Everybody seems to like a good mystery. Some of you might remember years ago when television first introduced Perry Mason on black and white T.V.. Perry Mason was one of the original modern Sherlock Holmes.

It was a Who-done-it? Today there are countless programs of similar vain where the mystery of who the perpetrator is still keeps people locked to that one hour of programming which tries to fool it's audience into thinking it was the butler, when in fact it was the last person you'd ever expect. You can almost predict who the person is in the first 5 minutes of the show by simply looking to the least likely candidate, and more times than not it's that person.

Interestingly enough, there are mysteries in the Bible. But mysteries in the Bible are not always new revelations which have never been spoken of by God, as much as they are old revelations which have been newly seen as God gives a fuller revelation.

That doesn't mean there aren't mysteries which have come to the light in the New Testament. In fact, one example would be 1Co 15:51 "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--
52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

This was a new mystery. This mystery had never really been spoken of before in ages past and now through the apostles, after the resurrection of Christ, we are given a new revelation about our future and how we will be changed from corruptible bodies to imperishable bodies.

But by and large many mysteries in the Bible fall into the category of old revelations given new meaning and insights. For example, it was somewhat of a mystery as to the Gentiles coming into the Kingdom of God which was almost exclusively enjoyed by the Jews.

Eph 3:2 "Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you,
3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.
6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus."

And yet we know that this promise was given to Abraham. The mystery was that this truth was shrouded in the sense that it seemed to be limited to Israel because Israel was the only nation to whom God came so that the Messiah would come through them.

In our text we have a similar mystery. It is a mystery about Israel. It's not as though it's brand new, but it is a revelation which Israel considered unthinkable. Being cut off from a relationship with God. All throughout the O.T. we see this mystery in action as Israel is taken into captivity by different nations because of their rebellion against God.

And now, in it's most dramatic form, God is true to His word as He reveals that as Israel has rejected Him in the past and has suffered judgment because of it, in these last days they are even more culpable because the Messiah was actually in their midst and they, as a nation, rejected Him.

This is what Paul referred to in our text last week as he said in Rom 11:25 "I 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.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob."

This mystery has as its outcome the same promise which was given to Israel in the past after they were cut off from the blessings of God. The promise was that God would bring Israel back to Himself.

This is still somewhat of a mystery to you and me because we don't see the fulfillment of this promise revealed in Rom.11:26... "All Israel will be saved." We wonder at how such an event could be possible in the midst of all the turmoil going on in the Middle East. And yet we know that God is always true to His word. Now there has been some controversy as to the meaning of "all Israel will be saved."

There are those who would suggest that this statement speaks of spiritual Israel, that the actual nation is not being referred to. The argument goes: since Paul has clearly spoken in Rom 9:6 "It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring."

And so the logical conclusion would be that since the natural descendants are not the true Israel, but rather all those who have embraced the Messiah by faith considered true Israel, including individual Jews, the nation is not being spoken of as that which will one day be set apart for representing God by faith in Christ.

However, true Israel, the spiritual Israel, will also one day include the nation of Israel, as that nation comes to faith in Christ. All throughout chapter eleven Paul has been making the case that God has not totally rejected His people, that is the Jews.

He's been speaking of the physical descendants of Abraham as being those who will one day see the spiritual truth which Abraham received by faith. And so to come to verse 26 and suggest that now Paul reverts back to "Spiritual Israel", after speaking exhaustively of the physical descendants of Abraham, is to violate all the rules of hermeneutics, which is the science of interpretation; rules which include interpreting scripture with scripture, and interpreting scripture according to the context, the actual place you find yourself reading and studying.

Paul's whole point here is that the physical nation of Israel cannot claim a relationship with God simply because they are physical descendants of Abraham. There must be a spiritual aspect which can only be understood by faith in Christ.

Therefore anyone who embraces this Messiah, born to the Jewish nation, is part of spiritual Israel, be they Gentile or Jew. But, there will be a day when the nation of Israel, those physical descendants of Abraham, will join "Spiritual Israel" by faith in Christ and therefore will fulfill the prophecy concerning that which Paul speaks of in Rom 11:26 "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." [Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9; Jer. 31:33,34]

Paul drives this point home when he says that though physical Israel is now not part of the spiritual Israel they will not be forsaken by God as a nation, so that they may once again taste and see that the Lord is good.

Many individual Jews have come to Christ, but they cannot be considered as a nation until the people in Israel, from their rulers down to the common man, are seen clearly as being led by Christ.

Now when Paul uses the word "all" in verse 26 it is not necessarily inclusive to every man woman and child without exception. Rather, it intimates that as a whole, they are seen as a nation under Christ. There still may be individual Jews who will reject their Messiah. But that will be the exception not the rule as it is today where the nation rejects Christ and only individual Jews are seen to accept Him.

And this is why Paul says in Rom 11:28 "As 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 patriarches,
29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."

This takes us back to what we spoke of last week concerning the promise that the natural branches have been broken off, but one day they will be grafted back in. Yes, today they are, in a sense, seen as enemies of Christ. Of course that's not limited to the Jews. Jesus says in Mat 12:30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."

Anyone who has rejected Christ is against Christ. And for that matter anyone who does not accept Christ as God and Lord and Savior is against Him. I say that because there are many people who name the name of Christ but who deny Him by their rejection of His only way of salvation, which is by faith in His atoning work alone for redemption.

Whether Jew or Gentile, anyone who is against Christ is His enemy. And the Jews as a nation would fall into that category according to verse 28. But here's the beauty of God's grace. Despite their present condition God says I still love them, not because they're so lovely, but because I'm faithful to my word to love them as seen in the promises I made to their fathers the patriarches.

Paul doesn't mean to say that somehow the patriarches earned this relationship to God for Israel. F.F. Bruce in his commentary on Romans says, "This is not a reference to the 'merits of the fathers', the doctrine that the patriarches' righteousness constitutes a store of merit which is credited to their descendants. The whole argument of this letter is contrary to such a conception of merit. ......

....... Paul means that the promises which God made to the patriarches when He called them are secured to their descendants, not on the ground of merit, but on the ground of God's fidelity to His word of grace."

In fact, that same love has been extended to the Gentiles as well. I love the truth which gives me hope knowing that I, like everyone else, was once an enemy of Christ because of my unbelief. We read in Rom. 5:10 "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"

What a glorious gospel we have received by faith in our risen Savior. Being His enemies we deserve His wrath, but He gives us life as we're reconciled to the Father through the death of His Son.

"The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable." In other words, when God makes a promise He cannot revoke that promise. He cannot take it away. He must be faithful to Himself. And though some of His promises include judgment, as in the case of Israel, the point here in Romans is that God will be true to His promise to Israel as a nation to bring them back and graft them in once again to the tree of life in Christ.

Rom 11:30 "Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,
31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you."

Paul doesn't want the Gentiles to become arrogant toward the Jews because of Israel's rejection of Christ, and Paul reminds them that it was only the mercy of God which allowed the Gentiles to know Christ; so too it will be the mercy of God which will allow Israel to embrace their Messiah Jesus.

No one deserves grace and mercy from God and yet in our disobedience we received mercy. In like manner, though Israel is now disobedient, they too will receive grace and mercy from God even though they deserve it.

In fact, it seems to have been God's very purpose to have shut up all men in disobedience so that He could show His mercy. How do we know that? I'm glad you asked. Rom 11:32 "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all."

What an amazing God. What a glorious gospel that we may be shown mercy and given life in Christ. For eleven chapters in this letter to the Romans this is what Paul has been conveying. He has been building the case that no one deserves anything from God; we are all sinners deserving eternal separation from our God and yet our Lord Jesus came to us and gave us His life so that we might find forgiveness for the penalty of our sin and receive eternal life with Him.

Is it any wonder that Paul should end his thought in verses 33-36..... Rom 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" [Isaiah 40:13]
35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" [Job 41:11]
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

Paul is saying, 'who could ever try and bring God down to our level that we could figure Him out and anticipate that He would have done such an amazing thing for us?'

Our God is an awesome God and what He has done for us is beyond anything we deserved from Him. And Paul seems to spontaneously break into praise and adoration for God and His work in the lives of people like you and me.

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

What a way to end his teaching on so great a salvation found in Christ. But you know Paul never teaches these great truths with the end result of simply having a knowledge of so great a truth. Paul's theology was always meant to motivate men to praise and adoration and love for God found in the way in which we live for Christ and unto Him for His glory.

In other words, Paul's theology is practical for everyday life. If it isn't, then it's just knowledge that puffs up and makes us wise in our own eyes.

In light of everything Paul has been teaching in the previous eleven chapters he now turns our attention to the ways in which we should take this grace and truth and apply it to our own lives.

We begin chapter 12..... Rom 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual [reasonable or, rational] act of worship."

Paul says, 'O.K., we've talked about the doctrines of salvation as it relates to Jew and Gentile; where do we go from here?' He says, 'in view of God's mercy you ought to have certain desires and motivations in your life to thank God for so great a salvation.'

Offer your body as a living sacrifice. Now keep in mind that Paul is speaking to a primarily Gentile church. In those days most Gentiles were greatly influenced by Greek thought and philosophy.

Greek thought taught that the physical universe and especially the physical body was inherently evil and had no redeeming eternal value. Only the spiritual aspects of man should be nurtured. This is one reason that Greek culture was so into knowledge. They felt knowledge fed the spiritual aspect of man and drew him closer to God.

In fact, there was a whole movement which even effected the early church and to some extent the present day church, known as Gnosticism.

The compact dictionary of doctrinal words defines Gnosticism this way. "From the Greek gnosis, "knowledge", "wisdom". A group in the first and second century A.D. which taught that there was a special, higher truth that only the enlightened receive from God. They maintained that matter was evil; that the world was made by God's "created spirit; and that Christ was not human."

Paul addresses this in his letter to the Corinthians. In 1Co 1:22 "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,"

Paul's point in Romans is that these Greeks need not despise the physical body as being useless for God and neither should we. Our physical bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

Paul says our body, which includes our whole being, our minds and spirit and all physical characteristics, should manifest to the world that we are consecrated to God in every area of life. Paul mentions this also in 1Co 6:20 "you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Present your bodies to God. 'God I give you my all.' I give you my thoughts, my actions, my speech, my love, my life. You've purchased me, I'm Yours to do what pleases You.'

Living sacrifice. When we think of a sacrifice we usually think of an animal given up as an offering for atonement. The animals life is taken and used for God's purpose. God says to His people, 'I want you to place yourself on My altar not to destroy you or to be used to atone for your own sins, but that you may be used by Me to My glory.'

Most of you have probably heard this expression, but I think it's worth repeating because it's so true. "The problem with a living sacrifice is that it has a tendency to constantly crawl off the altar."

On the one hand we realize that we must give every area of our lives to God and yet we have that tendency to take back areas of our lives which don't please Him. We crawl off to do our own thing or we choose to give God a hand at building an altar of our own choosing.

Altars in the O.T. were designed for only one purpose; to give something to God in thanks and in worship for who He is and what He's done on our behalf. It was usually an animal, but the animal wasn't the main reason in that act of sacrifice, but rather God Himself as He is seen as the giver of life and that He demands the death of another, the shedding of blood to atone for sin.

Even in the O.T. this was taught clearly, as for example, when God spoke to the prophet Malachi in Mal 1:11 "My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty."

The pure offerings spoken of in that verse were meant to show forth the greatness of God among His people. In Paul's analogy he is teaching that we must die to ourselves and live unto God and as we approach God with this attitude it is an act of worship.

To die to ourselves is to realize that our lives have been set aside by God for a special purpose. Like that animal on the altar, which was designed to draw attention to God and His provisions, our lives are designed to draw attention, not to ourselves, but to God, to give Him glory.

All of this is in response to what we know to be true about God and His salvation for us, as Paul has been extensively teaching in the previous eleven chapters of Romans.

To you and I it may have seemed as though Paul was being a broken record as he expounded the intricacies of salvation in Christ over and over again in different ways. No, he was always leading to this one path of having us be thankful for so great a salvation.

Thankful, to the degree that we would be willing to be this living sacrifice for God on His altar, if you will, so that all the world may see what He has done on our behalf and that He has taken a lifeless carcass, spiritually speaking, and has given it life on the altar of Calvary.

This is true worship. Yes, we are given opportunity to worship God in a setting like this one this morning, but the altar of God is meant to lifted up in the mainstream of life, not hid in a house where only we get to see it.

True worship shows the world that Jesus really means something to us in the way we act, in the way we use our time, in the way we use our finances, in the way we live. Crawling off the altar takes the focus off of the main Person to be seen who is Christ and places it on the one running around on the ground making all sorts of noise and commotion.

There's lots of noise and commotion going on the church of Christ worldwide, but we need to get back to true worship which places Christ on the thrones of our hearts and shows that reality by the way we live for Him.

Heb 13:15 "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

1Pe 2:4 'As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

The Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives. We, in Christ, are the temple of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us so that we may live in the Spirit as we honor and worship God with our lives.

Give thanks to God and stay on the altar of His glory as we live for His honor, not ours. If we will be faithful to worship Him in this way He will be faithful to use us to draw many unto Himself.