The Faithfulness of God

 

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Romans 11:29 ESV

 

We have all known those who were once faithful. At one point they were very devoted to the Lord. But, somewhere along the line, things changed.

 

No longer are they devoted. No longer are they trusting in Christ. And no longer do they believe his Word and promises.

 

It makes us wonder if we were somehow duped. It makes us wonder if these people ever truly believed. And it leads us to ask if they were ever truly saved.

 

Much of this comes from the idea of “once saved, always saved,” espoused by American Evangelicalism. We reason that, if these people are not now believing, they never did. And we determine that, if they are not now saved, they never truly were.

 

We certainly can’t deny this possibility. There are some, I suppose, who go through the motions and say the right things, pulling the wool over our eyes. There’s also the possibility, however, that, for whatever reason, they turned their backs on the Lord and walked away from the faith they once held.

 

Yet, even in that case, we don’t give up on them. We don’t give up on them because the Word and promise of God is just as valid now as it was then. We don’t give up on them because, should they return to faith in Christ, God’s salvation remains available to them.

 

This is the encouragement we receive from the above verse. Paul had been addressing the spiritual state of Israel. And he noted their fall.

 

As things currently stand, the Jews, or what we might refer to as national Israel, are enemies of God. They have rejected his promises that were fulfilled in Jesus. And, in this way, they have rejected the salvation of God that was provided by Jesus.

 

Yet, Paul notes, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. They are beloved because of the faith of their forebears, namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Although they had rejected God, God had not rejected them.

 

The gifts and the calling of God, he tells us, are irrevocable. They are binding. They are unchangeable.

 

Paul is not suggesting that they are saved simply because they are Jews. Nor is he suggesting that he’ll overlook their rejection of Christ for the sake of their ancestors. He’s saying, rather, that God’s grace, that his invitation, still stands.

 

They were not outside of God’s reach. They were not beyond saving. If they received God’s Word and promise, looking to Jesus in faith, his grace was available to them.

 

And this, you see, is the comfort this passage provides to us. It provides comfort to us when it comes to our friends and loved ones who have turned their back on God. Although they may now stand condemned, although they may now be outside of the grace of God, his gifts and calling are irrevocable.

 

The promises that he once made remain valid. They are still in force. They have not lost their applicability.

 

Should they receive the grace of God still being offered to them, they can yet be saved. Should they again trust in his promise, God will welcome them home. Until the return of Christ, until the day of grace comes to an end, his invitation and offer still stands.