This morning, I got a subject
that I want to give a message on. The title of the message
is The Elect Remnant of Grace. Brother Robert said I might need
to tell everybody what a remnant is. You ladies, I'm sure most
of you know what a remnant is. If you ever did any sewing or
anything, it's a small piece, a portion. And as it pertains to cloth,
you have remnants left over from cloth and it's a small piece
of portion. Well, the message this morning is the elect remnant
of grace. And the message is taken from
verse five of Romans 11. And I'm gonna be dealing with
the first few verses in Romans 11 this morning. But before we
begin with these verses, I'm going to go back to Romans 10,
beginning at verse 16, in order to give everyone a little context
on what Paul had been talking about before he began writing
here in chapter 11. In these verses here in Romans
10, the Apostle Paul had made these points concerning his kinsmen
according to the flesh, which was the nation Israel. He was
an Israelite. He makes it clear that the nation
Israel had definitely heard the gospel all these hundreds and
hundreds of years. They'd heard the gospel of God's
grace concerning the coming Messiah that would come in time, the
Lord Jesus Christ, but as a whole, not all the nation Israel was
in unbelief, but as a whole, the majority had rejected the
Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Paul says in verse, beginning
of verse 16, that even though Israel had heard and that they
did know about how God saves sinners, but most of that nation
perish due to their unbelief. They didn't believe God, their
religious pride and their unbelief. Let's look at Romans 10 beginning
at verse 16. It says, but they have not all
obeyed the gospel. Now Paul here is talking about,
uh, the Israelites nation Israel for Isaiah or Isaiah said, Lord,
who had believed our report. So then faith comes by hearing
and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not all,
have they not heard? Yes. Verily. Their sound went
unto all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world.
But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke
you to a jealousy by them that are no people. He's speaking
of the Gentiles. when he says them that are no
people. And by a foolish nation I will
anger you. But Isaiah is very bold and saith,
I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto
them that ask not after me. But to Israel, Israel, he saith,
all day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient. And again saying, that is a denying
people. Now, those last verses that we
just got through reading, they're important because Paul, what
he's going to make, these statements he's going to make, beginning
with Romans 1, Romans 11 verse 1, where Paul says, I say then,
hath God cast away his people? He's just got through saying
that the gospel had went out. to that nation, and they knew
about it. They knew about the Messiah,
the coming Messiah. They knew all these things that
God had told them. So Paul says, I say then, hath
God cast away his people? Paul says, God forbid. For I
also am an Israelite. He's not cast away all his people.
Paul says, I'm an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe
of Benjamin. the fact that the vast majority
of Israelites down through their history had rejected God's promise
of grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fact that there
were many unbelievers in Israel who perished eternally in their
unbelief. Both of these facts do not mean
that God has cast away his people, his people meaning his elect
people, the people whom he promised to save eternally in Christ.
God had promised to save all Israel. That's the word that
he used. But all Israel, whom God promised
to save, were not all of the physical descendants of Abraham. Now, they were not the physical,
all of the physical descendants, but they were the spiritual descendants
of Abraham. Abraham is our father by faith. He's our spiritual father. The
question then is, who are the spiritual descendants of Abraham?
Well, they're all who have the same faith that Abraham had,
their spiritual father. They're all who look to the Lord
Jesus Christ for all of salvation. We just got through singing the
song, nothing but the blood. Do you really mean that? You
really believe that? Nothing but the blood as far
as what it takes to save a sinner. Now, let's look at what the writer
of Hebrews says about the majority of Israelites that came out of
Egypt with Moses. Look at Hebrews 3, beginning
verse 16. It says, for some, when they
had heard, did provoke, become angry. Well, what did they hear
that caused them to become angry? They heard the gospel of God's
grace in Christ, the Messiah that would come in time to save
his people from the sin. Then he says, however, in other
words, not all that came out of Egypt by Moses, in other words,
all that heard the gospel were not provoked, not all of them.
There was a remnant, a remnant even among those that came out
of Egypt. Paul continues to speak. of the nation Israel who chose
not to enter Christ's rest. He says, here beginning at verse
17, but with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with
them that had sinned? This is speaking of the sin of
unbelief. That's the sin that he's speaking of here. Whose
carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom swear he that they
should not enter into his rest, but to them that believe not?
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. And that's what scripture said.
Also look at Hebrews 4, beginning at verse 9. There remaineth therefore
rest to the people of God, for he that is entered into his rest,
he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
those that were in the wilderness, those that were in unbelief.
Does the fact that the vast majority of the physical descendants of
Abraham, which was national Israel, does the fact that they perished
in unbelief mean that there is no hope for any Jew to be saved
today? No. No. It doesn't mean that
there is no hope for any Jew. And this is why. Paul uses himself
as an example in Romans 11, last part of verse one, where he says,
for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, tribe of
Benjamin. Paul was both a national Israelite, he was born a Jew,
and he was a spiritual Israelite. The proof of his physical connection
with Abraham was his pedigree, or his line of ancestor. Paul
says of himself in Philippians 3 verse 5, circumcised the eighth
day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew
of Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee. He was a religious
leader in that nation before God saved him. Then the proof
of his spiritual connection with Abraham was his faith in Christ. Abraham is known as the father
of our faith. Look at Galatians 6, beginning
at verse 14. Paul says, But God forbid that
I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For
in Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. And as many as walk according
to This rule, peace be on them and mercy upon the Israel of
God. Also in Philippians 3.3, it says,
for we are the circumcision, Paul says, which worship God
in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and we have no
confidence in the flesh. We look to Christ for salvation.
When Paul says we are the circumcision here, He's speaking of spiritual
circumcision, not physical. And spiritual circumcision is
where sinners are brought to faith in Christ and repentance
of dead works and former idolatry. This is the new birth. This is
the new birth. Those that God brings to this
reality are the true Jew, the true circumcision, and the true
Israel of God. All those that come to Christ
by faith are the true Israel of God. Now, just got through reading verse
one, and after the apostle made the statement in this first one
here, which is, I say then, hath God cast away his people? That
was the question. He then goes on in verse two
and three of Romans, where it says, God hath not cast away
his people, which he foreknew. Wot ye not, or have you not known,
or do you not know what the scripture saith of Elias, or Elijah? How
he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord,
they've killed the prophets, and dig down thine altars, and
I'm left alone, and they seek my life. This is what Elijah
was saying. He thought he was alone. Paul
shows here that God has a lake remnant of both Jews and Gentiles. He specifically speaks, let me
say this too. When I say Gentiles, I'm speaking
of all other nationalities throughout the world, other than a Jew and
Israelite. When I say Gentiles, that's what
I'm talking about. That includes us. Now, Paul shows
here. that God has an elect remnant
of Gentiles and Jews. He specifically speaks of the
Jewish remnant here because this is Paul's subject. But the key
to the elect remnant of grace is that they all seek mercy,
mercy in God by Christ. They all seek salvation and righteousness
and glory by God's grace in Christ. Therefore, Paul says, God has
not cast away his people which he foreknew. All whom God foreknew,
not as a fortune teller, God's not a fortune teller, but as
he determined to make them the objects of his eternal love and
grace by predetermining them unto eternal life. These are those that God has
not cast away. These are his people. Concerning
the foreknowledge of God, let's look back at Romans 8, beginning
at verse 28. It says, and we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
son. that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Now, this is God's predeterminating
love wherein he determines to save his people eternally. The nation Israel was chosen
among all the other nations back then in the old covenant. They
were called the people of God and were temporarily blessed
as a nation with the promises and the prophets, the law, and
the sacrificial system. But not all were foreknown in
love and grace. We see this because scripture
says that most of them perished in unbelief as they rejected
salvation by grace. So we see that out of this nation,
Israel, out of this nation, Israel, which as a whole, as a whole,
rejected Christ and refused to repent from their dead works. Out of this nation, there was
an elect remnant." Paul says he was. He just pointed out to
them, I'm an Israelite, but God has an elect remnant. Paul refers
to the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Here in Romans 11 3,
it said, Lord, they have killed our prophets and dig down an
altar, and I am left alone and they seek my life. When Elijah
made intercession to God against Israel, he says in 1 Kings 19
10, and he or Elijah said, I have
been very jealous for the Lord, God of hosts, for the children
of Israel have forsaken thy covenant. thrown down thine altars, and
slain thy prophets with a sword. And I, even I, only, am left,
and they seek my life to take it away. When the majority of
the nation Israel had rejected God's prophets and God's gospel,
the gospel that was given to the nation Israel, given to them
in picture and in type, All those things, those pictures and types,
that pointed them to the Promised Messiah. See, that whole sacrificial
system. He gave them the law, the Ten
Commandments, to really show them their sinfulness. Okay? Show them that they couldn't
keep it. And then he gave them that sacrificial system. And everything within that sacrificial
system was a picture and type of Christ. Even from that lamb. that they had to take and pin
up in a pen. They had to be without spot of
blemish. That lamb was Christ. That was a picture of Christ.
Without spot of blemish. Couldn't have any kind of defect
at all. And then, they had to bring him
to the high priest. High priest, when he got there,
that sinner laid his hand on the head of that lamb that was
about to be slain. Was a picture and type of imputation. Our sins being charged to Christ,
that lamb. Okay. Let's just picture in tight.
And then that lamb was to sacrifice that, uh, that high priest would
sacrifice that lamb and that bloodshed and then on and on
the, the, the, uh, that whole system pointed, pointed to Christ
and him alone. Now, When the majority of the nation
Israel had rejected God's prophets and God's gospel, the gospel
that was given to them, Elijah being in distress as he fled
from Jezebel, pleaded with God against Israel. His charges were
true. He said, Lord, they have killed
thy prophets and dig down thine altar. Israel, as a nation, had
rejected God and his truth. It seemed to Elijah that he was
the only one, only one left alone to believe and to serve God.
He complained that they were seeking to kill him, speaking
of the nation Israel. But look at what God told Elijah
in our next verse here, Romans 11, 4. Our next verse, 11, 4. It says, but what saith the answer
of God unto him? I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. God's answer
to Elijah is recorded in 1 Kings 19, 18. Notice that all were
idolaters except a remnant of whom God had reserved unto himself. They were kept by God and for
God himself. Salvations of the Lord, from
the beginning to the end. And if it were not for God's
sovereign electing grace in Christ, we'd all remain in idolatry.
All. You might say, well, I know that
I was in false works religion, but I don't think that I would
call myself an idolater. That's pretty hard. Well, were
you worshiping a God that could not save unless you let him save
you? If you were, then you were worshipping
an idol. You were worshipping, you were
not worshipping the true God of the Bible. Are you or have
you ever worshipped Christ, a Christ that came to this earth just
to make men savable, if they would just believe on him, or
if they would just do this or do that? You see, the true God
of scriptures did not send his dear son. the Lord Jesus Christ
into this world just to make men savable. Christ saved his people from
their sins. All that Christ shed his precious blood for are saved. They're safe and they're secure. Now concerning their salvation,
they were saved in the eternal mind of God as he elected them
and give them to his dear son who stood in their place as surety
to come in time and to pay their sin debt, that sin debt that
they owed. They were saved in time when
Christ, by his blood sacrifice, accomplished all the things necessary
for their justification before God. They experience this salvation
as God sends his Holy Spirit in time to regenerate and to
convert each and every one for whom Christ died. and then they
will be saved and experience final glorification when Christ
returns. Let's look at some scripture
where Christ tells us these things. Look at John 6 beginning at verse
37. Here's what scripture says. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. This is Christ speaking. He says,
all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Well, when
did he give them to Christ? In old eternity, in that everlasting
covenant of grace, he'd give them to his son. Son stood a
surety to come in time and pay that sin debt. He said, Christ
said, they shall come to me in time. And him that cometh to
me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which is sent me, that of all
which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day. See, there's no such thing as
once saved, always saved. I mean, that somehow or another,
not once saved, always saved, that somehow or another, you
can lose your salvation, and you can gain it again, and then
lose it and gain it again. Okay? Now, does that sound like
anything, anything like a Christ that only made men savable? It
doesn't to me. It sounds like a salvation that's
sure and certain. Do you know why? Because salvation
is not conditioned on the sinner. but on Christ alone. If it was
conditioned on a sinner, yeah, we could lose it, and we would
lose it. God has a remnant according to
the election of grace, and that remnant is sure and certain for
final glory. In Romans 11, 5, it says, even
so then, Paul's speaking here, Paul says, even so then, at this
time, at this present time, Also, there's a remnant according to
the election of grace. Not only was there a remnant
back in Elijah's day that he talked about, we just got through
talking about, Paul says, even so then at this present time,
also there's a remnant according to the election of grace. Paul
here in verse five is referring back to verse four when he says,
even so are in the same way that God had reserved for himself
in Elijah's time a number of people, who had not bowed and
worshipped Baal, as did the greater number of Israelites, so in the
apostles' time, God had also reserved for himself a remnant,
a small number, a small portion of people, according to the election
of grace. This was further proof that God
had not cast away all the people of the Jews, and that as Elijah
was not the only worshipper of a true God in his time, Likewise,
the Apostle Paul was not the only instance of grace among
the Jews in Paul's day. Many Israelites were saved. Many
Israelites were saved in Paul's day. They're called a remnant
though. This same example that Paul is
given here is also true in our day. Even so then, at this present
time also, there's a remnant according to the election of
grace. Now this remnant was a small part of the nation Israel, but
it is also made up of both Jews and Gentiles who have come to
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and repented from all those dead
works that we thought could recommend us to God and we fled to Christ
as our only hope. God has a remnant according to
the election of grace. And then he says in verse six
of Romans 11, And if by grace, he says it's a remnant according
to the election of grace. And if by grace, if salvation
is by grace, then is it no more of works? Otherwise, grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works, then is
it no more grace? If it's works, then it's not
grace. otherwise works no more work. Paul emphasizes that this
elect remnant is saved by God's grace in Christ and not by their
works or deeds of law. The emphasis that Paul places
here on grace is due to the Jews' rejection of Christ in his grace
and their insistence upon being saved, rewarded, blessed, and
glorified based on their works. Salvation by works is natural
to all men. All men and women by nature,
both Jew and Gentile, all of us, works is natural. Look at yourself before God save
you. You look back, we all thought
we were going to be saved by something that we did, whether
it be our faith or just put anything in there, anything in that blank,
name it. There was something else other
than Christ and him alone. not based on anything that we
do, do or are unable to do by God. Look at these next verses
and we'll see a good picture of man's sinful state before
God. We'll also see God's assessment
of sinful mankind and we'll see his verdict toward all men by
nature, whether you are Jew or Gentile, and that verdict is
guilty, all men by nature. We're born into this world. Romans
3, beginning verse 9. What then? Are we better than
they? Paul is saying, what then? Are we Jews? Are we Israelites?
Are we any better than those Gentiles? No, we're no wise,
for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they
are all under sin. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no not one, there is none that understandeth, there
is none that seeketh after God, Now, we'll seek a God of our
own imagination, but not the true and living God. Look at
all the religions in this world today. Everybody's seeking after
a God, but it's a God of their imagination, not the true and
living God. There is none that seeketh after God. They are all
gone out of the way. They are all together become
unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their
throat is an open sepulchre. a grave. Open it up. Okay? With their tongues they have
used to seat the position. The poison of ash is under their
lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their
feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in
their ways. In the way of peace, have they
not known there is no fear of God before their eyes? Or, this
is a description of all men by nature. This is what God says. Then we'll see in verse 19 what
God's verdict towards sinful men. It says, verse 19, Now we
know that all things, soever the law saith, it saith to them
that under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all
the world may become guilty before God. Now that's what should happen. as we look at that law, but rather
than looking at it and seeing that we have no hope in keeping
it, what will we do by nature? You see the Ten Commandments
sticking up in everybody's yard and everything. They think they
can keep it in some way, to some degree. But we should see that we're
guilty before God and we should flee to Christ. Now in verse
20, The result of this is, therefore, by the deeds of law, by the deeds
of law, there shall no flesh be justified in God's sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. All the law will do for you is
to condemn you. It'll condemn you by showing
you that you fall short of what God requires and what God commands
of you, which is perfection. You might say, how do you know
God requires perfection? Well, let's see what God says
in his word. Luke 17, verse 31. It says, because
he, God, hath appointed the day in which he will judge the world
in righteousness. That's perfection. By that man
whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all
men that he hath raised him from the dead. That's the standard
of judgment, Christ, perfection. Christ is that standard of judgment
by which God will judge all men. So I ask you, do you have a perfect
righteousness that will measure up to what God requires here? If you say you do, I ask, where
did you get it? Is it a perfect righteousness
that you work out? Or is it one that is credited
to your account, imputed and credited to your account? one
that you had no part in producing. As you think about these things,
make sure you don't forget that God's assessment of guilty is
on all men and women by nature. We just got through reading it
back in Romans 3 verse 10. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no not one. Salvation cannot be by the sinner's
works or deeds of law. Because according to Romans 3.20,
by deeds of law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight,
for by the laws and knowledge of sin. Now, Romans 11.6 that
we just got through with, got through looking at, Paul also
emphasizes here in Romans 11.6 that grace and works cannot mix. This was revealed by God from
the beginning when he removed Adam and Eve's fig leaf aprons. which is a picture of man's attempt
to cover his sins. And then God made them coats
of skin and clothed them according to the promise of Christ, the
Lamb of God. Genesis 3.15, God says, and I
will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise
his heel. Also in Genesis 3.21, Unto Adam
also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skin and
clothe them." Okay? This was all a picture of salvation
by grace through the blood and righteousness of Christ, the
eternal Lamb of God. His obedience unto death and
not by works of men. Salvation is by grace and not
by works or deeds of law. The law was never given by God
in order for sinners to be saved by keeping it. God tells us why
the law was given in Romans 5, beginning at verse 20. Moreover,
the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound. That is, sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life by Jesus Christ our Lord. God gave the law that we might
see our sinfulness, and by seeing our sinfulness, we would flee
to Christ for righteousness, the righteousness Christ alone
accomplished by his perfect obedience to God's holy law and justice. This grace towards sinners was
revealed when God accepted Abel in his offering and rejected
Cain in his offerings. Genesis 4, beginning at verse
3, And in the process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought
of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And this
was Adam and Eve's two sons. And Abel, he also brought the
firstling of the flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord
had respect unto Abel and his offerings, but unto Cain and
to his offerings, he had not respect. He didn't accept it.
And Cain was wrong. was very wrong and his countenance
failed. And we know that he wound up
slaying his brother, killing Abel. He got mad. God wouldn't
accept the works of his hand. Instead, he accepted that sacrifice,
that blood sacrifice, which was a picture and type of Christ.
Abel looked to Christ for salvation, the same as we do today. Those
by faith look to Christ. Cain's offerings were the work
of his own hand, but Abel's offerings were the blood of a lamb, which
typified the blood of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, grace is salvation conditioned and based entirely on Christ,
who alone has fulfilled all conditions of salvation for his people.
Now, works is an attempt by a sinner to save himself by deeds of law. but fails miserably to fulfill
the conditions, which is perfect righteousness. Many claim that
some preachers mix works and grace, but there can be no mixed
mixture of works and grace. It has to be either grace or
works. There can be no middle ground.
The very least condition placed upon the sinner only denies the
grace of God. Look at what Paul says to the
Galatians in 5.2. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you,
that if you be circumcised, and you can put anything in the place
of circumcision, if you do anything, Christ will profit you nothing.
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that
he's a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, you have
fallen from grace, which means you never did have grace, and
that's what that means. God justifies the ungodly based
on the righteousness of his son. The work of the Holy Spirit in
a believing sinner is a direct fruit and effect of Christ having
fulfilled all righteousness for his people in his bloody substitutionary
death. In other words, Christ's death
on the cross demands that all that he represented at the cross,
all that he died for at the cross, be given the Holy Spirit and
all other blessings of grace, justification before God, faith,
repentance, and perseverance. That's what Christ's death demands
for his people. God the Holy Spirit convicts
us of sin and shows us that we cannot fulfill what God requires. And this conviction drives us
to Christ. It causes God's elect to rest
in Christ, fulfillment of all the conditions and all righteousness
for salvation. Look at what Paul says in Galatians
3, beginning at verse 10. And I'm about to close it out.
For as many as are the works of the law are under the curse.
For it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not
in all things that are written in the book of the law to do
them." You can't just choose one part of the law and say,
well, I think I can do that part. I'll be OK. No. If you're going
to try to keep it, you've got to keep everything. And you've
got to keep it perfectly. Then it says, but that no man
is justified by the law in sight of man, sight of God. It is evidence,
for the just shall live by faith. Also I say with the apostle Paul
in Galatians 4.21, tell me ye that desire to be under the law,
do you not hear the law? That's what Paul was telling
these Galatians here. Don't you hear? Don't you hear
and understand that the law requires perfection from the cradle to
the grave? And don't you understand and
don't you see that this is something that you cannot, you cannot accomplish. You're not able to do it. Don't
you see it? Don't you hear the law? Well,
in closing, God says back in Romans 11, 5, even so then at
this present time, also there's a remnant according to the election
of grace. God's words clear that salvation
by grace, and if it's by grace, which it is, then it cannot be
based on the sinner's works or deeds of law. As we look around
us today, it might seem that we're all alone in our small
group here. We don't see large numbers who
believe the gospel of God's grace in Christ. But we must remember,
remember what God told Elijah. When Elijah thought that he was
alone, God told him that he had reserved a number of people,
a small remnant, a small remnant who had not bowed to a false
god of this world. So even today, though we might
not be able to see large numbers, large numbers of true believers,
God does have a remnant according to the election of grace. Now,
Most of you don't see what I see as it comes to what we're doing
out there and streaming and on our website. There are a large
number of believers out there all over this world. Now, large
numbers, we think of large numbers. There's a lot of believers out
there that communicate with us on our website. So God has a
remnant, even today. Thank God for his amazing electing
grace that saved a sinner like me. Amen.