Read: Romans 11:13-36
Our God is mysterious. Only He could lead people out of slavery then harden their hearts so we would be saved and He would be glorified amongst His people again.
In Romans 11:15, the apostle Paul writes, “For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” Israel’s rejection of Jesus led to the salvation of Gentiles (all of us non-Jewish people). But Paul makes it clear that there will be a day of great celebration when Israel’s eyes are opened and Jews and Gentiles worship God together.
When Paul wrote Romans, the number of Gentiles in churches were growing. The Gentiles trusted in Jesus for their salvation, but many Jews in the church still relied on their heritage to save them. As Gentiles began to outnumber Jews in many churches, they looked down on the Jews and even persecuted them.
We cannot lose sight of the blessing God poured out in making the Gospel available to us. In Romans 11:18, Paul reminds us that we should not boast or consider ourselves better than those who don’t know Jesus. God is our root and we are His branch. We cannot survive without His support. It is too easy to fall into the trap of forgetting where we were when God saved us.
Just as God used our disobedience to show us how much we need Him, He will do the same for others. Who do you know who has rejected Jesus? As you pray for their salvation, ask God to show you how you can love and serve them the way Jesus did.
