Title: Faith and Grafting
Expositions to Romans 86
Faith and Grafting
Romans 11:19-24
Introduction: Paul compares the differences between Jews and Gentiles in the case of a true olive tree and a stone olive tree. For God, the only tree of salvation is the true olive tree. The stone olive tree has no hope of salvation. It is purely God's love, mercy, and grace that the Gentiles, the stone olive trees, were saved. The reason that the stone olive tree bears the fruit of the true olive tree is because it has been grafted into the true olive tree. Paul instructs all churches to keep in mind that God cut some branches of a true olive tree and grafted Gentiles, which are branches of a stone olive tree, into the cut true olive tree to save the Gentiles who are stone olive trees. .
1. The reason the original branch is broken
He said that the reason Israel, compared to the original branch, was broken was because of their unbelief. And it is saying that the Gentiles were grafted into the true olive tree by faith, so that they could bear fruit like the original branch.
(1) It is said that the original branch was broken in order to be grafted into the Gentiles. Since Paul is using the example of a stone olive tree and a true olive tree to compare the case of the forsaken Jew and the Gentile who gained salvation, the members of the Roman Church naturally came to the following conclusions after hearing Paul's logic is going to do it.
“Then, have they not been broken so that I might be grafted in? The Jews were broken by unbelief. Then why were they broken? Of course, their unbelief is the reason, but it also comes from God's eternal providence of salvation. They were cut because it was God's will for the Gentiles to graft into the true olive tree. Paul asks the questions of the members of the Roman Church who will question his logic, and gives clear answers to them. “Yes, they were broken because of their unbelief, and you stand by faith.”
(2) Then, what does the true olive tree mean? The true olive tree that Paul uses in his parable means the trunk of God's salvation. The true olive tree symbolizes Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life.” And this was only revealed to the world through the covenant through Abraham. Therefore, the root of this tree is Abraham, and from that root the stem grows and grows. But what we need to know here is that in the Old Testament times, this tree was only applicable to Israel. The Gentiles, the stone olive tree, had no part in this tree at all. Of course, even among the Gentiles, there may be “a remnant according to the elect” and they may have received God’s mercy, but the problem Paul is dealing with here is not such a personal salvation problem, but rather the Gentiles and Israel in a comprehensive way.
However, the work that God made Abraham to become the root of the true olive tree and the work that God did for Israel with the trunk was not only for Israel, but also for the Gentiles to graft into the tree and achieve salvation. The promises God made to Abraham were not limited to his lineage of Israel, but to all the peoples of the earth. Paul said, “Abraham was the father of all men before God” (Romans 4:16).
(3) The only tree that bears fruit is the true olive tree. Because God works all of his work according to the time, starting with the birth of Jesus Christ, he allowed Abraham's faith to be spread to the Gentiles. Physically speaking, it has nothing to do with Abraham and the Gentiles. And the same is true of God's promises. However, this was connected to the Gentiles and Abraham through Jesus Christ, and Abraham's promise extended to all the Gentiles.
“If you belong to Christ, you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). In the beginning, God accomplished the work of salvation through Abraham's faith through Abraham's lineage. That was the time of John the Baptist. After that, he accomplishes the work of salvation by preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, and God accomplished this work by cutting the original branch of the true olive tree and grafting stone branches there. .
2. Don't be high-minded
Paul warns the Gentile churches, “Do not be lofty in your heart, but rather be afraid.” There are several reasons why Gentiles who have been grafted onto the true olive tree should not have high hearts.
(1) “If God did not spare the original branches, neither will He spare you.” This means that God temporarily forsook Israel. It was because of their unbelief that God did not spare the original branches. If we too, like them, fall into unbelief, we will have no choice but to be rejected.
If you forsake the knowledge of God and seek righteousness through human knowledge, you will be broken. If we do not produce the fruit that God desires, He will not spare us in forsaking us like Israel. Therefore, we should be afraid.
(2) What we should not have high hearts is the fact that we were in the plight of the stone olive tree. We are not even the roots of the true olive tree. Neither were those branches. It was a useless stone olive tree. It was a branch that bore fruit from a stone olive tree that could not be used for anything in the place of enmity with God. It is entirely out of God's grace and compassionate love that this branch was grafted onto the true olive tree. But how can we be proud and have a high heart toward Israel, the original branch of it?
(3) It exhorts us to abide in the mercy of God. “There is dignity in those who fall,” he said. There is always justice in God's mercy and love, and his dignity sustains it. For those who fall for the gospel, majesty will rule over them instead of love and compassion. Therefore, Christians are always to live a life that abides in the mercy of God. And to lead a fruitful life. In order to receive God's mercy, we must avoid sin and lead a life of repentance thoroughly.
In the case of Gentiles, who are stony olive trees, Paul emphasizes how certain their grafting will be when Israel, who was a branch of the true olive tree, turns from unbelief, thus reiterating Paul's hope for the salvation of Israel. In verse 24, Paul says, “You were cut off from the original stone olive tree, and you were grafted into a good olive tree against your nature.” In fact, we were grafted into a true olive tree that was against our nature. It was work. Nevertheless, God cut us out of a stone olive tree and grafted us into a true olive tree. How much more, how easy and natural for God to be grafted onto this true olive tree on the day when all Israel, who knew God through the Law and served God, repented.
Conclusion: We thank God for giving us life by grafting this useless existence into a true olive tree, knowing that we were strangers who were far from God's salvation with the branches belonging to the stone olive tree. We must give back the glory.