Yes, chapter 11 is very difficult for a first time Christian to understand but once you unlocked it, it really shows you how wonderful God's plan was from Israel to gentiles, and back to Israel again
Belief/unbelief is not a light switch, and to be cutoff goes beyond unbelief.
Unbelief that leads to disobedience is called rebellion!
Mark 9:
23 Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things
are possible to him who believes.
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!
All believers have points of struggle, such as Thomas, and the resurrection.
All the apostles had their moments...
Matthew 17:
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not cast it out?
20 So Jesus said to them,
Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there,’and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.
Hebrews 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Out of context, this becomes a very generic and frightening statement about unbelief.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence
steadfast to the end,
15 while it is said:
Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed,
was it not all who came out of Egypt,
led by Moses?
17 Now with whom was He angry forty years?
Was it not with those who sinned, whose
corpses fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest,
but to those who did not obey?
I offered a link earlier for all the places in the OT where the words 'cut off' are used,
and the context states 'rebelliousness against God and His chosen leaders.
In the context of Romans 11, Paul is providing a very specific warning toward Gentiles
concerning becoming arrogant towards the Jews who had been cut off because of their
unbelief. They rejected the Messiah and put Him to an open shame and had Him put to
death by crucifixion! Therefore He warned them merely days before "all the righteous
blood will be accounted for upon this generation"!
As to the context of the thread, the reason for the threat to being cut off is arrogance toward
natural Israel.
Romans 11:
19 You will say then, Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.
20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith.
Do not be haughty, but fear.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell,
severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise,
you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able
to graft them in again.
When Paul says "continue" in His Goodness, he uses [G1961=epimeno] a strengthened
form of [G3306-meno] meaning to abide, remain, continue with steadfast perseverance.
[G3306-meno] is used repeatedly by John in his Gospel and first epistle.
John 15:
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in
the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they
gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. [i.e. cut off]
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be
done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Those who are cut off and cast into the fire attain salvation, only by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved,
yet so as through fire.
