神是恩慈与严厉的 Our God is both kind and severe

罗马书 11：17－24  Romans 11:17-24

若有几根枝子被折下来，你这野橄榄得接在其中，一同得著橄榄根的肥汁，你就不可向旧枝子夸口；若是夸口，当知道不是你托著根，乃是根托著你。

你若说，那枝子被折下来是特为叫我接上。不错！ 他们因为不信，所以被折下来；你因为信，所以立得住； 你不可自高，反要惧怕。神既不爱惜原来的枝子，也必不爱惜你。

可见神的恩慈和严厉，向那跌倒的人是严厉的，向你是有恩慈的；只要你长久在他的恩慈里，不然，你也要被砍下来。而且他们若不是长久不信，仍要被接上，因为神能够把他们从新接上。你是从那天生的野橄榄上砍下来的，尚且逆著性得接在好橄榄上，何况这本树的枝子，要接在本树上呢！

外邦人基督教徒必须常常记得神所赐的特别的恩典与怜悯，并且感激神将他们包挂在他的救恩计划里，伸手来拯救他们。所以，当神拒绝了犹太人，他们对他们能得救要谦卑，不可存有骄傲的心态。就好像亚伯拉罕是树根，犹太人是原来的枝子，但被折断了。而野生枝子的外邦人却被接在树根上。所以他们不可骄傲或夸口，应为他们能稳稳地接在树根上是本乎他们信于耶稣基督而犹太人被折是因为他们的不信。

这样，神对那不信的非常严厉，而对那些信的满有恩慈。这做法是出于神，不分种族。想想看，神肯性得将我们接在好橄榄树上，就是以亚伯拉罕为根的以色列国。这是个奇迹！赞美荣耀神！让我们感谢与敬拜我们的神。他是无所不能的，甚至能再次将犹太人连接回他们原有的树根，但他们必先相信。

But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree - some of the people of Israel - have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

 “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember - those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.

 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.

Gentile Christians should always remember and be grateful that the mercy and grace of God have reached them and they are included in the salvation plan of God. They should always be humble and not brag about their salvation while God rejected the Jews. It is like, Abraham was the root, and the Jews were the original branches that were broken off, the Gentiles were the wild branches that were grafted in their place. Therefore, they should not be proud or think too highly of themselves. They are held firmly in the root because of their faith in Jesus Christ while the Jews were broken off because of unbelief.

Thus God is severe to those who disobeyed, but kind to those who trusted in Him. This action of God is regardless of whether they are Jews of Gentiles. Think of it, God was so willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting us into his cultivated tree, the nation of Israel that has its root in Abraham. It takes a miracle to do this! Praise be to God! Let us be grateful and worship Him. God can do anything, even to graft back the Jews to their original root, provided they too believe.