Book of Romans
Lesson #28
Romans 11:29 – 11:36
By Rev. James May
Last week we learned that God has not given up on saving Israel. His promises are true, his covenants never fail and there will come a day when Israel will repent, recognize that Jesus is their Messiah and many will turn to him and be Born Again. Revival will come to Israel and God will be with the Jews showing his power through them just as he did in the Old Testament. This was God’s promise to Abraham and to David; that there will be a remnant of the Jews that will be a part of the family of God in Heaven right along with the Bride of Christ, which is the church.
Now we will continue with verse 29. This is an often quoted verse, and a verse that is often pulled out of context and used to preach messages that may, or may not be, fully supported by the true meaning of the scripture.
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Quite often we hear this verse quoted, and I have done so myself, to support the idea that when we are called by God and given a mission or a work to do for the cause of Christ. There is some truth to that since we will all have to answer to God for our faithfulness and commitment to the work set before us. In that manner, there is no doubt that we will be judged for our obedience.
But this isn’t the root, or true meaning of what Paul writes here.
That word "gifts" doesn’t refer to the gifts of natural things such as life, health, strength, riches, and honor to whom honor is due. Yes, God does give these but he also takes them away at times.
All we need to do to see this is look at the fact that God was sorry that he had made man in the beginning and even sent a flood to destroy the life that he had given. Also there were the kings of Israel, like Saul, who had God’s anointing and honor but lost it through disobedience.
So life itself, honor, strength and any natural gift can be taken away, and God will sometimes be forced through the disobedience of men to remove the calling and the gifts that he has bestowed in the beginning.
Although God knew that men would fail, and that much pain and suffering would be the result, it was his love for man, and desire to give every man a chance to obtain the blessings, that caused him to choose to allow them the free will to either do right and be blessed or do wrong and suffer the consequences. After all, what kind of God would he be if he never gave men a chance to choose whether to serve him faithfully.
Understand this: God makes no mistakes. He has nothing to “repent” of. All things that God does is for good and will lead men to a path of holiness, righteousness and victory of sin. He has set the course of all things, and his set course is always to bring men into a place of blessing and success in life. But by man’s own choices, the plan of God can be altered greatly for his life. It’s not God that has to repent of doing anything, but it’s man who forces God to do what he had not planned to do because of God’s righteousness and man’s sin.
Also, the gifts and calling of God in this verse do not refer to the, gifts of the Spirit, or the call of men to works of ministry in the church. These can be taken away as well.
Matthew 25:29 gives us the Parable of the Talents where the unfaithful servant who was given a talent to invest in the Master’s business, had his talent taken away and given to another servant who had wisely invested his talents and brought gain to the Master’s house.
Does not God sometimes lift his calling from an unfaithful, disobedient servant? Ministers fall, losing their calling and their ministry because of sin. Christians lose their positions and are removed from service in the kingdom because of sin. This wasn’t God’s chosen path, but it’s the path they have made for themselves.
Sometimes, as pastors, we are forced to deal with certain issues and people in the church that are a danger to the church. Some people might have a calling and even work under an anointing for a while, but at some point, they become either cold in their relationship with God or they get entangled in unethical or immoral activity. As a result they destroy their own ministry and the church leadership is forced to take disciplinary procedures. This wasn’t God’s chosen path for them, but it’s the path that they chose to take and now there are consequences. The gift and calling are taken away and God moves that gift and calling to someone else.
So what are the “gifts and calling” that Paul is referring to? God, in his infinite grace and mercy, has extended gifts to all men, such as the invitation to salvation through Jesus, or the mercy of God extended to men; and even his covenants and promises that are meant for all men. These are gifts of God’s unchangeable mercies because he is a sovereign God and forever keeps his word.
God is never going to revoke these kinds of gifts. All men are able to enjoy these great gifts if he chooses to do so. God’s love never fails. God’s grace never fails. God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. These are the gifts and calling of God that are without repentance for God gives them to all men, calls all men to be partakers of the gifts and never repents that these gifts are not sufficient or that they are offered to all men.
Whatever God’s purposes are, and whatever promises he makes, and whatever God desires to do to bless his people, his ways are always good and perfect in every way.
Romans 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
What are these “times past” that Paul says we all lived in? In the days before the knowledge of the True God was revealed to the Gentiles, God allowed the Gentiles to walk in their own ways. No other nation, other than the Jews, knew God. The Gentiles were unbelievers by default through their ignorance, idolatry and superstitious ways.
For hundreds of years the Gentiles lived in ignorance, doing their own thing, while the Jews were God’s chosen nation to carry his name. He separated the Jews from the Gentiles and chose to show his love and power through them alone.
Before Jesus came and died for the sin of all men, the goodness and mercy of God was not fully revealed to the Gentiles so we sat in darkness, in the shadow of death. We either believed that there was no god at all, or even if they did believe that there was a God, they didn’t know him to worship him. Because they knew not God, the powers of darkness led them into worshipping many idols that were not gods at all.
Thank God, through the blood of Jesus, we have received God’s mercy to escape those chains of darkness to find a way back to reconciliation with God.
Romans 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
The Gentiles were ignorant and unbelievers but now the Jews have reverted to that same condition. They have become blind to the truth and the veil of deceit has now covered their hearts. Now it is the Jews who do not believe God. They believe that there is a God and that there is only One God, but they do not believe that Jesus is God.
But through God’s mercy extended to the Gentiles, now we have the gospel and through the preaching of the gospel, we now see the mercy of God being extended back to the Jews. The Jews now can see the blessings of God moving upon the Gentiles and it serves to stir some of them up to desire to experience those same mercies.
Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
God has determined that all men should be given equal opportunity. Now his word says that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Whether Jew or Gentile, we are all combined as one in God’s eyes. Now his mercy and grace is extended to all men, that whosoever will may be saved.
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
How great is our God who has pre-determined and set in order the plans to bring salvation to all men. His wisdom is far beyond the wisdom of men! His grace is sufficient for all! His mercy is extended to all. He gives equal opportunity for salvation, and equal consequences to all men who sin. His judgments are pure and righteous completely. Who can know and fully understand the mind of God and his ways.
Romans 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?
Romans 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
No man can say that he had any part in determining the means that God used to bring salvation to all men. No man was there to give God advice, either to approve or disapprove of God’s plans.
No man can say that he gave more to God than God has already given to man! No matter what it takes to serve the Lord, or what price we must pay for faithfulness, the price we pay will be nothing by comparison of what God has given and will continue to give to us.
All of the plan of salvation; all of the covenants and promises that God had given to us; even to the sacrifice of the very Son of God for our sin – everything that is good and perfect, all of the gifts and calling of God extended to us, are all of God alone. We had nothing to do with it except to believe and receive!
Therefore all of the glory belongs to God alone! It is for his great grace and mercy that we shall sing glory and power and honor to the Lord forever!
Praise the Lord for all his blessings. AMEN
