What might we expect after Romans 8?

After such a section on God's determined saving love and the deep rock of assurance that it gives us (we are loved; we are secure), we might naturally expect this doctrine to be followed by an extended application. If Paul went from Romans 8:39 to 12:1ff, we would probably think: "how predictable, that seems so fitting, yes, its time to discuss our service to God; this is very reasonable." But Paul does not do the predictable. He does not follow 8:39 with exhortations regarding our reasonable service. Instead, he takes up the problem of Israel's unbelief and wrestles with it for three chapters (9-11). Is this some kind of unnecessary interruption in the flow of thought? Is it merely an unnecessary and perhaps aggravating detour on our journey toward practical application? Some people approach the Bible with a bottom line mentality; that is, they approach the Bible with the desire to find what this means to me in my daily life right now. This delay before application may stir up impatience and disinterest like the person who can't see any value in the salad that delays the coming of the main dish. But there are two problems here: a) maybe we don't know the difference between the salad and the main dish, perhaps the salad is part of the main dish, and b) we need to remember the value of a balanced diet.

What happens here is that the section on God's love and providential care (Rom. 8) epitomizes God's faithfulness. But His faithfulness seems to be in question when reflection is given to the condition of the Jewish nation. They are God's specially chosen covenant people, the people He set He love upon in a distinguishing way, and the people to whom He has given many promises. But Israel is an anomaly. She stands somehow outside, outside of the promises. Hence Paul's concern for his brothers, his own race, the people of Israel (9:3-4a).

This fact of Israel's condition in unbelief brings up two things for Paul: a) the apostles heartfelt concern for Israel, and b) the question of God's covenant keeping faithfulness. The gospel is first to the Jews (1:16), but they are enemies of the gospel (Rom. 11:28, "As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs"). The problem is exacerbated by the unusual fact that the very ones who are promised a glorious inheritance (contra, God's promise to us in Christ of a certain and glorious inheritance, 8:17f.) are disinherited. And, adding salt to the open wound, Israel is not only disinherited but replaced by Gentiles (1:16, to the Greek). These are Gentile dogs to put it bluntly (cf. Lk. 10). Israel is supposed to be the chosen people (Deut 7:7-9) who sit at the table while dogs eat crumbs beneath their feet. However, the chosen people are missing from the table.

Has God been inconsistent? Is He now unfaithful? Is the OT cut off from the NT? Do we have different plans of salvation from old to new?

Rightly understood, Paul explains in Romans 9-11, the promises of God in the OT to the Jews have not failed. So Jews are to be warned and exhorted (Paul seeks the salvation of some of them, 11:14). Gentiles are on the other hand are to be encouraged but not to the extent that they become proud (be not arrogant, 11:20 with 11:13).

God's saving faithfulness is confirmed in such a way that the problem actually reveals the richness of saving grace all the more deeply leading to doxology at the close of this section of the book (11:33-36). Therefore, though he opens chapters 9-11 with lament and he closes them with doxology.

We begin today with the opening lament. The lament reveals the weighty and difficult problem of Israel's state in unbelief. So my title is "The Seriousness of the Jewish Problem." Two things show how serious and weighty this problem actually is: a) The seriousness of the problem is indicated by Paul's reaction to Israel's unbelief, and b) The seriousness of the problem is indicated by Israel's unbelief in the face of remarkable privilege. The outline will take up Paul's reaction and Israel's privilege.

1A. First, we begin with Paul's reaction

His reaction is found in phrase after phrase in verses 1-3. We can isolate at least the three nuances of sober expression, deep emotion, and intense devotion.

1B. First consider the soberness of expression (v.1).

He says: I speak the truth, I speak the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience confirms it, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit. This is the immediate transition from the explosive implications of the sovereign saving love of God in Christ that ends Romans 8. We have come down from the mount where we scaled the heights with a conquering spring in our every blessed step. Now our attention shifts to the broader plains and as our perspective widens a new difficulty arises that demands careful attention. Paul is earnest. He moves from positive to negative and from the conscience to the Holy Spirit. Whatever else we may say, we have to say this: Paul's sober reaction to Israel's condition shows the seriousness of the problem. This sets a tone for all that follows.

2B. Now consider the depth of Paul's emotion (v. 2)

From deep within his being, in the depths of his heart, Paul has sorrow and anguish. He cannot look at Israel in earnest reflection without being stirred up deep within himself. There is a combination here of emotions and thoughts. When Paul's thoughts go to Israel and her unbelief, they become engulfed in a sea of emotions. He cannot just say he has sorrow in his heart; it is great sorrow. He cannot simply say that he has trouble of soul but he must say he has anguish of heart. And this anguish is not static; indeed, it affects his every moment of reflection on Israel's lost condition. It weighs upon his mind: it's great, it's heavy, it's continuous and unceasing. When Paul's thoughts turn to his kinsmen, sorrow and grief abound and take his thoughts captive like a overwhelming flood. We have to conclude that her plight is serious indeed!

3B. The third nuance in Paul's reaction is the intensity of his devotion (v. 3)

When we read this verse carefully, we have to stop and wonder how any Christian could ever talk like this: "I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel." We need perspective on this language. Two things round it off. a) It is not possible for Paul or any Christian to be separated from Christ (all is worked for the believer's good; nothing can separate us from the efficacy of God's love in Christ). b) Separation from Christ is not petitioned by Paul. He did not actually wish this or petition this in prayer.

What then is the point? His love was so full, his concern so real, his grief so great, and his devotion so deep that it led Paul to verge on making this request. It is as if he said: "I cannot intelligently wish this for myself but I wish that I could wish this when the stream of great sorrow in my heart turns to an unceasing flood of tears in anguish over my brothers and sisters in Israel." How can such devotion exist? It arises when one is preoccupied with others, involved with their needs, their plight, and their predicament. This causes one's own well-being and safety to be downplayed. One becomes almost reckless because of great concern, deep love, and intense devotion. You could not even approach thought or speech like this if you center your attention on the implications of separation from Christ for yourself. You can only think and talk like this when your own well-being is lost in the flames of love for others. When you look at the needs of others with serious attention, especially the need of Christ for now and forever, you have to say: "how grievous, how accursed from Christ, what need, what blindness, what unbelief, what enduring consequences. Wishing the impossible results, you verge on wishing your own destruction for the sake of others (cf. Romans 2:1-9).

As a bottom line, the degree of Israel's problem, its seriousness, is indicated by Paul's reaction: by his sober expressions (truth not lies, in conscience, and by the Holy Spirit) by the depth of his affected emotions (great sorrow, continuous anguish), and by the intensity of his devotion and love for his kin verging on the impossible thought of his own condemnation.  This is a serious problem that affects the Christian heart deeply. It is like the lament of Christ over Jerusalem: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wing, but you would not."

2A. Now consider Israel's privilege (4b-5)

The privileges of this nation among all the nations of the earth accents the seriousness of the problem of her condition in unbelief.

We have a list of privilege upon privilege.

1) Israel

Her very name, Israel, means one who strives with God. This recalls the account of Jacob wrestling with God for the blessing of forgiveness and the reception of mercy. The renaming from Jacob to Israel identifies this nation as a people who seek God and are determined to receive His mercy. Yet here they are rejecting the sure mercies of David in His greater son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

2) Adoption as sons

This is reference to a special relationship between God and the descendents of Abraham through Jacob. Though in the time of anticipation, under a tutor-the OT ceremonial law, under age as it were, and living in the shadows of things to come, nevertheless, these descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were called the children of God. It can be said of the Israelites of Paul's day that "theirs is" the adoption; they are covenant children of God in the present even though they rebel against the privilege of having God as their heavenly Father.

3) Glory

Glory, cited next, is the manifestation of God presence, the sign that He is among and with His people. These manifestations of God's presence were very dramatic and visible in order to confirm His mercies in bold relief. But they reject His mercies!

4) Covenants

Through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and David God gave and reiterated His covenant relationship in stages of saving revelation. Yet they reject covenant fulfillment in Christ.

5) Law

The giving of the law is a privilege, a blessing, a guide and a delight-made void by their tradition.

6) The temple service

Again and again testimony was given considering man's sinfulness and his need of a sacrifice; particularly, of his need of the sacrifice of Christ yet to come. They had this service in their hands and under their care. But they throw Christ away like a stone rejected by builders.

7) Promises

Along with and through the covenants, Israel was given many promises that focussed on the hope of restoration from the effects of the fall.

8) Fathers

The advances made in God's gracious dealing with the fallen human race were marked in Israel's ancestry. The fathers of the nation are tokens of God's saving grace.

9) But most of all-from whom is Christ according to the flesh

From the patriarchs is traced the human ancestry of Christ. What a privilege! This is remarkable because He is over all, God, and blessed forever. Israel as a nation, en mass, ethnically has sinned against all of these privileges. She has thus intensified her guilt beyond measure and she has proportionally stored up in abundance her own eternal misery. This heightens the problem all the more and increases Paul's grief and sorrow all the more, so much so that it carries him away in fiery bursts of loving concern.

Applications

1) A finger is placed here on a deep tension within the Christian heart. As you contemplate your own security and personal well-being for all time and eternity in Christ, you climb the mountain peaks overlooking the promised land. There you rejoice knowing that if God loves you then it is impossible that you be condemned, and He does! So it is impossible that you be condemned or separated from the love of Christ. But you must come down from the mountains, and when you do, you become acutely aware of the lost condition of Paul's family and yours. This is a serious problem beyond compare. It has more weight than any other; it is profound beyond words. The state of those in unbelief is worse than any cancer; at stake is much more than the life of the body; at stake is the life as a whole, body and soul before God's eternal judgment. Unbelieving Jew and unbelieving Gentile alike stand on the broad road that leads to eternal damnation. Damnation is simply condemnation that abides forever.

The closer the relation the more acute the concern. It is serious, weighty, and it verges on the impossible wish that you be separated from Christ on their behalf-that they be saved. This is not a decision you make; I do not bring this to you as a duty underlying evangelism. This is an affected heart that weighs the truth of eternal things and is afflicted in conscience.

By the work of the Spirit, the reflective Christian heart has a consciousness of the realities before which he stands and before which all people stand-before God and judgment to come. The Christian heart feels loved by God and longs for blessing to others in their desperate need. Deep down you must see all men as created in God's image, fallen from His image, and thus in extreme need of restoration in God's image. This occurs when, in love, we look away from ourselves, see others around us in such a way that we actually notice them, and are affected by their need.

2) We are thus pointed to our dependence on the work of the Holy Spirit.

He must work in us strengthening, teaching, impelling, reminding, unsettling and leading us on the pathway to glory. We must depend on His work in the lives of those for whom we are deeply concerned (both Jew and Gentile). We must not panic in our relationship to them as we view them standing on the edge of eternal destruction. Instead, with depending and prayerful hearts, we must commit them to God and love them in word and deed.

3) We are pointed in context to the balm for these wounds to the heart: there is a history here from the patriarchs to the present, a history in which God has a saving purpose that will not fail in accomplishment regarding each little lamb that was given to Christ before the foundation of the world. Salvation has come in Christ who is of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob according to the flesh. Israel is lost in unbelief but Christ has come from Israel. He has come to save sinners and save them He will. He is God, He is over all, and He is to be praised forever. Amen! Truly!