"As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes." Romans 11:28

Romans 11

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

And David saith,

Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written,

There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them,  when I shall take away their sins.

As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

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"Verse 22: Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God’s goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off—

This is a most solemn word, indeed! It calls the Gentile world to behold the goodness and [its opposite] severity of God! Toward them that fell, severity: in spite of what had been the privileges of having Jehovah’s temple among them; and the former faithfulness of the nation, and afterwards of individuals, Israel fell into self-righteousness, pride, and rejection of their Messiah. Toward such, “severity.” Christ beheld Jerusalem and wept over it, for judgment is God’s “strange work.” But, we beg you, get Josephus, or any history, and read what befell the Jews when Titus took Jerusalem; and see Matthew Twenty-three, and our Lord’s anguished words: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate!”

Now it is the common talk through Christendom that the Jews were God’s “ancient” people; and that now the Gentiles are God’s favored ones. People love to hear sermons on the “goodness” of God, but resent talk of Divine severity toward the Gentiles! But have the Gentiles proven themselves different from the Jews in their conduct toward God? Christendom is today sinning against greater light than ever Israel had! 

God says to the Gentile: Toward thee, God’s goodness, if thou continue in His goodness—Now what is “the goodness” referred to here?

We remember our Lord’s saying to the twelve apostles, when He first sent them out to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel,” 

“Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans” (Matt. 10:5). 

He had come as “a minister of the circumcision” to His own. But when they had rejected and crucified Him, the Risen Lord said: 

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15); 

“Ye shall be My witnesses, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Saniaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

So, the Holy Spirit having been given at Pentecost, Peter is shortly sent to the house of the Gentile, Cornelius: who believes the simple gospel of Christ, and, on “all them that heard the Word the Holy Spirit fell.” Then Barnabas and Saul, Silas and Timothy, and the rest, go on to the Gentiles, turning the world “upside down” with the gospel of grace. No need for a “religion” now; they had Christ. No need for a temple,—they, the assembly, were “the temple of God”; for, as Stephen witnessed—and was stoned for it—

“The Most High is not [now] dwelling in temples made by hands.” 

No need for a ritual: they had the Holy Spirit, and worshipped by Him instead of forms! No need of a special priesthood,—all believers were alike priests, and drew near unto God by the shed blood, Christ Himself, over the house of God, leading their worship, as the Great High Priest in heaven. No need of seeking “merit,”—they were in Christ, already accepted in Him,—yea, made the very righteousness of God in Him! 

Now this was God’s goodness toward Gentile believers.

And, as for the Gentiles all: they were no longer called “dogs,” as contrasted with the favored race of Israel (Matt. 15:26). There was a complete change in the relationship of Gentiles as such toward God. They were put into the place of privilege and opportunity of Divine blessing: an “acceptable time,” a “day of salvation,” in God’s “goodness” was extended to them. If one had sought to instruct a Gentile in the Old Testament days, he must have said, “God is the God of Israel: become a proselyte; go up to Jerusalem; keep the feasts according to the Law.” If one should go to a Gentile in the coming Millennium, the like instruction would be necessary, for all the nations must then go up to Jerusalem by their representatives “to worship the King, Jehovah of Hosts” (Zech. 14:16-18). 

But now? No! An ambassador for God says anywhere, to the worst heathen, 

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” 

This is the Divine goodness. 

Now, have the Gentiles continued in that goodness?

For if the Gentiles have not so continued, God’s severity must be shown to them, as before to Israel: thou SHALT BE CUT OFF. 

What then is the record? It is ghastly! [Mr. Newell wrote this in 1938, of course it's much worse today] 

First, as to sending out the gospel: After nearly 2000 years, much of the human race knows nothing of Christ. 

Then, as to salvation by grace preached to lost men, apart from law and from ordinances, we see, instead, “good character” preached up as the way of acceptance; the simple supper of the Lord called “these holy mysteries,” and baptism, instead of a glad confession of a known Savior, relied on as a “means of regeneration.” 

Instead of simple gatherings (as at the first), of believers unto the Name of Christ their Lord, relying on the presence of the Holy Spirit solely, (as at the first), we see great Judao-pagan temples, and an elaborate “service.” And would this were in Rome only! 

Instead of the free, general common priesthood of believers, in the fellowship of prayer and faith (as in apostolic days) we see thousands upon thousands of professing Christians that have never prayed nor praised openly in the assembly of His saints; myriads who do not have even the assurance of salvation (though Christ, who bore sin for them, has been received up on high). Contrast with this Acts 2:42: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.” 

We see open, general, horrible idolatry, in both the Greek and Roman cathedrals; and a growing tendency to put up “crosses” instead of preaching “the word of the cross,” in so-called “Protestant” places! 

We see great State Churches, a thing unknown and impossible in Scripture; and we see professing Christians divided into “denominations,” each with its own “program,”—ignoring wholly Paul’s words in I Cor. 1:12, 13; 3:2-4; and not at all walking in the consciousness of the One Body. Indeed, instead of the unity of the Spirit, they are ready to establish horrible outward earthly union, of all “professing Christians,” “modernists,” and Jews—in short, all “religionists.”

That God is withdrawing from “denominational” Christianity is very evident “Modernists” control some denominations completely and the hideous unbelief at “modernism” is infiltrating slowly every denomination. Honest souls familiar with the facts all know this and are perplexed what to do. But God will take care of His testimony,—indeed is doing so, by means of Bible conferences, Bible classes, and gatherings for prayer in private homes—more and more after the early Church pattern. As for Laodicean “property,” the great churches, schools, libraries, and what not, the devil is falling heir to them fast,—which need not alarm the saints, for the early Church had none of these things, but Christ and the Holy Ghost and God’s Word only!

So that the Gentiles will be “cut off” from that place of Divine privilege which they now have (and which Israel nationally has lost), and Israel will be restored to the privileged place, as before. Of course this “cutting off” does not mean that individual Gentiles cannot be saved! But, as in the Old Testament, and in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Israel will be honored as the center and spring of Divine blessing on earth; the Gentiles becoming again subordinate to Israel,—as to spiritual things; and having again to “go up to Jerusalem” to worship Jehovah. The Church, the Body of Christ, will of course have been translated to heaven before this order of things comes in. The Church is “the fulness of the Gentiles,” of Romans 11:25.

Thus, instead of continuing in God’s goodness. Gentile “Christendom” has set up the “Christian religion”; and has settled down upon earth as if the Church belonged here; and as if Christ might not come at any moment! If you dream Christendom has continued in the humble gospel of grace, and the goodness of God in giving His Son to shed His blood for lost sinners, just examine the “religious” pronouncements in the press!

Verse 23: They also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in again—We know from a multitude of prophecies that Israel will not continue in unbelief! Thank God for this! They must, of course, see to believe. But Zechariah 12:10 declares that in a future day they shall “look on Him whom they pierced”; while the eighth and ninth verses of Zechariah’s very next chapter say, that, while “two parts of the nation shall be cut off and die,” the third part shall be left,—“refined as silver” and “tried as gold is tried. They shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say. It is My people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.”

“O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord!”—and not the false dreams of men that tell you “God is through with Israel forever.” They make God a liar when they say that! For read Jeremiah 31:23-40: What does God mean otherwise than what He plainly says in that passage? Thank God, that while the Gentiles are going into darker unbelief every day, there will be a spared Remnant of Israel!"

William R. Newell

From Romans Verse by Verse, Romans 11

Father's Heart (Live) - James Block Published on Jun 17, 2015