Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

Romans 11 is not just what happened in Israel but what always happens in any nation that is living under some measure of God’s provision and blessing. Not all Jewish people were believers, but there was a blessing that came over them from God. In the same way, I don’t believe America was, or is a Christian nation. I believe that, in addition to many who were the remnant who helped found and lead this nation, there was also widespread apostasy. Thomas Jefferson sat down at the White House with a pair of scissors and cut out all the parts of the New Testament with which he disagreed—including all the supernatural and miracles—resulting in what he called the philosophy of Jesus Christ. Jefferson took Jesus from a Savior and a Lord to a philosopher and an idealist. We can’t say any nation or people group is pure. Still, there’s been a remnant within the nation of Israel, our nation, and other nations that carried forth some biblical principles by which the rest of us have benefited and been blessed.

Ask yourself, Am I going to be part of the remnant, or will I be part of the apostate? Am I going to continue to love and serve God? Or will I just take God’s blessings and benefits and reject the relationship? Will you allow God to cultivate and prune you, or will you love your sin and rebellion so much that you cut yourself off?

In the end, there are only two categories of people. First, there are those who are grafted into Jesus Christ. If you are grafted, then you must also be cultivated. If Jesus is your Savior, then He must also be your Lord. You cannot have a real relationship with Him and remain the same. If you refuse to be grafted in and cultivated, you belong to the second category: the cut off. The cut off choose sin instead of their Savior. They refuse to be cultivated, so they are cursed.

Do you know Jesus? Do you love Jesus? Do you follow Jesus? I want you to be cultivated. Are you growing and being pruned and changing in your relationship with Jesus Christ? I don’t want you to become apostate and cut off because those branches are ultimately thrown into the fire and burned forever. I want better for you. I want you to just consider whether you’re grafted in and what areas of your life God is cultivating. You may be asking, “Okay, am I grafted in? Do I belong to Jesus?” Or you might ask, “Am I willing to be cultivated? Are there areas of my life where I’m willing to have pruned?”

Today’s Reflection

What areas of your life need to be cultivated and pruned?