Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

As believers in Christ Jesus, we are now separated from the world unto God. We are now to live our lives unto the one who created us. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that after we’re saved, “we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The Apostle Paul addresses how each member of the Body should conduct themselves in their daily walk with the Lord.

Paul is beseeching us or calling us to come alongside him and with other members of the Body “by the mercies of God” to present our bodies as living sacrifices unto God. Why is he calling us to do this? It is because it is our reasonable (or logical) service to God.

God has done so much for us that it is only logical that we would want to serve Him. What has God done for us?

• He has revealed His righteousness to us apart from the law, so that all those who simply believe in His Son’s finished work on the cross can receive justification unto eternal life (Rom. 3:21-28; 4:5)
• Since we have been justified by faith, we now also have peace with God through Christ (Rom. 5:1)
• We now have “access by faith into this grace in which we stand (Rom. 5:2).”
• As believers, we are baptized into Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. This is done by the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 6:1-5; Col. 2:11,12)
• We are no longer under the law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14)
• There is no condemnation to those who are in Him (Rom. 8:1, 35-39)
• God has concluded us all in unbelief, both Jew and Gentile, that He might have mercy upon us all (Rom. 11:32)
• this list could go on forever…

For all that God has done for us, it is only reasonable or logical that we should now serve Him. We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable (or well-pleasing) to Him.

Romans 6:10-11 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

How do we do present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, and acceptable to God? By being “transformed by the renewing of your mind (12:2).”

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect. On the other hand, the world and how it operates is the exact opposite. The world is bad, not well-pleasing to God, and not perfect. The world wants us to follow and be like them. The world wants us to “tolerate” everybody else, but they won’t tolerate us and the one true God. They think that they are good. They think that man can earn salvation through their own works, and bring peace to the earth through their own efforts. Only the Prince of Peace can bring true peace to the earth, and He will someday.

We are not to be conformed, but transformed. How? By the renewing of our mind. We do that by studying the Word of God, rightly divided (2 Tim. 2:15). We are told to put on the new man. Colossians 3:10 says that we have already put on the new man. The difference is between positional and practical sanctification. Positionally, we are already seated in Christ in the heavenlies. Practically, we are instructed to apply what we have in Christ by faith as we walk in the Lord in our daily lives.

Ephesians 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

We are to put off our old man, or old nature, or old Adam and put on the new man. As members of the new man (Body of Christ), we are created in righteousness and true holiness. Therefore, we should conduct ourselves accordingly.

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation [calling] wherewith ye are called.

When we walk worthy of that calling, put on the new man, renew our minds by studying God’s Word, and “walk by faith, not by sight,” verse two of Romans 12 says that we prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. We are proving that God’s way, His will, is the right way! When we actually do the things which God created us to do (12:3-15) and we present our lives as living sacrifices to Him, the result is an edified Body. As we serve Christ as His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20), setting ourselves apart from the world, our own personal testimony can be used of God to bring the message of salvation to lost sinners, so that they too can believe the gospel and partake of the same Body. It also helps with the edification of existing members to help them grow and mature in Christ.

We are all members of one Body (12:4,5), but have a different function within that Body. Some are given the gift of prophecy (can be foretelling which is predicting the future, but can also be forthtelling which is simply proclaiming something (no one today can predict the future, because the Word of God is complete now (Col. 1:25)), some the gift of ministry, the gift of teaching, the gift of exhortation, the gift of giving, the gift of leadership, and some are given the gift of mercy. We are to each use our gifts to help other members in the Body. We are to edify one another.

• Our love for one another should be without dissimulation or hypocrisy (12:9)
• We should be kindly affectionate to each other with brotherly love (12:10)
• Not slothful in business or lagging in diligence (12:11). This is especially applicable to teachers of God’s Word.
• We should rejoice in hope, patient in tribulation, be instant in prayer (12:12)
• We should distribute to the needs of others and given to hospitality
• And Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them. God will repay for any wrongdoing done to you (12:17-21).

So, in conclusion, we may live in this world, but we are not of this world (John 8:23). Therefore, present your own body as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God so that He can use you to edify the church, which is His Body (Eph. 1:22,23) and use you to preach the cross to those who still have not yet believed.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

God has always had His elect (for more information on election, click here). Election has to do with one’s service for God. It has nothing to do with one’s salvation. God doesn’t choose who will be saved and who won’t be. The Lord Jesus Christ is, of course, ultimately God’s elect.

Isa. 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Israel and believers today are His elect by association with Christ. Israel is God’s covenant people. God gave to them the law (Rom. 3:1). They were to be a nation of priests to bring light unto the world. They are God’s elect according to the covenant He made with them. The Church, the Body of Christ, on the other hand is elected by the grace of God.

God has blinded the nation of Israel today and has offered salvation to the Gentiles apart from Israel’s rising. It is important to remember that Israel’s blindness was not a mystery, nor was Gentile blessing a mystery. The mystery is that Gentiles can be saved without first coming through the nation. To be saved under the law, a Gentile had to go through Israel and become a Jew. The Gentiles have always been on God’s mind. For it was promised to Abraham (or Abram) that in him would “all the families of the earth be blessed (Gen. 12:3).”

Isa. 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (speaking of Israel’s rising)

Zech. 8:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

These verses will in the future come to fulfillment. One day, Gentiles will receive blessing through Israel’s rising. But, today Israel has fallen; therefore, they’ve been set aside temporarily as a nation and salvation has now come to the Gentiles. However, individual Jews can still be saved. The nation has fallen for now, but not forever. Even though they have fallen, there is still a believing remnant of Jewish believers. Paul uses Elijah as an example. Elijah in his own day thought that he was the only true believer left in Israel (11:3). But, it turned out that God had 7,000 men besides Elijah that also had not bowed their knees to the image of Baal (11:4; 1 Kings 19:18). And just like then, there is also a remnant today according to the election of grace.

Rom. 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

As a quick reminder, salvation today is by grace through faith alone in the finished work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). Why did Israel fall? They tried to obtain righteousness by the works of the law. They tried to get it by their own works. They didn’t seek it by faith (Rom. 9:31-32; 10:3). There are other reasons to, but we’ll leave it with that for now.

Rom. 9:31-32 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

Rom. 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Now we will look at what God is doing amongst the Gentiles today. With Israel now set aside as that channel in which blessing was to come through, how can God bring blessing to the Gentiles still? The Apostle Paul, who is the Apostle of the Gentiles (11:13), uses the illustration of the olive tree and grafting something into it in verses 16-24. This is not about personal salvation, but instead it is about grafting something that is wild by nature, the Gentiles as a whole (believing Gentiles), into Israel’s olive tree and being able to partake with believing Jews in their spiritual things. So, once you are saved, you have eternal security.

Rom. 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

It is important to note that in Israel’s history, there are four trees that are mentioned (Jg. 9:8-15). Each of them represent a different part of their life. Gentile believers today are not grafted into the fig tree, the vine, or the bramble. We do not become Israel, nor do we become spiritual Israel. We are not under the law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). The law of commandments was abolished in Christ’s flesh when He hung on that cross (Eph. 2:15). They were nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14). We are a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:15). Israel as a nation will be saved in the future. God is not done with them entirely. But, God can still give us (Gentiles and Jews individually) spiritual life today apart from Israel, in Christ Jesus by the gospel.

Tree	Aspects of Israel’s life	Gentiles Grafted In?
Olive Tree	Spiritual Life (Gen. 8:6-11)	Yes
Fig Tree	Religious life (Gen. 3:7)	No
Vine	National Life (Ex. 1:5; Gen. 46:3; Isa. 5:7; John 15)	No
Bramble	Unbelief (Jg. 9:14-15)	No

Rom. 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Verse 17 tells us that some of the branches were broken off, which means that some still remained a part of the tree. The nation is set aside; therefore, there are only those belonging to the believing remnant that still remain (those of faith). The Gentiles are represented by the wild olive tree and it says that we were grafted in among them and “became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree.” The root represents Abraham and the fatness are spiritual blessings. We don’t have the promise of physical blessings on this earth (we’re not Israel). But, we are blessed with all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3).

Gal. 3:6-9 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen [Gentiles] through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful [or believing] Abraham.

Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness, because he simply believed what God told him. We also receive righteousness when we simply believe God in what He told us, which is the fact that Christ died for all of our sins, buried them away forever, and rose again the third day. We also are blessed with believing Abraham. The entire household of faith is blessed with Abraham (Gal. 6:10; Heb. 11).

Rom. 4:23-25 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Gal. 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins. He became a curse for us. As it says, “Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree.” Why did he do this? So that the “blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” In Gal. 3:22, it tells us that the Scripture has concluded that all are under sin, so that the promise that was given to Abraham might be given to all those who believe.

Rom. 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

The Apostle Paul was given the revelation of the mystery to make known to all men, especially the Gentiles, that God has made it possible through the work of our Savior Jesus Christ, His Son, for believing Gentiles to be blessed with Abraham as well as all those of faith by the gospel. We are able to receive the promise of the Spirit through faith, apart from the works of the law (for not even the Jews are saved that way) and not having to go through Israel first. It’s by faith alone!

God gave this inheritance to Abraham by promise, and not by the law (Gal. 3:18). For if it was by the law, then we would be in trouble. For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). But, thankfully God gave it to him by promise. All those of faith are sons of Abraham (Gal. 3:7)! We are blessed, because we are in Christ! We are joined to Him!

Gal. 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Eph. 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

This Dispensation of the Grace of God won’t last forever. God will someday graft Israel, the natural branches, back into the olive tree and all Israel will be saved (11:24-27). So, let’s make the most of the time that we have left in this Dispensation and preach the gospel. Let’s preach the cross of Christ and get as many people (Jew or Gentile) into the Body of Christ!

1 Cor. 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Cor. 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

Paul had a desire to see the people of Israel saved. In chapter nine and verse three, Paul wishes that he himself would be accursed for the sake of his kinsmen after the flesh (even though he knew nothing could separate him from the love of God). For he was also a Jew, “of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin (Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5-6).” Israel was God’s chosen nation. The had the adoption, the glory, the covenants, etc. (Rom. 9:4-5; 3:2). God had promised them a land and a kingdom. Those promises will be fulfilled in the future.

Romans 11:26-27 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

So God will save the nation, Israel, in the future. But, for now God has set the nation aside and is working among both individual Jews and Gentiles. He isn’t dealing with people today on a national level, but an individual level.

In chapter nine, we saw how God can use whom He would like to carry out His purpose. He used the nation in time past, as well as even a couple of unsaved Gentiles (Pharaoh and Cyrus) to carry out His will. During this Dispensation of Grace (Eph. 3:2), He is now using individual Jews and Gentiles in order to “make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory (Rom. 9:23).”

Israel tried to obtain righteousness by the works of the law, instead of by faith (9:32). This is why Israel stumbled and continues to stumble every time we preach “Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 1:23).” They needed faith, as do all believers of every dispensation (Heb. 11). They simply tried to get righteousness only by doing the works of the law. What do we know about the law? “For by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20).” Israel had a zeal for God, as do many religious people today do, “but not according to knowledge (10:2).” The word knowledge means a “full knowledge.”

What did they not know? They were ignorant of God’s righteousness, the righteousness of faith (10:6). They lacked faith. They tried to “establish their own righteousness (10:3)”, instead of submitting to the righteousness of God.

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

How is it that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness?

1. He fulfilled the law.
   • Christ was born or made “under the law (Gal. 4:4).” Christ said in, Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
2. He is the goal of the law.
   • The goal of the law was to bring them, Israel, (as well as us) to Christ. Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
   • Christ fulfilled all of the ordinances of the law for us. He was circumcised, baptized, and kept the feast days. And when we believe the gospel, we are spiritually circumcised and baptized into Christ (Col. 2:11,12).
3. He has blotted out the handwriting of ordinances by nailing it to His cross.
   • Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
   • Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
4. He is the end of the law as a method of righteousness.
   • The law never in itself saved anyone, but it still was the only way to approach God.
   • Deuteronomy 6:24-25 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.
   • That method is the righteousness which is of the law.
   • For today, there is the righteousness of faith. Anyone that believes is made righteous.

Romans 10:5-6 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

Paul then goes on to contrast the two methods of obtaining righteousness. The first is “the righteousness which is of the law.” The second is “the righteousness of faith.”

In verses 6-8, Paul is referencing Deuteronomy 30:12-14. First, let’s look at that passage and the righteousness which is of the law.

Deuteronomy 30:11-13 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

Moses is instructing the nation that they do not have to go far to receive God’s Word to them, which is the law. It isn’t in heaven that someone needs to go there and bring it back to them so that they can do it, nor do they have to go across the sea to get it. The point is that the word (the law) is already near them. They already had the law. They just needed to do it or keep it.

Deuteronomy 30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Now, back to Romans 10. Paul will now be addressing the righteousness of faith or the “word of faith which we preach (10:8).”

Romans 10:6-8 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

Paul isn’t talking about the law, but now He is talking about Christ. What is Paul’s point? Just like the law was already near Israel but they just needed to do it, the word of faith, which we preach, is already near us. We just need to believe it! We don’t need to go to heaven to receive it, which would mean to bring Christ back down to die again. He died once for all sins! We also don’t need to go into the abyss or deep to bring Christ up from the dead. Christ has already come, died for the sins of world, was buried, and rose again the third day! Christ is near us! After we believe the gospel, we too should preach it.

What is the word of faith, which we preach?

• 1 Cor. 1:18 – “The preaching of the cross”
• 1 Cor. 1:23 – “we preach Christ crucified.”
• 1 Cor. 2:2 – “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
• Rom. 1:16 – “gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.”
• Gal. 6:14 – glory only in “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
• and many more…

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Confession here is not about you needing to confess all of your sins as a requirement to be saved. That was true back under the law. When a Jew sinned, they were to bring a sin-offering, or sin-offering and a burnt offering, to the priest (Lev. 5:5-7). That sacrifice would atone for the sin of that person. Also, you would have the scape goat that the priest would lay his hands on the head of the goat and the sins of the nation would be imputed to the goat (Lev. 16:21). Both, of course, were a type of Christ. Then, there was also the requirement of water baptism. In Mark, it says the multitude came to be baptized of John, confessing their sins.

Mark 1:5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

But, what have we learned in this chapter. That “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.” Christ fulfilled the law. Christ’s death on the cross atoned for the sins of the world. He paid for it all. It is not just a temporary sacrifice like the ones Israel performed, but it is permanent. He died once for all! Not only that, but He also nailed the law to His cross. He nailed the law, that is contained in ordinances, to the cross. That would include water baptism. There is only one baptism today, which is the Holy Spirit baptism that baptizes us into the one Body, the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:4,5; 1 Cor. 12:12,13).

Romans 6:9-10 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once [for all (NKJV)]: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Salvation comes when you simply acknowledge that you are a sinner, have sinned against God, and you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried (your sins were taken away), and rose again the third day! Here is the gospel, now believe it! That’s it! You don’t have to go far to get the gospel. It’s right here being preached to you in God’s Word.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 4:25 Who [Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

After we are saved by believing the gospel, it is our responsibility to preach the word! Specifically, the word of faith or the gospel! As verses 14 and 15 point out of chapter 10, people need to hear the gospel and “how shall they hear without a preacher? And shall they preach unless they are sent?” We are all to tell others about this glorious gospel, so that they too can believe it and have eternal life same as us! And we are also to make known what is the fellowship of the mystery (Eph. 3:9). As believers (Jew or Gentile), we are all joined to the Body of Christ. We are all heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17) as members of one Body!

As we look at chapter nine, it is important to keep in mind three important details. We need to understand what is a dispensation. Second, this chapter is not about personal salvation. Instead, it is about God being able to choose whoever He wants to serve Him and carry out His will, whether that be the nation of Israel or the Body of Christ (individual believers, Jew and Gentile), or even a couple of unsaved Gentiles in time past.

We are now getting into the more dispensational section of the book of Romans (chapters 9-11). Paul is now going to be focusing primarily on the nation of Israel and the fact that they as a nation have been set aside temporarily. A dispensation is defined as how God acts toward man and how God expects man to respond in return.

In time past under the law, God chose the nation of Israel to be His people and He gave them the law (Rom. 3:2). God told them to keep the commandments (Deut. 4:1-2; 6:17; 7:11; Ps 119:115; Matt. 19:17). Keeping the law in itself didn’t save them. Instead, it was their faith that ultimately saved them just like it’s our faith that saves us today. But, they were to do works (keep the law) in faith. The problem is that they didn’t have faith.

Ro 9:31-32 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

Mt 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

They didn’t obtain the law of righteousness, because they tried to get it only by the works of the law. They needed to seek it by faith, instead. Christ wasn’t telling the scribes and Pharisees to not do the law. Christ was simply telling them not to forget the more important matters like faith. All through Israel’s history, the Scriptures report that they lacked faith (Deut. 32:30; Matt. 6:30; 8:10). They were still instructed to keep the law, but in faith.

During the Dispensation of the Grace of God (Eph. 3:2), however, God is now dealing with mankind on an individual basis, instead of nations. There is no current national distinction between the Jew and the Gentile (Rom. 3:22; Gal. 3:28). All believers are one in Christ Jesus (one in His Body) by the gospel of the grace of God whether they be Jew or Gentile. How does one get into the Body? By believing the gospel. By believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day.

 “For you are not under law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14b).” God has not instructed us to keep the law today; instead, all He expects us to do is respond in faith. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do good works. God does tell us that we are created unto good works (Eph. 2:10). But, it is the Spirit that does the work in and through us, producing good fruit unto God. In our own flesh, we are not able to bear fruit unto God, because of sin. The only way for us to bear good fruit unto God is by walking in the Spirit. It’s by His power and strength. 

For the rest of the chapter, we will answer the question, ‘How can God set aside the nation which He chose to be a light unto the world and instead now use a Body of individual believers (the Body of Christ, Jew or Gentile)?’ Romans 9 helps explain to us how God has (and can) temporarily set aside the nation, Israel, and is now working directly with the Gentiles.

Nation of Israel

The Apostle Paul starts out by showing all the blessings that Israel as a nation of God had. They had the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the service of God, the promises, and they had Christ who came in the flesh (Rom. 9:4-5). However, “they are not all Israel who are of Israel (9:6) (most of Israel didn’t recognize and still don’t that the Christ came).” There was and is only a small remnant of true believers in Israel.

God chose Isaac, not Ishmael, for the spiritual seed of Abraham to come from (9:7-9). He didn’t choose Isaac to be saved over Ishmael. He simply chose to use Isaac as the one in which His plan would be carried out. We see the same with Esau and Jacob.

Calvinists see these passages to say that God chose certain people to be saved and others to be damned. They think this because God says that “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (9:13).” But, God is not talking about personal salvation, but instead He is talking about the two nations that would come from these men (the Edomites and the Israelites). The elder shall serve the younger.

Genesis 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.  

1 Chronicles 18:13 And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David’s servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

The Israelites would be God’s special people (nation) to serve Him by being a light unto the world as a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:6). This doesn’t automatically mean that everyone in Israel is saved. In other words, just because you’re a Jew doesn’t mean that you’re automatically saved, nor does it mean that God can’t use a Gentile to carry out His purposes at certain times.

Moses

Paul now turns his attention to Moses. He quotes from Exodus 33:19 and it says that God will have mercy and compassion on whom He will have mercy and compassion. He is still not talking about personal salvation here, but rather still dealing with Israel on a national level. In Exodus 32, Israel had made the golden calf idol and was worshipping it.

Exodus 32:9-10 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

The LORD said that He would consume Israel and make Moses a great nation, instead. Moses prays to God asking Him to consider this nation (Israel) to be His people. God does decide to show mercy to Israel. Israel would still be God’s people and God would still choose to carry out His will through them.

Pharaoh and Cyrus

Now, he uses both Pharaoh and Cyrus as examples of two Gentile kings that were used by God to carry out His purpose. Let’s begin with Pharaoh.

Romans 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

Exodus 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

The word for harden means “to strengthen.” Pharaoh was already not going to let Israel go. He decided that for himself. God simply strengthened the resolve in his heart.

Then, Cyrus was used by God to tell Israel that they could go back to the Promised Land after their Babylonian captivity (Rom. 9:20,21; Isa. 45:9).

So, God was able to use two Gentiles (Pharaoh and Cyrus) to carry out His purpose with the nation of Israel.

Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

God endured with much longsuffering a vessel of wrath that was fitted to destruction (Pharaoh) so that He “might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory (Rom. 9:23).” If God can use vessels of wrath to carry out His purpose, then He can certainly choose to make His riches known to vessels of mercy, even if those vessels happen to be Gentiles and not just Jews.

Body of Christ

Romans 9:23-24 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

This is what God is doing today in this Dispensation. He has set Israel aside temporarily, concluded us all in unbelief, so that He might have mercy on us all (Rom. 11:32). He has made known the riches of his glory upon all those that simply believe the gospel of the grace of God, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. God is now using the Body of Christ, not Israel, today to make known these riches. We are to make known the “fellowship of the mystery (Eph. 3:9).”

How can this be? How can God show His riches to Gentiles? How can they be children of God, when Israel was God’s special people?

Paul, of course, has already shown this to us, but he adds another argument. So now, Paul addresses the nation of Israel once again by using the prophets that point to a time when Israel herself was called “not God’s people,” as well as pointing to her future restoration. He quotes from Hosea and Isaiah. When God says “I will call them My people, who were not my people,” He is not referring to the Gentiles, but Israel (Rom. 9:25;26; Hosea 1:9; 2:2).

Hosea 2:2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

Hosea 2:19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

First, He tells Hosea to marry a prostitute in order to explain to Israel that He was divorcing her (divorce is not the same as what people think of today) for her adultery, idolatry, etc., but God would eventually betroth the nation back to Him. Israel will be restored again in the future. Paul then quotes from Isaiah, which says that God will do a “short work upon the earth (refers to the Tribulation) (Rom. 9:28)” and the “remnant will be saved (Rom. 9:27).”

What is Paul’s point? He is saying that just like it is possible for Israel to go from not being God’s people to being restored to that position in the future, the Gentiles can also go from never being in fellowship with God (Eph. 2:11-12) to now being His children. God can choose to have mercy on whomever He will have mercy on (Rom. 9:15). He can also do so even if Israel is blinded during this current Dispensation of Grace. He can make the riches of His glory known to both Jew and Gentile (a.k.a whosoever believes) without using Israel. He is using the Body of Christ to make it known, instead. (as a side note: the mystery was not revealed in the prophets, but first revealed to Paul. the mystery is the Body of Christ)

During the Dispensation of the Grace of God, the Body of Christ is being used by God to carry out His purpose today. The Body of Christ is His vessel of mercy that He is using today. Anyone can be a member of that Body by simply believing the gospel.

Romans 9:30-33 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

In conclusion, the Gentiles were able to receive righteousness (as well as today) by faith alone. Israel did not obtain it, because they forgot they needed faith and only tried to get it by the works of the law. Therefore, they stumbled at the stumblingstone (which is Christ and work on the cross), but whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. Anyone who believes what Christ accomplished for them on the cross (He died for their sins. He paid the penalty for sin. He buried those sins away forever. He rose again for your justification.) is saved, because it is the power of God that saves them. It is something not to be ashamed of, but to glory in (Rom. 1:16; Gal. 6:14).

Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save (except) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.