Will All Israel Be Saved? - Romans 11

All Israel Will Be Saved

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

27 And this is my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[h] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

We have said in previous chapters that in Paul's teaching so far in Romans he was mainly addressing the Jewish people.  Now he is addressing the Gentiles.  The temptation now that the Gentiles have been included in God's plan of salvation would be for them to take an attitude of indifference or pride toward the Jews.  But Paul teaches that Israel is every bit a part of God's plan for salvation through Christ as the Gentiles. 

Then, Paul makes the critical statement that the Jews were children of the promise God made to the Abraham, Issac and Jacob.  God chose the descendents of Abraham to be the inheritors of the promise that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Messiah.  God promised Abraham that he would be blessed to be a blessing to all nations.  And what is the covenant promise God made to His people. He says in Genesis 17:7-8,

 "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Notice it says "everlasting covenant".  We teach kids in our Confirmation that "God never goes back on a promise!"  

So then Paul says something that is difficult to interpret.  He says, "All Israel will be saved."  Does this mean that every person of Jewish descent will be saved?  Of course that is all of our hope that ALL people be saved. It was Paul's hope and most importantly it is also God's desire that all people be saved as it is says in 1 Timothy 2:4, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior,who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

So the question remains, "Will all Israel be saved?"  The scripture is clear that there is only one way to be saved, which is by faith in Jesus Christ.  Whether a person is a Jew or Gentile, it is the same faith that saves them both.  So the answer of whether all Israel will be saved is the same question of whether all Gentiles will be saved?  All people are equally important to God. The simple answer is if they come to faith in Jesus Christ they will be saved.  

I wish with the apostle that ALL people would be saved.  Since only God knows who will be saved, the question is will we live our lives in such a way that all might people might have a chance to be saved by hearing the Gospel.  In the gospel a righteousness is revealed by God which is by faith in Jesus.  This is the faith that Abraham staked his life on.  This is the faith that Paul staked his life on.  This is the faith I have and billions have staked our lives on.  Let's live our lives with the same desire Paul had that ALL PEOPLE WOULD SAVED!





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