Romans 11:7-11 – Religion rejects God

Topic: Religion that rejects God

Reading: Romans 11:7-11

Introduction and Overview

The point of religion is that we worship God. That is why we hold a faith. But when religion rejects God, they are rejected by Him.

And this rejection of God may not be obvious. In the case of Israel they continued to do all the practices and processes of Judaism, but when Jesus appeared, He showed how the Jews had rejected God. They looked good, but they were far from God.

When a religion rejects God, will God listen to them? Certainly not. So, what if Christianity rejects God? Will God listen to them? Will He heed when people call to Him through the error of their religion? Why should God listen to someone who rejects Him? These are the kinds of questions raised and answered in this section of scripture.

Key points from reading:

1. Israel rejected God, often without realising they had done so
2. Those who chose to reject His ways were blinded by God so they could not find the truth
3. The rejection of God by Israel enabled the rest of the world to come to God on His terms under the New Covenant. And even Israels rejection can be reversed if they will repent.

Discussion:

1. Scripture: Romans 11:7
   • Under the teachings of Judaism, Israel sought the kingdom of God, just as we do under Christianity. But they failed to find it. They failed because they thought the kingdom was based upon works of the law.
   • Israel followed the letter of the law slavishly, but missed the point of the law. The law was never about what you do. It was about what you believed. All of the works of the law, such as fasting, tithing, sacrificial offerings, sin offerings, and so on, did not make a person righteous.
   • The Jews approached the law as if it were based upon works. They followed the religion as though what they did was the key. They failed to understand that even the law was based upon faith. It was faith in God that leads to righteousness. They called themselves the children of Abraham, but failed to follow the faith of their father Abraham. It was by faith in God that Abraham was declared righteous. But the Jews followed a path of self-righteousness where they believed if they fasted, tithed, sacrificed animals and so on, that they were righteous. In so doing, their form of religion rejected God. By thinking they were righteous through works of law, they excluded God. They became gods to themselves, and so God rejected them.
2. Scripture: Romans 11:8
   • Now, to add to their insult, in God’s rejection of Israel, He hardened their hearts. He closed their eyes to the truth so that they would not see the folly of their ways. They thought they were OK, but they were walking down the wrong path. And this was made abundantly clear when Christ came.
   • The Jews were awaiting the Messiah. But when He came in the form of Jesus, the religious leaders of the day rejected Him. Jesus offered a better way that did not rest upon the law or works of the law, but was based upon faith. He offered a religion like that of Abraham where righteousness was based on faith in God. But the Jews had built up a power base built upon works of law and did not want to lose that. So the religion rejected God by rejecting Jesus.
   • Of course, not all of the Jews rejected God. Even in earlier times before Christ, there were the elect who accepted God and understood the principle of faith in God. But the vast majority of the people failed to recognise these things and rejected God by rejecting the Christ sent by Him; Jesus.
   • Recall that the crowds were whipped up to reject Jesus and condemn Him to death. This rejection was led and even orchestrated by the religious leaders of the Jews. They were blinded to the truth and could not see it.
3. Scripture: Romans 11:9-10
   • This rejection by the Jewish religion of God was always going to occur. It was prophesied by King David in Psalm 69 and re-quoted in these two verses.
   • But when we go back to the original words in the Psalm, we gain more insight. The Psalm specifically talks about the table of the sacrificial offerings being a snare and a trap. They believed that by making the offerings they were made righteous, as if it were the offering itself rather than faith in God. Even those offerings required faith to receive God’s forgiveness. The offering was made to atone for sins, but the offering had to be done in faith and good conscience, not as a work to be done and forgotten.
   • So, when these offerings and sacrifices were done without regard to God, they were not accepted by Him. As Jesus pointed out, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23) The Jews followed the works of the law, as they were required to do, but failed to do so with faith towards the God who gave them the laws.
   • And it is the same today in Christianity. Many Christians are following a form of religion that rejects God, calling it Christianity. But the truth is that what they are following is nothing like the truth of Christianity as taught by Jesus and His early apostles and disciples. Many people are still trying to follow the works of the law, just as the Jews did, without realising that the law is not part of Christianity. As the scripture says:
     
     “For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has faith may be justified.” (Romans 10:4)
     
     And;
     
     “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)
   • So, if Christ is the end of the law, and if you are severed and cut off from Christ by following the law, why as a Christian do you follow the law? Why do you tithe and fast as required under the law when the law will separate you from Christ? And I would add that the method of tithing used today where people tithe money has absolutely zero resemblance to the truth of tithing under the law anyway. The doctrine of tithing as pursued today in many churches is a false doctrine. (If you want to know more you can download a free eBook titled, “Should Christians Tithe”) And there are many other false doctrines in the church that reject God making many of the so-called Christian religions today religions that reject God.
4. Scripture: Romans 11:11
   • However, in spite of all of these deficiencies, all is not lost. The Jews failed to find the truth, which opened the doors for the rest of the world to find God through Jesus Christ. And even though the Jews failed, they can still turn around in repentance and find God again.
   • Likewise, the Christians who are following false teachings can also find the truth and rectify their walks with God. But the key to do so is they must be prepared to seek diligently and look for the truth. They cannot blindly accept what is served up to them every Sunday without checking the facts and the truth of what is being taught. They need to pray and ask God to show them the truth so they can find His righteousness, and not a self-righteousness based upon law. And in the errors of Christianity where false doctrines that have no bearing on the truth run rampant in the modern church, it is even more important to seek the truth from God.
   • So, open your eyes to see. Listen to the word of God so you can hear and understand the fullness of the truth. Reject all doctrines that do not align with scripture, and there are many in the church, and seek for yourselves what God is really saying.

Key Takeaways:

1. The people of Israel rejected God through hardness of heart and seeking a self-righteousness based upon works of the law. It failed then and it fails now when Christians try to do similarly.
2. However, by their rejection we received the opportunity to know and be known by God through Jesus Christ. But we must not try to mix elements of Christianity with the law for that is not what the Christian faith is all about.
3. Even though Israel went wrong, and even though there is much error in the modern church, by going back to God in repentance and faith, we can still find the truth, which He promised He will show us when we seek Him.

Prayer Points

1. Pray for repentance in your life and to be released from the bondage of false religion.
2. Pray and ask God to reveal the fullness of the truth to you and to show you where there are errors in modern Christianity so you can reject those.