Romans 11:6-10
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.” 9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.”
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.” 9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.”
Because God gives salvation as a completely unearned and a gift that cannot be worked for, it is not by our good deeds that we could ever enter paradise. If we add these works, then we no longer have God’s grace, but our good deeds alone, and are hopeless. Israel sought by good Law keeping to be good people in their efforts and could not see the grace promised, but were instead blinded and deafened by God, unable to understand. But the elect were able to gain what God gave in sheer grace alone, and were thankful. The chosen were alone given the choice of that grace; the rest were not, but were kept from seeing and hearing, lost in their sin and self righteousness of earnings with no return on their investment in works.
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