The Remnant

Romans 11:1-1011 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,[a] a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 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? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.”4 But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace…There is no doubt that the nation of Israel has been a topic of conversation throughout history. From God's choosing of Israel in the Old Testament to the present day, Israel continues to be at the center of global attention. This naturally leads us to ask an important question: Has God rejected His people? Even more, how should we think about and pray for the people of Israel?My goal is not to enter into the political discussions surrounding the modern nation of Israel. Rather, I want us to consider the nation God chose as His covenant people in redemptive history, how they fit into the unfolding story of redemption, and what Romans 11 teaches about God's ongoing purposes for them.More important than my own thoughts, however, is what the Apostle Paul teaches. In this passage, Paul emphatically declares that God has not rejected His people. Instead, He has graciously preserved a remnant according to His sovereign grace, while the rest have experienced the hardening Paul describes. Above all, Paul reminds us that salvation—for both Jew and Gentile—comes by grace alone, not by the works of the law.This Sunday, come expectant and come hungry as we continue diving deep into the rich theology of Paul's letter to the Romans. Together, we'll seek to grow in our knowledge of God's Word and be conformed more and more to the image of His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.In Christ,Blake