Family Chapel

Although Israel has largely rejected God, Paul argues that God has not rejected Israel. Rather, God has a plan of salvation for Israel, which involves preserving a faithful remnant in Israel, using Israel's rejection to bring the gospel to all nations, and securing the fullness of salvation for Israel in due time. Seeing that should encourage us because God is always at work, often in mysterious ways, to carry out His plan of salvation.

Paul continues to address the "problem of Israel" and he deals with one final objection: What if Israel didn't believe the gospel because they never had the chance to hear the gospel? To that objection, Paul shows that Israel had ample opportunities to hear the gospel. As such, when it comes to evangelism, we need to share the gospel with beautiful feet (sacrificial initiative), open mouths (clear explanations), and outstretched hands (winsome perseverance). While we don't have the power to change hearts, we have been given the feet, mouth, and hands to share the gospel that can change hearts.

Previously, Paul addressed the divine sovereignty side of the "problem of Israel" rejecting the gospel. Now, Paul addresses the human responsibility side. Humans have a real role to play when it comes to salvation. Our responsibility is to put our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This means surrendering and entrusting our lives to Jesus with both an inward conviction as well as an outward expression of belief. And as the responsibility to believe falls upon everyone, the invitation to believe goes out to everyone.

After providing divine assurances, Paul reaffirms God's sovereignty in salvation by addressing the unbelief of Israel. God is sovereign in salvation because salvation rests upon His election of His people by His saving grace. Paul, anticipating objections, also addresses common questions regarding God's sovereignty in salvation. God is justified in His election because God graciously bestows mercy upon the undeserving. God is fair in His wrath because the wrath of our Creator God reveals the goodness of His grace. As we reflect upon God's sovereignty in salvation, we are strengthened to faithfully preach the Gospel to all.

Whether due to fearful uncertainty regarding the future or the haunting regret of past failures or the overwhelming difficulty of present circumstances, we can find ourselves in a place of doubt, confusion, and uncertainty in following after Jesus. In light of that, the Apostle Paul points us to divine assurance. We have unshakable assurance in Christ because God’s sovereign grace secures our glory, God’s completed work secures our standing, and God’s steadfast love secures our victory. From this place of assurance, we can move forward in resilient, joyful, risk-taking discipleship to Jesus.

While we have been set free in Christ, one of the ongoing challenges we face with life in a fallen world is suffering. We find ourselves groaning under the weight of sin and death while waiting for our redemption. But even in our groaning, we can wait with patience because the Holy Spirit groans for us and with us. His intercession and presence encourage us to wait with hope.

Christians can live out their freedom in Christ, which is a freedom from sin and freedom for obedience, through the Holy Spirit. Here, Paul highlights three things the Holy Spirit does to help us live in that freedom. The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to our lives. The Holy Spirit empowers us to fight off the influence of the flesh. The Holy Spirit testifies to our true identity as children of God. Instead of living in the weakness of the flesh, we can live in the power of the Spirit.

Paul explains that although we are free from the law, the law is not meaningless nor evil. For it is through the law that we know the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Furthermore, it reveals the utter weakness of our flesh to keep the law and to fulfill our desire to be good. We want to do good, but we don't. We want to avoid evil, but we fall into it again and again. There is a battle that rages within us that traps many in a vicious cycle of guilt and attempts at good works. But there is glorious victory outside of oneself in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

After explaining how we have been set free from sin through our union with Christ, Paul now explains that our freedom from sin leads to our freedom for obedience to God. True obedience to God is willing submission, is in alignment with God's Word, is carried out in all of life, and transforms us to become more like Jesus. While this may seem like a paradox, true freedom is found in obedience to God and leads to the kind of life that is actually worth living.

Paul anticipates that there will be those who seek to take advantage of God's grace by continuing in their sin. But he adamantly states that Christians should not continue in sin because they have been set free from the power of sin through their union with Christ in his death and resurrection. As such, their old life is dead and they have been given a brand new life. From that foundational union with Christ, Christians must now fight against sin by remembering who they are, by refusing to submit to sin's power, and by resting in God's grace.