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"THOU ALSO SHALT BE CUT OFF" “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Rom. 11:22) Alright, there you have it: God will cut you off, if you don’t continue in His goodness, and you'll lose your salvation. That’s what many teach, and, as you might expect, it’s not true. Romans chapter eleven is addressing the subject of God’s taking the gospel to the gentiles during this present age of Israel’s blindness. The gentiles are told to “boast not against the branches” (vs. 18), lest they ALSO be cut off (vs. 22), as were the Jews (in part) for this present age. The verses are not saying that any born-again believer will be cut off, but rather that the gentiles as a people run the risk of being cut off from continually hearing the gospel, if they become proud and boastful towards Israel. A simple reading of SEVERAL verses, rather than just one or two, makes this very clear. Please read verses 11 through 28 and see for yourself that the full context and spirit of the passage is Israel versus the gentiles in regards to gospel privileges: “I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.” (Rom. 11:11-28) The passage says nothing at all about anyone’s personal salvation, only that the gospel is presently being offered to the “wild branch” gentiles and that the gentiles need to respond properly rather than proudly, lest they be “cut off” from continually hearing the blessed gospel and being given opportunity to believe. Just as God led Paul to turn to the gentiles in Acts 28:25-28, He could just as easily lead him, or anyone else, to turn FROM the gentiles and back to the Jews or to other gentiles. No believer is being told that he personally runs the risk of being cut off and losing his salvation.