Romans chapter 11, I mean Romans
chapter 10, I'm sorry. The title of the message is,
Hath God cast away his people? Hath God cast away his people? That's the question that the
Apostle Paul is answering for us here. Now, after the Apostle
declared how that God gives faith through preaching. How he gives
faith through the preaching of the gospel by the preacher that
he has sent. After he declared that, Paul
says in verse 18, But I say, Have they not heard? Yes, verily,
their sound went into all the earth, and their words into the
ends of the world. Now this question seems to come
out of place or seems to be out of place to me. When I read this
it does not go with what came before it. It doesn't read smoothly. But Paul often begins a subject
and then he digresses and he explains the subject, explains
something about what he said and then he circles back around
to what he originally started with and picks up with it. And that's what's happening here. I'm Pretty certain of that. And
I want to show you, go back to Romans 9. Romans 9. When Paul was declaring how he
longed for his brethren according to the flesh, those natural Israelites,
he longed for them to be saved. Paul called them kinsmen according
to the flesh. They were not his spiritual kinsmen.
They were not his fellow brethren in Christ. They were yet in unbelief. But he prayed that, he hoped
that there were some there that were the elect of God and God
would call them. But to make certain that we understand
that the Word of God did not fail, he says this in verse 6,
Not as though the Word of God hath taken none effect. It's
not as though the Word of God returned to him void. Yes, there's
a multitude in Israel that did not believe, but it's not as
though the word of God returned void to him. God said, my word,
it goes forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void. It shall accomplish the thing
whereunto I sent it. It shall. So no, the word didn't
return void. Well, what's the reason then?
He says in verse 6, for they are not all Israel which are
of Israel. Not everybody in that physical
nation are the spiritual Israel of God. That's clear, isn't it? That's clear. Not everybody who
was in that physical political nation are the Israel of God,
the spiritual Israel of God. Verse 7, neither because they're
the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall
thy seed be called, that is, they which are the children of
the flesh, these are not the children of God. But the children
of the promise are counted for the seed. It's not fleshly children
who are God's children. It's those God promised in covenant
promise. He promised Christ before the
foundation of the world that all those that Christ redeemed,
God would send forth the Holy Spirit, regenerate them to life,
and bring them to faith in Christ. And those are the ones that God
counts as His children. Those are. Not everybody that's
a natural son of Abraham that's his children. Those of the promise. Those God promised. Those God
produced. Those are the true children.
So, it's not as though the word of God had taken on effect. Now
go back to Romans 10.18. But I say, have they not heard?
Yeah, verily their sound, the gospel, went into all the earth
and their words into the ends of the world. But I say, did
not Israel know? Did not Israel know that they're
not all Israel which are of Israel? Did not Israel know that they
which are the children of flesh, these are not the children of
God? Did they not know that the children of God's everlasting
covenant are children called out from Jew and Gentile? Did
they not know that God has some elect among the Gentiles as well
as among Israel? He said, Moses said to them,
Moses told them this, I will provoke you to jealousy by them
that are no people and by a foolish nation will I anger you. Now
here's my first point. The Word of God does not return
void to God because God gives His preachers that He sends boldness
to speak the truth. That's one reason it does not
return void. God gives His preachers boldness
to speak the truth. He said, He said, did not Israel
know? And you know, that's a rhetorical
question. Yeah, they knew. They heard this. They were that excused. They
heard that God had an elect people among the Gentiles. He said,
verse 19, First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy
by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation will I anger
you. The children of Israel had heard the word of God. How should
they preach unless, how should they hear without a preacher,
and how should they preach unless they be sent? God sent Moses
to them, and Moses declared this to them. They had heard. They
heard Moses declare exactly what God said. God said, I'll provoke
you to jealousy with a foolish nation, with a foolish people. I'm going to provoke you to jealousy
when I call them out. It sent prophet after prophet
to them. And then God sent Isaiah. And
look at verse 20. But Isaiah is very bold. You
see that means Moses was bold too. But Isaiah was very bold. That means both of these men
were bold. But Isaiah was very bold because look what he said.
He said, God said, I was found of them that sought me not. I
was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel
he said, all day long I've stretched forth my hands to a disobedient
and gainsaying people. You see, Isaiah was bold in that
he declared the truth when he knew it was going to anger Israel. Because he not only told them
that God had elect among the Gentiles, Isaiah told them, and
not all of you are his elect. That's what this amounted to.
He said, God also said, I'm stretching forth my hands to you and you're
a disobedient and gang saying people. That would anger the
Israelites. But he declared it anyway. He
declared it anyway. That's true meekness, brethren. That's true meekness. True meekness
is not this, you know, acting all humble before men and all
that stuff. That's not true. True meekness
is being more fearful of offending God than you are of offending
men. So that you will speak the truth
rather than take the offense out of the cross. That's true
meekness. That's why Moses was called the
meekest man on the earth. That's why Isaiah here is said
to be very bold. They both went and spoke the
truth of God. Even when it meant they were
going to anger the people and be rejected by them. That's boldness. That's what God's messenger is
sent to do. That's what he's sent to do. And that's one of
the reasons the word of God never returns void. It never does. Israel knew this. They knew this. Now secondly, I want you to see
the offense of the gospel in what these men declared. God
said that he would make his elect from the Gentiles find him. Here's his elect among the Gentiles
and he said, they're going to find me. Look at what he said.
He said, I was found of them that sought me not. They're not
seeking. And they found me. He said, I
was made manifest unto them that ask not after me. They're not
asking after me. And I've manifest myself to them.
But then here's this people who God had given every privilege
that could possibly be given, every advantage that could be
given, His prophets after prophet after prophet, He gave them His
law, He gave them all the oracles of God, He stretched out His
hands, He opened His arms to them, meaning He didn't do anything
to prevent them from coming to Him. Meaning he left them to
their natural will to show us what man in his natural state
will do. And there he was. And what did
they do? They disobeyed the gospel. And
they gainsayed God. They spoke against God and against
the gospel. It's one thing to reject the
gospel. It's another thing to speak against God and to speak
against the gospel. And that's what they did. So
here you have a people that wasn't seeking Him and God made them
to find Him. And here you have a people who
they were seeking, but they were seeking a righteousness by the
works of their hands, but they did have all the oracles of God
and all these things that God had given them much light and
yet left to themselves. They disobeyed God and gainsaved
God. Brethren, that's exactly how
God saved us. You and I were these disobedient
and gang saying people. We disobeyed the gospel for years. Not only that, we gang said God. We spoke against the gospel and
against God. And yet, when we weren't seeking
Him, we weren't seeking Him. And He made us find Him. We weren't
asking after Him, and He manifests Himself to us. Preacher, how
do you know I wasn't seeking Him? Because the Scripture says
in Romans 3.10, as it's written, there's none that understand
it, there's none that seeketh after God. You weren't seeking
Him. I know you weren't. I wasn't
either. And yet God made us to find Him. God made us to find
Him. Thank God for grace. But do you
see why that's offensive? It declares the difference is
the difference God alone makes. The difference is the difference
the grace of God makes. We're no different. Those Gentiles
that got called out of darkness, we've read about them over in
Ephesians 2. They didn't know God. They were
worshipping dumb idols. Idols that couldn't speak or
move or do anything. They were calling those things
God able to save. How dumb can you get? to worship
an inanimate object and think you're going to get something
from that. We were no different. We're no
different. And yet, God chose His people
freely, Christ redeemed us by His blood, God did everything
to make it just for Him to call us out and give us faith, and
then God did it. Simply by His grace, He made
the difference. He made the difference. That's
the offense of the cross. That's the offense of the cross.
That's what you just don't hear men stand up and preach. They
just won't preach it. They just won't declare that.
Why? They don't have that boldness God gives his preachers. Unless
a man's sent, he does not have that boldness. Boldness is just
preaching the truth. It doesn't matter about how loud
you speak or how well you speak or any of that. That's not what
boldness is. We ought to be able to speak
well. We ought to try to present logical arguments and make it
clear as we can make it. We ought to do that. That's not
what boldness is. Boldness is just declaring the
truth. That's boldness. So we see the offense here, God
makes the difference. Now thirdly, God's grace is keeping
grace. He never loses one that He's
chosen. He never loses one of His people.
Now look at Romans 11 verse 1. I say then, see God, He started
back there in Romans 9 saying it's not as though the word of
God has taken none effect. And He said Israel heard the
gospel. They heard it. They heard it preached. They
heard it from Moses. They heard it from Isaiah. And they, God
opened his arms to them. They disobeyed. They disobeyed
God. And so now, he's going to say
this. Has God cast away his people? What then? Has God cast away
his people, his Israel? God forbid. Paul says, for I
also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people. which He foreknew. There's the qualifier that shows
you who His people are. There's the qualifier that shows
you what Israel we're talking about here. This is who His people
are. This is who God's Israel is. It's those He foreordained to
eternal life. It's those that He ordained before
the foundation of the world to send the Spirit unto, and give
life, and bring the faith in Christ, and deliver in the glory.
Those he foreordained to eternal life. That's who his people are.
That's who his people are. It's not as though the word of
God had taken an effect, for they're not all God's Israel,
which are of Israel. Neither because they're natural
children of Abraham, or they're all children of God. Paul says
here, he says, I'm an example. I'm a natural citizen. of Israel,
but I'm more than that. I'm one God foreknew. That's
what made the difference. I'm a natural son of Abraham,
but he was more than that. He was one God foreknew, and
that's who made the difference. That's who made the difference.
Had God cast away his people, God forbid, God never casts away
his people. He chose us by grace. He redeemed
us by grace. He calls us by grace. And therefore,
nothing you do can change that. He didn't choose you because
of anything in you. Therefore, nothing in you can
cause Him to forsake you. You understand that? That's grace. And so, this is so in every generation. In every generation, Paul gives
an illustration from the past. Look here in verse 2. What ye
not what the scripture says of Elias, how he maketh intercession
to God against Israel? Saying, Lord, they've killed
thy prophets, and dig down thine altars, and I'm left alone, and
they seek my life. And what saith the answer of
God unto him? I have reserved to myself. I've chosen to myself. I've ordained
to myself. I've foreknown unto myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. It looked
bad in Elijah's day. It was bad. It was bad. I mean, it had gotten so bad
in Elijah's day, they had torn down the churches. They tore
down the altars. Every place where God said he'd
meet with his people, they tore it down. and set up false places. That's bad. That's bad. Imagine if in this country it
got to a point one day when they went around and said, tear the
church buildings down. They can't meet anymore. It got
to that point when Elijah's day could get to that point again.
And so Elijah prayed and he prayed against Israel. He thought he's
the only one left. And God said, no, no, no, no,
no. I've reserved 7,000 to myself. I've got 7,000 elect, chosen
people here. Christ is their surety. They
can't perish. My justice is at stake. My honor
is at stake. My glory is at stake. They can't
perish. I won't let them perish, God said. I've reserved them. I've reserved them. Don't that sound good to be a
reserved people? A people reserved by God? And
so, the same is true in the present. That was true in the past, the
same is true in the present. He says, verse 5, Even so, at
this present time also there is a remnant according to the
election of grace. At this present time, Paul said,
that present time in which he lived, in that natural, physical
Israel, there was a remnant that God had reserved to himself.
There was a remnant God had chosen, and a remnant that Christ had
redeemed, a remnant that must be called out by the Spirit of
God. A remnant. Brethren, at this
present time right now, right now, in this world, there is
a remnant. There is a remnant. They have
been chosen, God foreknew them, they must be called out. That's
why this whole world's held in store. Peter said he's not willing
that any of those his people which he foreknew, he's not willing
that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
They're going to be brought to faith in Christ. That speaks
of those Christ died for because he satisfied justice and now
to let them perish would be to pour out justice twice and God
won't do that. So they've got to be brought
to faith in Christ. They've got to be brought to repentance and
they shall. He's not willing. Now fourthly,
so you see they're kept by grace. God does not lose any of his
people. Now fourthly, salvation is all of grace. It's all of
grace. Salvation is all of grace. No
works are involved in the salvation of God's people. Alright, listen,
verse 6. And if by grace, then it's no
more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it's
no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
Now listen carefully to what this means. It's impossible to
be chosen of God by grace and by works. It's impossible. Either God the Father chose His
people by grace without any cause in His people, or He chose His
people because God foresaw something in them. It's either one or the
other. One or the other. Which is it? Even so, then at this present
time also there's a remnant according to the election of grace. What's that? Go back to Romans
9. Verse 10. When Rebecca had conceived by
one, even by our father Isaac, the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, neither having done
any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. Not of works. You see that? Not of works. That's
why God elected a people to show us it's not of works, it's of
God that calleth. It's of God that call us. It's
impossible for God's people to be made righteous by grace and
by works. It's impossible. If it's of grace,
it's no more works. If it's of works, it's no more
grace. It's impossible for God's people to be made the righteousness
of God by grace and by works. It's an impossibility. Either
Christ Jesus by Himself purged His people of all our sins and
made us righteous or His people must keep the whole law of God
ourselves. It can't be both. It's not a mixture. It's one
or the other. Which is it? What does Scripture say? Isaiah
63 says, I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there
was none with me. That's what Christ said. What
did He accomplish by it? When Christ had by Himself purged
our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
High. Christ did it all by Himself. It's by grace. It's impossible
for a sinner to be regenerated and called to faith in Christ
by grace and by works. It's an impossibility. Either
we're born again and given faith and made willing entirely of
the Spirit of God or it's all of our works. Which is it? It's one or the other. What does
scripture say? Scripture says in John 1, those
people that believed on Christ were born not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. That's how they were born. For
he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision
which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one
inwardly. Circumcision is of the heart. Regeneration of the
heart in spirit. Not in the letter, whose praise
is not of men, but of God. God did it. Men didn't do it. God did it. Well, how do they...
Well, yeah, but the Spirit of God regenerates you, but then
it's your will to either accept Him or reject Him. Christ said,
no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me.
Draw him. That's the only way. What does
that word draw mean? If I go down there and I grab
Kristen by the hand and I pull her like this to myself, that's
what that word means. No man can come to Christ unless
Christ draws, unless the Father draws them to Christ. He gets
the glory for that. He gives the glory. Okay, He draws us, but then my
confession, that's of me. My confession, I confess to Christ,
that's of me. Wherefore I give you to understand,
no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed,
and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy
Ghost. Nope, your confession is of the
Holy Spirit too. It's all of God. It's all of
God. Well, my faith though, but now
my believing, that's of me. God who is rich in mercy for
his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in
sin, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace are you
saved. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourself, it's the gift of God. Not of
works, lest any man should boast. Preacher, you're making me think
this thing's not of work, that I can't be born again and come
to Christ and believe on Christ and confess Christ by my will
and my work. Listen carefully. Titus 3, 5.
Let's see if we can get this. Okay, listen. Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He
saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost,
which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life. You got it. It's all of God. If it's of grace, works have
nothing to do with it. Nothing to do with it. Alright,
fifthly, here's the conclusion. It's not as though the word of
God has taken none effect. It's not that way at all. Verse
7. What then? Israel, that is natural
Israel, physical Israel, that part of Israel that God left
to their own depraved will to seek a righteousness by their
own works, by the law, that part of Israel hath not obtained that
which he seeketh for. But the election, Those God chose
freely without a cause, those that Christ made righteous, those
that the Spirit of God gave life and faith, but the election hath
obtained righteousness, and the rest were blinded. Go back to Romans 9, let me show
you. Romans 9 verse 30. But shall we say then that the
Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained
to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith? They attained
it by believing on Christ. That's all they did. God-given
faith and they believed on Christ. But Israel, that natural part,
that non-elect part, which followed after the law of righteousness,
hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore?
Why didn't they? Because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled
at that stumbling stone, Christ Jesus. As it's written, Behold,
I lay in Zion a stumbling stone, a rock of a fence, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Do you get what he's
saying, brethren? The Israel after the flesh hath
not attained which he seeketh for. They were seeking. They
heard. Oh yeah, they heard. But they
weren't a people God foreknew. He left them to themselves. And
so they sought, they did what every depraved will will do.
They sought righteousness by the works of their own hands.
That's what they did. But that elect part, that part
God foreknew. He is elect among them. They
did obtain righteousness. Because God did everything by
grace to bring them to obtain the righteousness of Christ.
Sinner, you believe on Christ. You trust Christ. Faith is bringing
nothing to Christ. Faith is coming to Christ as
nothing but a sinner. And casting all your care on
Him and trusting He alone is going to be everything you need
to come to God's presence. Be accepted of God. And faith
comes to him and relies entirely upon him. And through faith,
now faith doesn't give it to us. God gives it to us. Christ
worked it out. But through faith, just like
water going through a hose. Faith is the hose. And God imputes
righteousness to us through faith. And accounts the righteousness
of Christ to us through faith. Because Christ made us righteous. You get that? And so that's how
you obtain righteousness. And God receives us and delights
in us. And He'll never cast us off.
And the rest, God Himself blinded. We'll look at that more next
time. I do want to show you one thing in closing. Go over to
Romans 11 and look here in verse Verse 30, 30, 30. As ye in times past have not
believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief. See, because Israel didn't believe,
God turned to the Gentiles and called out and they received
mercy. And he says, as you in time past have not believed God
yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief, even so have
these also now not believed that through your mercy they also
may obtain mercy. God said he's going to use you
now who believe to preach the gospel to his elect in Israel
and call them out. So they receive mercy. So here's
my point, brethren. Remember, remember, there was
a time you didn't believe There was a time you didn't believe
and it was through somebody that God had called and shown mercy
to that you were made to be given mercy through the gospel. And
remember that when you're preaching to an unbeliever because he can't
make himself believe. He can't make himself bow to
Christ and believe these things. He can't do it. Don't get frustrated
with him. Don't get angry with him. Don't
get loud and boisterous with him. Just preach the truth to
him. He can't do anything but what he's doing until God gives
him grace. But it just might be, if you
preach the gospel in love, it just might be that God will use
you to give him mercy. And you'll find out that's one
of God's lost elect sheep. So as you in time past have not
believed, but through their unbelief you received mercy, now you,
through your mercy, God's going to make them who don't believe
receive mercy. So be merciful. God makes His
people merciful. Everything's of mercy. That makes
us merciful. All right. After we sing a closing hymn,