Book of Romans
Lesson #23
Romans 9:27- 9:33
By Rev. James May
Someone said recently that what our world needs is another Isaiah, or a Jeremiah, or an Elijah; a man that is called of God to speak into the face of the leaders of America and the world, and proclaim the gospel in an effort to turn this world around for Jesus.
I thought about that and I have come to an inevitable conclusion. You might call this a lack of faith, but I must say that I do not believe that there will be a worldwide revival of repentance, at least not to the degree that we would like to see. There will be a revival, and there is a revival going on right now. People are being saved all around the world. There aren’t many signs of this revival in America, but by the grace of God, some are being saved even in this nation that has turned its back on God and embraced idolatry in many forms.
There have ever been those who thought that it would make a big difference if God was to allow his prophets to speak with the power and authority of the Holy Ghost, and that if such men were called and anointed, and stepped out, that it would cause many to be turn to God.
Though there have been times when the words of the prophet would strike to the heart of the people and cause whole cities to repent as it was with Jonah and the city of Nineveh, the overwhelming result of the preaching of the prophets has had a less than desired effect.
When Jeremiah preached, the nation ignored him and went into captivity in Babylon. When Isaiah preached, the Jews didn’t hear his words and chose to force God to use the Assyrians and the Babylonians to chastise the nation.
In the Book of Revelation we see that God even sends two prophets back to witness of the gospel and have the power preach the word to the whole world, but the world will not repent and will instead throw a party when the 2 witnesses are finally killed.
There are some prophets and preachers in America today whose voices will not be silenced and they preach a pure gospel on TV and in their churches and conferences, but can we see America turning to God in repentance?
The fact is that we must accept the idea that this world will not repent, and that in the end, there will only be a remnant saved, even of those who claim to be Christian.
It takes much more than just head knowledge of Jesus to be saved. It takes more than just joining a church, or shaking a preacher’s hand, or being baptized and christened by the church. Salvation is of the heart, not just the mind.
There are many who have relied on the “law” by living morally and being good, for their salvation, but they’ve never repented of sin or accepted Jesus as their Savior. There are many who obey the law of tithing; attending church and helping their fellowman, and they are counting on those good works of the law to make it into Heaven, but it’s just not going to happen that way.
Jesus told us that many would cry out in the Day of Judgment that they prophesied in his name; cast out devils in his name and had done many mighty works. They have visited the sick; visited those in prison; worked hard at reaching out to those in need; and those works are commendable. But in the end, they are nothing but works and have no power to save. Jesus says, “Depart from me. I never knew you. Your good works don’t count for anything now.” The only thing that matters is whether you repented and accepted Jesus into your heart.
And though we may see God moving and we hear so many claim to be a part of God’s kingdom, in reality, it’s just a remnant, only a few in comparison to the large number who claim to have salvation, who will truly be saved.
This is what Isaiah is crying out concerning the nation of Israel in Romans 9:27.
Romans 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
Israel had the promises of God. They had everything going for them. But they refused, as a nation, to repent of their rebellion and sell out to the Lord! God’s promise to Abraham had been fulfilled. The Jews were a people as numerous as the sands of the sea, but though they were many, only a remnant of the nation would survive; and very few of them would truly be people of faith who would inherit the full promises of God. The majority would fall prey to their enemies and be destroyed because of their rebellion.
After the Babylonian captivity, only a remnant of the nation remained. Nehemiah returned from Babylon with a lot of the Jews who had been born in captivity, but even though there were a lot of them, and they managed to rebuild the walls and re-establish the Temple worship, yet they were but only a handful in comparison to all of those who went to Babylon as captives.
At the end of the age, when Jesus comes again, only a remnant will be saved once again. But in that remnant, the covenant and promises of God will be fulfilled.
Men of God stand in the pulpits of the church every week preaching the truth. I know that many preachers don’t speak the truth as they should, but there are plenty of preachers who don’t compromise the message.
The problem is that there is a vast number of Christians who prefer not to hear the truth but would rather hear something that makes them feel good about themselves. We all know this to be true, so we won’t labor on this point. But the fact remains that only a remnant of the church is truly a part of the Bride that Jesus is coming after.
“The Church, the true Body of Christ, are those who have drawn closer to Jesus and are making themselves ready for his coming, are few in number compared to the many who try to create their own Jesus that will fit into their little box.”
Only a remnant of Israel shall be saved and only a remnant of those who claim to be Christian will be saved; and none of those who are unrepentant and have not accepted Jesus as their Savior will stand a chance.
The Bible says that if the Righteous scarcely are saved, what’s going to happen to the ungodly? Of all of the billions of living souls on the earth, I think that true Christians will number only in the millions – only a remnant of the population.
Researchers tell us that as many as 2.9 billion people claim to be Christians, but of that number, how many truly are? I cannot judge their hearts but I am very doubtful that most of those who claim to be Christian truly know the Lord as their Savior.
Romans 9:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
God is longsuffering, but there will come a time shortly when God’s plan for the earth and for all men will come to an end. The Day of Reckoning, or Day of Judgment is surely coming and all of the work of the Lord shall cease; Evil will be destroyed, death and the grave will be forever destroyed and righteousness will reign forever. God is going to cut the time short on the earth.
In Matthew 24:22, Jesus told us that this would happen at the end of the age. “ And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened”.
God will save a remnant of the human race to go on into his Millennial Reign. By his mercy a remnant is always saved. It was only 8 people at the time of Noah’s flood. How many will it be when the Lord returns? I do know that billions upon billions of people will lose their lives during the Tribulation, both of sinners and of those who are true Christians.
Romans 9:29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
Even in Israel’s judgments, God had always left a remnant of the Jews to be the seed for rebuilding the nation and fulfilling the Promise of Abraham. But those who were spared weren’t spared because of their righteousness and obedience to the Law. They were spared only because God chose to show mercy and to keep his word.
We all deserve the fate of Sodom and Gomorrha. It’s not just the sinners who deserve judgment, but all of us! God would be within his Justice and righteousness to let the fire fall on every man because we have all sinned.
Isaiah preached that it was only by God’s grace than any Jews were spared. The Lord of Sabaoth, “Lord of Hosts”, commander of the armies of Heaven and earth, chose to leave a seed of mankind behind. If it were not for the grace of God, all of mankind would have been consumed by the holy fire of God. That’s what all men deserve. Thank God that he doesn’t give us what we deserve, but gives to us according to his grace and mercy.
Romans 9:30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
Paul now speaks concerning the fact that by his mercy, God has given salvation to more Gentiles than he did for the Jews. How could God do this and be fair and just when the Gentiles never had to contend with the Law?
Romans 9:31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
How could the Gentiles receive righteousness without any law, but the Jews could not be righteous no matter how much they obeyed the law? We all know that righteousness is only found in the righteousness of Christ; and that Christ’s righteousness is only received by faith, and not by works.
Romans 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
Now this whole idea of righteousness by faith was a stumbling block to the Jews. Why would God give us the Law if we weren’t to do what it says? Why would we not have to obey that Law to please God? They Jews just can’t get past the Law. They refuse to see that salvation is by faith in Jesus alone.
Romans 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Behold, I lay in Zion, in Israel, a stone that will crush the power of the enemy in your land and in your heart! God brought forth the Messiah. The Deliverer that Israel and the Jews had prayed for, longer for and watched for all of those thousands of years was born in Bethlehem. And through they had looked for the Messiah for so long, when he did come, very few knew that he had come.
The Jews were expecting something different, and Jesus was nothing like they expected their Deliverer to be. They were looking for another Moses to lead them out of bondage of Rome. They were looking for another David to arise, to defeat their enemies and set up a kingdom and throne in Jerusalem. They were looking for a man that would become their earthly king and throw off the yoke of bondage under the Romans.
But Jesus came on the scene as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and suffering. He came to die on a cross and redeem mankind. This would not be accomplished through the power of the sword and the might of men. It would not mean that there would be a civil uprising with armed men fighting armed men. Jesus would accomplish deliverance through being humbled, by suffering at the hand of those who were his friends and then to die in their place. He came as a conquering King, but his kingdom was not of this world, but it is a spiritual kingdom that exists in the heart of man.
Jesus did deliver Israel, but they didn’t want his style of deliverance because it didn’t necessarily mean that they would be free from Rome.
Because Jesus doesn’t appear exactly as we want him to, he is often rejected, and even causes offense to those who expected more!
Therefore they will be offended at him and reject him, and think it would be wrong to trust in such a person for salvation.
I think this same thing is still happening in the church world of today! Many want Jesus, but they only want him on their own terms.
• They want a Jesus who will be there when they need him, but will leave them alone when they don’t think they need him.
• They want the salvation that Jesus offers but they don’t want the accountability for sin that goes with it.
• Men want a Jesus that loves, but not one that judges sin.
• Men want a Jesus that cares, but not one that interferes when they don’t want him.
• Men want a Jesus that will give them their heart’s desire; but not a Jesus that requires that they give him their heart!
The world needs a Deliverer, and their Deliverer has come, but like the Jews they reject him because he is still a man of sorrows, a man that has humbled himself and chosen to die upon the cross; a man who gave his blood for our redemption.
The world is looking for a Messiah that will deliver them from their problems, solve their troubles, bring peace to the earth and allow everyone to live in prosperity. That’s what they are looking for and that’s why they will so readily accept the Antichrist! He will appear to be the fulfillment of all of the dreams, hopes and ambitions of men who know not God!
Jesus is the stumbling block to all of humanity. He is the Rock that offends those who refuse to believe and repent. But he is the only way of salvation!
Jesus is the Rock that will deliver those who trust in him. Everything else, and everyone else that mankind may trust in for their deliverance will fail and when they stand before the Righteous Judge they will only be able to bow their heads in shame.
The Deliverer has come, but he must be chosen by faith alone.
He is the stumbling block to the world, but to those of us who believe; he is the Rock of our salvation and our God!
Only that remnant that will believe in Jesus by faith and choose to make him the Lord of their lives, will ever enter Heaven’s gates. There is no other way!
