ROMANS 11:1 – 10

“GIVEN OVER TO JUDGMENT”

INTRODUCTION:

1. Frankly, I am brokenhearted over the extremely rapid decline of western civilization and the coming onset of a new “Dark Age.”

2. While I am thankful that, “Americans can still be saved” I no longer believe that America can be saved from the devastation that we are witnessing on a daily basis.

3. Since GOD is fully sovereign over all things, including the fate of Nations, HE is either performing, or at least permitting, this to occur.

4. I am personally persuaded that GOD has given these formerly “Christian” Nations over to judgment.

NOTE: This is most clearly seen in Romans 1:18-31

(18) “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

(19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (20) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (21) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22) Claiming to be wise, they became fools, (23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (24) Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

(25) because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (26) For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; (27) and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. (28) And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. (29) They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, (30) slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, (31) foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”

Beloved Ones, let’s be clear about what is happening to the formerly God-fearing Nations of the world… these godless and wicked behaviors WILL NOT BRING the judgment of GOD upon a Nation… THEY ARE the judgment of GOD upon a Nation!

5. Any bible-believing person with even a basic knowledge of the scriptures knows that GOD has done this in the past on many occasions.

6. I believe, just as HE did with rebellious Israel, GOD has given our Nation over to a spirit of stupidity which will inevitably lead to our self-destruction!

7. I certainly pray that I am wrong about this, but I fear that I am not wrong about this.

EXPOSITION:

(11:1 – 2a) Just as GOD had not rejected Israel as being HIS people, HE has not – and will not – reject anyone anywhere who truly is HIS Child!

“I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. (2) God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.”

(11:2b – 5) While it seems that true believers are few and very far between, GOD has a remnant of truly born-again, bible-believing people who are HIS people!

“Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? (3) “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” (4) But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” (5) So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”

(11:6) Just as merely being a physical descendant of Abraham did not make a person a Child of God, so today merely being a descendant of Christian people – or living in a “so-called” Christian Nation does not make a person truly HIS Child!

True salvation is always (and only) by grace!

(6) But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

(11:7) While it runs contrary to what most people think that GOD ought to do, as part of HIS judgment on unbelieving sinners, HE does harden the hearts of those who reject HIM!

(7) What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened…”

(11:8) One of the ways, and likely the most common way that GOD hardens unbelievers against HIMSELF and HIS Word is by giving them over to stupidity!

(8) as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”

“stupor” comes from the Greek word, “katanuxis” which means to be in a deep sleep to the point of insensibility. Today, we would describe this level of insensibility as, “being in a coma.”

It is, of course, where we get the modern English word, “stupid.”

(11:9) One of the effects of being in a stupor is being blind!

(9) And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; (10) let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

God does give individuals and nations over to judgment! Let us pray for personal and national repentance!

Amen!