Romans 11:22-23 : Behold then the goodness and sever-ity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. This saving some through faith, and cutting off others because of their unbelief, shows both the mercy and justice of God, both the goodness and severity of God. And this leads Paul to exclaim: "Behold then the goodness and severity of God." God dealt severely with the Jews because they fell through unbelief. His goodness would be extended to the Gentile Christians so long as they did not fall through unbelief. In his goodness and in his severity God is neither tyrannical nor whimsical; the display of either his goodness or severity depends on man's attitude toward him. Let us not get a one-sided view of God. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). It is equally true that "our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). Because of unbelief the Jews had been cut off from God's favor. Their only hope therefore was to come back to God through faith in Christ. Any among them could be grafted again into God's favor, "if they continue not in their unbelief." God was able to graft them in again; the only hinder-ing cause was their unbelief.