Has anyone ever said to you, I m through with you? Few things are more devastating when someone fully and finally gives up on you.

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1 Introduction Has anyone ever said to you, I m through with you? Few things are more devastating when someone fully and finally gives up on you. Does God ever give up on anyone? The Bible does teach that human beings can resist and refuse and finally reject God s offer of eternal life in Christ. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting (Rom.1:28). Romans 2:5-11 (NKJV) 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to each one according to his deeds : 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. A little girl got home from Sunday school, where she had been taught the verse: Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven. She asked her mother, when she repeated the verse, what it meant. Her mom said, "Well, it means that when you are good and kind and thoughtful and obedient, you are letting Christ's light shine in your life before all who know you." The very next Sunday in Sunday school, the little girl got in a bit of a fracas with another student and created somewhat of an uproar--to such an extent that the Sunday school teacher had to go and find her mother to get her settled down a bit in the class. Her mother was concerned when she got to the classroom and said, "Sweetie, don't you remember about letting your light shine for the Lord before men?" The girl blurted out, "Mom, I have blowed myself out." Many of us have done just that. In our relationship to Christ, our light has gone out. (W. Frank Harrington, "The Love That Brought Him," Preaching Today, Tape No. 51.) Has God given up on Israel? Does God have unfinished business with this peculiar people? For the most part, Israel was disobedient to God. Certainly Israel was gripped by an unrelenting, hard-hearted unbelief. The nation had rejected God s own Son Jesus Christ. 1

2 The Romans had a name for Jewish religion. They called it the secta nefaria. The great historian Arnold Toynbee classified Israel as a fossil civilization and did not know what to do with it (Warren Wiersbe TBEC p.550). There was a callous on the nation s soul. But that callous was not complete. There was a small pocket, a remnant of believers who clung to God s message, and believed God s messenger. God has a remnant. God will have a witness to the world in every generation. Proof Positive: Paul (v.1) Romans 11:1 (NLT) 1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people, the Jews? Of course not! Remember that I myself am a Jew, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. The nation as a whole did not believe or obey God. Wait a minute someone might object. Jews believe in God, Jews obey God as they understand Him. Jesus in John 8 told the religious leaders, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life (v.12). Then they said to Him, Where is your Father? Jesus answered, You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also (v.19). Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins (v.24). Has God rejected his people? If the nation as a whole, rejects God how can they be called God s people? Because God gave birth to the nation through his servant Abraham. God made promises to Abraham (Rom.9:6). God even made the promise that He would never cast off His people; Psalm 94:14 (NKJV) 14 For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. The word cast off or cast away (a posato) or reject in verse one means to push away, to thrust away, to repel, to repudiate. The idea of the word is to utterly and totally and finally cast away. Paul rejects the idea. Certainly not! It can t be. God has not broken or violated His word to Israel. God s promises to Israel did not mean that every Jew, born a Jew was locked into salvation no matter how sinful and disobedient they were to God. God s promises were for those who believed God and obeyed God. The people who believe God and obey God are his people. Paul gives five proofs that God has not rejected every Jew. God accepts and fulfills His promises to all those who believe and obey him. Paul was 100% pure Jew, a true descendant of Abraham, not a mere proselyte, he was elite, of the tribe of Benjamin (aristocracy). Paul s question is logical in light of Israel s failure to respond to Christ. Paul answers the question in part by saying, Look at me. If God can save me, he can save anyone. Paul was the person least likely to be saved. Saul was a militant hater of Christians. He 2

3 disrupted churches and even went so far as to participate in having Christians killed. Paul was a blood-thirsty enemy of the church! But God hunted Paul down knocked him out of the saddle and gave Paul one more chance to hear the claims of Jesus and respond in faith and obedience. Paul, a hardened, religious man with blood on his hands, came to Christ, so there is hope for everyone! By the authority of the Word of God we can say that no one is beyond the grace of God. People like Paul are living demonstrations that God is not through with the Jews (R. Kent Hughes p.194). Proof Perfect: God Sees the Future (v.2a) Romans 11:2a (NKJV) 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Paul offers a second proof rooted in God s foreknowledge God s ability to see into the future. God guarantees a remnant. God guarantees in every generation some from the seed of Abraham will be saved. Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world (Acts 15:18). For whom he did foreknow, he also predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29). Proof Illustrated: Elijah the Prophet (vv.2b-4) Romans 11:2b-4 (NKJV) Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Paul cites the highest source, Scripture. Paul reminds the reader that Elijah understood the doctrine of the remnant. The Scripture clearly teaches that not all Israel will be saved, but some. Only a remnant truly followed the Lord. Paul illustrates the principle appealing to Elijah s experience. Elijah lived in a day of unbelievable apostasy. Most people worshiped Baal. There was an unrestricted lifestyle of sin an immorality. Elijah was marked for death because he refused to stop preaching righteousness. In a moment of profound pressure and dark doubt, in a moment of extreme uncertainty Elijah cried out to God in prayer. Elijah wondered if he was the only godly person left in Israel. Elijah wondered if he was all alone. Was there even one other person who knew God, cared about the things of God, loved the Lord God. The Lord assured Elijah that there were still seven thousand people, godly believers, trusting in the Lord. Every generation has problems. The vast majority of people today have no clue about the power and authority of Scripture. The vast majority do not believe the Bible and do not 3

4 obey the Lord. Even in the Christian community there is not a dime s difference between the way Christians act and the unbelieving world. Is it wrong to say the vast majority of people today are disobedient and disloyal to God, rejecting and denying the Lord, controlling their own lives and following man-made gods, idols and ideals. There was a remnant then and there is a remnant now. Most stray in a nation, in a state, in a community, in the church. Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV) 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Revelation 3:4 (NKJV) 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. How does the world see America? Do you think the image of a nation is determined by the life-style of the majority? The wickedness of the many often overshadows the godliness of the few. Even Elijah could not safely see into the hearts of the remnant. But they were there. God will never leave Himself without a witness in the world. God will always make sure there are laborers in the field throughout the world. We may not even be aware of one another. But rest assured God has a faithful witness in the world. Proverbs 14:34 (NKJV) 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people. Proof Elaborated: The Presence of the Elect (v.5) Romans 11:5 (NKJV) 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Some religious groups claim the remnant disappeared. Mormons, Jehovah s Witnesses claim the testimony and witness to the world disappeared and their religious group has recovered the true gospel. Yet their gospel is always perverted, distorted, legalistic. Paul is making a remarkable and strong assertion There is a remnant now! There is no question about it! On what basis does Paul make this strong assertion? The election of grace. The grace of God in Jesus Christ the Lord has come to the earth. The Spirit of God is at work in the people of God making known the gospel of Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-14 (NLT) 4

5 11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right. Proof Inundated: The Chosen Few (vv.6-10) Romans 11:5-10 (NLT) 5 It is the same today, for not all the Jews have turned away from God. A few are being saved as a result of God s kindness in choosing them. 6 And if they are saved by God s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God s wonderful kindness would not be what it really is free and undeserved. 7 So this is the situation: Most of the Jews have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have the ones God has chosen but the rest were made unresponsive. 8 As the Scriptures say, God has put them into a deep sleep. To this very day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear. 9 David spoke of this same thing when he said, Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble. 10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs grow weaker and weaker. What does this mean? Paul s final proof is God s grace assures a remnant. Note a person cannot be saved by merits or works of salvation. Grace if it is a meaningful word means unmerited-undeserved. Grace is available to the unworthy. God never gives grace on the basis of merit or reward. No human being deserves or earns grace. No one deserves being chosen by God for anything! A human being does not secure God s favor by seeking Him, running after Him or living a life of self-less deprivation. If a human being were saved by good deeds then salvation would not be by the grace of God but rather by the works of man. Works would remove grace. In other words if a human being could save himself or herself God would not be necessary. If by some clever scheme or figment of the imagination, human beings could figure out a way to live forever apart from God, than grace would not be necessary. Paul s point is the vast majority of Israel did not obtain righteousness because they sought it through their own good deeds. But a few did obtain righteousness. Those few obtained righteousness through faith alone complete confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel is accused and condemned in the Scripture of three terrible things; (1) of being drowsy and condemned to drowsiness (Isa.29:10; 6:9) (2) of being worthy of judgment and condemned to judgment (Ps.69:22) (3) of being blind and condemned to blindness (Ps.69:23). Conclusion 5

6 Paul paints a picture of a group of guys sitting around enjoying life. The guys are eating and drinking around a banquet table. They are at ease, secure, possessed with a sense of safety, propriety. In fact they are so safe and comfortable that they are vulnerable to attack. The enemy sneaks up when they least expect it. God has given them a spirit of stupor. Did God do this? God made Israel drowsy, blind worthy of judgment. This is the Bible s way of stressing what might be called the judicial blindness and rejection of men. What are we to make of all this? The Scripture teaches that God does not tempt human beings, much less cause them to sin. James 1:13 (NLT) 13 And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, God is tempting me. God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. When a person rejects Christ the unbeliever rejects Christ. The unbeliever s rejection is always willful, always deliberate. The unbeliever does see and hear, but he or she refuses to really open their eyes and their ears. They refuse to understand. But why? Why would a person act so illogically by rebelling and refusing to understand? Jesus answered the question this way This people s heart is waxed gross (Matt.13:15). This is an idiomatic expression in the Greek language which means these people have morbid obesity of the heart. Being fat indicates sensuality and senselessness. No it does indicate a gland problem yes there are any number of reasons why a person might be overweight. The Scripture is making a point sensual and senseless living results in refusal to understand and accept the gospel. People long for the things of the world. 1 John 2:15-16 (NLT) 15 Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. The unbeliever experiences a judicial blindness and rejection by God. A person who deliberately chooses to be blind to the gospel and reject Christ is given over to a just punishment. God offers grace, love, forgiveness, salvation eternal life to a man, but a man has to choose to receive God s offer. Man s unbelief is allowed to roam in the sphere of unbelief and to become obstinate unbelief if the man continues to blind himself to the truth. God will not violate the will of a man. A person s rejection leads to judicial blindness and to being rejected by God. Psalm 81:11-12 (NLT) 11 But no, my people wouldn t listen. Israel did not want me around. 12 So I let them follow their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires. 6

7 Hosea 4:17 (NLT) 17 Leave her alone because she is married to idolatry. Hosea 4:17 (NKJV) 17 Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone. Listen to a secular thinker Peggy Noonan, one of the brightest journalistic minds around. She says this in an article entitled "You'd Cry Too If It Happened To You." It came in Forbes magazine, September 14, 1992, in which 11 men and women were asked to answer the question "Why are we so unhappy?" They all agreed we were unhappy because we had lost our moral and spiritual center. Listen to what Peggy Noonan says: "[Poet W. H.] Auden called his era 'the age of anxiety.' I think what was at the heart of the dread in those days [just a few years into modern times] was that we could tell we were beginning to lose God--banishing him from the scene and from our own consciousness, losing the assumption that he was part of the daily drama or its maker. It is a terrible thing when people lose God. Life is difficult, and people are afraid, and to be without God is to lose man's greatest source of consolation and coherence..." -- Ravi Zacharias, "If the Foundations Be Destroyed," Preaching Today, Tape No Wake up! If someone hears the truth, and fails to respond to the truth, there will come a time when you will be incapable of responding. Be careful if you become dead and unresponsive to God s voice, and to the Word of God. Matthew 13:12-15 (NKJV) 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them. 7