Romans 11:17
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
Tag: We are grafted into faith
Chapters 9-11 of Romans may be some of the most difficult to understand. Actually, they may be easy to understand, but simply tough to accept in our human mind. God, through Paul, is telling the Jews in the Roman Church that they are not special because of their heritage. He is telling them (chapter 9) that they are special if they have faith in Christ. He has been quite plain to them that their station in life is NOT based upon their blood line, but on the poured blood of Christ. This message would have emboldened the Gentiles in the church. Remember, their was a bit of a cultural debate going on in the church with the Jews believing they were special, simply for their “Jewishness” and the Gentiles because of their “Christ-likeness.” What Paul is doing in this chapter is helping them both see that this “position” in Christ is God’s Choice, not based upon privilege of their blood. He is saying in the above verses, Christians are “grafted” into faith by God’s choice. We are nourished by the root, which is Christ. Jews and Gentiles are in the same state. We are grafted into Christ because He chooses to graft us into Him. We are nourished by the root (Christ). That is so refreshing to know. We are grafted in by God and nourished by Christ. Notice what the Greek word used for “nourished” means:
πιότης piotēs; from πίων piōn (fat; perhaps akin to the alternate of 4095 through the idea of repletion); plumpness, i.e. (by implication) richness (oiliness): — fatness.
God grafted us into the tree and Christ is the source of our “plumpness.” No where in the world would someone brag about being “plumb.” But, in Christ we are being made “plumb.” We are being nourished daily by Christ. We can rejoice in the concept of election because it means the one who choose to put us in Christ (God) is also responsible and has promised to nourish us!!!
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