A Remnant by Grace: God Has Not Rejected His People

In Romans 11:1–6, Paul answers the pressing question raised by Israel’s widespread unbelief with an emphatic denial: God has not rejected His people. Paul proves this through three lines of evidence—personal, theological, and biblical—beginning with himself as a believing Israelite, continuing with God’s covenantal foreknowledge of Israel, and culminating in the Old Testament example of Elijah, where God preserved a faithful remnant even in the darkest days of apostasy. Paul concludes that just as in Elijah’s time, so also in the present there exists a remnant chosen by grace, not by works. This remnant stands as living proof of God’s unbreakable faithfulness and sovereign mercy. Salvation, whether for Jew or Gentile, rests entirely on grace alone, and because it begins with grace, it can never be overturned by human failure. Romans 11:1–6 therefore reassures believers that God’s promises have not failed, His covenant remains intact, and His redemptive plan continues according to His gracious and irrevocable purpose.