Some Key Words (11/29/00-11/30/00)

Mystery (musterion [3466]):

something hidden or not fully manifest, a sacred secret knowable to the human mind only by God's revelation; a secret, a religious secret, something not obvious to the understanding, a hidden purpose or counsel, a mystic or hidden sense;

Wise (phronimos [5429]):

prudent, sensible; intelligent, mindful of one's interests; sagacious, conceited

Saved (sozo [4982]):

to save from temporal dangers and suffering, to preserve, to save spiritually; to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, to deliver from Messianic judgement, to save from the obstructing evils that block Messianic deliverance; to deliver or protect

Deliverer (rhuomai [4506]):

to draw with force, to drag or pull, to draw out of danger or calamity, to liberate; to draw to oneself, to deliver; to rescue

Ungodliness (asebela [763]):

impiety, lack of reverence, wickedness, neglect of duty towards God, not observing true religion and worship; want of reverence toward God;

Covenant (diatheke [1242]):

a will, a disposition or institution of God with regards to man; an arrangement of any sort which is to be valid, a compact, a testament; a contract

Enemies (echthros [2190]):

hated, hateful, hostile, at enmity with God because of sin, opposing God in the mind; odious, an adversary

Beloved (agapetos [27]):

dear; esteemed, favorite, worthy of love;

Gifts (charisma [5486]):

a gift of grace, an undeserved benefit from God, the result of grace; a favor received without merit, the gift of faith, knowledge, holiness, and virtue, the economy of divine grace - giving pardon for sin and salvation to sinners for the merits of Christ, extraordinary powers enabling Christians to serve the church of Christ, received due to the power of grace by the Holy Spirit; a divine gratuity, deliverance from danger or passion, a spiritual endowment, a miraculous faculty

Calling (klesis [2821]):

summons, invitation, vocation, employment; an invitation to a feast, the divine invitation to embrace salvation;

Irrevocable (ametameletos [278]):

not repentant of, unregretted;

Disobedient (apeitheo [544]):

without persuasion, not to believe, to disbelieve implying accompanying disobedience, to disobey through unbelief - the focus being on inward attitude; not to allow oneself to be persuaded, to refuse belief and obedience, not to comply with; to willfully and perversely disbelieve

Mercy (eleeo [1653]):

to have mercy on, to help the afflicted, to experience mercy; to be compassionate in word or deed, or by divine grace

Shut up (sugkleio [4788]):

to shut up together, to enclose - as fish in a net, to shut up on all sides; to include in common subjection

All (pas [3956]):

every, the individual within the totality or the totality of individuals, each and every; the whole, everyone, all things, some of all types; any, every, the whole

 

Paraphrase: (11/29/00)

25 Israel's present situation won't persist, but will last only until the full count of the Gentile elect has come to God. 26 Israel will be saved according to His word, which says that He will remove ungodliness from them, 27 and remove their sins. To this He has made covenant with Israel.

28 At present, they are enemies of the gospel, but they remain God's beloved people because of the patriarchs; 29 for God's gifts and His calling are irrevocable. 30 The mercy you received was due to their disobedience. 31 In like fashion, the mercy they will receive will come because you were shown mercy. 32 For God condemned all for their disobedience, so that He could show all of us His mercy.

Key Verse: (11/29/00)

11:29 - This is a verse of great assurance. Whom He has once called to Himself, He will not let go. Whom He has blessed with salvation, He shall keep secure to the end.

People Mentioned: (11/29/00)

N/A

Some Parallel Verses (11/30/00)

11:25

Mt 13:11 - God has granted us to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Ro 16:25 - God establishes us according to the gospel, and the revelation of the mystery previously kept secret. 1Co 2:7-10 - Through the Holy Spirit, God reveals to us mysteries not understood by the rulers of this age, but only by such as love Him. Eph 3:3-5 - The salvation of the Gentiles is a mystery revealed to His apostles by the Holy Spirit. Ro 12:16 - We are to associate with the lowly, and not be high minded. Lk 21:24 - Jerusalem will be subject to the Gentiles until our time is fulfilled. Jn 10:16 - Christ's other sheep must be brought into the fold to become one flock.

11:26

Is 59:20 - A Redeemer will come to those who turn from their sins in Israel.

11:27

Is 59:21 - God's covenant is that His Spirit and His Word will not depart from us or our children or their children. Jer 31:33-34 - He further covenants to make His law an internal thing with us so we can be His people, and He our God. This will end the need for teaching, because we will all know Him, and our sins will be forgiven and forgotten. Heb 8:10 - A restating of Jer 31:33, Is 27:9 - When all idols are crushed and removed, the price of Jacob's sin will be paid and he will be forgiven, Heb 8:12 - For God will be merciful and forget our sins.

11:28

Ro 5:10 - We were reconciled to God while still Christ's enemies, and shall be saved by His life. Dt 7:8 - For His love and His justice in keeping His oath with the patriarchs, He redeemed Israel from the slavery of Egypt. Dt 10:15 - God loved the patriarchs, and so chose their descendants as His own people. Ro 9:5 - It is from this chosen people that the Christ came in the flesh.

11:29

Ro 8:28 - All things work together for the good of those called according to His purpose. 1Co 1:26 - Most of us were neither wise, strong, or noble when God called us. Eph 1:18 - Pray that we will know the hope of His calling us, the glory of His inheritance in us, Eph 4:1 - and that we will behave in a fashion worthy of that calling. Eph 4:4 - That calling was in one hope to one body for all who were called. Php 3:14 - It's an upward calling, setting a goal for us to strive towards. 2Th 1:11 - Pray that God will find us worthy of the calling He has made, fulfilling all His desire for goodness, and works of faith with power. 2Ti 1:9 - Our holy calling is not due to our works, but to His grace and purpose. Heb 3:1 - We are all partakers of a heavenly calling. 2Pe 1:10 - Of this we should be diligent to make certain; that He has called and chosen us. This focus will keep us from stumbling. Heb 7:21 - God declared Christ a priest forever.

11:30
11:31
11:32

Ro 3:9 - Both Jew and Gentile are under sin, neither is better than the other. Gal 3:22-25 - We are all under sin, so that we all may find salvation by faith in Christ. The Law was designed to teach us our need for that faith, and to push us towards it. Having found faith, the Law is no longer our teacher.

 

New Thoughts (12/1/00)

The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable! The charismata - Salvation, forgiveness, and the gifts of the Spirit (who is, after all, God) - are irrevocable. How then, can certain of the gifts be determined to have been for a time, and others for all time? Is God then, changeable? Is He untrue to His own word? I think not. The invitation and vocation that God has called us to is irrevocable! He has called us with a purpose in mind. He has called us to tasks specifically suited for us to fulfill. He has considered us, His creation. He has considered how we are to fit into His great plan, and created us to perfectly meet that particular need. He has provided us with the gift of grace, by which we can come to faith in His Son, and be allowed into His courts. He has provided us with the open eyes and ears of the righteous to understand His call upon us. He has, we are told, provided us ahead of time with good works to perform in His name and to His glory. And these things are sure. God is not a man that He should repent of His decisions, nor does He regret His acts of creation - for He sees the glory that will come to Him as creation unfolds to its completion. What awesome assurance! What prompting to higher holiness!

Look at the message of the references from verse 29. We are called for His purposes, as part of His plan (Ro 8:28), and are assured that He is working things out for our good. We are called in spite of our apparent worthlessness, having no smarts, strength, or righteousness of our own to commend us to His use (1Co 1:26). We are called not because we have done something to deserve it, but because God is gracious, and because our calling suits His purposes (2Ti 1:9). As His called, we are His inheritance! Bringing Him glory! (Eph 1:18) What we are called to do, however mundane it may appear, remains a heavenly calling (Heb 3:1). Our concern ought to be that we function in a way that honors His choosing of us (Eph 4:1), that we function in the unity to which that calling called us (Eph 4:4), that we strive ever upwards toward the goal we are called to (Php 3:14), that we fulfill all God's desire for our lives (2Th 1:11), and that we remain certain that the calling and the choice are His (2Pe 1:10). Remaining focused on these concerns, we will not stumble but will rather move victoriously in Christ our Lord.

It's interesting and exciting to see this message in parallel with the tape from Ligonier Ministries, this month, because that message is all about divine vocation, and all those who were doing what God called them to do, so that the arrival of Christ at the proper time would fulfill all the prophecies it was meant to. Romans and Jews, rulers and shepherds, high and low, all were at work in the work God had called them to, which put them in the right place at the right time to be part of the greatest event in our history. What is it God is working out in our place and time? What is it that God wants to accomplish in me? Lord, it's a wondrous assurance to know that You have made me who I am. It's a wondrous assurance to know that You have done so with a purpose, and not capriciously! Oh, the joy of knowing I am not the product of chance, but the workmanship of God! But, as I look at the work You have fit me to, I must admit I don't quite understand the why of it. What does it do to further Your kingdom? How does it serve a need of Your people? Why has it felt so flat lately? More and more, my interest has moved away from the engineering You have me doing, and towards this new impetus to study, towards this new and seemingly fruitless web-publishing of these studies, towards the ministry of worship. Yet, at the same time, I feel this call to higher responsibility, both at work and at church. God, as You call me to it, how can I but accept the call? But, even as I accept it, You know my trepidation. You know the anguish and unrest I feel at the thought of dealing with the work situations. You know the stresses I feel at the thought of giving more of my time to head up a home study. You know the issues of pride that I will have to fight in both these aspects. So I pray, oh Lord, as these things come at me, that You help me to deal with these stresses and issues, that You accompany the certainty I have of Your direction with understanding. Show me, Father, what it is You desire to accomplish in these new arenas, so that I may the better fulfill Your desire. Teach me, oh Lord, how to deal kindly with people. Teach me, oh Lord, how to soften my approach and build others up. In leadership, oh God, let me know how to serve, as You served Your apostles when You led them. Do all that You would do in and through me, oh Father, and let me be found faithful to comply to Your will.