Unconditional Grace

Paul goes back and once again describes the main factor in being the people of God – God’s unconditional grace:

And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work. (Rom 11:6).

Paul then describes the fall of the reprobate, those of Israel in sin who reject Christ and who rejected God’s prophets and God’s ways since the beginning. Then Paul asks, “Have they stumbled that they should fall (irreconcilably)?”. He means here, is Israel utterly cast off as a whole? His answer is no and he explains it in two steps.

Step one: Paul says the fall of Israel meant the gospel came to the Gentiles.

Step two: Paul says that the Gentiles receiving the gospel provoke some of the Jews to believe to be saved.

This is how God has designed to draw in all His people from among both Gentiles and Jews. We explain this further:

1. He proves the Gentiles under sin and then draws them by grace.

The Gentiles knew they were not the people of God. The Samaritan woman at the well knew. The Syro-Phenician woman who met Jesus knew. The parable of the Good Samaritan showed what all Jews thought about the Gentiles. They “are not a people”.

…and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not My people, you are My people; and they shall say, You are my God. (Hos 2:23).

So God brings in from the Gentiles a people for Himself through grace. Grace comes to the sinful Gentiles because the Jews had rejected Christ and the gospel.

2. He proves the Jews under sin and then draws them also.

This is the difficult part because the Jews were convinced that they were all right as Abraham’s children. They did not believe that they needed salvation. The Jews thought they were the people of God. They prided themselves on being God’s people, but they did not know God. So, as they rejected Christ, who “came unto His own and His own received Him not”, their sin was manifest and thus proven. (John 1:11).

Once their sin was obvious and the truth about their nature seen, God would then call the election from the Jews through grace. This is the wonder of God’s working. He first proves under sin and then accepts under grace. This was God’s program with Gentile and Jew in Paul’s own day. This highlights God’s wisdom and general program of salvation by grace.