The People of God 120826

Romans 9:25-33, As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted,, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.” What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Paul has, just before this, questioned, "What if God, desiring to show his wrath and make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory — even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles." This is an amazing thought for a former Pharisee to have. It was also very offensive to the Jews of his day. I suppose, but do not know, it may be just as offensive to an Orthodox Jew today. The Pharisees believed that one is born into the family of God. Sadly enough, many Christians today seem to hold the same idea. Nothing could be further from the truth. Salvation is entirely a work of God having nothing at all to do with any effort on our part.

Paul has been proving that God chooses out of Israel, but also out of the Gentiles. He does not express his own opinion instead he turns to Scripture to prove his point. This left the Jews very little wiggle room because they were very proud not only of having the Scriptures but also with knowing the Scriptures. By the way, this is always the best process. What we believe must be based on the word of God. Not on verses taken out of context but instead verses consistent with all Scripture.

Paul begins with a quote from the Prophet Hosea. Hosea, contrary to the moral standards of his day, was instructed by God to take a prostitute as his wife. This was a picture for unfaithful Israel to see how they had related, or not, to God. He went so far as to have Hosea name his children symbolic names. A daughter was named "No Mercy", and a son was named "Not My People".

Now, Paul uses this quote to show the Jews that God had a plan that included all people. There would be a remnant of Israel, as well as a portion of Gentiles, who would make up the church.

Not My People — Now My People.

Gentiles, chosen by God. Read with me, Acts 13:44-49, The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.

Paul and Barnabas had gone out from Antioch on the first known missionary journey to share the gospel where it had not been preached before. Their usual method seems to have been to find the synagogue, or at least a place of prayer, in every new location they came to. In this city they were welcomed by the Jewish community and on the first Sabbath Paul preached a sermon based on the salvation history of Israel. Upon seeing how well-received they were, the leaders of the synagogue opposed them. Paul and Barnabas then announced that since they were refused in the synagogue they would now go into the streets and preach to the native people — the Gentiles! Paul quoted from Isaiah that the Lord commanded them to be a light for the Gentiles and to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.

This experience must have helped Paul a great deal when he later wrote to the Romans that the Gentiles would be brought into the church on an equal basis with the Jews. To his great sorrow, his people had tragically refused to believe in the only begotten Son of God. From the very beginning of Christ's ministry they had rejected him…

Jews, rejecting Christ. Read with me, John 1:11-12, He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

"He came to his own" refers to the fact that Jesus, as creator, had ownership rights over everything and especially the land where he had chosen to put his name. Jesus was the sovereign Lord of the land of Israel. Yet, when he came to his own property he was rejected by his own people.

During his ministry, Jesus told a parable about a landowner who built a farm and let it out to tenants. After time he sent a servant to collect the rents. Some of these servants they killed. Others were simply driven away. Needless to say, the rents were never collected! Last of all, the land owner sent his son saying, "Surely they will respect my son." Instead, the tenants thought they could kill the son and inherit the property themselves. What a tragedy! They could have enjoyed the favor of God by simply receiving his son and instead they tried to take the kingdom for themselves.

Yet, a remnant remains. Read with me, Romans 11:2-5, God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

Paul was himself an example of the fact that God had not rejected his people. Paul was proud of his Jewish heritage and was deeply grieved that they had rejected his Lord. The problem the Jewish leaders had was they believed that because a person was born a Jew they were all right with God. Repeatedly, throughout the Old Testament, prophets used the term, "remnant", to refer to the people who would be chosen by God. Nowhere in Scripture does God promise that all Jews would be saved. In this passage Paul quotes the very familiar response of Elijah to God, "I alone am left", and God's reply, "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." And then Paul refers to that seven thousand as a remnant. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai and Zechariah all talked about the remnant that would be saved. The rabbis ignored, or explained, each of these references. That way they could hold on to the idea that a person is right with God because of their descent from Isaac.

Considering the fact that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, it is a miracle that any of us are saved. All deserve death and hell. Yet some, selected by God, feel a stirring in their heart to come to him. God is not required to do this but he does it for his own reasons.

Arrogant mankind demands to know why God would do this! What we should be asking is why God does not destroy everyone beginning with Adam because of our rebellion and sin. Everyone is naturally rejected, until some are chosen and brought into the family of God. God does not desire that anyone will perish and calls all to repentance. Let's look at…

A remnant chosen by grace.

The tragedy of the remnant. Read with me please, John 5:39-43, You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

It is possible to be a Bible scholar and still reject God's plan. Remember Nicodemus? He was a teacher of Israel and he could not understand the simple truth that one must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. Of course Nicodemus did not understand! He believed himself to be one of God's chosen people because he was born of the house of Israel. But the Bible is very clear, as are Paul's teaching, that a person is…

Chosen not based on works, or race. Read with me please Acts 15:7-11, And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

On their return from their first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas were confronted by some who taught, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” This would have invalidated almost all Paul's work. After a heated debate, the interested parties went to Jerusalem to set the matter before James and the other apostles and elders. What we have here is the basis of Peter's argument for receiving the Gentiles without imposing Mosaic tradition on them. God had put his seal of approval, the evidence of the Holy Spirit, on the Gentiles by cleansing their hearts by faith. Peter understood that the act of circumcision was simply part of the whole law and that the law had failed to bring people to salvation. Now as Gentiles were coming to faith he did not want to see them put under a burden that Israel had been unable to carry out. Peter and Paul both knew that people are…

Chosen by grace. Turn to 2 Timothy 1:8-9, Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Throughout Paul's letters he reaffirms, again and again, that it is the power of God, not the work of man, that brings a person to repentance. It is God who saves us. It is God who calls us to a holy calling. He did not do this because of good works on our part but because of his own purpose and grace. This purpose and grace were given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

God is not affected by time as we are. He sees the end from the beginning. It is as though all of time — all of human history were laid out on a table and God is above it looking down and seeing it all at once. Paul told the Ephesians that God chose us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. The book of Revelation tells us that the Lamb's Book of Life, that contains the names of the people of God, was written before the foundation of the world.

Non-seekers and seekers — who succeeded?

Gentiles — the non-seekers. Read with me Ephesians 2:11-12, Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

The Gentiles were far from being seekers. In our text for today Paul pointed out that the Gentiles did not pursue righteousness but they attained it! Before they came to know Christ they were separated, alienated and strangers to the covenants. They had no hope and were without God in the world. And yet, they attained a righteousness that is by faith.

So much for looking for seekers! They were not seekers — but they were called. Jesus had said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." God puts a hunger in the heart of a person that draws them to Jesus Christ. There is an emptiness in everyone apart from Christ. Only by coming to him, in faith, can that hunger be satisfied and the empty place be filled. If you have never come to him I encourage you to do so now!

Jews — the seekers. Read Deuteronomy 4:4-8, But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?

Moses was giving his final instructions to the people of Israel. He gave them the law and encouraged them to see, in that, the evidence of the blessing of God. The problem is they replaced God with the law. As Paul would say in Romans 9 that they pursued a law that would lead to righteousness and did not attain it because they did not pursue it by faith! The writer of Hebrews tells us that those who died in the wilderness did so because of a lack of faith. The message was good but they did not have faith. What a tragedy! They had the law and believed they were right with God because of having it. And yet, they could not keep it. A large part of the sermon on the Mount, given by Jesus, shows how the rabbis had twisted the law because they discovered they could not keep it! They stumbled, Paul would tell us, over the stumblingstone. The problem becomes…

What do you do with Jesus? Please read Matthew 21:42-44, Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Jesus had just told the parable of the tenants. The people who were listening to him saw immediately how unjust the action of the tenants was. They proclaimed that the landowner would take away the vineyard and give it to others who would pay the rent. Jesus identified himself as the stone the builders had rejected. He also proclaimed that he had become the cornerstone. And then he said that the kingdom of God would be taken away and given to people who would produce its fruit.

The chief priests and rabbis knew immediately that he was talking about them. They understood that Jesus was the beloved son sent by the landlord to claim ownership and they turned away because it did not suit their view of religion.

Today, there are many who have the word of God and rather than believe it and obey it they seek to explain it in the light of their understanding.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “Let us be clear about this. The Lord Jesus Christ is one of two things to everyone of us. You either believe in him and rest your faith in him alone, or else he is to you a stumbling-stone and a rock of offense.”

May God grant that when we sing the great hymns of the faith we will really mean what we sing.

When I survey the wondrous Cross, On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small,
Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. Isaac Watts

And may our prayer be, “Take it all Lord, you bought it all on the cross and I surrender it to you.”

Many years ago I discovered that I was spending more time explaining the Bible than I was spending time believing it! I determined then that no matter where it led I would simply believe the Bible and let it explain itself. Over the years there has been a gradual change in what I believe because of this decision. I encourage you to believe the word and accept what it says at face value. But remember, it must all fit together. You cannot take part of the word without taking all of the word! Never build what you believe on a single verse of Scripture, or a few verses. At the same time never reject what becomes clear to you as you study the word.

One of the greatest tragedies in human history is the rejection, by the Jews, of Jesus when he came to Earth. These were the very people who should have welcomed him and understood his purpose. They did not because they had been searching the Scriptures with the rules already made up and not allowing the Bible to speak for itself. If we are not careful we will fall into the same trap. Many have done so and the church has suffering as a result. The gospel message is damaged by prejudice. We must be faithful to the word but we must not be proud of it. We must walk humbly with our God and our heart’s desire should be that we become a people of God who can be used for his glory.

All Scripture quotes are fromThe Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.