Journey through the Book of Romans

Paul declares Israel’s Rejection is not Final Part 5

Romans 11:23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. NKJV

Paul now declares how God the Father will in every case do that which is just and righteous. The Jews that are persevering, persisting, and pertinacious in their unbelief will remain hardened and kept from the goodness, grace, and glory of God the Father by way of their own choice (human will). But Paul now unveils God’s goodness and graciousness to any of the Jews broken off of the Natural or Original Olive Tree that turns from his or her unbelief (repentance and faith); He will graft them as branches back into the Tree. For it is only God the Father who can see or look upon a person’s heart or inner man or woman and know whether they truly have turned from sin and unbelief to trusting in Christ as Lord and Savior, as our Lord said through the Prophet Jeremiah with these words, Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?  I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.” NKJV There will not be any injustice in God’s Judgments upon every individual Jew or upon the Nation Israel in total. God the Father has solemnly decreed (according to His Covenant with Abraham and down through King David) to save the Nation Israel from all her enemies and keep her as we declared in the last study as “the apple of His Eye”, but the number of individual Jews that will make up His Eternally Covenant People is dependent on each Jew receiving Jesus Christ as Lord.

This truth here further shows the mystery of Divine Election working jointly with human will and responsibility. For if it were all of election and none of human will or responsibility, then every baby born in the flesh by a Jewish Mother would be branches in the Natural or Original Olive Tree (the Nation Israel). In my opinion the long-suffering of God the Father is the greatest of all of His Infinite Character and Qualities because it is by His Long-Suffering that individual Jews are currently being grafted back into the Olive Tree as they hear the gospel of Christ and receive His Grace and Faith. Paul uses the English word “able” in this verse 23 and it is translated from the Greek word dunatos which means powerful or capable; be of power. God only is of power to turn the wicked sinful rebellious heart of a Christ rejecting Jew into a true born again believer (Ephesians 1:19-20). Every Jew who rejects Christ as the Messiah has a cover or blinder or veil over their hearts or inner man or woman keeping them from seeing who He truly is and it not only applies to the unbelieving Jews but to the unbelieving Gentiles as well. However, thanks be to God as this same Apostle Paul writes these words to the Corinthian believers applies to the Jews in unbelief and to the Gentiles in unbelief (a state of being unregenerate), 2 Corinthians 3:14-17 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains un-lifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. NKJV

Just as a note of clarity for some who may wonder as they read this word unregenerate maybe for the first time, it means (1) Tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield. (2) Not reformed morally or spiritually. (3) Unrepentant and incapable of being reformed. Notice also how the Apostle Paul zeroes in on the individual Jew and not the Nation of Israel in totality by referring to “their unbelief” as the use of these two little words carry with them so much weight, as it is the case with every sinner (Jew and Gentile) who’s heart remains hardened and obstinate and stiff-necked and stubborn in the willful indulgence of wickedness and sinful pleasure, for it is not God who has made them this way, but it is “their unbelief” which keeps them bound and chained to the practice of evil. This is why this same Apostle warns the Corinthian believers with these very direct and stern words, but words from his heart of love and concern for them when he said, 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. KJV Paul uses the pronoun “their” to single out the individual sinner or unbeliever and in this case he is referring to the individual Jew, for sin is always and only personal and the continuance in the wicked persistence of living therein can only be attributed to the individual person. No one (Jew or Gentile) can blame their sinful heart which out of flows sinful thoughts, words, and deeds on anyone but themselves.

“It gave me no pleasure to see people drink in my opinions if they seemed ignorant of Jesus Christ and the value of being saved by Him. Sound conviction for sin, especially the sin of unbelief, and a heart set on fire to be saved by Christ, with a strong yearning for a truly sanctified soul-this was what delighted me; those were the souls I considered blessed.” John Bunyan

“To fear the Lord is to tremble at the thought of offending him by unbelief and disobedience. It is the feeling that God is not to be trifled with... Those who fear God shudder at the thought of speaking that way about their Majestic Father. Anything that dishonors God is anathema to those who fear God.” John Piper

“As no good is done, or spoken, or thought by any man without the assistance of God, working in and with those that believe in him, so there is no evil done, or spoken, or thought without the assistance of the devil, who worketh with strong though secret power in the children of unbelief.” John Wesley

“Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is can’t believe. Unbelief is won’t believe. Doubt is honesty. Unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light. Unbelief is content with darkness.” Henry Drummond

“Unbelief is criminal because it is a moral act, an act of the whole nature. Belief or unbelief is a test of a man’s whole spiritual condition, because it is the whole being, affections, will, conscience, as well as the understanding, which are concerned in it.” Alexander MacLaren

“What is the unpardonable sin? It must be unbelief, because it is the hardest, vilest, and strongest obstacle to seeing the beauty, splendor, and majesty that is in Christ Jesus our Lord and it is what Paul says the enemy does to the minds of the unbelieving (2 Corinthians 4:4), but praise God that Paul goes on to say this also in 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. NKJV and therefore, every sinful Jew or Gentile can have this glorious light shine in their dark unbelieving hearts revealing the beauty of Jesus Christ our Lord.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…