Cut Off?

July 3, 2022

According to Romans chapter eleven verse twenty-two, there is a discussion about

the ‘goodness and severity of God’ with the conclusion that one can be ‘cut off’

from God’s grace. Israel was and is cut off because of disobedience or

unfaithfulness and for the same reason we could be ‘cut off’. Even though Israel

was God’s chosen people, they became arrogant and rebellious which brought about

their rejection. God used the Gentile (Non-Jew) to make them jealous with the hope

of grafting them back into the family tree (Romans 11:18). After that discussion we

are told, as Gentiles, how we have been grafted in but should not boast, but be

humble lest we should also be ‘cut off’.

There are those who believe that a loving God could not cut off his children, but

consider Adam and Eve, they were cast out of the garden. Let’s not think we are

better than they. God called them “very good” when first created, but sin made

them very bad and so they were separated from God, cast out, and died. We might

say they were ‘cut off’. In John chapter fifteen, Jesus speaks clearly about being the

true vine and his father being the vine dresser. He says that “every branch in me that

does not bear fruit is ‘cut off’, pruned and ultimately burned. That does not sound

good but it does make the vine (church) more productive as well as removes the

hindrance. We know it works, we know it is the correct thing to do, but for some

selfish reason we resist the process. Even though pruning is critical, feelings and

emotion reject the need. Sadly, this notion plagues both individuals and whole

churches and makes us less and less productive. Our prayer should be that God

would give us grace to accept correction instead of being cut off. Abiding in Him is

our goal to the end that we might bear much fruit. Like Jesus our choice is to finish

the task, to run the race, and to challenge each other toward the high calling. Do not fall from grace!

Dr. Kenneth E. Morrison