No images? Click here A CALL TO FEAR PT. II Romans 11:16-24 January 14th, 2024 The main point of this section of Scripture is well summarized by a quote from A. W. Tozer: “Walking in humility isn’t focusing on what we are not, rather its declaring what God is.” Pride is deep in the heart of man, and this was true for the Gentiles in the church at Rome where there was conflict. Paul warned them not to be arrogant toward the branches; he told them not to be proud but fear. This warning is applicable to us today. Philippians 2:12 tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, looking at our obedience and the fear of the Lord. There is no room for pride in salvation. The Gentiles took the very truth that saved them and allowed it to make them prideful. The Gentiles thought that God showed more favor to them than to the Jews because the Jews did something wrong, whereas they had done things right. Paul told them that he knew their hearts and warned: You had better fear!
We need to heed Paul’s warning today. We see that pride has crept into our hearts when we look at the world out of which we were saved and consider ourselves better than those people. Why do we do this? Because we have been saved and take pride in our salvation. We look at non-believers and think that they have much to worry about in life, but we don’t because we are saved. Paul says to us: You better fear! In this passage of Scripture, God says, Fear Me!
We glean three warnings from this passage of Scripture as to why Gentiles should fear, two of which we covered last week, and the third we consider today. The first warning is that Gentiles are grafted in, not because of any inherent worth, but because the root, Israel, had become lethargic and was not producing the fruit that God requires. The second warning is that Gentiles are supported by the root, not the other way around. Every spiritual benefit that Gentiles enjoy comes through the Jews. If the Jews had not been disobedient, salvation would not have come to the Gentiles. Don’t be arrogant!
Paul warns us in verse twenty to not be proud but fear. Earlier in this verse, Paul admonishes us to stand firm in our faith. Fear plays an important role in the perseverance of salvation. There is an important message in these verses that every person needs to hear. Unbelievers need to repent and turn to Christ in faith; believers need to continue in the fear of the Lord because Mark 13:13 warns that only the one who endures to the end will be saved. It is not those who start strong but who have become fruitless, not those standing on the sidelines, not those who are not part of a fellowship, not those who are doing their best, but sin just has a hold on them; only those who persevere to the end will be saved. There is a sobering warning here and it is the third reason why Gentiles should fear: we are not a natural branch. Understanding that we are not a natural branch holds the key as to how we are to persevere in faith. Today we will consider the role that fear plays in our endurance as we examine the balance between the kindness of God and the severity of God (v. 22).
It is easy to overlook the first word in verse twenty-two, note. This word carries a far greater weight than we realize. It is more like behold, seek, observe, grasp, strive to understand its meaning, stop and look! God wants to meditate on the words that follow because they will give us a glimpse of who He is. An example from Scripture of observing something and understanding the meaning is found in Genesis 26 when Isaac fled to Gerar during a famine. He repeated the sin of his father, Abraham, who also lied about his wife and said, “She is my sister.” However, Abimelech observed the way in which Isaac interacted with his beautiful wife, Rebekah, and concluded that Rebekah was not his sister, she was his wife. Later, after Abimelech saw how God had blessed Isaac and made him rich, Abimelech went to Isaac, seeking a peace treaty because he said, "We see plainly that the Lord has been with you.” Clearly, Abimelech had sought an understanding of the things he had observed regarding Isaac.
The same word for note in Romans 11:22 is used in 1 John 3:1, “See [Behold] what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” We are challenged to consider all that this means. God wants us to stop and meditate on the love of God and the implications of being His child. The idea of beholding something is so important that, on average, this word appears twice on every page of Scripture. Throughout Scripture God is saying: Behold, see, look at who I am, look at what I am doing, look at My character, look at My attributes!
In verses 22-24 Paul wants us to carefully consider and uphold God’s holiness. The most effective way to combat pride is to behold God’s holiness. Holiness is the central attribute of who God is. Because we don’t fully understand holiness, we sometimes consider this a peripheral attribute of God; we lack a superlative to accurately describe what holiness is. However, in this passage Paul gives us two concepts that help us understand the holiness of God. God’s holiness is seen in His kindness and in His severity (v. 22). When we look upon His kindness and His severity, we will see the holiness of God. Kindness and severity are joined together by the word “and” but the two are inseparable. We don’t see one without the other. A person who doesn’t understand the holiness of God will see God either as kind or as severe.
Christians, in general, have a very deficient understanding of kindness. The way we handle kindness lacks gravity; there is no force behind it. To understand God’s holiness, we need to understand what kindness is. When we think of kindness we think of things like nice, cordial, friendly, or delightful. All these things do not make God look like God, but they make God look like man. But God is not like us. Titus 3:4 defines the kindness of God: the kindness of God appeared when Jesus came to earth. Jesus is the kindness of God. To help us understand the kindness of God, we need to refresh ourselves on who God is. God created all things through Jesus; He gave names to all the stars; He upholds all things; He is the sovereign ruler of all things; He knows all things; He clothed Adam and Eve when they sinned; He provided a way of salvation in Jesus through His perfect obedience. God gave laws, covenants, priests, prophets, and kings to a nation He chose. He caused neighboring nations to rise and fall according to the blessing and chastisements of that nation. He extended His grace to Gentiles; He gave us His Word for reproof, correction, and training in righteousness; He gives us the hope of glory by Christ’s obedience. This is the kindness of God, and it will take an eternity to fully grasp it.
According to Scripture, kindness is the goodness of the heart of God toward those who were otherwise helpless. Another way of looking at this is benevolence. If we want to understand the thoughts of God or the holiness of God or our relationship with God, we need to consider our benevolence toward others. Our benevolence directly correlates with our understanding of who God is. God put His benevolence and His holiness on display. This is the theme of the first eight chapters of this letter. God’s predestination, foreknowledge, calling, justification, imputation of righteousness, impartation of righteousness in our sanctification, and our future glorification are all the result of God’s kindness. The kindness of God is also on display in Romans 2:4, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”
God’s kindness to us begins in the confrontation of our sin. God calls the hard heart to repentance, from darkness to light. Our pride is assaulted by the illumination of our sin and the understanding that we are separated from God. We see the reality of our future as being under the wrath of God, we grieve our self-worship, fall on our knees, then humbly adore God. This is the kindness of God. There is confrontation, illumination, then adoration. If we behold God, we will adore Him. All of this leads us to obedience.
What does kindness look like in people? Let’s look at the example of parenting. What is kindness, what is benevolent toward our helpless children? Scripture tells us: it is discipline and instruction. Children need structure and knowledge; they need to understand what is right and what is wrong; they will need to know that their will is to be bent to a holy will. We know that their will is not holy, so we have to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They need to behold God; they have to know God, and we have to model God before them so that they know what benevolence looks like. Should we be nice to our children? Sure, but to withhold the discipline and instruction they need is being unkind to them. The world tells us to partner with our children, to follow after their will, but this is opposed to Scripture. Children need to bend their will to the will of God, the Father.
Consider kindness in the marriage relationship. Husbands are to wash their wives in the Word, to confront their sin; we are supposed to study the Word so that we can give them instruction and guide them in truth. Husbands are to sacrifice themselves for their wives, as Christ did for the church. Husbands are to nourish the wife’s spiritual growth. Husbands are to cherish her and treat her tenderly. Wives are to respect their husband and submit to them as the church submits to Christ. They are to recognize the husband’s role, that God has put him in your family. Wives are to be help-mates in his strengths and weaknesses. They are to point out where he is going astray and encourage him when he is going right. Be kind by exercising virtue, not being contentious, but being industrious. Young men are to show kindness by being self-controlled, respectable, hard-working, having integrity, and showing dignity. Older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not gossips, not slaves to wine, but they are to teach younger women what is good.
How should we demonstrate the kindness of God in our relationships? This is shown in washing the feet of one another. We humble ourselves and do not lord it over another; we are ready to do good to others, serving them, honoring them, living in harmony with them, being patient, forgiving, bearing their burdens, encouraging them, not judging, grumbling, or slandering. This is what it means to wash the feet of one another.
As we behold the kindness of God, we marvel at our salvation, and we walk in obedience. This strips us of pride. We are to cultivate humility, not being boastful or arrogant. Then we glory in our salvation, marvel at a holy God and wonder why He could give us any grace or love or treat us with kindness. His kindness is seen through chastisement, admonishment, encouragement, etc. But God’s holiness is not lop-sided; we focus on God’s love, not on His severity, but God is equally both kind and severe.
The severity of God is a sharpness with the knowledge to act quickly and decisively in judgment, fueled by God’s righteous anger. This is the Doctrine of Divine Hatred. So, why would Paul mention divine hatred when he is discussing the kindness of God and ultimately His holiness? He says in verse twenty-two, “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness.” As the Gentiles are looking down on the Jews, Paul is warning them to look at the severity of God and His actions toward the Jewish nation, how He displayed His severity, His wrath, and His righteous anger.
We need to behold God’s kindness and His severity. The Jews refused God’s kindness when they refused to obey Him. As a result of their idol worship, God cut them off with a sharp, decisive action. They fell away from their privileged position to a position of non-privileged, from nearness to God to being far away, from understanding God’s Word to being in a stupor (Romans 11:8). The author of Hebrew, reflecting on the Jews who perished in the wilderness, says, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” In 10:30-31 the author said, “For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The author is warning the unbelieving Jews that they should fear God.
The condemnation to which the author of Hebrews speaks is the same as that which Paul addressed in Chapter One of this letter, starting in verse eighteen: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Suppressing truth is disobedience. Then in verse 21, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Therefore – severity – God gave them up in the lust of their hearts (v. 24). Therefore – severity -- God gave them up to dishonorable passions (v. 26). Therefore – severity -- God gave them up to a debased mind. These statements of Paul are directed to Gentiles. Clearly God’s severity is on display here.
As a people, we are very cavalier regarding the severity of God. We take sin too lightly. We think to ourselves, we all sin, so it’s ok, or it’s ok, brother, just keep trying. Does this reflect the severity of God? Are these the attitudes of a person who upholds God’s severity, who honors His holiness? God says to behold His severity and understand how He deals with our sins. Remember that He blinded the hearts of the Jews, He deafened their ears to the truth, and He cut them off at the root, so we must take our sin seriously. Paul is saying to the Gentiles, think about this! In your pride remember that God has broken off the natural branches, and you are not a natural branch. Allow that fear to settle in your heart and behold the kindness and severity of God.
Paul next says that God acts with severity toward those who have fallen, but kindness to those who continue in His kindness. Continuing in God’s kindness is beholding both His kindness and His severity. This is how we continue in kindness and persevere in our faith. Jesus declared that those who abide (continue) in Him will know the truth and be free (John 8:31-32). We continue in truth by beholding the kindness and severity of God. The theological theme of this passage of Scripture is the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. We speak of this doctrine as Once Saved, Always Saved. This is true but it doesn’t carry the magnitude and gravity of God’s holiness, nor that of His kindness and severity. We will properly say, you are saved if you continue in the kindness of God. This is realistically the Perseverance of the Saints.
We don’t like the idea of if you continue in the kindness because this is a conditional phrase; it is not reassuring and there is also wrong teaching on this passage. A basis tenant of hermeneutics is that all of Scripture is to be brought to bear on the understanding a specific passage of Scripture. When we apply this principle here, we see that this passage is not suggesting there is insecurity in salvation. As we behold God’s severity, His wrath, and His anger, we will naturally praise God for His kindness to us in Christ. As we behold the kindness of God and walk in obedience but then sin, we are tempted to downplay it; however, a remembrance of the severity of God leads to repentance. When we are enjoying the kindness of God, we should remember His severity and vice-versa; thus, there is a toggling back and forth between the kindness of God and the severity of God.
All this centers around obedience. Alistair Beig said, “Pride is at the heart of all our obstinacy and all of our disobedience.” Anywhere we see obstinacy or disobedience in our life it is due to our pride. Anywhere there is pride there is a lack of respect for the holiness of God, and this shows we don’t understand God’s kindness and severity. We see God’s kindness very clearly in Romans 5:8, “…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We need to meditate on this and fear Him, fear that we are not living in such a way that is consistent with walking in the kindness of God, repenting of sin and presenting our bodies a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1). When we see sin in our life, we need to remember Israel and the way God dealt with them. We need to keep in mind that God could act severely, at any moment when dealing with our sin. This should keep us in balance, and this is how we maintain our salvation. If we don’t keep in mine both the kindness of God and the severity of God, just like Israel, we will fall.
An example of the kindness of God and the severity of God is found in Matthew 10. Jesus refers to God’s kindness in that He is concerned when a sparrow falls and He knows everything about us, even the number of hairs on our head. Then He points out the severity of God in that He causes division within a household by saying than anyone who loves a family member more than Him or who does not take up his cross and follow Him is not worthy of Him. These are harsh words, but they reflect what Scripture teaches: the kindness of God and the severity of God. When we participate in the Lord Supper, we understand that the elements represent the kindness of God and the severity of God, kindness in that He forgives sin when we confess and repent, but severity in the judgment of unconfessed sin. Before we take the elements, we are to confess any sin and meditate on both the kindness of God and the severity of God.
All through Scripture we have this pattern of kindness and severity. We stand before God beholding His holiness in a spirit of humility and remembering His promises to Israel. Verse 23 says that if Israel does not continue in unbelief, they will be grafted back into the natural root. God will graft Israel back in because He made that promise. A horticulturalist will say it is not possible to graft a dead branch back into the trunk and have it live, but this is exactly what God will do with Israel. Israel will someday meet the conditions for being grafted back in. This grafting is described in Revelation 11:3-4, “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” According to Zechariah 4, these two lampstands are the two witnesses who will call Israel to repentance. Though now spiritually dead, one day Israel will be grafted back into the root and will bloom as a nation. The severity of God keeps Israel from blooming today, but the kindness of God gives us the opportunity to be saved today.
God wants us to not be proud but to fear, for we need to remember that we have been graphed, we are supported, and we are not a natural branch. We continue in the fear of the Lord by beholding His holiness and His kindness and His severity. If we continue in His kindness, we will be saved. Only those who endures to the end will be saved. Always keep in mind both the kindness and severity of God. When we meditate on the severity of God and how He deals with sin, we thank Him for His grace. Then He pushes us back toward His kindness, ultimately drawing us to Himself in praise and adoration.
Selah:
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