THE ELECT Lesson 11 for December 16, 2017

What does “Christ is the end of the law” (Romans 10:4) mean? “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24) Christ is the goal or the purpose of the law. “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17) Christ is the fulfilment of the law. “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14) Christ is the end of the law as a means of salvation.

Every divine law brings us to Christ The ceremonial law helps us understanding the ministry and sacrifice of Christ. We don’t need to keep the ceremonial law anymore, but we must study it so we can learn more about Jesus. The moral law shows us that we are sinners; it is our tutor that brings us to Christ to be forgiven. We must keep the moral law, because it shows us God’s will in our lives.

Has God rejected his people, Israel (Romans 11:1-6)? The Jewish nation exhausted their time of grace; they rejected the Gospel when they stoned Stephen (Daniel 9:24-27). Nevertheless, God –by his election of grace– kept a remnant for himself, so they could obtain salvation.

Those who are hardened cannot see or hear because they don’t want to. “What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: ‘God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.’” (Romans 11:7-8) Israel didn’t obtain salvation because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Those who are hardened cannot see or hear because they don’t want to. But those who accepted Jesus as the Messiah are part of the remnant of the people of Israel (“the elect”).

The Jews seek salvation Does the Jewish people have a new opportunity to obtain salvation (Romans 11:11-15)? “if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.” (Romans 11:14) The Jews reject it The Gentiles accept it The Jews get jealous The Jews seek salvation The Jews who had rejected the Gospel could accept it then, as they see how the Gentiles were obtaining the same salvation they once rejected.

What did Paul want to teach with the example of the olive tree and its branches (Romans 11:16-24)? The Gentiles shouldn’t be proud and despise the Jews. The Jews who rejected the Gospel can accept it now. We can lose salvation and obtain it again. The branches: Those who are part of the remnant The grafted branches: Gentiles who accept the Gospel The broken off branches: Israelites who rejected the Gospel The olive tree: The remnant The root: Christ

What do “the fullness of the Gentiles” and “all Israel will be saved” mean (Romans 11:25-26)? Here we find the conclusion of the illustration of the olive tree and its natural and grafted branches. “Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” means that the Gospel will be preached all over the world (“to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” Rev. 14:6) Every Gentile (the grafted branches) and Jew (the re-grafted branches) who accepts the Gospel becomes part of the spiritual Israel (the olive tree). The spiritual Israel is “all Israel” who will be saved in the End Time.

Never has the Lord been without true representatives on this earth who have made his interests their own. These witnesses for God are numbered among the spiritual Israel, and to them will be fulfilled all the covenant promises made by Jehovah to his ancient people… To spiritual Israel have been restored the privileges accorded the people of God at the time of their deliverance from Babylon. In every part of the earth, men and women are responding to the Heaven-sent message which John the revelator prophesied would be proclaimed prior to the second coming of Christ: “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Revelation 14:7 E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 59, p. 713-714)

GOD’S MERCY “For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” (Romans 11:30-32) God wants to pour His mercy, His love and His grace on everyone. Accepting His divine mercy and sharing it with others depend on us. Many people can know about it and accept it.