Romans 11-0 God Does Not Abandon His People#
Romans 11-0 - God Does Not Abandon His People
(JP Text Group - Yun Dan Feng Qing Compilation)
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for preparing this wonderful time for us to seek your word together. At this moment, we believe the Holy Spirit is among us, renewing our thoughts and minds through your word, helping us understand the Father's will, comprehend your love for us, and receive your love so that we can give love. We completely dedicate the following time to you, so that we may all receive your provision. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
The topic we are sharing is: God Does Not Abandon His People
Romans 11:1-10
1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” 9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always.”
God will not abandon His people because the people of Israel are God's chosen ones. However, they have rejected God, unwilling to listen to His words, and unwilling to act according to His teachings. In such a situation, it seems hopeless; the prophets were sent by God to preach His word to the people of Israel, but they killed the prophets. How would God deal with these people? If we speak according to human nature, it would be unbearable to tolerate these people, and one might eventually leave them or completely abandon them, but God did not abandon His people.
Here Paul says: I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not!
This gives us great hope. Once you understand this, you will know that even if your behavior is not good, God will not abandon you; He always gives you the opportunity to repent and turn to Him. Perhaps after believing in the Lord, there hasn't been much change; do not worry, because the situation of the people of Israel was worse than yours, yet even so, God did not abandon these people. The glorious hope is given to the Israelites and the world. When you see that God has not abandoned the people of Israel, you should also believe that God will not abandon you.
God will always fulfill His promises to us. Around the world, God has beautiful witnesses of Jesus, as long as people are willing to turn to God's Son, Jesus Christ! God always gives them the opportunity to turn back and know Him.
At that time, most of the Israelites did not accept God's words, were disobedient, and even rejected God's Son, Jesus Christ. Does this mean God wants to abandon them? Even though the people of Israel treated Jesus this way, God still did not abandon His people. Paul used the phrase “Certainly not”!
God established a nation through Abraham, giving him great promises and blessings. God's promise is not to abandon the people of Israel. Psalm 94:14 states,
14 For the Lord will not forsake His people, nor will He abandon His heritage.
Although this group of people behaved very poorly, God did not abandon them because He has promises for them. God has spoken, and He will not abandon this group of people.
The people of Israel are God's chosen ones, but this does not mean they will automatically be saved. Although they rejected God, it does not mean they do not have the opportunity to be saved. Whenever they turn back to God, they can still receive salvation. It may seem that a person has not accepted the Lord today, and sometimes may even persecute God's children or do very detestable things, but such a person, God has not abandoned them, giving them the opportunity to turn back.
Abandon in the original language refers to pushing away, rejecting, severing relationships, and completely cutting off contact. But God does not treat His people this way. Certainly not means it is absolutely impossible, it will never happen; God will not nullify His promises, nor will He go back on His word.
This tells us that no matter how bad the Israelites are, no matter how disobedient they are, it does not mean God will no longer give them opportunities. As long as they are willing to turn back, God will accept them; this is election.
Paul tells us why God has not abandoned His people. He uses himself as an example, saying, because I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul proves that he himself is an Israelite, not abandoned by God, thus proving that his relatives have also not been abandoned by God.
Paul says he is a descendant of Abraham, a descendant not abandoned by God. Why does Paul use himself as evidence? Because he was once that kind of person, previously persecuting Christians, thinking he was doing the right thing, defending the law, believing he was correct. In fact, what he did was quite similar to what this group of Israelites did. Even so, God did not abandon him but instead revealed Himself to him.
In Acts 9, while he was on the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to him, and a great light shone around him, blinding his eyes. He spent three days in darkness, obeying God's words and began to seek Jesus Christ. At that time, he did not know God, although he was zealous and sent many Christians to prison, killing them. Once, while walking on the road, he encountered Jesus and said, “Lord, who are You?” Jesus said: “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
In this situation, why did Jesus want to reveal Himself to Paul? God wanted to use him. Later, when Paul met those Christians, the brothers and sisters were very afraid because he had previously persecuted Christians. How could he possibly believe in the Lord? At that time, people thought Paul was indeed detestable and could not possibly turn back, but God still gave him the opportunity. God did not abandon him but instead allowed him to truly know God, becoming a missionary, a person who proclaims Jesus Christ.
Here Paul uses himself as an example: Does God abandon His people? Certainly not! He was once that kind of person, but God gave him the opportunity to turn back and know His Son, Jesus Christ.
Although Paul did many terrible things in the past, God did not abandon him. You should also be assured that God will not abandon you! Because God has promises for you. Hebrews 10 states that after those days, I will no longer remember their sins and their lawless deeds; He will never abandon you! Hold on to the words God has given you! The reason God does not abandon the people of Israel is that God does not look at the behavior of this group of people but at the work accomplished by Jesus on the cross, which established the new covenant.
Verse 2: God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
Here, let me break down the scripture for you: “God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.” The people whom He foreknew in the original language means: the chosen people. That is, God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. God knows everyone, and analyzing things from a human perspective is absolutely different from God's perspective. Paul compared two people's viewpoints with God, one of whom is Elijah. Elijah accused God's people, so let’s briefly understand Elijah.
Elijah is recognized as one of the greatest prophets among the people, most notably for his prayer meeting against 450 false prophets, where he defeated them through prayer. Many Israelites saw this, and he did it with great confidence. After defeating the 450 false prophets, Jezebel became angry and wanted to kill Elijah. When Elijah heard this, he became afraid and ran into the wilderness, asking God to take his life under a broom tree, saying, “God, what I have done is not as good as my ancestors; please take me back; I do not want to continue…”
God saw that Elijah was weak and did not abandon him, providing him with food. After 40 days, Elijah reached the mountain of God, and at that time, God spoke to Elijah after a gentle whisper, saying, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
Elijah said: “Lord God of Israel, I have been very zealous for You, but now I am the only one left, and they seek to take my life.” Elijah was accusing this group of people, saying they listened to Jezebel's words and came to kill him. “Will You not do something?”
In this situation, God gave Elijah the correct guidance, saying: “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Elijah felt that this group of people was indeed detestable. He performed such great miracles, and they should be grateful, yet they said the Lord is the true God but still listened to Jezebel's words. This was an accusation against the Israelites. But God said: “Do not be discouraged; you are not alone; among this group of people, there are still seven thousand who belong to Me, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
This is the difference between humans and God. When people see the environment, they become desperate, but God always leaves hope, leaving the seed of the gospel. Because Elijah did not see this, he became desperate. Brothers and sisters, I want to tell you that in your circumstances, you may feel helpless like Elijah, thinking no one can help you. In fact, God has already sent His messenger to help you. Do not be discouraged; do not despair like Elijah. We are all His people; God will not abandon you.
God does not look at how you behave; He is still willing to bless you and provide for you. If God looked at people's behavior, He would not heal anyone, because our behavior does not deserve healing. Since He can heal others, God can certainly heal you. Since He can bless others, God is also willing to bless you. First, you need to change your mindset; do not despair, do not lose heart, believe that God is willing to show you grace because you are also loved by Him!
At that time, most of the Israelites lived in sin, disobedient to God's words, and the prophets were not respected. Under great pressure, Elijah cried out to God, lamenting that he was the only remaining pious person in Israel, but God told Elijah that there were still seven thousand pious ones.
The time of Elijah is similar to now; the vast majority of people are disobedient to God, unwilling to believe in God, and even reject God, living according to their own desires. True Christians will still be persecuted like Elijah. Just like the Israelites at that time, the vast majority of people do not believe in God. It is a sad thing that only seven thousand people in a nation fear God. Most people worship what their hands have made, and many live for the flesh. Does this not resemble our times?
A few days ago, I was talking to a sister who has not believed for long. She said that the vast majority of churches are wrong and should return to the Old Testament, obey the Ten Commandments, and observe the Sabbath. She is determined to establish her own church and insists on changing Sunday gatherings to Saturday, saying she hates Sunday gatherings and that Saturday gatherings are the only ones that conform to the Bible…
Do you see it? When people are willing to live according to their own desires, what should we do? We may doubt whether what we hold on to is correct and feel confused like Elijah. But God gave Elijah the correct guidance, and there are still seven thousand people who hold on to the truth. I also want to take this time to tell you that around the world, there are many messengers of the gospel preaching the correct message. Do not feel lonely; God is with you; He is your provision and comfort. Thank God!
Believe that what we believe is biblical and correct; hold on to the truth! I emphasize again: do not believe what any famous pastor says, no matter how famous they are. If what they preach does not conform to the Bible, do not believe it. Regardless of who speaks, after you listen, you must return to the Bible and examine it! Check whether what is preached is correct, and if the message is correct, hold on to it! The reason Elijah's faith was weak was that he felt he was the only one left and began to doubt whether he was on the wrong path. God gave him the correct guidance. In this last age, there are indeed people who live for the Lord and for the glory of the Lord Jesus. God remembers their sacrifices and their hearts of perseverance.
God also tells us in the Bible, although the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved. It is a very small part, not that God has not given them the opportunity to turn back, but that they themselves are unwilling to turn back.
Verse 5: Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
This mentions that we have a firm guarantee. If there was a remnant in the time of Elijah, God has preserved abundant grace for us in Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, do not despair; in the dark times of Elijah, God still had a remnant. In today's age, there will be more servants who are pleasing to God standing up to preach the truth!
In Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
In this last age, the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared, which is the redemption grace of Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. As people continually understand Christ's grace, these teachings can remove ungodliness and worldly lusts. This is not the result of human effort but God's renewal. When we are renewed by God's words, we can live a different life. Our conduct will increasingly resemble Christ, and we will manifest God's glory.
Verse 6 mentions that if it is by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise, grace is no longer grace.
Paul tells us that if it is by grace, then it is no longer of works. This means that if you want to gain God's favor through works, it is no longer grace.
Grace is a gift, undeserved and unearned, but God gives it to you freely, unrelated to human behavior. If it is related to behavior, it is no longer grace. If you think you deserve it because you did well enough, if your behavior is not good enough, but God is still willing to show you grace, that is grace because it is undeserved.
Why is God willing to show grace to the people of Israel? It is not because of their good behavior; the sinful nature of the human heart is similar. Having the law does not mean they can keep it. What is the reason God does not abandon them? It is because of the covenant God made with Abraham. In the Old Testament, we often see this phrase. When God saved the people of Israel from Egypt, it was to remember the covenant made with Abraham.
In the time of the prophets, God saved them, saying: God remembers the covenant made with their ancestor Abraham. If God looked at behavior, He would not be willing to save us, nor should He save us because our behavior is not good. But God repeatedly saves the people of Israel, allowing them to turn back, unwilling to abandon them, simply because of the covenant made with Abraham. God is a covenant-keeping God.
Where are we today? We are not in the Old Testament; we are under the New Covenant, which is also called the covenant of grace. God looks at the covenant He made with Jesus Christ, which is established by the blood of Jesus Christ. On the last night of the Passover, when Jesus was about to go to the cross, He took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” The New Covenant comes from here; after Jesus shed His precious blood for us, the New Covenant began.
We are not recognized by God based on our behavior. God repeatedly forgives us, pardons us, and heals us because of Jesus' blood. Because of Jesus' blood, all our sins are washed away, and God no longer remembers our sins. All of this is not because of your good behavior but because of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. His holiness has become our holiness, and because of Jesus, we are completely accepted by the Father.
Many people treat holiness as a verb, constantly trying to change themselves! In fact, holiness is a gift, just like salvation. Holiness means being set apart! You are not striving to become holy; because of Jesus, you are already holy. It is the holiness of Jesus Christ that is upon you. If it were based on behavior, it would not be called grace. However, under grace, good behavior will emerge because behavior is the fruit.
If you are willing to accept God's grace, not based on your behavior but on the blood of Jesus Christ, you can receive it. In life, if you want to break through interpersonal relationships, poverty, and sickness, do not rely solely on behavior. Otherwise, people can easily fall into extremes. When bad things happen one after another, the first thought might be, “Is there something wrong with me?”
Many people, due to years of teaching under the law, have been bound by this mindset, taught that God absolutely has no problems, and if there is a problem, it must be you. Why do these bad things happen to you? Why does God allow these things to happen to you? Have you distanced yourself from God? Have you not loved God enough? Have you not done enough good? Have you not served God? Have you not given your tithes? If you always focus on yourself and find many shortcomings before God, the conclusion you reach is that your behavior is not good enough, so God has abandoned you…
This conclusion is contrary to the Bible. The people of Israel were so rebellious against God, yet God did not abandon them. How could God abandon you? Moreover, you have an eternal blood covenant with God; the blood of Jesus Christ will never expire. How could you conclude that God has abandoned you and no longer cares for you? If you reach such a conclusion, you must adjust it; that is an incorrect conclusion. Do not believe such a conclusion. Even if your behavior is terrible, remember, God will never abandon you! Because God does not look at your behavior.
We must focus all our attention on Jesus. If God abandoned Jesus, He might abandon you. If God no longer loves Jesus, then He would no longer love you. Or if God thinks Jesus did not bear all our sins, He would still need to find sin in you. Brothers and sisters, meditate more on what the answers to these questions are!
Because Jesus took your place for sin, if Jesus still has sin, then you still have sin. If it is by grace, then it is no longer of works. I hope brothers and sisters keep this phrase in their hearts and meditate on it often, especially the latter part: “Otherwise, grace is no longer grace.” This means that if you add works to grace, it is no longer grace.
Verse 7: What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks.
What did the Israelites seek? Earlier, it was mentioned about grace and works, and then it is mentioned that the Israelites did not obtain what they sought. They sought to correct their behavior through effort to please God, striving to obey the law to gain God's approval. This is what the people of Israel sought, always trying to purify themselves. Many churches today still teach this, that you must strive to purify yourself, cleanse yourself, and then seek God…
This is the same as what the Israelites sought. Every time the high priest approached God, he had to purify himself to meet God. In fact, it is precisely because you have many impurities, struggles in your heart, and many unclean thoughts binding you, that you need to come before God and let His words cleanse you. This is the difference between the Old and New Covenants: one relies on self-effort to purify, while the other relies on Jesus Christ for cleansing. Which do you think will be cleaner?
The Israelites sought to receive God's blessings through their own behavior but did not obtain it. If you still want to walk the old path of the Israelites, you will not obtain it either. If you seek people, for example, if you hear that a certain pastor is very spiritual, you must find him to pray for you… If you hear that a certain place is very effective for prayer, you must go there to pray for God to listen…
If you have such thoughts, you are under the law. Brothers and sisters, do you know where the most effective place to pray is? Some people strictly adhere to the Bible, saying that God teaches us to obey, especially those who teach the Ten Commandments. I would suggest such people to go to Jerusalem three times a year to worship God because if you want to obey the Ten Commandments, you should obey them completely. Go pray at the Wailing Wall; it is definitely “effective.” Why? Because many Jews are there, and pious people are there. Shouldn't you go?
Brothers and sisters, remember: we do not rely on behavior. If what you seek is what the Israelites sought, you will end up like them and not obtain it. The following statement is: only the elect have obtained it; the rest were blinded. Who are the elect? The people of Israel are also the elect. At first, I did not understand this passage. The earlier mention of the people whom God foreknew refers to the people of Israel.
Later, it is mentioned that the Israelites did not obtain what they sought, but only the elect obtained it. The Israelites are also considered the elect, so why did they not obtain it? I found that in the original text, the term “the elect” uses a different word, referring to those who rely on the grace of Jesus Christ. They obtained it. This breakdown helps everyone understand that the people of Israel are also the elect, and we are also the elect. What kind of people receive God's grace? It is only those who rely on the grace of Jesus Christ! Not by works, but by the grace of Jesus Christ!
Those outside of this have become hardened. God has prepared a very simple way for everyone to receive eternal life, but some are unwilling to believe, unwilling to walk this path, and insist on following the old path. God says that such a person is hardened.
Brothers and sisters, if a person gives up the grace freely given by Jesus Christ and insists on relying on their own works, they become hardened. Do you see how severe God's tone is here? If one truly does not want to believe in the blood of His Son and insists on finding another way, in God's eyes, that is hardened.
Verses 8-10 present another biblical comparison:
As it is written: God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day. Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them.
Here, David's words from Psalm 69 are used: Let their table become a snare… First, look at verse 8, God has given them a spirit of stupor. If one does not understand what the scripture says, it is very easy to get caught up in details. The most widely used Chinese Bible today is the Chinese Union Version, translated in 1919, nearly a hundred years ago, and it is a translation from English. As a translation, there will inevitably be some linguistic differences that no one can avoid. The original text of the Bible is in Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament.
Why am I telling you this? It is to say that in these words, do not get caught up in details. Do not say, “Look, the Bible says that God has given them a spirit of stupor; that means God did it. God deliberately did not let the Israelites see, deliberately gave them a spirit of stupor, making their eyes unable to see and their ears unable to hear. How can they believe in God?”
If one misunderstands, they will push all responsibility onto God! It is a translation error. Especially for those who want to study the Bible, please remember: do not study using only one translation. Do not study using only the Chinese Bible. After all, it is a translation. If you want to study the scriptures correctly, I suggest learning Greek and Hebrew, which will help you understand God more accurately.
Matthew 5:17-18
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
This refers to the original text! It is the original Hebrew and Greek of the Bible. The Chinese version lacks a punctuation mark, which sometimes changes the meaning significantly, but the original text is different. If there is a dot above, the meaning changes completely. It is essential to understand correctly!
Here it says that God has given them a spirit of stupor. What does this scripture mean? It refers to people who are unwilling to believe, so God allows their hearts to be stupor. When people's hearts are willing to be stupor, God will not force them to change their hearts. When people deliberately do not want to see, God will not force them to see. When people's ears do not want to hear, God will not force them to hear.
When people reject the truth, God cannot do anything. The Bible clearly states what Jesus said: “Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.” Does Jesus fear that they will turn? Fear that they will wake up? No, Jesus said that this group of people has become dull of heart.
What does it mean to be dull of heart? In Greek, a scene is used to describe this word, referring to a heart that has grown fat, indicating a lack of awareness, with increasing weight. In other words, they pursue the flesh, pursue their feelings, and pursue the pleasures of this life, so they are unwilling to believe what Jesus Christ said.
Romans 8:5-8 also tells us:
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
This is what Jesus expressed, telling us why the people have a spirit of stupor, eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear. It is because they are unwilling to understand the truth. Jesus preached the truth thoroughly while on earth, illustrating the kingdom of heaven vividly, yet this group of people still did not believe, were unwilling to accept, and continued to reject. They did not find any fault in Jesus, yet they still crucified Him. When a person's heart continually leans towards evil, their heart becomes increasingly dull and hardened, which is what this scripture is saying.
David had his own view of such people in verse 9:
Let their table become a snare; let it become a trap, a stumbling block, and a recompense to them. Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see; and bow down their back always.
In the face of this group of people who repeatedly reject God, unwilling to see God and unwilling to hear God's words, David hoped that their table would become a snare, a trap, and a recompense for them. May their eyes not see, and may You always bend their backs.
If you read Psalm 69 carefully, you will find that it is actually a prophecy about the Messiah, reflecting the Messiah's sorrow as He is about to go to the cross. How does the Messiah respond to this group of people who reject Him? Jesus on the cross said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do!”
This is the comparison between Jesus and people.
When David saw this group of people rejecting God, he said he hoped God would turn their table into a snare and a trap, recompensing them. But Jesus said: “Let all the punishment fall upon Me, so that their eyes may see.” David said: “May their eyes not see.” This is the difference between Jesus Christ and David. In this matter, we see God's heart; He does not wish to abandon His people. Although this group of people rejected Him and abandoned Him, He did not abandon His people.
Brothers and sisters, when you see the heart of Jesus Christ, you see the heart of our Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father does not abandon you. Believe that it is not based on your behavior but because of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins, guaranteeing that God will not abandon you. Even if you are weak, fail, or fall, God still gives you the opportunity to repent. He will absolutely not give you a spirit of stupor, making your eyes unable to see and your ears unable to hear.
Brothers and sisters, today, upon hearing this message, turn back and accept the Father's love. He has never abandoned you. Do not blame yourself for your behavior, thinking that your behavior is poor and that God will not bless you or heal you. But God wants you to believe His words correctly. No matter how you behave, He is willing to accept you and will never abandon you. This is God's intention. It is also what we need to understand about the gospel: because it is grace, it does not depend on our behavior.
Those who deliberately do not believe in God, who deliberately cover their eyes and do not want to see, who deliberately block their ears and do not want to hear, God still gives them the opportunity to turn back in front of these people who disregard the gospel and reject Christ. God's acceptance and forgiveness of us are absolutely beyond human imagination. God gives us salvation and abundant blessings.
As long as we are willing to believe in Him and accept Him, we can receive it. Believe that God is willing to help us and is a God who freely gives us grace. When you understand that God does not abandon you, you will not wander in doubt because you know that the Father has always loved you and is willing to help you. When you fall, He will lift you up; heal your diseases. Believe that by the stripes of Jesus, you can receive His health and healing. Thank God! Because we rely on Jesus Christ, we can receive such blessings.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You for giving us such words. You do not treat us based on our behavior but have completely accepted us because of Jesus. How much You love Jesus is how much You love me. I know You will never abandon me. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for such love. I am Your delighted child, and I am willing to live a different life by Your grace. May all glory be given to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.