In yesterday’s reading Paul wrote that God brought salvation to the Gentiles, in part, to get the attention of the Jewish people. He had already given Israel the witness of both creation and the Scriptures,

“But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did.” Romans 10:16-18

The God who spoke through what he made also spoke through his Son. Did Israel simply not understand what God was saying to them about salvation through Jesus Christ?

The Gentiles who were saved through Christ were a living message to the people of Israel. God wanted the Jews to wonder why Gentiles, who formerly had no relationship with God, were now his children. The witness of Gentile believers was an invitation from God to come to Christ, but the invitation wasn’t always accepted.

“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” Romans 10:21

God Did Not Reject Israel

Salvation through Jesus Christ belonged to the Jews as much as to the Gentiles. Paul’s own case proved that point: He was a Jew as well as a Christian. Yet many Jews didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

“God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” Romans 11:8

God used Jewish resistance to the gospel to turn Paul toward the Gentiles. His passion for the gospel drove him to people who would listen and he soon established Gentile churches in Asia, Macedonia, and Greece.

But Paul never forgot his fellow Israelites and he hoped the Gentiles’ response to the gospel would make them jealous.

“I am talking to you, Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.” Romans 11:13-14

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.” Romans 11:25-26

Salvation in Christ Alone

When Paul said, “all Israel will be saved,” he meant that salvation through Jesus Christ belongs to them as well as to the Gentiles. Israel was not rejected in favor of the Gentiles; they are included in God’s plan of salvation. But salvation only belongs to those who receive it, as Jesus himself said.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life . . . Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16, 18

The Unfathomable Wisdom of God

Jesus provides the way to eternal life, but most people reject him, and It’s hard to think about the number of people who go into eternity without Christ.

Paul certainly thought about it and his desire to see people saved made him risk his life for the gospel. He saw Pharisees striving to be righteous, and pagans who were ignorant of their sins, and Paul knew that all of them were lost without Christ. His thoughts about God’s plan of salvation humbled him and led to an awesome doxology.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God that God should repay them?

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36

Everything, including every person, belongs to God. He has mercy and shows his love to whomever he chooses. And in the end everything he has made will shout, “Glory to God!” even the things that are destined to perish. For God is the perfectly just and righteous God and all his judgments are right.

Offer a Living Sacrifice

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

Everyone belongs to God, but not everyone surrenders to God’s will. Paul urged people to offer themselves to God as a living sacrifice.

A sacrifice is something valuable surrendered to God. The problem with a living sacrifice is that it tends to climb down from the altar. In order for us to remain surrendered to God we have to change our way of thinking.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . . I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:2, 3

People who surrender fully to God stop thinking so much about their own plans, and focus instead on God’s will. And they serve God with the gifts he has given them.

Proof of Life

A living sacrifice isn’t an inert body lying on the altar, with a dull mind and nothing to do. A person surrendered to God is engaged in God’s business, using the gifts of the Holy Spirit to serve in the body of Christ.

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” Romans 12:4-6

Christ’s body is made up of lots of relationships and Paul has some important instructions for that vital part of life.

Let Love Lead

Romans 12:9-21 could be called “Paul’s Beatitudes.” He begins with “Love must be sincere” and then he shows what love looks like. We can turn his thoughts into beatitudes by inserting “Blessed is the one who . . . “ at the beginning of each verse. For instance:

• Blessed is the one who hates what is evil and clings to what is good, verse 9
• Blessed is the one who is devoted to others and honors others above herself, verse 10
• Blessed is the one who never lacks zeal, but keeps his spiritual fervor, serving the Lord, verse 11
• Blessed are those who are joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, verse 12

We are more likely to follow Paul’s advice when we see the blessings bound up in it.

Respect Authority

God uses earthly rulers to keep order on earth and he sets governments up and takes them down according to his will. People who obey the law should have no reason to fear the authorities over them, unless their rulers are evil. When that happens, we pray for our leaders.

The rule of thumb for a believer is to cooperate with your government, pay your taxes, and pray and trust God to deal with whatever may be wrong with the way your government operates.

Ultimately the law believers obey is the law of love.

“For whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments . . . are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:8-10

Don’t Criticize Each Other

Sometimes believers with the strongest opinions have the most vulnerable faith. They need a lot of rules to feel secure, and their rules become their convictions. People who don’t agree with them offend them.

Other believers experience freedom in their faith and don’t worry about keeping a lot of rules. They can’t understand why the rules-keepers get offended.

Paul tells both kinds of Christians not to judge each other.

“Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” Romans 14:12-14

Paul was convinced that no food or drink was unclean in itself, but if others became upset by what he ate or drank, he wouldn’t do it.

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification . . . Whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” Romans 14:19, 22

People who live by the law of love are the most likely to please God and bless other people. They are great examples of offering themselves as living sacrifices.