Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 282

October 9;      Romans 11:5;       128/260(III);        ‘The Remnant’

Romans 11:5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Paul is talking about Israel in these verses of chapter 11.  He is saying that the Lord loves the Jews and has not cast them away (verse 1).  The Jews thought that because they are the seed of Abraham, they were automatically the children of God.  Additionally, because they were religious, they thought they could earn heaven by obeying the Law.  The Lord appeared to Abraham and told him he would have a son, even though both Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children.  God the Father and the Lord Jesus made a covenant with Abraham telling him his children would be like the stars in the sky and the sand at the seashore.  In John 8, the Lord Jesus, told the religious leaders who confronted Him that He shared the gospel with Abraham and Abraham believed Him.  It is called a theophany.  A pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Salvation for the Jews is no different than for anyone else.  They have to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, that He died for their sins and ask Him to be their Lord and Savior.  Many Jews have.  They are called the ‘remnant’ and they are saved by the grace of the Lord.   Before the end of the tribulation, which is the seven year period after the church is raptured, the Lord will deal mightily with the Jews, doing all He can to cause them to believe on Him.  Many, maybe most will do this.  Paul, called to minister to the gentiles, loved the Jewish people and prayed for their salvation.