It was as if the word ‘arrogant’ was highlighted as I read this chapter. The word appears only once, buried in the midst of verses 21 and 22. …But they [Jews] were broken off because of unbelief, and you [Gentiles] stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
What I heard is that we must never, I repeat, NEVER, become haughty, or proud, or stuck-up about the faith we have in Jesus. If we do, we are in the danger of thinking we earned or deserved it. This makes our salvation about us (our goodness and/or our works) rather than about the gracious goodness of God Almighty. And this will never fly with God. The Jews became spiritually arrogant and God cut them off and He will do the same if we become arrogant. That’s what I heard from the text in my spirit today.
And this gave me pause, as I think about sharing faith with people who are lost. I must not let myself grow arrogant as if “I have it and you don’t!” or think I am a better or more loveable person because I believe in Jesus and you don’t or any of the million other symptoms of the same root. For the sake of effective living for Jesus and for the sake of my personal spiritual growth, I have to hold tightly to the truth that it is not me or anything I have done, but it is God alone who saves me and others…
I pray and echo Isaiah 55:9: God as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Your ways higher than my ways and Your thoughts than my thoughts. I praise You that You are so great Lord. Amen and Amen.
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