In a Nutshell 5-23-10
On Sunday we finished the fourth section of Romans by studying chapter 11. In this chapter Paul looks at God’s Sovereign Plan of Redemption in Time. I told the students that Paul switches back and forth from the past to the present to the future in this chapter. In verse 1 he uses the present tense when he says “I am.” He then moves to the past when referring to Elijah in verse 2. He fast-forwards back to the present in verses 5-8 when he says, “at the present time,” and, “down to this very day.” In verse 26 he uses the future tense when he says, “will be.” I told the students that studying this chapter is almost like stepping into a time machine with Paul. It’s like a Biblical Back to the Future. This time machine gives us an understanding of God’s redemptive plan in time.
We read the chapter and charted how God worked, is working, and will work to redeem people. Instead of ruining the fun for you, I’ll let you chart it out on your own. After we completed the chart I asked the students what was similar in all three eras. We noticed that there was a common thread in time. In each age, we see God electing or choosing some for salvation, bestowing grace and mercy upon them, and hardening the hearts of others. What we found in this passage is that God’s plan of redemption is the same in the past, present, and future. He elects, shows mercy to some, and hardens others.
Lastly, we talked about the applications. What does this mean for me today? Paul has two things to say. First, he says that we should never boast about salvation. (vv. 16b-25) Boasting is out of place for us because we obtained salvation by grace. Saved Gentiles, of all people should never be arrogant that they are saved. The reason why is because they are wild, unnatural branches that God, in His grace, grafted into the tree of redemption. Secondly, Paul says that we should boast in God. (vv. 33-36) When we look at how God worked things out in history so that Gentiles might be saved we stand amazed. We say with Paul, what a wise God we serve. He is so far beyond our puny little minds.
