And What about it explains for us other teachings of his such as: “one new man”?

Romans 11:18  do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, [remember that] it is not you who supports the root, but the root [supports] you.  19  You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.  20  Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;  21  for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.  22  Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. (NASB1995)

I want us to begin with what is stated in verse 22.  God created mankind with a complete understanding that if he (man) is given freedom he will do just as he wills in his heart to do.  Thus we see in this verse God’s responses to mankind given freedom. To the fallen He will respond with severity. So, first we need to understand that we are all fallen. Paul elsewhere puts it this way:

Ephesians 2:1  And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,  2  in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  3  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (NASB1995)

What happened to change that?      All men are created with a conscience.  If God is severe to the fallen then He was obliged to speak severely to us all to our consciousness and in that Speaking was revealed our sin.  When man refuses to respond to that chastising; then he is destined to see His wrath. 

You have seen in the word that God seeks for those of a contrite heart.  If in the speaking to our conscience we are not even at one point contrite; then chances are we are never pursued further by God.  

So then let’s consider the ingrafted branches in Romans 11, which obviously were ingrafted by God, for we cannot ingraft ourselves.  Paul is telling us that there were obviously fallen branches broken off for their unbelief, and that we were ingrafted?  But why?- if not for our repentance when God called we would not be so.  So, what is Paul saying?  

20  Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith.  This Romans 11 passage is all about faith found and faith held on to or faith abandoned.  The majority of the house of Israel abandoned their faith, but not all did. There was a remnant.  Pentecost saw 3000 Israelite Jews added to the Church, but were they added to the Olive tree or were they already in the Olive tree not having abandoned their faith in God?  If they were then part of the remnant they had never abandoned their faith.  Yet we know that they were added to the Church.  

The Church and the Olive tree seem two separate entities, but they contain the same people: all the people of God.  Just as Father and Son are two separate persons; yet they are one God.  Could it be that the Church and the Olive Tree are one and the same; for we know that they contain the same people?  We are most assured of this in Ephesians 4, explaining that captivity or Paradise was lead captive, and then we have explained to us by Paul that this same paradise was now in Heaven when Paul was later called there to stand inside the third Heaven.  Paradises people themselves had been added to belief in Christ and therefore it was located in His Church.  David therefore who had written the prophecy concerning Jesus not being abandoned to Sheol was also writing it for himself and for all who resided there inside Abraham’s bosom, which was all before Christ’s time as they did abide there in Sheol. 

And thus Paul could write that we Gentiles in Christ are one mew man with the Saints. And thus it is no mistake that when the Holy Spirit inspired the Scribes of the O.T. to write concerning the (Church) in those Scriptures, even the Church in the wilderness it was no mistake; for it was not to confuse but instead to explain exactly what Jesus (their Christ) was to be doing.  So just as Rahab a Gentile in Jericho became an adopted Jew in the lineage of The Christ; evens so the Jews including Rahab became believers inside Christ’s Church when He was revealed to them 2000 years ago in the Paradise located in Sheol.  One new man as Paul’s sees us today. 

But there is more to Romans 11 that we must take up in our next post.  See you then.