to the Father that bought our sentence of death and has given us life anew.

To add onto this, not only our bodies, but our minds must be given to God as Paul writes, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind". MacArthur writes, "Be conformed is from suschematizo, which refers to an outward expression that does not reflect what is within. It is used of masquerading, or putting on an act, specifically by following a prescribed pattern or scheme". The idea is that as Christians, we are different from the ways of the world. We no longer belong to the world, instead, "our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:20). We must understand that when we are saved we no longer think, act, and talk like the world, for we have been given a new heart that belongs to God. Therefore, we must not "masquerade" that we belong to this world. Rather, we should stand out as those who follow Christ which will oppose the world. Paul understood the opposite nature of the world to a believer when he wrote, "but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong" (I Cor. 1:27). So, if we are asked not to be conformed, or change our behavior to what we are not, what are we to do? Paul writes, "But be transformed". MacArthur writes, "be transformed is a passive imperative. Positively, we are commanded to allow ourselves to be changed outwardly into conformity to our redeemed inner natures". Once we have been saved, a radical change has occurred within us. This radical change inward, and a new standing before God, should flesh itself out in an outward change in which we are transformed from our old lives (dead to sin), to our new ones (alive in Christ). Lastly, Paul explains how we can do this, "by the renewing of your mind". MacArthur writes, "The Holy Spirit achieves this transformation by the renewing of the mind, an essential and repeated New Testament theme. The outward transformation is effected by an inner change in the mind, and the Spirit's means of transforming our minds is the Word". David's words in Ps. 119:11 immediately come to mind, "Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee". Also in Ps. 119:9, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word". A mind that is renewed or refreshed daily by the truths and promises of God will be transformed into a living sacrifice that can be used by God. Practically, a mind that is focused on Christ and His Word, has far less time to let his mind wonder to sinful things. So it is the continually and frequent renewing of our mind that will lead to the transformation into the image of Christ, and keep us from conforming to the world.

In the last part of this section we learn that those of us that will follow Paul's urging, will "prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect". Looking through this section we learn that we must live our lives as a holy sacrifice so as to be acceptable to God. We also learned that our lives, when obedient to God is a way of us worshipping Him. We have been told that instead of conforming ourselves to the world, we must transform ourselves by keeping consistently in God's word, which will renew our minds. Lastly, we must yield our will to Him. MacArthur writes, "When a believer's mind is transformed, his thinking ability, moral reasoning, and spiritual understanding are able to properly asses everything, and to accept only what conforms to the will of God. Our lives can prove what the will of God is only by doing those things that are good and acceptable and perfect to Him". So we see a progression in the giving of ourselves in body, mind, and will. When all are availed to God, we will in fact be proving what God desires for us, and our lives will be acceptable to Him. This is the sanctification process. As we grow in the Lord and continue to battle sin and give God our lives, we will be proving all that God says is true, and living out a life that will conform to His will for us.

Romans 11:25-36: "God's Master Plan, Pt. 3"

Paul concludes this section by explaining that God's setting aside of Israel was planned and purposeful. He had just finished warning the Gentiles against boasting in their salvation because of the Jews rejection of Christ. He wants to pull aside both Jews and Gentiles and again help them see that God is sovereignly working out His plan of salvation. What was previously a mystery to them Paul desires to show them how God has sovereignly worked throughout history to bring salvation to the Jews first and then the Gentiles. Paul writes, "For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation". The problem Paul is trying to show them is that they are so reliant on themselves for salvation. He wants to take them aside to say 'stop trying to take credit, in the end God has worked everything out in His sovereignty'. That plan that was previously a mystery is that "a partial hardening has happened to Israel". As Paul had explained earlier, the Jews have rejected their Messiah, however, there has always been a remnant that God has kept for Himself. This is shown in the use of the term "partial". Paul then explains that this partial hardening has been purposeful for the salvation of the Gentiles, and will occur "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. MacArthur writes, "the hardening will last only for God's divinely determined duration. It began when Israel rejected Jesus as her Messiah and Savior, and it will end when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in". He then summarizes the end result "and thus all Israel will be saved". Once the full number of Gentiles has entered the kingdom of God, it will then signal the beginning of Israel's final redemption. MacArthur explains, "All Israel must be taken to mean just that - the entire nation that survives God's judgment during the Great Tribulation. The common amillenial view that all Israel refers only to a remnant redeemed during the church age does injustice to the text". Paul must have been extremely excited to break that wonderful news to his Jewish brethren, which had previously been a mystery to them.

Paul continues to reveal God's perfect plan in salvation by using Old Testament Scripture once again, "just as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob'". Throughout Romans Paul has completely pulled the rug out from under his Jewish brethren. He has devastated those who stood on ancestory, tradition, and good works for salvation. They must have felt completely ripped apart from all Paul was saying. Paul was merely holding them up to the truth and explaining all that God had said in the Scriptures they had studied their whole lives. Paul again brings them to the scriptures to help them see that God will make good on His promise to them as He has planned since eternity. Paul is showing them that someday Israel will turn back to it's Messiah and He will "remove ungodliness from Jacob". He quotes from Isaiah again, "And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." MacAthur writes, "The ultimate salvation of Israel is also assured by divine certainty. In order for 'all Israel [to] be saved,' all her sin must be forgiven and removed. And that is expressly what God promises to do . . . The promise is unconditional. It will not depend on Israel's deciding on its own to come back to the Lord but on the Lord's sovereignly bringing Israel back to Himself".

Paul continues, "From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers". Because of their rejection of the Messiah, the Jews had become enemies with God, opening the door for the Gentiles temporarily. However, from all eternity God has beloved His chosen people, with the eternal perspective of all He would save from the time of Isaac and Jacob, until the whole nation of Israel is saved one day. MacArthur writes, "From the permanent, eternal standpoint of God's sovereign chose, Israel is even now (they are) and forever will be beloved for the sake of the fathers- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When the Lord elected (by divine choice) the nation of Israel to be His own people, He bound Himself by His own promises to bring Jews to salvation and to be forever His beloved and holy people. During this present age, Israel might be called the 'beloved' enemies of God. Because of unbelief, they are, like all the unsaved, at enmity with God (Rom. 5:10; 8:7)". However, as God has promised, He will pour out His mercy on His chosen nation once the fullness of the Gentiles has been let in, "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable". This last statement is the main point Paul is trying to drive home: that God's grace is the only thing that saves us, and He will be true with His promises. As this relates to the Jewish people, Paul has been trying to show them that their self-righteousness will get them nowhere, it is only through trusting in Christ and accepting His grace that they may be saved. They also must understand that all that God has promised will come true, they just did not understand it properly.

To continue to show God's sovereignty and mercy, Paul comes back to summarize all he has said at the beginning of this section, "For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy". Speaking to the Gentiles, Paul points out that just as they had once been disobedient and without mercy, because of the Jews rejection, have been shown mercy and grace by God. How much more, now, will Israel be shown mercy when they return to God? Basically reiterating the same points he had made earlier. This all leads up to show that "God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all". This shows God's power and sovereignty in whom He chooses to save. No one can reason with God who is in constant disobedience to Him, He has shut Him up. MacArthur writes, "Man's sin, manifested in his willful disobedience, provides a means for God to demonstrate the magnitude and graciousness of His mercy. Were there no disobedience, there would be no need for and there could be no expression of God's mercy. To reveal Himself as merciful, He permitted sin. He has shut up all - the whole world, Jew and Gentile - in disobedience and unbelief in order that He might show mercy to all who repent of their sin and turn to Him for gracious salvation".

Paul finishes the section with the only proper response to all that has been said and that is a beautiful doxology to God, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!". After the uncompromising truth of all that Paul had just said, there is no perfect understanding of it. The depth of what had been said was far beyond human comprehension. Somehow God had perfectly planned all that has occurred while maintaining man's responsibility of faith. Because all readers would be hard pressed to completely comprehend all that had been said, all Paul can do is praise God for being above our thoughts. He continues to be in awe of God's master plan for salvation, "How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!". Paul is left basically speechless to explain an infinite God to finite people. Paul, as he often does, asks three rhetorical questions to finish up the section and further separate God's holiness from our sinfulness. "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For form Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen". What an amazing section of chapters. Paul has explained the Master plan of salvation to his brethren using the very scriptures they had their whole lives, yet until now, had been a mystery to them. Paul can't help but think through all that God has done for His people despite their rejection, and breaks out into wonderful praise to Him.

Romans 11:16-24: "God's Master Plan, Pt. 2"

As Paul has been describing God's historical plan of salvation as it pertains to the Jews and Gentiles he has showed that in history past through present God has used the rejection of Israel to bring in the fullness of the Gentiles. He will then use the salvation of the Gentiles to bring jealousy to the Jews and bring them back to Christ. In this next section Paul will use an illustration to help warn the Gentiles about being arrogant over being saved. They may have in fact been looking down on the Jews for rejecting their own Messiah and increased in arrogance over their own conversion. Paul looks to shepherd them in this area.

Paul begins, "And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also". MacArthur writes, "First piece of dough translates the single Greek word aparche, which literally means a firstfruit (as in KJV) offering of any kind, animal as well as grain. It refers to the first portion of an offering which was set aside specifically for the Lord". This translated into the presentation as the first piece of dough that was eaten by a household to be set aside and presented to God. Symbolically, this consecration represented the entire loaf, not just the one piece. In other words, Israel, as the firstfruits of God, in his plan of salvation would not despise and leave His people on account of their temporary rejection. Paul moves to another similar example, "and if the root be holy, the branches are too". MacArthur again, "Paul's specific use of the analogy in this passage points up the truth that, if the firstfruits and root of Israel - perhaps symbolizing the first patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) - were holy, consecrated to the Lord, so were all their descendants, the people of Israel. Therefore, for God to forsake Israel would be for Him to renege on His promises to those patriarchs- something His holy character will not allow". The Lord is not done with Israel and will be faithful to His promise to them as a nation. They were and are His chosen people.

Continuing his example with the tree he continues to show the Gentiles they have no reason to boast, and to show the Jews that God has not reneged on His promise. "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree". This example shows a practice called grafting. When olive trees mature in age they become too old to be productive. When this happens, they would take the branches from younger olive trees and graft them into the older tree to reinvigourate growth. This was an illustration of Israel. As time had passed from the promises God had given the patriarchs Israel had become hard and stubborn in their obedience of God. They had substituted His holy commands for their own traditions, and clung to their heritage for salvation rather than to God. They had, in a sense, become unfruitful, and therefore the branches that had been "broken off". God then went and brought his salvation to the Gentiles, the "wild olive", and grafted them into the root of salvation. God, warning His people in Jer. 11:16-17 said, "The Lord called your name, 'A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form'; with the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, and its branches are worthless. And the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me by offering up sacrifices to Baal". Jesus then pronounced in Matt. 21:43, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it". MacArthur writes, "In place of the unfaithful, unproductive branches of Israel, those of a wild olive, the believing Gentiles, were grafted in among them. Those Gentile branches, people from all nations who believe in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, then became partaker with them, the believing descendants of Abraham, in the rich root of the olive tree, the root of divine blessing and of eternal relationship to God through salvation". As is proof that what Paul had said earlier is true he states that "some of the branches were broken off". God has always had a faithful remnant of Jews which He has held in His hand. Paul has been explaining to the Gentiles their wondrous and miraculous opportunity to be grafted in to the root of salvation. They have been given the opportunity to be considered a child of God because of the rejection of His original children. Seeing that this might cause some increased division between the already separated cultures, and may cause arrogance to well up in the Gentiles, he addresses them, "Do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you". This was a helpful reminder to all that salvation comes from God and God alone. There is nothing we do on our own initiative that we might be arrogant or boastful. Paul is reminding the Gentiles that the "root" supports you, and that they have no superiority over branches that were cut off (Israel). MacArthur writes, "The Gentiles themselves were not the source of blessing any more than believing Jews had been. Believing Gentiles are blessed by God because they are spiritual descendants of faithful Abraham. We are blessed because we have been grafted into the convenant of salvation that God made with Abraham and now graciously offers to all who believe in Abraham's God". In Galatians 3:13-14, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"-- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith".

Trying to cut off any arguments that may be raised by the Gentiles he writes, "You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in'". Again trying to help the Gentiles to understand their position, Paul wants them to understand that no man can boast when it comes to salvation. He wants them to understand that they should be grateful that God included them in His plan for salvation and "grafted them in", rather than being arrogant about it. Paul responds, "Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith". The key words to this statement is "unbelief" and "faith". This has nothing to do with race, heritage, works, etc. Instead the blessing of salvation and the grace of God is only accessed through faith. Paul continues, "Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you". Any Gentile that may have had the inclination to boast or be resentful against the Jewish people for their rejection, would leave this letter with their tail between their legs. MacArthur writes, "The issue is not worthiness and it is not racial, ethnic, social, intellectual, or even moral. The only issue is faith. The Jews were broken off because of that unbelief, and Gentiles who believed were grafted in, that is, made to stand, on the basis of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ". Because no works or human achievement or inherent worthiness saves you, you will have no reason to be conceited, but instead should fear God. Earlier, in Rom. 2:4 Paul reminds us, "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?". We must remember that before our salvation, "because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God". It is for this reason that Paul warns the Gentiles to fear in God and hope in Him, rather than gain an air of arrogance towards the Jews. To humble them further, Paul reminds them again, "For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you". Instead of feeling superior because natural branches were broken off that they may be grafted in, their mindset should be, how much more should we fear God if He did not even spare the natural branches. MacArthur writes, "If Israel's special calling and blessing from the Lord could not protect them from being broken off, then certainly the Gentiles' lack of that calling and blessing cannot protect them from being broken off in their unbelief".

Paul, with another reminder to the Gentiles summarizes, "Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness". Paul is saying, think about all I have just said and instead of being boastful or arrogant, remember it is God and God alone who grants salvation. It is God's severity or a "cutting off" from His grace for those who do not believe in Him, and His kindness to those who will be saved. This is looking in the past to those who have either been judged apart from God's grace or in God's kindness for those who believed. Now, looking to the future Paul writes, "if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off". MacArthur writes, "Because of God's blessing of ancient Israel as a nation, many Jewish unbelievers shared in that blessing. In the same way, because of God's blessing on the church, many unbelievers within the church taste that blessing. But if they fall away, Gods patience will be exhausted and His offer of grace withdrawn, that blessing by association will be of no value when unbelievers face the living God in judgment and are eternally cut off from Him".

Paul now turning His focus on the Jews states, "And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again". Although Paul is stating this in the conditional (because God's promise from old was conditional) we already know that this condition will one day be met, and Israel will return to their Messiah. Because this condition will one day be met, God has promised and will "graft them in again". Israel will be returned to the root, Jesus Christ. Continuing with this metaphor and reinforcing what he had said earlier, Paul writes, "For if you were cut off form what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?" If God was able to graft in the Gentiles, who were not the natural branch, how much more will He graft back in His chosen people Israel. MacArthur concludes with, "The destiny of Israel can and will be reversed. Her return to the Lord not only is possible but certain. To be true to His own promise, His chosen people cannot continue forever in unbelief".

Romans 11:11-15: "God's Master Plan Pt. 1"

So why did God allow the rejection of the Jews? The answer is found in this section. Paul begins, " I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?" In other words, Paul asks a rhetorical question, "God has not allowed His chosen people to remain in unrepentance forever has He?" MacArthur writes, "For a divinely appointed time, He has let them wander about in spiritual blindness and darkness. Yet their blindness is not irreversible, and their darkness was never to be permanent". Paul emphatically answers his questions with a resounding, "May it never be!". He then explains that Israel's temporary hardening has not been meaningless. The purpose of Israel's hardening is so "by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous". Israel's loss was the Gentiles gain. God came to His chosen people and He was rejected, He then extended salvation to all who may believe. In Matthew 21:43 Jesus exclaims, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it". MacArthur goes on to explain that, "although the widespread salvation of Gentiles came about because Israel as a nation refused her Savior, that extension of grace was not an afterthought with God. From His first calling of Abraham, it was God's intent that His chosen people should be the instruments of bringing salvation to the Gentiles". God's plan has always been to save His people "to the ends of the earth" (Isa. 49:6).

We can also see from this temporary hardening of the Jews and the allowance of Gentiles into the plan of salvation, God did this in order to "make them jealous". MacArthur writes, "God's intention was for Israel's jealousy of Gentiles to be a positive stimulus to draw His people back to Himself". This would be like being next in line for a promotion and you feel like you have the positioned locked up so you sail through your current job position. Later on you find out you have not only lost the job promotion, but the co-worker you can't stand has been given the position. God's desire is for Israel to understand what they had lost to a race they felt were inferior to draw them back in repentance. MacArthur writes, "He wanted to make [Israel] face their own sin and its consequences, to sense their alienation from Jehovah and to recognize their need for the salvation that He now offered the Gentiles".

Paul, desiring to show His brethren the 'bright side' of things exclaims, "Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!" In God's perfect plan, He even used the seemingly horrible circumstances of the great transgressions of His chosen people to extend salvation to the rest of the world. He then points out how even more amazing it will be when Israel repents and turns back to God. If the faithlessness of Israel brought about the gift of salvation for the rest of the world, how much more will the faithfulness of Israel be a gift to the rest of the world. How much more will God be glorified. MacArthur writes, "The fruit of Israel's faithful fulfillment will be worldwide salvation. That also will go on during the kingdom, as Jews lead Gentiles to the Lord Christ".

Not to minimize the wonderful gift to the Gentiles Paul writes, "I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry" MacArthur writes, "[Paul] does not want to underplay his special calling to reach the Gentile world for Christ. He emphasized that calling whoever he ministered (see Acts 18:6, 22:21; 26:17-18; Eph. 3:8; I Tim. 3:7). But he also knew that 'salvation is from the Jews' (John 4:22), and that 'the gospel . . is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek' (Rom. 1:16)".

Although excited about the invitation to the Gentiles, and his special calling to the Gentiles through his ministry, he will "magnify" or increase his ministry if he can "move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them". It's almost like the cherry on top for Paul. He had been set apart by God to preach to the Gentiles, yet, if his converting Gentiles causes His Jewish brethren to be moved to jealousy and repent for salvation, all the better. His excitement can be seen as he says, "For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" This is the second time Paul has taken a seemingly horrible situation and shown how God has worked it out for good. Earlier in Rom. 5 Paul spoke of the horrible event of the fall of man into sin through Adam, yet the wonderful grace of God that is even greater than the sin. Rom. 5:17, "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ". Paul, as in Rom. 5, is showing God's wonderful sovereignty in His plan for salvation. God takes the horrors of the world and turns them into good for those who love Him, proving Rom. 8:28 to be true.

Romans 11:1-10: "The Remnant"

Paul continues to show us that God has not gone back on his promise to the Jews as His chosen people. As Paul customarily does, he begins with a rhetorical question to give us insight into God's character. He begins, "I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?" Paul is saying that since God has "stretched out [His] hands to a disobedient and obstinate people", has He been frustrated and no longer desire to follow through with His promise? Paul emphatically answers with his usual, "May it never be!" Of course not. Paul has frequently upheld the character of God, and He will continue to show us, how God's promise is just as true now as it was when he gave it. What must be understood is that, as said earlier, it is not all Israel that God made the promise to, but only those who would believe in Him for salvation. MacArthur writes, "Because of His covenant promises to Israel, that nation was never, and can never be, completely cast aside by the Lord. In light of that truth, Paul affirms that God's present setting aside of Israel is only partial (11:1-10)".

The proof that God has not rejected His chosen people begins with Paul's own testimony. "For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin". Paul was living proof that Jews were still being set apart by God and upholding the convenant he had made with them from long ago. Paul was born an Israelite and he was set apart by God to tell others how to have salvation. The conversion of Paul, as amazing and miraculous as it was, validated and affirmed God's provision to His chosen people. MacArthur points out, "Paul's own conversion made it obvious that God could not possibly have rejected all Israel. He was living proof that, just as God's promises to Israel do not include all individual Jews, so his judgment and rejection of Israel do not include all individual Jews. Paul would hardly devote the rest of his life, and many times risk his life, to preach a gospel from which he himself was excluded". Paul also points out that he was a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Jew by birth and a very descendant of the one the Jews held to as the Father of Israel. Not only that but he was part of one of the favored tribes of Israel. According to Charles Hodge, "Judah and Benjamin, especially after exile, were the chief representatives of the theocratical people". Paul tells us this not to brag, for we know these mean nothing to Him in light of Christ, but he is showing that God had saved Paul, one of their very own, His promise remained true.

Paul moves on to show us further proof that God has remained faithful to His word. Paul shows that the Lord has always been faithful in keeping a remnant for Himself from His chosen nation. Reaffirming God's faithfulness, He writes, "God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?". As Paul has done throughout the book, he has given us proof of his arguments through the Old Testament. This is significant as the Jews, although they mishandled and often ignored, understood the Old Testament to be God's word. Although they had let oral tradition and extra biblical law take over, anyone honest with themselves would have to agree with Paul as he proved all he was saying was backed up by the very word of God. Paul uses the example found in I Kings 19:10. Elijah, just having been threatened by Jezebel, and seeing the devastation of his people around him pleads with God, "Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life". Elijah felt like he was the only one (Jews) left that sought after the Lord. He felt the despair all around him and the success of the evil and felt like there was no one left that sought God. However, God responds to Elijah, "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal". MacArthur writes, "Through His direct word, the Lord reassured Elijah that seven thousand others remained faithful to the true God and had not bowed the knee to the pagan god Baal, whom the wicked Jezebel and her priests had led most of Israel to worship". Isaiah had no doubt seen his share of rejection during his time. As prophet to Israel, he had been warned by God that many would reject his teaching (Isa. 6:9-13). As he saw many of his brethren bend the knee to false idols, he had a strong sense of abandonment, and must have felt like all had forsaken God. Yet, God in His faithfulness had "kept for [Himself] seven thousand men". Paul, using Scripture, is showing that God has always kept a remnant of Jewish believers that would affirm His promise to them.

Paul, using Scripture from times past now moves to the present to show that, "In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice". MacArthur writes, "By the time the apostle wrote those words, there were doubtless hundreds of thousands of Jewish Christians throughout the Roman empire and likely even beyond it". Paul is saying that since God made His promise until the present day, He has always set aside a remnant "by His gracious choice", that would follow Him, Paul being testimony of the present day. As Paul had previously spoke, it is in God's wonderful foreknowledge of His chosen that they are able to receive salvation. For it is God's gracious choice of those who would be saved, not by works, tradition, or heritage, but by the saving work of Christ to those who believe. Paul again, reiterating the way in which salvation is attained proclaims, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works". Desiring for them to slowly understand that merely being a descendant of Abraham does not save you, but rather by the grace of God, who has been faithful to save those who would believe. It is not works, but by grace that you are saved. Paul writes in Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast".

Bringing us back to the point at hand, Paul asks, "what then?". In other words, with all that has been said, what does that mean for the Jews who do not believe and have not obtained salvation? He answers, "That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it". Of this MacArthur writes, "The Jews of Paul's day were fanatically religious, a condition the apostle acknowledged in the previous chapter: 'For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but no in accordance with knowledge' (Rom 10:2). And because their zeal focused on their own false righteousness rather than on God's true righteousness, 'they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God' (v.3). Consequently, they did not acknowledge or receive Jesus Christ, who 'is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes' (v.4). But those whom God had chosen for Himself did seek His righteousness and graciously obtained it".

Explaining how the Jews who had sought righteousness obtained it, Paul now explains, that the Jews who have rejected Christ are those whose hearts had been hardened. Paul continues, "and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day'". Using a quote from Deut. 29:4 and Isa. 29:10, Paul sets forth using the law (Duet) and the prophets (Isaiah) to show "God's sovereign and predetermined hardening of hearts. But that hardening is neither capricous nor unjust. God hardens only those hearts who, in rejecting His gracious offer of righteousness, harden themselves to His grace" according to MacArthur. Again, we are stuck in trying to understand God's sovereignty in his choosing the elect, and man's responsibility of accepting the gracious offer of salvation by pursuing righteousness. However, to God, this balance is perfectly reconciled in His mind.

Going back to the Old Testament once again, Paul quotes David, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever". Quoting from Ps. 69:22-23, Paul shows the Jews that the place they feel comfortable and secure will be a trap and a stumbling block, ultimately leading to the hardening of their hearts and blinding of their eyes. MacArthur writes, "The Jews considered God's Word, in particular the Torah, to be their spiritual sustenance - which indeed it was. But because of their rebellious unbelief, that Word became a judgment on them, a stumbling block and a retribution". The Jews became so comfortable and set on their law and traditions that when the very Messiah came to save them, they could not see Him for who He truly was and sentenced Him to death. Paul points it all back to his Jewish brethren to show them they have no one to blame but themselves. God has been faithful to keep His promise and provided so many opportunities to reconcile with Him through faith. He has held a remnant throughout all eternity and His promises will never fail. It will be only those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ that will receive the gracious gift of salvation. What an amazing testimony it is to see Paul wield scripture with such power and effectiveness. He constantly goes back to God's word to show us the promises of God, and His faithfulness to His people throughout all history.

Romans 10:11-21: "Lord of All"

Paul has just finished telling his readers what one must do in order to be saved, "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved". Paul has given us the prerequisites of faith contrary to the belief of his Jewish brethren. Paul was working to rid the Jews of the lie that they are all saved based on their heritage and "good" works. He continues to work on this lie as he continues in this section, again arguing from Scripture, "For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed". Paul again reaches back into the Old Testament (which was read and believed by his readers) to prove that God's way of salvation (including all races without distinction and by faith alone). Using Isa. 28:16, Paul points out that the prophets had made it clear that "whoever believe" may be saved. This is unconditional, not based on their being circumcised or their Jewish heritage, but rather, on their belief. MacArthur writes, "In other words, salvation through faith in him for anyone (whoever believes) has always been God's plan . . . from eternity past, God's Word invariably has accomplished His divine goal, which has always included His loving and gracious desire that no human being would perish but that 'all [would] come to repentance' (2Peter 3:9)". Whoever is to believe in Christ for salvation will not be disappointed, but rather, enjoy the wonderful blessing found in the riches of Christ. Paul is setting up the true dichotomy. Those who will "not be disappointed", but rather enjoy salvation is not based on race, culture, or good works, but rather, on rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord.

Paul continues to make his point that race was not a qualification for salvation, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek". God does not distinguish in who He saves, based on race. Paul had spent a significant portion of the first few chapters of this book to show that "if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God". Paul's reasoning is that "for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him". God is Lord over all mankind, not just Lord of the Jews. Only a false god is specific to certain races or cultures or cults. The one true God is "Lord of all", irrespective of race. MacArthur writes, "Not only is Christ the Savior and Lord of all who believe but He is also abounding in riches for all who call upon Him. Gentile believers have God's equal blessing as well as His equal salvation. And just as God sovereignly calls all believers to Himself, all must call upon Him in faith".

Paul reiterates his point again by quoting from the Old Testament prophet Joel, "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (cf Joel 2:32). Paul had just told us that "if we confess with our mouth" that Jesus is Lord we will be saved. Therefore, this is not a new idea, but rather, one that had been said hundreds of years before by the prophet Joel who testified that those who would "call upon the name of the Lord will be saved". MacArthur writes, "To call upon the name of Jesus as Lord is to recognize and submit to His deity, His authority, His sovereignty, His power, His majesty, His Word, and His grace. Everyone, Jew or Gentile, who does so will be saved".

Following up with the idea of calling upon the Lord, Paul continues, "How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" In other words, Paul is saying that in order to properly respond to God and call upon His name, a clear understanding of who Christ is must be presented to all men. It is the job and responsibility of those who know the name of Christ to properly speak it to those who do not know it, regardless of their race. MacArthur writes, "Viewed from the other direction, Paul is saying that if God did not send preachers no one could hear, if no one could hear no one could believe, if no one could believe no one could call on the Lord, and if no one could call on Him no one could be saved". Going back again to the Old Testament he quotes Isaiah (52:7), "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!" It is the wonderful gospel news of salvation that preachers bring, and blessed are those who have the opportunity to hear it and be saved. MacArthur explains, "That verse from Isaiah was written in celebration of Israel's deliverance from years of captivity and bondage, first in Assyria and then in Babylon. But for Paul's purpose, an even greater fitness of that verse is seen in Isaiah's subsequent declaration of a future day when 'The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nation, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God' (Isa 52:10, emphasis added)". However, Paul reminds us that the good news was rejected by some. "However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?' Unfortunately, not all men see the gospel as good news, and not all accept it. It is quite clear from the response of people today that they do not want to "call upon the Lord" for they do not feel the weight of their sins, and feel they have no need for a Savior. However, to those who understand their sin and their need for a Savior, this news is good indeed. MacArthur points out, "As do many other passages of Scripture, this verse makes clear that, even in His omnipotent sovereignty, God chooses not to exercise absolute control over human affairs. Contrary to the idea of a divine determinism, such as that as ultra-calvinism, God's glad tidings must be received in faith by those who hear it. Only lopsided and unbiblical theologies put everything on God's side or everything on man's side. In order to produce salvation, God's unmerited grace demands man's positive response. Inherent in God's eternal plan of salvation is man's obedient faith".

Paul summarizes what has previously been shown in this passage as he writes, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ". This is purely a reiteration of what had been previously said. He uses this to bring our attention back to the understanding that God is "Lord of all", by asking a rhetorical question, "But I say, surely they have never heard have they? Indeed they have; 'Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world". Paul is asking a question the Jews might be thinking as they would say that salvation was only for them and not the Gentiles. However, Paul quotes Ps. 19:4 which shows that God's revelation of who He is has already gone out (in the past) and has gone out into "all the earth". MacArthur writes, "In other words, even David understood the universal parameters of God's offer of salvation, which already has gone out (a past tense) into all the earth . . . their voice and their words refer to God's revelation of Himself that has gone out into all the earth and has been proclaimed to the ends of the world - to all men and women who have ever or will ever live". The point being that once again Paul has used his understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures to show salvation has always been the same throughout redemptive history: salvation to all who believe.

Paul will once again move to the Old Testament to show that Moses and the prophets had predicted that Gentiles would be offered salvation long before Paul's time. The first example is using Deut. 32:21 where "Moses says, 'I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, by a nation without understanding will I anger you'". Obviously this prediction has come true as the Jews have been arguing all this time that the Gentiles were not worthy of salvation. In fact, the whole premise of this book being written is to show the Jews that their heritage is not able to save them, and that God's way of salvation is open to all who would believe on the name of Christ in faith. This fact, obviously had made the Jews jealous and angry. Paul then moves to Isaiah who exclaimed boldly (Isa. 65:1), "I was found by those who sought Me not, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me". MacArthur writes, "Through Moses, who represented the law and through Isaiah, who represented the prophets, Paul firmly established that Israel's rejection of her Messiah came as no surprise to God. It was predicted that, because of that rejection, God would be found by Gentiles who had not sought Him and would manifest Himself to those Gentiles who did not ask for Him". The Gentiles, who had not sought God previously, were now made aware of the way salvation, just as Moses and the prophets had prophesied. The Jews who could honestly take God's word as divine truth, would have to concede this point. However, they had gotten so far away from the sciptures, and instead, relied on their man-made traditions for salvation. Paul continues "but as for Israel he says, 'All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people". God, who had been rich in patience and mercy with Israel, had dealt with a people that had mostly rejected his words and commands. MacArthur concludes, "What a monumental and tragic failure! Unbelieving Jews misunderstood and rejected God, Jesus Christ, and saving faith because of their self-righteousness, and they misunderstood the extent of salvation because of their proud prejudice. They therefore failed as God's witness nation".

Romans 10:4-10: "Faith in Christ"

Paul had just finished exposing the Jewish people for their pursuit of self righteousness. He had just reproved them for pursuing their own righteousness apart from Christ. He had recognized their inability to accept Christ for who He was and what He came to do, as he exclaims "seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God". He now will show them again that it is only faith in Christ that will ever bring true righteousness. He begins, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes". Paul understood the way of the Pharisees, for he was one himself. He said, "a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; . . . as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless" (Phil. 3:5-6). Paul had given his life to obeying the Law in order to attain righteousness and favor with God. However, in looking back on his pursuit he could now say, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death". Paul understood the self righteousness he sought as a Pharisee was worthless rubbish and damning. He now pleads with his brethren to realize the same thing. MacArthur writes, "Paul is saying that belief in Christ as Savior and Lord brings to an end the sinner's futile quest for righteousness through his own imperfect attempts to fulfill the law". He was begging them to understand that they could never fulfill the perfect law God had given them. The whole point of it was to point them to God and rely on Him, understanding they could never attain, trusting in Him in faith. However, Jews set out to make their own standards that were quite inferior to be able to attain self-righteousness.

It was clear that the Jews relied on works for their righteousness and Paul will now reiterate the point that they must understand salvation comes through faith in Christ. As Paul so often does, he points back to Old Testament history to show that salvation has always been by faith. He begins, "For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness". Paul is explaining to them that anyone who seeks to be justified by the law, will be held accountable for all the law requires. MacArthur writes, "Whoever relies on his own obedience to the law is held accountable for everything that the law requires. Quoting again from Deuteronomy, Paul testifies that "as many as are the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them' (Gal. 3:10). The law asks for absolute perfection, and as we all know we will never be able to meet that requirement. James 2:10 says, "Whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all". In other words, the second we transgress the law, we are held culpable for breaking every single one. Therefore, we know that "all have sinned and fall short" and the "wages of sin is death", we can then understand that every man apart from the righteousness of Christ will die in their sins. MacArthur points out another problem Paul was facing, "Because of the countless rabbinical traditions that had been developed over the previous several hundred years, the Jews of Paul's time had so lowered and replaced with tradition God's divine standard of righteousness that many Jews actually believed they lived satisfactory obedience to the Law". Paul was trying to get them to see their righteousness was nothing more than "filthy rags".

Paul now personifies righteousness that is based on faith, and say it would "speak thus, 'Do not say in your hear, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is to bring Christ down), or 'Who will descend into the abyss?; (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)". MacArthur explains, "Paul's point in Romans 10:6-7 is that, even if such things were possible, men could not come to salvation by searching for Christ in heaven, . . . to bring [Him] down, or by descending into the abyss, the depths of the earth or of the oceans, to raise Him up from the dead. The righteousness of faith does not require some mystical, esoteric, and impossible journey through the universe to find Christ. No matter what form it takes, 'righteousness which is based on law' (v.5) denies Christ's incarnation and denies His resurrection". Anything we try to do to attain righteousness will fall short. It is amazing how hard we will try to create some sort of works based righteousness to give ourselves some credit. When someone is truly saved, they will find every possible way to take themselves out of the equation and give all honor and glory to God.

Paul continues, "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart'". By it, Paul is referring to the personified righteousness by faith. He is saying righteousness by faith has always been around. It has been in the word, it has been implanted in your heart, the prophets have testified, and everything in the Old Testament points to salvation by faith. To clarify he reiterates, "that is, the word of faith which we are preaching". The word Paul is currently speaking to them is what has been all the time, and they must adhere to it in order to be saved. In fact to summarize, Paul tells us that in order to receive salvation you must "confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead". Here we can see the two pillars of the Christian faith: 1) We must confess and be bold before men with the fact that Jesus is Lord. This means he is Lord of our life, we attest to His deity and control over our life. We submit our will and lives to Him in obedience. 2) We must believe in the facts of the crucifixion and resurrection. We must believe Christ was killed on the cross for our sin, however, he was miraculously raised from the dead in order to conquer death and signify the new life we can have in Him. There is no way around the resurrection. Those who do not believe in the physical resurrection of Christ cannot be saved. Paul sums up for us, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men" (I Cor. 15:14-19). Christ had to raise from the dead, otherwise, He could not be who He claimed to be: God.

Paul concludes with, "For with the heart, man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation". We can see Paul using the opposite order in this last verse compared to the previous verse. He speaks first of believing and then confessing. Paul explains that when we believe it is with our hearts. MacArthur writes, "The Hebrews considered the heart to be the core of personhood and the residence of the soul, the deepest, innermost part of man - where thought, will, and motive are generated". Our innermost beliefs will be evident in our hearts, and with this in mind, Paul tells us that if we believe in our hearts in Jesus Christ, the result is we receive His righteousness. This is not self-righteousness or a false man-made righteousness, but the true righteousness of Christ that saves us from our sins. Therefore, the minute we believe in our hearts that all who Jesus claimed to be, and all He did was true, we are immediately made righteous. In turn, when man confesses with their mouth what they believe in their heart, namely Christ as Lord, the result is salvation. MacArthur summarizes, "It is with the mouth that man confesses, Paul says. Homologeo (confess) has the root meaning of speaking the same thing, of being in agreement and accord with someone. The person who confesses Jesus as Lord (v.9) agrees with God the Father, and that confession mixed with genuine trust brings salvation".

Romans 10:1-3: "Seeking Self Righteousness"

Paul will show to us in this section that zeal and passion about something does not make it true. He will show us that we must be passionate and zealous towards truth otherwise we are just fooling ourselves. Jesus so often spoke of truth and the importance of it. We are told that Jesus Himself was "full of grace and truth" (John1:14). In John 8:31-32, "Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'". Jesus also said that, "everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:37). It is clear that we must pursue truth. The bible makes it clear that there is absolute truth. In other words, there is one way, there is a right and a wrong, it is not subjective, instead all is held in the light of the objective word. In fact Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life . .no one comes to the father, but through Me" (John 14:6). That's about as absolute as you get. Therefore, in our pursuit of knowledge we must hold it up in the light of the word to make sure it is truth.

Paul again reiterates his love for his brethren in the beginning of this section, which is always done before he is to rebuke them. Paul shows an amazing balance of zeal for the truth with love for his lost people. He begins, "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation". MacArthur writes, "Paul did not have a cold and indifferent acquiescence to God's sovereign election. He had a compelling, heartfelt longing to bring his physical kinsmen to Christ". We can truly see through Paul's writing his love for the lost. Salvation for his brethren was his "heart's desire", their understanding of Jesus as Messiah was his "prayer to God". Paul truly did believe God to answer his prayer and understood His ability to save all Israel. This heart for the lost could be seen in Christ as He prayed on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34), and in Stephen while being stoned, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" (Acts 7:60). We should check our hearts and see what our reaction to those who reject the truth. Is it prayerful love towards their salvation, or selfish hatred towards their foolishness?

Paul now draws from his experience of the past in which he lived as a Pharisee. He writes, "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God". Paul had lived his whole life breathing murderous threats towards Christians, in what he felt was a zeal for God. Paul admits, "For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure, and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions" (Gal. 1:13-14). And it was these "ancestral traditions" which had taken the place of God's Word and lead Israel to seek self righteousness. The problem with the "zeal for God" that Israel had was that it was "not in accordance with knowledge". MacArthur writes, "The Jews had a certain degree or kind of knowledge (gnosis), an intellectual awareness of the outward demands of God's law. But they did not have the discerning spiritual knowledge (epignosis) that comes only from a saving relationship to God. They had the kind of superficial religious knowledge that causes pride and arrogance (I Cor. 8:1), but not the godly knowledge that both comes from and produces humility and holiness". We can see that this blindness left the Jews in a terrible state: believing they had a zeal for God when in fact it was misplaced zeal for their own self-righteousness.

Paul expands on his previous statement that the Jews were not pursuing truth. He writes, "For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God". MacArthur explains, "Israel's rejection by God was not due to arbitrary divine election, as though He had withheld His grace from His chosen people. The entire Jewish Scriptures are a testimony to God's calling Israel to Himself. He called her over and over again - through the law, the prophets, and the other sacred writings. Of all people on earth, Israel was entrusted with the very oracles of God (Rom. 3:2). She was therefore uniquely responsible for her rejection by God, who made every effort to bring her to Himself". Israel had clearly been given the tools to understand God' righteousness, however, they sought "to establish their own". Israel had prided it itself in having the oracles of God. However, over time, rabbinical traditions started to take precedence over scripture, many of them even going against scripture or lowering God's standard to earthly standards. Because they had been entrusted with the Holy Scriptures and they were God's entrusted nation, "they thought the many rabbinical traditions they had substituted for God's Word were perfectly acceptable to Him. Not only were they willingly ignorant of God's righteousness, but they also had no understanding of their own unrighteousness. They thought they were more holy and righteous that they were and therefore fully believed that any deficit in their own merit could be met by their own good works - measured by their own standard of righteousness". Israel's problem was they sought their own solution to sin through creating man made rules that could be kept through the law, rather than seeking God and His righteousness. Paul had addressed this earlier in Rom. 1:21,25, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened . . . For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie". Because of God's perfect and holy standard that was not attainable, instead of looking to God in faith, they looked to themselves to create their own salvation through works and "did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God".

To sum up, MacArthur writes, "The Jews of Paul's day were not much different than most people of any day, including our own. Because men think God is less holy than He is and that they are more holy than they are, they believe they can achieve acceptance with Him. They measure both God and themselves by human standards of right and wrong and are deceived in both regards".

Romans 9:25-33: "It Has Always Been by Faith"

Paul will continue to show his readers that salvation has always been based on faith and has always been the same. Paul wants to show his readers, who are studied in the OT, that what God said in the past is consistent with the "new" gospel he is giving them now. He begins with, "As He says also in Hosea, 'I will call those who were not My people, "my people,' and her who was not beloved, 'beloved'". The text, taken from Hosea, comes after God has told Hosea to keep Gomer as his wife despite her adultery. This was to be a vivid illustration of Israel's rejection of God, yet His continual faithfulness to them despite their unfaithfulness. However, just as God gave Hosea children with different names meaning, "not pitied" "not My people" God has temporarily forsaken His chosen race as if they were not His own. MacArthur writes, "Until that time, God not only will treat Israel as not being His children but will treat Gentiles, who were not His people, as His people". Similarly, he writes, "And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' there they shall be called sons of the living God". Looking over the history of the Jews we can see that they have been scattered throughout the earth and not until 1948 was Israel declared its own state. MacAthur writes, "The great majority of Jews do not now live in Israel but are still scattered throughout the world. And that nation still rejects her Messiah and is not yet again the people of God". However, we know that the Jews have not been permanently rejected, just as Hosea took back his unfaithful bride, so God will take back His chosen race. So those who have been "not My people" will again be referred to as "My people". In the meantime, He has allowed for the Gentiles to enter into salvation through faith. Paul's emphasis here is to show that all along God had said that not all Israel is the true Israel and from the beginning God had planned it this way. Again, he is trying to cut down the foundation the Jews had built up of salvation through heritage and works. MacArthur explains, "Paul's emphasis in this passage is not Israel's ultimate restoration to God but her present alienation from God. As already noted, the apostle's primary point is that the unbelief of Israel that caused her alienation and scattering was not inconsistent with God's sovereign plan for His people".

Paul again goes back to the Old Testament to quote Isa. 10:22, to prove that not all Israel will be saved according to God's plan from the beginning, "Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved". Sadly Isaiah had to tell his people that only a "remnant" of Israel will be saved. Although their were numerous physical descendants of Israel, just as God had showed all along, only some will be granted salvation. He also quotes the next verse in Isa.10 which says, "For the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly". In other words, whatever God says is true, and He will be quick and decisive in His actions. Do not be fooled or deceived into thinking you will be saved merely because you are an Israelite. MacArthur writes, "When God used the Babylonians to judge Israel for her unbelief and unfaithfulness, His justice was thorough and fast, and only a few, the remnant of true believers, escaped. So also was it in the destruction of Jerusalem and devastation of Palestine in A.D. 70".

To show God's sovereignty in salvation, and the plan He has had in saving the "true Israel", Paul continues, "Isaiah foretold, 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, we would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah'". This should be sobering to the Jews. This should have made them realize that apart from God's favor and sovereignty, left to themselves, the whole nation would be wiped out just as Sodom and Gomorrah. The heritage and works these Jews had been leaning on for their salvation for so long, should be turned towards faith in God, who has shown throughout history that it is only in His power that man is spared. If it were not for "Lord of Sabaoth" or "Lord of Hosts", and the sparing of His elect, no one would be saved, all would be annihilated as those of Sodom and Gommorah.

Paul also desires to show his readers that not only had God's plan for salvation always been for "true Israel", but also that it can only be received through faith. He writes, "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith". MacAthur comments, "Paul is not implying that Gentiles are saved on a different basis than Jews. He is simply stating the human requirement for salvation that has always been the only means of attaining the righteousness that is necessary for salvation - the righteousness which is by faith". The Gentiles did not pursue righteousness just as all of us do not pursue righteousness when left to ourselves. But in God's faithfulness He grants (attained) righteousness on the basis of faith. Paul wants his readers to know that not all Israel who is descended from Abraham will see salvation, and that Jews and Gentiles can only receive salvation one way: through faith. Unfortunately, Paul continues, "Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law". The Gentiles did not pursue righteousness, but some had faith and attained salvation, the Jews pursued law and tradition to attain righteousness and only received self righteousness. Paul tells us, "Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works". What Paul has said from the beginning he repeats again, that salvation is only through faith, not through the works righteousness that the Jews were trying to achieve. MacArthur writes, "What a tragic commentary on a wasted effort. God's righteousness cannot be achieved by man's works, because they are always sin-tainted and fall short of God's perfect and holy standard".

To finish it off Paul once again uses scripture to explain the downfall of rejected Israel, from Isa. 28:16, "Just as it is written, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed'". Refusing to receive Jesus as Messiah, not heeding the very words of their prophets, they only verified God's words as true as they stumbled over the fact that the very one who could save them, they put to death. However, those who remain to Him, are those who believe in faith, and to those they "will not be disappointed".

Romans 9:14-24: "God's Sovereignty"

Paul just finished explaining that God in His sovereignty had chosen out some of the descendants of Abraham, not by physical birth, but by faith in Him. Not only this we learned that they were chosen before birth and, therefore, "had not done anything good or bad". We can see God's divine hand in the choosing of those who would be saved before they were even born. Therefore, Paul will attempt to answer questions who anticipates may be asked because of this. His first question begins, "What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there?" He anticipates the objection that some may claim that God is unjust in choosing someone for salvation and others for eternal damnation before they even had a chance to respond. How could God be just and righteous and decide such things? Paul uses his typical response to such questions, "May it never be!" or "God Forbid" as is translated in the KJV. Paul explains, "For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion'". Paul, citing Ex. 33:19, uses the example of God's response to Moses during Israel's turning to idol worship in their Egyptian exile. Explaining the situation, MacArthur writes, "In response to that great apostasy, God commanded that 'about three thousand men' be put to death (v. 28). He would have been perfectly justified in killing all the Israelites who had participated in the idolatry, but He sovereignly chose to execute only those three thousand as a warning to the others and to preserve His witness nation . . . Moses made intercession for his people . . . and the Lord replied, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin" (vv.33-34) . . . this loyal man of God deeply sensed his own inadequacy for such a formidable task . . . In reply to that additional entreaty, God gave assurance, tempered by the declaration of His divine prerogative: 'I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion' (v.19). In other words, His sparing the people and continuing to guide and protect them was purely reflective of His mercy and grace. he had the absolute right to condemn or to save as He divinely saw fit. God's sovereignty and His grace not only are compatible but are inseparable". Paul is pointing out that justice would be that we are all damned to hell. Because of all we have learned of our condition before Christ, we can all say we are sinful and deserving of death. It is only in God's mercy that we are saved to eternal life.

Paul continues, "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy". It is not up to man and his attempts to attain salvation that will cause him to be saved, it is fully based on the mercy and grace of God. For example we saw that Ishmael and Esau desired the promise and blessing, but did not receive it. MacArthur writes, "It is not man's choice or pursuit but God who initiates mercy for the sinner. Salvation is never initiated by human choice or merited by zealous human effort". We have learned throughout Romans that man left to himself will never choose God and that no human "work" can ever attain salvation.

Paul moves to another biblical example to support his point. He writes, "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth'". It is shown that God allowed Pharaoh to raise up to become a very powerful figure. It is not that Pharaoh had done anything to deserve this, rather, God allowed it to happen so that He might "demonstrate My power in you". The very power that Pharaoh was fighting against was the very God that had created Him and allowed Him to rise through the ranks to a powerful position. MacArthur writes, "Using Pharaoh's proud arrogance, the Lord demonstrated that His miraculous power was far greater than the Satan-empowered miracles of Pharaoh's magicians. He made a path through the Red Sea to deliver His people and then brought back that same sea to rush over and drown Pharaoh's entire army". This was all done that God's name might be known throughout the world, and His people would worship Him for His wonderful grace and mercy. MacArthur also writes, "That mighty act of God demonstrated two great truths. He delivered Israel to exhibit His sovereign mercy on those whom He desires, and He raised up and destroyed Pharaoh to exhibit the corollary truth that He hardens those whom He desires. Only His divine desire determines which it will be". It may seem unfair from our perspective that God has randomly chosen certain individuals for salvation, and that he would "harden those whom He desires". However, we must take God at His word. A God who is rich in mercy and says, "the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:37), has in His perfect mind justly allowed His sovereignty and our responsibility to coexist and not contradict one another. Because God's mind is infinitely higher than ours, and His ways we will never be able to attain to, Paul continues to declare truth and facts about God. He does not attempt to philosophically explain how God's sovereignly choosing us and our responsibility to respond in faith is rationalized. He merely takes what He knows of God and points us back to Scripture.

Paul then moves to another objection he anticipates. "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?'" Basically Paul is saying that many would ask how it would be fair for God to hold us responsible for their own unbelief, when in fact it is all dependent upon God's sovereignty? How can we be responsible for something that has already been determined? Interestingly, Paul does not choose to systematically explain it to us, but rather, exclaims, "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?" MacArthur writes, "In other words, it is blasphemous even to question, not to mention deny, God's right to hold men accountable when they are captives of His sovereign will". Paul is fighting against the popular thought in that culture of attaining salvation through works. MacArthur explains, "It is obvious from Paul's wording that the ones who might be asking such questions would not be seeking God's truth but rather self-justification. Attempting to excuse their own unbelief, sinfulness, ignorance, and spiritual rebellion, they would be apt to accuse God of injustice". Those who may claim it is not fair that man should be held responsible if their destination is already determined, are looking at it from the wrong perspective. They are trying to in some way take credit for their salvation, and Paul wants them to understand it in the right perspective. That perspective is: who are we to question God? Paul, taking ideas from Isa. and Jeremiah, retorts, "The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?" Isaiah had said in Isa. 64:8, "But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand". Jeremiah had said in Jer. 18:6-10, "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;
if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it". We know that God is gracious and merciful, we can see His lovingkindness in all He has done to provide a way for us to be reconciled, but it all comes down to the fact that we are His creation, He is creator, and all His decrees will stand forever. He has the right to say and do as He pleases. It is as foolish of a clay pot to say to the potter a word of disagreement of its creation, as man to say the same to God. As Paul answers with a rhetorical question, "Or does not the potter have a right over the clay?" Of course he does, just as God has a right to do with His creation as He pleases.

Paul's rhetorical questions continue as he asks, "What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?" MacArthur comments, "God is glorified in displaying His wrath, just as surely as in displaying His grace, because both of those attributes, along with all the others, comprise His divine nature and character, which are perfectly and permanently self-consistent and are worthy of adoration and worship". When we read about and see God's wrath and power on display, it put's us in our place. It shows us who we are in relation to Him, which is, completely powerless and helpless. God allows His wrath and power to be displayed, even enduring the sin of his people and the success of the unrighteous on earth, that we might come to glorify and honor Him. God has endured sin and allowed the unrighteous (here described as "vessels of wrath") to live in order to one day show his power and make it known to all. MacArthur writes, "Vessels of wrath prepared for destruction is surely one of the most tragic identifications of unbelievers in all of Scripture. Paul, of course, is speaking of ungodly and unrepentant human vessels, all of whom will feel the ultimate wrath of God, for which they have been prepared for destruction by their own rejection of Him. As already noted, it is not that God makes men sinful but that He leaves them in their sin unless they repent of it and turn to His Son for deliverance".

Paul gives us God's motive with allowing for the destruction of vessels of wrath, "And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles". Pauls shows us that God allows for those who are vessels for wrath to reject God and die in their sins, in order that He might show His wonderful glory and grace to those He saves. Often times things are more appreciated when they are held up in contrast or when we can see the alternative. How much more do we appreciate water when we have been exposed to tremendous dehydration? How much more wonderful does salvation seem when we understand where those who are not saved go? How much more glory and gratitude does God receive when His graciously saved, those who were chosen by Him, and given salvation and eternal life? We can obviously see how grateful and overwhelmed we should be that God would choose us despite our horrible sinful nature. Paul finishes by including all races. Whether Jew or Gentile we are all saved the same way.

Let me finish by quoting this selection from MacArthur, "The unfathomable truth that God chooses some men for salvation and other for destruction is not revealed to confuse us or upset us, and certainly not to tempt us to question the character of God's person. That truth is given to demonstrate God's glory and sovereignty to all men. It is also given to make believers thankful that He has chosen us, who, in ourselves, were not and are not more worthy of salvation than those who remain lost".