ROMANS 11:12

“Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!” 

When we lose a loved one to death, we often will say, “Our loss is heaven’s gain.” That does not diminish the agony of grief, but we know where our loved is and will be reunited with them, if we too are followers of Christ. The same could be said of Christ’s death on the cross. What the world may have seen as a failure was actually a victory. Christ suffered for us, so that we may have redemption and life everlasting with the Father.

In today’s verse, Paul continues his discussion about the Jewish nation’s rejection of Jesus and the inclusion of the Gentiles into God’s promises. I love how this one source describes this verse.

“Paul contrasts Israel’s present héttéma (failure) with its promised ‘fullness.’ Their stumbling becomes the unexpected means by which Gentiles receive salvation, revealing God’s sovereignty over apparent losses. The verse invites expectancy: if God can turn a national failure into global blessing, He will surely bring surpassing glory when Israel’s fullness arrives.” (Topical Lexicon)

APPLICATION

The Greek word héttéma only occurs once more in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 6:7 it is used to describe the failure we, as followers of Jesus, exhibit by taking each other to court instead of settling conflicts biblically. We’ve lost from the very beginning. We are setting a poor example of what it means to trust the Lord. This lawsuit craze isn’t new. In the Roman culture, legal victories meant power.

So, how do we apply this verse and this idea of “failure” to our Christian walk? We are going to have failures in life. No one is victorious all the time. I have friends who struggle with certain aspects of their life. They do well for a while and then slip back into old patterns of sinful behavior. But God’s grace is sufficient and can return us to victorious living if we will allow His will to be our will.

Can I ask you a personal question? When was your last spiritual failure? Last week? Yesterday? This morning? Do not let the devil rob you of your victory in Christ. I read a quote from Oswald Chambers yesterday that applies here, I believe. “If the devil can hinder us from taking the supreme climb and getting rid of our wrong traditional beliefs about God, he will do so.” Don’t let him. When you do fail, let God raise you up. He stands ready. He has not abandoned you. Call to Him. He is waiting.

Forgive me, Father, when I fail You. Lift me up and place me back on high ground.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis).