Post by clarkthompson on Jan 17, 2014 1:54:55 GMT
Romans 11:21-24
King James Version (KJV)
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Romans 11:21-24
Living Bible (TLB)
21 For if God did not spare the branches he put there in the first place, he won’t spare you either.
22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is very hard on those who disobey, but very good to you if you continue to love and trust him. But if you don’t, you too will be cut off. 23 On the other hand, if the Jews leave their unbelief behind them and come back to God, God will graft them back into the tree again. He has the power to do it.
24 For if God was willing to take you who were so far away from him—being part of a wild olive tree—and graft you into his own good tree—a very unusual thing to do—don’t you see that he will be far more ready to put the Jews back again, who were there in the first place?
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
These are my thoughts, please share yours.
21 The natural branches are those who born from the chosen seed, the seed of Abraham, the Jews. We should not be over confident about our salvation but can be sure because it is not of us but by Him that we are saved. We are not to be as the Jews were for so many years going thru the motions without the love in it. We should serve out of love and faith, if we are serving in this is not happening, we are doing what they did for so many years.
22 We should show love to others, He first showed love to us. Love leads men to the cross by faith. God shows mercy those who reject Christ reject God’s mercy and are left to God’s just judgment condemning them to hell. God made a way for men to be spared from hell, Jesus but rejected Him, we send ourselves to hell because we can not do it on our own.
23 We can become part of God’s family again and be apart of the branch but this ends upon death. Everyone can come to Christ no matter what they have done, He can forgive them. The only sin is rejecting the Spirit by dying without receiving the Spirit which is received upon saving faith.
24 God knows all we do and yet He still loves us. He knew everything we would do before we did them yet He sent His Son to die for us. We can either be of the world or be of Christ in the world. We can be of Him and make a difference, this is what He wants.
