²⁵ I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. ²⁷ And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”²⁸ Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ²⁹ For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. ³⁰ Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. ³¹ Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. ³² For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

³³ Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

³⁴ For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? ³⁵ And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?

³⁶ For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

He’s God

This is the final post of 2009. Tomorrow begins a new year. A new decade.

Ten years ago, people were in a panic. The media was hyping Y2K. We didn’t know if technology could handle the jump to a new Century. Many people began stockpiling food and cash in case everything crashed. Many turned to God. People always seem to do that in times of potential crisis.

Of course, computers handled the change to the year 2000 without many hiccups. Technology continued to roll forward. The world breathed a sigh of relief. People forgot about God again. At least until Sept. 11, 2001, when they all came running back to God for another few weeks.

What about you? Do you truly live your life under the truth that He’s God, you’re not? Do you submit fully to his will and purpose for you? Do you give yourself completely to him? I know that there are times when I don’t, but I’m trying. Each day I must decide if I will submit to him.

I don’t know if you are one to make resolutions or not (you can read about my New Year’s resolutions tomorrow on my personal blog). If you are, why not make a decision to give yourself over to God even more in 2010. Make this next year one where you really do live life as a follower of Christ. I can’t think of anything better that one can choose to do.

My prayer: Lord, I give you everything in my life. As we begin a new year, I choose to follow you completely. Your will, not mine. Your plans, not mine. Your desire for me, not mine. I submit my life, my family, my calling to you. Amen.

See you next year.

²² Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. ²³ And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. ²⁴ You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.

Grace: Kind & Severe

I think this is one of the best passages to help understand the power of God’s grace. It provides us with an incredible description of what it means to live under the grace of God. It means we have the choice. The freedom. The will to submit to God or to do it our own way.

We don’t like the word “severe.” We don’t want to use it to describe God. It’s because we read a word like severe and we think of “meanness.” We think of it negatively. We read this passage as if we think Paul is saying, “Look, God is a pretty cool guy. I mean, he’s really nice. But, wow, if you piss him off, then he can really lose it. And when God loses it, he goes nuts. He’s really severe in how nasty he gets.”

But I don’t believe Paul is saying that. I don’t believe the Bible teaches that God is like that.

I read this passage by understanding severe as “uncompromising.” “Decisive.”

In other words, those who reject God’s offer of grace and dismiss his desire to be in relationship are simply granted their wish. God is uncompromising in cutting those people off from relationship with him. It is a clean, clear break. It is severe.

And yet, because he loves us so much, he always holds out hope that we will repent of our decision. We will turn back and call out to him. And if we do, he responds again by bringing us back into his fold. Into his family. Does that sound severe?

You see, there are a few things we must understand. If we choose to reject grace, we can’t then get upset with God for granting us our wish to be separated from him. It’s our choice. We can’t say, “Okay, you’re God, I’m not.” And then expect to do things our own way. Do whatever we choose to do.

God is uncompromising. There is no room for negotiations. It is his way. He’s God. His kindness and grace welcome us into his family and invite us to experience all that he has planned for us in this life, but it must be done his way. That is a God who is both kind and severe.

My prayer: Lord, may I never take for granted your grace. Not just what it cost you in order to pay the price for my sin, but what it means to live for you. It means submitting my will completely to yours. To recognize that you are a God who is “all in.” There is no compromising. No “half-way” with you. I understand that. And I choose you. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹⁷ But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. ¹⁸ But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

¹⁹ “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” ²⁰ Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. ²¹ For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.

Perspective

I supposed it’s human nature. I’ve seen so many people do it. In fact, there have been times when I’ve been guilty of it. I’ve met people who criticize others who do it. They tell me how it kept them from following Christ for many years. And now, years after they began their journey with God, they do the very same thing.

I’m talking about judging those who are not following God. Pointing fingers at them. Thinking less of them.

Paul has turned his attention back to the Gentiles with this passage, and he reminds them that they should be careful not to be too critical of the Jewish people who have rejected Jesus as the Messiah. They should not be too proud of the fact that God has extended grace to them. Or that he has welcomed them into his family.

As I’ve said, I meet a lot of people who seem to be proud of the fact that they are part of God’s family and someone else is not. Rather than grieve for the soul of another, they take delight in the way things have played out.

“Well, they deserved it.” Is their reply when they hear of a drug dealer who is killed, or an outlaw biker is sent to jail. They ignore the homeless man with a smug, “He should get a job.” They see the hooker as someone less than human. Someone not worthy of any respect.

Never lose sight of the truth of Paul’s words: you are just a branch, not the root.

My prayer: Lord, may I never see myself as better than another. I’m not. You love that drug dealer, outlaw biker, prostitute as much as you love me. You heart is to see them come into relationship with you. To become part of the very same family I am part of. May I never lose sight of that truth. May my heart break for them the way yours does. And my I see myself as the same as they are – someone in need of your grace. Amen.

Until tomorrow.