There has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.

Romans 10:14-11:12 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

¹⁶ However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

¹⁸ But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have;

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”

¹⁹ But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation,
By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”

²⁰ And Isaiah is very bold and says,

“I was found by those who did not seek Me,
I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”

²¹ But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

11 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ³ “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ⁴ But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. ⁶ But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

⁷ What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; ⁸ just as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”

⁹ And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap, And a stumbling block and a retribution to them. ¹⁰ “Let their eyes be darkened to see not, And bend their backs forever.”

¹¹ I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. ¹² Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!

In yesterday’s meditation we saw what Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14:  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  Jesus words contradict what many believe and teach today, that it is easy and that most people will enter into the way of life. In Matthew 24:4-13 Jesus, speaking of the time before His return, says:  “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”   We should not be surprised then that many are mislead. We should not be surprised that we see nation (ethnos) rising against nation (ethnos); that there is racial and ethnic division and fighting. Jesus warned of it and it is one of the deceptions that will exist in the time before His return. Those who stoke the flames of racial and ethnic division are false prophets.  We should not be surprised that there are many who are deceived and few who see the truth.

In today’s text it says:  I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.   Throughout scripture we see that often the majority is mislead, while a remnant remains faithful. Only Lot and his family were spared when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. When Moses sent ten spies to survey the Promised Land, only two gave a report based in faith.  Ephesians 2:8-10 says:  By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.   It is important that we recognize the relationship of faith, grace and works.  By grace, we are saved through faith. So even though it is by God’s choice, our faith is important. As John 3:16 says, eternal life is for whoever believes. God’s grace is available for everyone. Jesus died once for all. Only those who believe; who have faith, actually apprehend the fullness of God’s grace. Hebrews 11:6 says:  Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.   In what way do works enter the equation of our salvation through grace and faith?  It is not by our works that we are saved, but rather our works are the response to or the outward evidence of God’s grace and our faith. We are created in Christ Jesus for good works.

James 2:14-20 says:  What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Canthat faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace,be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, isdead, being by itself.But someonemay well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe thatGod is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?   In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus says:  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, howcan it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.You are the light of the world. A city set on ahill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under abasket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”   Our works are the evidence and the testimony of our faith and God’s grace to the world.  Today’s text begins saying:  How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”   Our works combined and aligned with the word of God reveal God’s grace to the world.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit, for Your grace. I believe. May my life be a testimony and revelation of Your grace to the world, as I do the good works You have prepared for me and prepared me for, in Christ.  Amen.