Just A Branch, Not The Root

Meditations on Romans

September 10, 2021

Just A Branch, Not The Root

And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.

Romans 11:17b

Read Romans 11:16-24

Today’s reading provides a succinct summary of Paul’s theme in chapter 11. First, Paul has asserted that the Jews who rejected Jesus as God’s Messiah have been cut out of God’s tree. They are most welcome to come back to God, but there is one and only one way: faith in Christ Jesus, God’s Messiah. Secondly, God has one family. It began with Abraham, and now the Gentile believers have been grafted into Abraham’s tree. His third point is that God is not finished with the Jews and will find a way to bring more of the Jews back into his family tree.

My Takeaway: Paul’s fourth point is a warning to the church: “But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.” (Romans 11:18, 20b, 21) This is not a warning about individuals losing their salvation; it is a warning to the church about becoming smug. The church always stands in danger of losing sight that we have been saved by God’s grace and that we have one mission: to be God’s light to a fallen world. 

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.