A REMNANT ACCORDING TO THE ELECTION OF GRACE
Text: TEXT : ROMANS 11:5
29 October 2006
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(I) DEFINITION OF THE “ELECTION OF GRACE”
1. Understanding grace
a) Old Testament perspective
“Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.” Psalm 25:6-7
b) New Testament perspective
2. Understanding God’s grace through His continual relationship with the Remnant
a) God had chosen Israel from the beginning
“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” Deuteronomy 7:6-7
b) God continues to specially relate to the Remnant through His grace
(II) DISPLAY OF THE GRACE OF GOD TO THE REMNANT
1. Historical standpoint
2. Theological standpoint
“Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:28-29
a) The gifts of God
“Who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.”
Romans 9:4-5
b) The calling of God
“I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.” Romans 9:25
c) They are irrevocable
(III) DEPENDENCE ON THE GRACE OF GOD
1. The Remnant of Israel should depend on the Lord’s grace
“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” Romans 11:25-27
2. All who believe in the Lord
a) The extent of God’s grace
“And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,” Romans 11:17
b) The engaging of God’s grace…through Faith
“And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” Romans 11:6
c) The experience of God’ grace
“But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” Romans 5:20