Believe it or not

DEVOTION

ROMANS

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Rom 11:22-24

22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

NIV

Indeed we are the wild branch that has been grafted in. The comparison made here is of two olive trees. Israel is the cultivated tree and we gentiles are the wild tree. Because of the unbelief of Israel it has been cut off and we because of belief have been grafted in. There is much danger in this life of belief. It would seem if we are saved and have all the blessings of God that our live would be a bed of roses, so to speak. When we believed we received his grace, his protection, his provision, eternal life and his presence over our life. It would appear everything is a done deal and we are on way to heaven, for we are citizens of the kingdom of God. However, we also see in this section that if Israel does not persist in unbelief they will be grafted back in. God shows his kindness and sternness. Right now his sternness is toward Israel because of their unbelief and his kindness to us because of our belief. Yet there is that one phrase which gives us that living in danger concept. God is showing us his kindness provided we continue in his kindness. This would put to rest any idea of eternal security, the once saved, always saved theology. If we want to experience God’s kindness, which would mean Jesus dying on the cross to take away our sin, then we have to remain in that kindness. Again the words of Jesus:

John 15:5-8

5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

NIV

It is all about remaining in the vine, continuing in his kindness. This is a partnership, so to speak, of our salvation. God did everything needed for our salvation, but we have to accept it and remain in it. We can be cut of if we allow disbelief to enter our hearts. That is what Israel did, they disbelieved even after all the history they have with God. They are the ones who God chose from the beginning to reveal himself. They have so much experience with God. The whole Old Testament is full of their experiences, their history with God. They received his law, and had all the prophets who pointed them to their Messiah Jesus. Yet they still did not believe and were cut off. Consider how little history we have with God and if Israel with all their history could have disbelief, how easier it could be for us to have disbelief. We have to be careful not to allow any form of disbelief to enter into our heart. Doubt is a form of disbelief. When we doubt, as Adam and Eve were tempted with doubt, we fell to believe what God said. It would seem we could cherry pick what we what to believe and what we do not. There is much division among Christians regarding which we believe regarding the gifts of the Spirit. Tongues is at the forefront of this disagreement. Some say it was just for the first church, some say it is still for today. But if we accept the gift of healing then we have to accept all the gifts. If we doubt God in any way about this, we live in danger of disbelief and what happened to Israel could happen to us. We cannot pick and choose what we are going to believe and what we are not going to believe, because then we would be guilty of disbelief. It is a matter of continuing in his kindness, remaining in the vine. We either believe God or we don’t.  God’s word is sort of like Ripley’s believe it or not.