Walking Through Romans 11

Dr Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, walks through Romans 11 in response to a listener-submitted question.

[grahamb]

WOW! I learned so much from this video. Romans 11 has never been clearer. Thank you Dr. Leighton.

[nb]

Dear brother-in-Christ, thank you SO much for making these videos, they are very important and I am truly grateful!

[mrUNFORGOTEN]

Romans 11 in its original context really make more sense than I used to believe in Calvinistic theology. Thank you, Dr LF.

[RuffCut]

I have been watching for a while now and your killing it when it comes to King Calvin !

[dashriprock]

I have been letting this Calvinist stuff get under my skin to the point of anxiety these past few days. I spent the entire day looking for answers, and the more passages I read, it didn't look good, until I read Romans 11 and vs 14 did it for me. I'm so glad you posted this and confirmed my interpretation. Thank you

[NICKOODEMUS]

Thank you so much for making these videos, I was introduced to Calvinism and it confused me deeply. I started questioning God’s character and almost fell to the place of not believing in God if he was this evil person I felt Calvinism described. I’m so thankful I found your page! I switched churches and found a good Bible believing church that is more provisionalist. Keep doing what you are doing!

[nataser]

Keep preaching and teaching the truth! We need more like you online everyone seems to be going to Calvinist religion (I call it religion) I was seeing a video of a young lady asking John MacArthur a question about her salvation and her mental struggles where I knew I was watching a false teacher was when she broke down asking “how do I know I am the elect” that legit broke my heart and I started to do more research and I couldn’t find any that weren’t Armeniasm until I found you and pastor Mike. Thank God for y’all! I’ll be praying for you!

[MainframeSupertasker]

Leighton, thanks for sparkling why in the world jealousy could lead to salvation. "jealousy" didnt pop up in my head when i read the parable of the prodigal son.
Luke 14
16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
And it makes so much sense :o

[cecilspurlockjr.]

Paul is explaining who true Israel is and why they are true Israel. We who believe are true Israel and that's it and that's all. Thank you brother Flowers I love you in THE LORD

[CJ-lruq]

I can disagree with other Christians on certain doctrines and still keep the peace, but for some reason Calvinism in particular disgusts me on an astronomical level. I don't know how to see it as anything other than evil, narcissistic, callous and manipulative.

[alexmanuelhernandezconsoro]

Thanks a lot for your videos!!! Uplifting words!!! Greetings from 🍁🇨🇦😁

[seanvann]

Awesome as always Dr Flowers 🙏
1 question for you.... What exactly are the Gentiles in risk of being cut off from?
If they do not keep believing?

Romans 11:21
New King James Version
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

And what do the Jews get grafted into if they do not continue in unbelief?

Romans 11:23
New King James Version
And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

God bless 🙌 And thanks!

[mathdcarter]

It’s funny this is listed as a “short”. The video is nearly a half hour long! 😂

[ETube]

In verse 14 Paul is referring to his fellow Israelites of his day who had been hardened and who had stumbled, but not beyond recovery, and he indicated that he wanted to try to lead some of them to salvation.

The teachings of Calvinism contradict this because their belief is that those who were hardened and who had stumbled were reprobates and were lost forever. Yet, Paul clearly did not believe that and believed that they could be saved. The unbelieving Israelites of his day were not hardened permanently and did not stumble beyond recovery. Paul made that very clear, yet Calvinists completely miss this.

[tzephon]

If you've never considered evangelizing before, now might be the time. It appears that freedom of speech is being restricted and freedom of religion will likely follow, this may be a good time to share the gospel with whoever you can get to listed.

[jhq]

It explains Romans 9 and Universal Reconciliation (UR)

[forchristgloryministry]

It teach what the Bible teach what God has intended to put those verses exactly what He wants to convey a message to all of have listen to a debate .... Brother Flower seem running here and there and bringing in illustration that fits his thoughts ....so don't worry Romans 11 will be what it is and God will fulfill what God intended to fulfil....

[warrenrobert]

According. to. Gods. gracious. choice….why can’t the text say what it says?

[ianmcdonald]

Paul tells us what kind of works are invalid to gain righteousness.
Romans 3:20 - "Because by works of Law not one of all flesh will be justified before Him, for through Law is full knowledge of sin."
The works that Paul is identifying as being unable to gain righteousness of God is WORKS OF LAW
"Then where is the boasting? It was excluded. Through what law? Of works? No, but through a LAW of faith." Ro. 3:27
There is a Law of faith which enables us to obtain the righteousness of God in Christ.
Again Paul brings up the works of Law in Romans 9:32 "Why? Because it was not of faith, but as of WORKS OF LAW. For they stumbled at the Stone-of-stumbling, "

IN Galatians Paul says
- "knowing that a man is not justified by WORKS OF LAW, "
- " justified by faith in Christ and not by WORKS OF LAW, ...
- ... because all flesh will not be justified by WORKS OF LAW) Ga. 2:16

"Did you receive the Spirit by WORKS OF LAW or by hearing of faith? Ga 3:2
"by WORKS OF LAW or by hearing of faith?" Ga 3:5
"For as many as are out of works of Law, these are under a curse." Ga 3:10

Eight times Paul plainly states that the works of the Law will not gain anything from God. This then must be the background for his statement in Ephesians 2:5-9 where he only speaks of 'works'.

There are works of God, works of faith, works of Law, works of the flesh.
He discounts works of Law, but he does not discount works of God nor works of faith.
James says that faith without works is dead - lifeless, useless- he says it three times in Ja 2:20-26.
There is no contradiction between Paul and James.

Believing is a work that we must do - in order to be saved. God requires believing (faith in action) on our part to gain salvation, and a continuance in it to maintain salvation - Hebrews 3:6, 12, 13 and 4 and many other places..
Repentance is a work that we must do - God requires us to repent to obtain salvation - Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 11:18.
Obedience is a work that we must do. God requires obedience from us for our gaining of righteousness, salvation - Romans 6:16, 17; Hebrews 3:18: 2 Thess 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17.

And all these things are enabled by the grace of God, because God requires them, and whatever God requires He enables us to do so by His grace, and the Spirit of grace.

[ETube]

Paul indicates in verse 20 that being grafted in is because of faith and being cut off is because of unbelief. And he is clearly talking about salvation here. So, what he's saying in verse 22 is that Gentile believers need to continue to have faith or else they will be cut off for unbelief like the Israelite unbelievers were cut off because of their unbelief. And this applies to each Gentile believer. This has nothing to do with corporate election or anything like that as Calvinists believe. They have to believe that because if it's talking about individual salvation (which it is) then it clearly contradicts their belief in the perseverance of the saints.

I know you touched on this already, but I just want to reiterate that the ones Paul is talking about in verse 23 are his fellow Israelites who had been hardened and had stumbled, but not beyond recovery. He is saying that they could be grafted in again by faith! This contradicts Calvinism because that belief system says that they were hardened and had fallen and were lost permanently because of being reprobates. No, they were not. Paul made it clear in verse 14 that he hoped to lead some of them to salvation.