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Romans 11:17-24 – Grafted into God’s Kingdom

Topic: Grafted into God’s Kingdom

Reading: Romans 11:17-24

Introduction and Overview

Paul uses the analogy of a wild olive branch being grafted into a cultivated olive tree in this section of scripture. It is a useful analogy for us as we see in it how we are grafted into God’s kingdom. His kingdom was promised to the descendants of Abraham. But the key we need to understand is that it was not necessarily the physical descendants of Abraham, but the spiritual descendants.

A physical descendant of anyone shares many similar traits. Eye colour, hair colour, the shape of and build of their body and strongly similar DNA. A non-descendant may be similar in some ways, but not share those same traits, and have wide variances in their DNA.

But we become the children of Abraham, grafted into the family of Israel because we share one significant similarity to Abraham: Faith. It is on the basis of our faith that we are grafted into the family of Abraham, and as we will see, it is the lack of faith of those who are the physical descendants of Abraham that cause them to be cut of, or removed as branches.

So, let us look more deeply at these scripture today to gain insight and understanding.

Key points from reading:

  1. Parts of Israel failed to keep the covenant of God
  2. Israel’s failure allowed the Gentiles to receive the promises of God
  3. God is merciful and even those who have rejected Him can return through repentance and faith

Discussion:

  1. Scripture: Romans 11:17-18
    • The analogy of being grafted from a wild olive tree into a cultivated olive tree begins here. We are the wild olive branches because we were living in the flesh and worldly ways before coming to Christ. We were in essence “wild” and untamed. We had no regard for God or the ways of God before coming to Christ.
    • By contrast, the cultivated olive tree represents the kingdom and family of God. These are the true descendants of Abraham on the basis of faith in God. It is not the physical descendants but the spiritual descendants on the basis of faith.
    • Some of the physical descendants of Abraham are the branches that were cut off, even though they were of the bloodline of Abraham. They were cut off because they did not follow the will of God. They had no faith and in some cases believed they were saved simply because they were physically descended from Abraham.
    • But now the way is open through faith in Jesus Christ for ALL people to be grafted into the family of God in the spiritual sense. When we hold faith in Jesus Christ we are accepted into the family of God and become Abraham’s descendant because we share the faith of Abraham. It was said of him that “Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” (Read Romans 4:3). Likewise, when we believe what God has done in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we too believe God and are reckoned righteous, just as Abraham was. And so we are grafted into the family of God by faith.
    • But there is also a warning to remember. We do not support the root, just as the root of an olive tree is not supported by its branches. It is the root that supports the branches and provides nutrients and minerals and so on for growth. Likewise, it is the word of God and of Jesus Christ that teach us and bring us to maturity through the Holy Spirit working in us. We cannot do this or achieve this by ourselves. It is all dependent on the love, mercy, and grace of God.
  2. Scripture: Romans 11:19-21
    • The warning from the previous verses is increased here. We are not better than the Israelites who may have fallen and been removed from God’s kingdom. We have no right to boast over the fact that we have been accepted and grafted in because they were rejected and cut off. This is not a cause for boasting. In fact it is a sad situation when anyone, Jew or Gentile, is removed from God’s grace.
    • The position of faith is emphasised also in this section. The Israelites who failed and were cut off, were rejected because they did not have faith. They failed to believe in the word of God and sought self-righteousness based upon works of the law.
    • But we must remember that we only stand and remain grafted into the kingdom of God through faith too. If we reject our faith, we too will be cut off and removed.
    • So, we cannot be proud, thinking we are better than the Jews who were cut off. We are not better and can only thank the Lord that He chose to give us the opportunity to come into His presence through Christ.
  3. Scripture: Romans 11:22
    • God has been severe with His people Israel. His severity was because of their lack of belief. But He has also been kind to us Gentiles who now come to Him through Jesus Christ.
    • Belief, or faith, is the key to being part of His people, or being rejected by Him.
    • This is why we must continue to walk daily and seek the fullness of the truth He has to offer. We must strengthen our faith at all times and walk according to God’s will by learning what the Bible really says, and following the words of Christ.
    • Either way, whether Jew or Gentile, we will be accepted or rejected on the basis of our faith.
  4. Scripture: Romans 11:23-24
    • In the final verses of this section we see the love and mercy of God shining through.
    • If those who have rejected God and been cut off by Him repent and believe, they will be grafted back into the kingdom of God. They will be able to return to Him and be adopted as sons when they repent and believe.
    • And for Jews it will be an easier process since they are both physical and spiritual descendants of Abraham. They already have some knowledge of the will and ways of God, having been recipients of His laws from early in their lives.
    • But even with those advantages, they stand with God and are grafted into the olive tree of His kingdom in the same way as we are. Through faith.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Faith is the key to being grafted into the “olive tree” of God’s kingdom and without it no-one will share in its abundance.
  2. Your genealogy, bloodline, or roots are of no consequence. It is all about your faith.
  3. Even those who have rejected God can be re-grafted back into His kingdom when/if they repent and believe in Him. This is evidence of God’s mercy and love.

Prayer Points

  1. Pray and thank God for the fact that He has accepted you regardless of who you are, where you are from, and what your back-story is. Thank Him for His mercy as He grafts you into His family tree to be joint heirs of the kingdom of God.