God Is Able

I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! Romans 11:13-24

We Gentile believers must not think ourselves superior to Israel. Paul exercised his authority as the apostle to the Gentiles to caution us about being dismissive toward the Jews. Their rejection of Jesus has brought opportunity for salvation to the Gentiles. When they are brought back, it will be a spiritual resurrection. The root of our faith is Abraham, from whom sprang Israel.

The cultivated olive tree is a Biblical metaphor for spiritual Israel. “Some of the branches” are the unbelieving Jews that have been broken off from the tree in temporal chastisement for that people. We, the Gentiles are represented by the “wild olive shoots” which have been grafted onto the tree where the cultivated branches were broken off. The root of that tree is our nourishment, not the other way around.

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: (Isaiah 59:20)
“The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Romans 11:25-27

“Mystery” in the New Testament means a truth known only to the elect. And this particular mystery concerns the plan of God to include the Gentiles in His offer of eternal life. God knows who will believe, and Israel has been put in “time out” until the complete number of Gentiles has been received into Christ. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will make Himself clearly known to “Jacob” (Israel’s original name). They will, as nation Israel, recognize their Messiah and believe in Him for salvation.

Meanwhile, individual Jews can receive Christ at any time, by believing the gospel message. They then become Church, like believing Gentiles are Church.

Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Romans 11:30-32

God’s policy is always grace. In grace, we are all equally sinners by birth and we all have equal opportunity to hear and believe the gospel for salvation.

He is merciful to all.