Articulating Our Faith
Romans 9-11
Grace and The Sovereignty of God
I. The Gospel Does Not Negate God’s Word for Israel, Rather the Gospel Fulfills God’s Word for Israel
a. The “ordering” of the revelation of the gospel, “to the Jew first, then for the Gentile”
i. Romans 16:16-17
ii. Romans 2:9-10
b. Jewish concerns about their relationship to God expressed in Romans:
i. What advantage is there in being a Jew? (Romans 3:1-2)
ii. Are we (Jews) better than Gentiles? (Romans 3:9)
iii. Is God, the God of the Jews only? (Romans 3:29)
iv. Do we nullify the law by faith? (Romans 3:31)
v. Is this blessedness (our sins being covered) only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? (Romans 4:9)
vi. Is the law sin? (Romans 7:7)
vii. What then shall we say? That the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? (Romans 9:31)
viii. Did God reject his people? (Romans 11:1)
ix. What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did? (Romans 11:5)
x. Again I ask, did they (Israel) stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? (Romans 11:11)
c. Affirmation of the pre-eminence of the Jews in Romans. What the Jews had/have “first”:
i. The very words of God (Romans 3:2)
ii. The adoption as sons, the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship, the promises (Romans 9:4)
iii. The patriarchs, the tracing of the human ancestry of Christ (Romans 9:5)
d. Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel (Romans 9:6)
i. Abraham is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them (Romans 4:11).
ii. Abraham is the father of all those who walk in the footsteps of faith (Romans 4:12).
iii. Israel are the children of the promise. These are regarded as Abraham’s offspring (Romans 9:8)
Romans 9-11
Grace and The Sovereignty of God
a. Principles: God’s sovereignty underscores God’s grace
i. God’s choice of Israel is meant to show God’s mercy
ii. God’s choice is meant to help us understand that it is not by our effort that we are saved.
iii. The remnant that is chosen by grace, and if by grace then it is not of works, or grace would no longer be grace (Romans 11:5). God has chosen a remnant.
iv. Because of Israel’s disobedience, salvation has come to the Gentiles (Romans 11:11-22)
v. As a result, consider the kindness and sternness of God. Gentiles are not to become arrogant (Romans 11:20-24)
vi. God’s gifts and call are irrevocable (Romans 11:29)
vii. The salvation of all Israel (Romans 11:25-27)
viii. God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all (Romans 11:32)
b. Examples from Jewish history used to show God’s sovereignty:
i. Jacob and Esau (Romans 9:10-13)
ii. God’s word to Moses (Romans 9:14-15, see Exodus 33:19)
iii. God’s raising up of Pharaoh (Romans 9:16-18, see Exodus 9:16, 35, 10:20)
iv. The Potter and the Clay (Jeremiah 18:1-12)
v. Hosea (Hosea 1:10, 2:23)
vi. Isaiah 10:22-23, 1:9
vii. Elijah (11:1-5)
a. Because they pursued it as though righteousness were by works, and not by faith (Romans 9:32)
b. Their zeal for God was not based on knowledge (Romans 10:2)
c. They sought to establish a righteousness of their own (Romans 10:3)
a. By law: “The man who does these things will live by them”. (Romans 10:5.
b. By faith: The confession of Jesus Christ
i. By mouth: Jesus is Lord
ii. In the heart: That God rose Jesus from the dead
c. The key to salvation, for Jew and Gentile is trusting God:
i. “Everyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (Romans 10:11)
ii. There is no difference here between Jew and Gentile
iii. The Lord is the same Lord of all.
d. The proclamation of the good news is how we come to have saving faith: (Romans 10:14-21)