Then what?

DEVOTION

ROMANS

THEN WHAT

Rom 11:1-6

11:1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah — how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? 4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."   5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.  

NIV

Although we did not go into detail about the preceding passage about Israel and those not understanding, we have to get the picture which the, “I ask then” refers to.

"Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."   19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."   20 And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." 21 But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." 

God was saying that he revealed himself to Israel and they did not ask him, but the gentiles found him although they did not seek him. At least that seems to be the main point here. So then Paul says “I ask then” Just because Israel more of less rejected Jesus, did God reject Israel? And the answer is, “By no means!” At this time when Paul wrote to all in Rome who love God, that God has reserved a remnant for himself chosen by grace. Here is the point about grace being grace. If there was anything about works which could apply to salvation, then it would not be grace. It would seem most believers agree that we are saved by grace rather than by works. There doesn’t seem to be any dispute about that. However, after salvation by grace, the works have to begin. It is almost that if we were saved by grace then we have to do good works. What if we never did a good work? Would we lose our salvation? Some quote that verse out of Ephesians

Eph 2:7-10

 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works , which God prepared in advance for us to do.

NIV

Some focus on the good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do and leave out the part about salvation is by grace and not of works. So then are we back to being saved by grace, but if we do not do any good works, do we lose that salvation? The answer has to be, by no means! But what about the good works? Did God prepare an individual good work for each believer, or is there one good work he prepared in advance for all believers? How are we to determine what that good work is? Works are not grace and grace is not works. So then we are saved by grace apart from works. But that still leaves us with what are the good works. Good works are not the same as a calling, or are they? A calling is an individual thing. He calls some to be preachers or pastors. Some to be evangelists, some to be whatever part of the body of Christ he needs. We are his workmanship and are being built into the temple of God, as living stones. Aha! That may be it, the good works we are to do is being that living stone God prepared in advance for us to be built into his temple. So then the good works would be being a temple of the living God. The good works would be worshiping God. The good works would be housing the living God within us, allowing him to rule and reign in our hearts. The good works as the temple of God would be to shine brightly in the world for all to see God’s temple. In the ancient world, a temple, whether it was the temple of Diana in Ephesus, or the temple of God in Jerusalem, the temple was the central focus of the town, in many cases it stood on a mount, overlooking the city. This is the good works, to be a temple visible to the city we live in, shining as God himself shines, being like Christ, sharing the good news, healing people, driving our demons. But that is not all. Jesus made it clear what the good works would be for those who believe, those who were saved by grace.

Mark 16:15-18

15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons ; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." 

NIV

So then could be say the good works are driving out demons, speaking in a new tongue, picking up snakes and if we were to drink something really bad, we would not be hurt, and we will place our hands on sick people and they will get well. The snakes and poison are the nasty things in life, but we will not be hurt. Maybe that was just for those days, but it is not. It is for everyone who believes these signs will accompany them. So if we believe we should see these good works evident in our lives. If we do not see these good works in our life, then what?