Week 7, Day 3

Today’s Reading:  Romans 13:1-14:23

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

How many people only think about one side of God?  How many believe that God is only about love, and mercy and grace?  How many refuse to be obedient to God simply because they believe that God, being all love, could not possibly punish?  Of course, those who come to such a conclusion can find no reason to be obedient to the instructions found for us in the word of God!  But, we need to recognize that there are two sides of God, and one is just as real as the other.

God is indeed a loving, gracious and merciful God.  However, He also reveals Himself to be a God of judgment and justice.  Paul records for us a very pointed passage, that should make everyone pay attention!  In Romans 11:22, Paul introduces two characteristics:  kindness and severity.  Paul warns us in this verse that God’s severity is something to be feared.  It comes upon “those who fell.”  However, the contrast is also set forth that God’s kindness will be shown to those who are faithful.  He also emphasizes the need for us to remain faithful.  After all, if we were to stop being faithful to Him, then we could be “cut off,” just as the illustration that Paul is using for the Jews who had ceased following the will of God.

The fact is that God can and will punish those who are disobedient to Him.  Consider what Paul wrote to the brethren at Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8:

since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will take vengeance on those who do not know Him, and those who refuse to be obedient to the gospel message.  In many ways, this should be very frightening.  We just read a few chapters ago (Romans 3:23) that all sin, and fall short of the glory of God.  So, we are all in danger of meeting the severe side of God.  Fortunately for us, God has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him.  In our context, this reconciliation is described as being “grafted in” to the olive tree.  In general, we see the Jewish people being the olive tree, but they had branches that were broken out (those who were disobedient) to make room for the branches that would be grafted in.  The Gentiles, who would be faithful to God, could be grafted into the olive tree.  However, the warning is given that if they did not remain faithful, they would be broken out as well (Romans 11:20-21).  We must therefore remain faithful to God, so that we might continue in his kindness, and not have to face the severity of God’s judgment.  We want to be those that are grafted in, and may we never be those that must be broken out!

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