The “Olive Tree” And The Gentiles “Grafted In”

Rom 11:11  I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 

Rom 11:12  Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 

Rom 11:13  For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 

The Apostle Paul teaches in Romans chapter 11 the “goodness” of God given unto His Nation Israel, and now unto the Gentiles. And this “goodness” was offered unto His Nation Israel “since the world began,” and that “mercy” is the salvation from the debt and penalty of the sin of Adam against them. The “salvation of God” was preached “by the mouths of all His holy Prophets since the world began” concerning the redemption that is found in the Redeemer Jesus Christ by faith alone. This Salvation was “with” Israel, but as we see in the verses above, and in Acts 28:28, “the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles.” The Gentiles were to receive the Lord’s Salvation through Israel’s fulfillment of their kingdom, but that fulfillment has not come in, and The Apostles knew this was the case when they asked the Lord in Acts 1:6, “wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”

Rom 11:14  If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 

Rom 11:15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 

Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 

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; 

However, when Israel rejected the gospel of this Salvation as we see in Acts 7, they rejected the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ, and thereby blasphemed the Holy Ghost. God temporarily set His “beloved” Nation aside, with it’s promised kingdom, and the covenants to them, but a Remnant of Israel did “hearken unto the voice of the Lord. The “Little Flock” within the Nation of Israel heard the gospel of their salvation, and they are called by Paul as a “remnant according to the election of grace.” But the unbelieving Remnant are the “branches” that Paul is referring to in verse 17 as being “broken off.” And as Paul begins in verse 11, he says that Israel has ‘fallen,’ and through their fall, salvation has come unto the Gentiles. And Paul uses the terminology of a “tree” in verse 16 to begin to teach the “goodness” of God to all mankind. The reference of the “olive tree” spoken of here is being “in Christ” by faith, and there are the “branches” which are broken off by unbelief.

Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 

Rom 11:19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 

Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 

Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 

Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off

Moreover, the “branches” that are of the “Olive Tree” that will bring forth “fruit,” they will be as verse 16 says about the “firstfruit” being as the “Olive Tree,” which is Holy. The justified Remnant of Israel (the Little Flock) were not only in Christ, but there were many which brought forth “fruit” unto holiness. Paul is saying that just as God “spared not” the “natural branches” of the Remnant because of THEIR UNBELIEF, we too ought to be ‘mindful’ that we as “branches” of the “wild olive tree,” ought to be “holy” because: “the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” Paul is NOT saying that the Gentiles could lose their salvation that we have in Christ in verse 11, but what Paul is saying is that we will be “cut off” from His “goodness,” if we do not “continue in His goodness.” What this means, because God is Holy, and Christ is Holy, and we are part of Christ’s Body, the members, or “branches” ought to be holy as well. And being “cut off” from His Goodness becomes due to the Saint no longer ‘continuing in His Goodness and becomes functionally “cut off” from the Goodness and Mercies of God’s Word, Ways, and the fellowship with Him because the Saint desires to “continue” to live unto this world.

Rom 11:23  And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 

Rom 11:24  For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 

Therefore, Paul gives the Saints here in Romans 11, the “Mercies of God,” and “His Goodness,” and when he gets to chapter 12:1, Paul says, 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. The ‘continuing’ of the Goodness of God, is continuing in His ‘Mercies,” which are desiring to “be a living sacrifice,” being educated by the “goodness” of His Word to us to “renew” our minds. But if we do not “continue” in these Mercies and Goodness, we too as justified unto eternal life, find ourselves “cut off” from knowing God as the “Father of Mercies,” and even though we will still remain in Christ, we will be as “branches” which “bring forth fruit unto death” in the sight of our Father. What we see in Romans 11:11 through the chapter, is Paul showing the Goodness and Mercy of God unto mankind, whether they would hear the gospel of this goodness unto salvation. And to them who are now His by faith; whether they will now “continue in His Goodness,” to be holy, because He is Holy.

Rom 11:26  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: 

Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 

Rom 11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 

Rom 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 

Finally, the Saints who are now in Christ, have been “grafted in” to the Holy “Olive Tree,” and that was by faith. And as we see in verse 20 Paul says, “and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:” Paul says that the Saints “standest by faith.” They are in Christ, and cannot lose this salvation, but what the can “lose,” or be “cut off” from, is the ‘fellowship’ from the functional life that is in Christ. Paul says “but fear,” and “take heed,” and he uses the word “severity” when referring to how we ought to view being justified, but out of fellowship with our Father. This ought to correct our way of thinking, and “renew” our minds toward His “Goodness,” and “Mercies.” We ought to desire to continue in His Goodness, otherwise we also will be cut off from His Goodness. And as verse 25 through out the chapter says, God will again offer His Goodness unto Israel again, and if they will hear, they too will be “grafted in,” and “shall be saved” by His Mercy.

Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 

Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 

Rod Jones

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