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Romans 11:1-6
The Apostle Paul has made it clear in Romans 10 that the majority of Israel has rejected the Messiah and turned their back on God in pursuit of their own way to righteousness, even though they believed that they were seeking God; it was as if they were making the rules for God so that He would accept them on their own terms in striving to gain righteousness. But Paul sets it clear that God has promised to always preserve a remnant of Israel that is sincere to putting Him first in their lives. He uses the Prophet Elijah as an example in 1 Kings 19 as Elijah believed that he was the only sincere follower of God left from Israel, and he believed that his life was in danger as he cried out to God. But God assured Elijah that he was not the only Israelite left that was sincere to God, but that He had preserved seven thousand men who had not turned their backs to Him.
Paul then gives assurance (as he writes this letter to the Church at Rome) that there is still yet a remnant of Israel that is sincere to God. Paul then adds that if God has preserved this portion of sincere Israelites to Him, that it must have therefore been by God’s grace that they have been preserved, and not by their own works. If these sincere Israelites have obtained righteousness on their own, then grace is of no effect.
This is an example of God keeping His promise to Israel, and to us.
We too, like to make our own rules for God to follow in our lives as if He abides by our will and answers to our commands. I have experienced this personally in my life, as in opening my heart to Jesus, I was sincere about my intentions to seek God’s guidance in my life. But for many years I thought I was still the one in control; and truthfully, I was, and am still today because God does not force us to seek His will for us, but that we would learn to seek His will, His desire, and His plan for our lives over that which we “think” we know best, but are so far from it in our own thoughts which are so far below that of God. This is what Jesus was talking about when He tells us in Matthew 16:25 (HCSB) as He declares, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.” And in Matthew 7:21 (NIV) Jesus states, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” It wasn’t until the day that I realized I have to put my will, my desires, and my wants behind me and make myself second to Jesus – to God’s will for my life. For me, it was like a light came on and I realized that I need God’s help in my life. It’s not like I’m doing something for God, or that I’m going to do something to help Him in His plan of salvation for all humanity, as I can do nothing to make God better than He already is, has been, and always will be. But that He will help me, and if I am seeking Him and His will for my life, maybe through me, He can use what He teaches me to help others draw closer to Him as well. That’s the greatest thing I can think of doing in my life – to put God first and seek His will for my life that I may also lead others to a deeper relationship with Him by what He wants me to do, not what I want to do. That, I believe, is finding a new life in Christ Jesus. It is by God’s grace that we are saved; not by anything that we could ever do on our own, but by opening our hearts to Jesus and seeking His Holy Spirit to lead us each day in His will for our lives, even when that is not what we think it might be.
Dear LORD,
It can seem as if the Christian population is diminishing in the world today as it was in the time of Elijah. But we know that You are in control and that You have already given us the final result in the battle of life as Christ Jesus defeated sin, death, and Satan once for all (Romans 6:10). But the life that Jesus lives, He lives to You LORD, that He would be the example for us to strive for that we would lose our earthly desires and live with a desire to put You first in our lives each day. Not only that we would grow closer to You each day, but that we would be used by You to lead others to You as well. In Jesus name I pray, amen.