Grafted In

Passage: Romans 11:11-24

Lord’s Day 7 deals with the perennial dilemma of why God saves some people but not all people. This reality is offensive to those who have positioned themselves outside the Christian faith; and it is deeply troubling to those within the faith who have unbelieving loved ones. Why can’t we just say, unreservedly, that God saves everyone?
The immediate answer is that our Scriptures simply don’t allow it. Both Testaments are full of references to the inevitable judgment that awaits some people. The question this brings us to, of course, is who – who is saved, and why? Who is condemned, and why?

I just finished reading a post-apocalyptic novel in which one of the sub-plots is the rescue of a young woman from two ruthless ex-convicts. The young woman’s community track them down, secure her freedom, and subdue the two evil men. But then they have the dilemma of what to do with these two – their sworn enemies. The rescuers elect not to exact revenge on them but instead to adopt them into their community. However, it is immediately obvious this isn’t going to work. The men are too committed to being their enemies – to abusing their trust, taking their resources, and violating their peace. They will never come around. The community has only one option: send the two enemies away, even though their chances of survival are slim.

Throughout the history of God’s dealings with humanity there have always been people who positioned themselves as God’s enemies. When God adopted the Israelites as his chosen people, and established for them his own order and peace, there were other nations who wanted nothing more than to destroy that peace. They could never co-exist with God’s people. When God expanded the boundaries of his Kingdom to include people of every tribe and nation (“Gentiles” like you and me), there continued to be those who hated what they saw of God in the life of God’s people. This continues to be the case. There are those who, when they encounter God’s people and God’s word, want nothing to do with them. There are even those who want to actively undermine God’s work and destroy it. If a person persists in positioning him or herself as God’s enemy, there comes a point at which it’s obvious this will never change.

The invitation has always been to become a friend of God and be grafted into God’s family. There’s always room for more, and God continually makes room, even for strangers and former enemies. The caution is that if you maintain your position as an enemy of God, you’ll be condemned to live – and die – without him.