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The Daily Word of Righteousness
You Are My People, #24
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; (Romans 11:17)
The Jews and the Gentiles Are Both Part of One Olive Tree—Christ
The Olive Tree is Christ. Christ came to Abraham according to the will of God. The Messianic anointing passed to Isaac, to Jacob, and then to the tribes of Israel.
When Christ, the Lord Jesus, was born in Bethlehem, the Olive Tree was among people.
According to God's promise, the Olive Tree, the Messianic anointing, has now been given to elect Jews and Gentiles.
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? (Romans 9:23,24)
If we wish to understand how God works we must realize the Kingdom of God comes by Divine promise. The Jews possessed the Kingdom originally because of God's promise, not because they were more righteous or obedient than other people.
The Kingdom passed on, in the first century, to a remnant of Jews and to chosen Gentiles; not because the remnant of Jews or the chosen Gentiles were more righteous or obedient than other people but according to the promise of God.
The reason the Gentiles have become inflated with pride is that they suppose in their goodness they received Christ while the Jews rejected Him. If that were the case, Gentiles might have reason to boast.
But this is not what took place. God has always worked in terms of His own counsel. The Jews are nothing at all and the Gentiles are nothing at all, except for God's sovereign working.
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Romans 11:5,6)
We may notice in the Book of Acts that the calling of the Gentiles to membership in the Body of Christ was by Divine election, not because of human goodness or wisdom.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)
"Were ordained to eternal life"!
For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. (Acts 18:10)
God had "much people" in Corinth.
The eleventh chapter of Romans speaks of one Divinely ordained olive tree. There is no other tree that is acceptable. There is no Gentile tree that is acceptable. The Gentile who would become part of the Body of Christ, of the royal priesthood, must be grafted on the cultivated olive tree.
To be continued.