Brother, we've had some great conversations, so I will also ask you. What does Romans 11 mean when it says blinded for a time? I absolutely believe the only way to be saved is through Christ. What I cannot understand is why so many people seem to skip Romans 11 like it doesn't exist. Or that God didn't make an unconditional covenant with Abraham. What is or was the nation born in a day? If you would not mind explaining those few questions I would appreciate it.
Hi KG. I hope you are well. Thank you for raising this concern.
Jesus gave us an analogy of what Israel looks like...a vine with branches. He is the Vine, we are the branches. Paul in his letter to the church in Rome picks up on this with a slight variation, presenting an analogy of Israel being something like a tree or a bush, that has a root with attached branches.
In either place, we can see that branches can be added by God, or torn off and discarded, according to His kindness and will.
Paul mentions that God hasn't discarded all of the physical descendents of Abraham, but that He will always keep a remnant aside and they will be saved. Paul mentions himself as a case in point.
Paul also mentions he hopes to save some of the physical Israel, so that they will become members of the remnant that is attached to the Root (Vine), and be saved because of their faith in Jesus, thus continuing Abraham's spiritual lineage and fulfilling God's promise to him. By saying he hopes to save some, and that there's a remnant, Paul acknowledges that not all of Abraham's physical/biological descendents will be saved.
In the end, it will be all the branches that are attached to the Root, ie the new and true Israel of God, whatever their racial background or personal standing in society is, that will be saved, and the rest of humankind, no matter what their racial background or personal standing in society is, will be lost forever. So yes, all of that structure, the Root/Vine and its branches, which comprise the true Israel, will be saved.
It is written that Abraham is the father of faith. Therefore it is the seed of that faith, present in the members of the remnant of Israel, that identifies them as being his true progeny. It is these progeny, along with the adoptees such as we gentiles, that are proof of God's promise to Abraham that he will be the father of a great nation.
As a side issue here, there is a warning embedded in this chapter of Paul's letter that should cause those that believe 'once saved always saved' to rethink their opinion, and change it.