Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Continuing in Romans
• Quite an involved passage
• The Church is made up of saints and sinners
• There is much that is still broken within us
• We are finite beings
• We have great limitations
• We have many questions
• Paul realised that people had questions and objections
• Throughout the letter Paul uses argument
• Objection 1 - 6:1-2
• Grace is not an excuse to continue sinning
• Paul is emphatic - "certainly not"
• E.g. 6:14-15
• Objection 2 - 7:10-13
• There is nothing wrong in the commands of God
• "Certainly not"
• Death is not the result of the law but of our sin
• Objection 3 - 11:1-2
• God has not cast away His people
• "Certainly not"
• Paul is a living example of this (He is of the tribe of Benjamin)
• Paul gives further theological evidence from the Scriptures
• Paul is personal in his writing
• 9:1
• There is authority in his teaching as he expounds from the Scriptures and answers questions
• 9:14
• 10:18
• Perhaps we need to ask ourselves 'what questions are people asking' and consider what our response should be?
• The apostle Paul is meeting and answering objections

Are God's promises to be trusted?

• Is God true to His promises
• Deut 7:6-7 - a special people
• Amos 3:7 (?)
• Zech 2:8
• Ps 115:15 (?)

Personal Evidence

• Paul is of the tribe of Benjamin
• The Jewish people remain - though other cultures and peoples have been lost
• Paul was a well known public figure before conversion
• If there was an evidence - look at my life

Theological Evidence

• God has not cast away His people He foreknew
• God chose to love them
• Would God ever cast away a people He has chosen?
• Heb 10:23
• Titus 1:2
• Num 23:19
• God has a future purpose for His people (Israel)
• There remains a remnant for grace

Scriptural Evidence

• The example of Elijah
• Elijah though that he alone was serving God
• Do we speak about 'we and us', do we speak about 'them and they'?
• The example of Obadiah
• Elijah was not the only one
• There were 7000 people - a remnant
• Elijah was pleading to God against Israel
• Do we become like this?
• Do we not realise that the church is precious in God's sight?
• God had not given up on Israel (v5)
• God always had a remnant
• E.g. Babylon, Jer 30:10-11, Mal
• There is a remnant when Christ was born - Anna, Simeon
• In the New Testament - Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimethea, the Apostles saved, the Day of Pentecost, many Jews being saved
• Scripture quotes - Romans, Hebrews

Are we understanding God's purposes?

• v6
• The remnant are wicked
• Think of the Apostle Paul
• God has mercy on them - it is not to do with works but all of
  grace
• The parable of the lost sheep speaks of grace
• The parable of the lost son speaks of grace
• v7
• The Israelites are striving aftre righteousness (but by works)
• The Gentiles are not seeking God but God is seeking them
• v8-10
• Those who rejected are blinded
• v9-10 Quote from the Old Testament
• Those who harden their hearts, God may hardens them further
• Consider the goodness and severity of God (v22)
• If we are rejecting God's word - we should fear
• God may well confirm us in the hardness of our hearts
• God is absolutely fair and just
• We all deserve condemnation
• He offers salvation to all who call upon Him
• There is no variation or shadow of turning with Him
• We should depend upon Him
• We must hold onto God's promises
• God makes conditional statements (to Israel and to us)
• May God never give us a spirit of stupor - may we have a soft heart