Bound

Sometimes truths are hard to accept. In this section from Romans, we are faced with a truth that I know I don't want to accept.

²⁵I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
²⁷And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

²⁸As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, ²⁹for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. ³⁰Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, ³¹so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. ³²For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. -Romans 11:-25-32

The thing that is hard to accept? You may have noticed that verse 32 says that we're bound by God to disobedience. This does not feel like good news. I want to be freed. In fact, selfishly, I want to free myself. I want to be so strong, and so pure that I can turn away from all previous patterns of disobedience.

God is making me accept the hard truth here. He is telling me, Don't be arrogant Joel about your election. Believers have been hardened. God has used even the hardening of his chosen ones to further the power of his love and gospel.

God, in this section you are calling the lifelong chosen ones to task.

God, help me first of all to admit my inability to save myself. Alone I am a selfish wanderer. In you I have purpose and I bear fruit. Help me avoid the sin of denying my bondage to sin. Then help me understand why you allow us to be tied to our disobedient hearts even though we know you and your love.

Let me be moved by seeing your loving plan unfold. Let me watch you turn disobedience into freedom from punishment. Let me not be discouraged when I look down and see the scars from the serpent snapping at my heel. Let my continued disobedience result in solid reminders that he is crushed. Maybe he is daily crushed. but surely it is not in my power to do it.

But it is in your power. It is in your person to save all. It is in your plan to take those of us who struggle to admit our failures and ask you for help. But you have set the plan in motion to rescue us before we were even here to ask.

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