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"God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew."

Text: Romans 11:2

SOLID THEOLOGY NEEDED

Paul knew that it was not enough to merely declare his deep ethnic roots! That would not resolve anything. He would have to go deeper. He would have to delve into Scripture to work out why he believed that God had not cast away His people.

SOME WOULD SUGGEST THAT GOD HAD CAST AWAY ISRAEL

Some might deduce that Paul had this understanding. It is even possible that some Gentiles could have suggested this conclusion. The lines of reasoning could be along the following lines:-

1. Not many Jews were responding to the Gospel.

2. Many Jews were resistant to the Gospel.

3. More Gentiles were responding most positively to the word of salvation.

4. Paul (and others) seemed to have a very strong Gentile ministry and that could be read as God was turning to them, as when He once favoured Israel!

ARGUMENTS THAT GOD HAD NOT CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE

Let us take time to ponder what Paul had written on this subject!

“God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.
Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
‘LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars,
and I alone am left, and they seek my life’?”
Romans 11:2-3

A plain but bold declaration

a) This was how Paul began his arguments.

b) Solemnly and with great certainty, as an apostle with all authority, he declared that God had not cast away His people whom He foreknew.

c) Argument from “foreknowledge”

i) Did God not foreknow that Israel would resist God?

ii) Foreknowledge was present when God called Israel “His people”.

iii) Thus Israel’s negative response does not cancel out the fact that they remained ‘God’s people’.