THE IRREVOCABLE PROMISES OF GOD
Romans 11:22-36
Israel’s blindness has a historical time limit on it until the fullness of the Gentiles has come. This blindness will be removed when God pours out His salvation blessing; and the remnant of Israel is grafted back into the place of favor. Just as God’s sovereign election cannot be earned, neither can they reject or prevent this promise. This is God’s providential plan as He orchestrates His purposes to draw sinners today to Himself and the Nation of Israel later on when the time is done with the church age. In other words this age/the church age will reach a concluding point when the church is moved aside and God will begin dealing with the Jews. Only God knows when the fullness of this Gentile era will end, but when it happens God will focus all His attention on Israel.
That’s the beauty and perfecting work of God in salvation. The fullness of the Gentiles will be followed by the fullness of Israel. Scripture is filled with promises about the eternality of our salvation, that whom the Lord saves He secures forever. This is why salvation is all of God, and not of man. God takes a rebellious person filled with sin and perfects him or her for His glory and purposes. We find comfort and rest in God because He is one who keeps you firmly planted in His tree. “For God has the power to graft them in.” (v23b)
It’s this truth, this eternal promise, that spurs us in worship by what Paul says in (v29) It speaks volumes of God’s salvific work in the life of the church and in the remnant of Israel. In the Greek “Irrevocable” is placed at the beginning of the sentence for added emphasis.
What Paul is literally saying is,
“Irrevocable are the gifts
and calling of God.
The patriarchs of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob....God gave to these three men great and unconditional promises that He would bless them and make of them a mighty nation. In Genesis 12:1-3 we read this everlasting covenant, “… And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."Since these promises are irrevocable and were given by God, they carried the weight of certainty. When God calls an individual and a nation, they can never lose that calling.
Gil
Rugh wrote, “The unfaithfulness of men cannot nullify the
faithfulness of God.”
God’s electing purposes are
rooted in His character.
Just as our salvation is secure because of God’s unchanging character.
This is why Paul says “You were” past tense, something you use to be before the gospel called you to Him. (v30) Before the gospel transformation we were disobedient. (ignorant in unbelief) Paul explains that God allows the evil in this world to happen because He desires to show His mercy. (Example: Romans 9:13-18) To truly understand what it means to receive mercy, we need to have a right understanding of His holy wrath.
Where have we seen God’s
wrath displayed and God’s
mercy displayed at the same time?
At the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the Cross
we see God’s flaming anger towards
sinners.
At the Cross
we see God’s mercy towards sinners.
God’s perfect hatred and
God’s perfect love was poured
out on His Son.
God’s perfect wrath was being poured on His Son, and because of that, mercy was being poured out over you. Mercy (compassion for those in need), over a disobedient rebel, we have received the gift and calling of God, as He gives grace to sinners who don’t deserve it. That’s the mercy that you I have received from a holy God, who is just, even if He saved no one. Think about that reality over the past week, month, year, before and after you made a profession that Jesus is Lord. You have received Mercy for ……
Every
click of the mouse or webpage visited.
Every
bitter thought or deed spoken.
Every
foul word you have uttered out of your heart.
Every
impure thought and act.
Every
gossiping conversation you eagerly have engaged in.
Every
wicked act or thought of others.
Every
act and display of self-righteousness.
Every
act of disobedience.
Every
covetous desire.
Every
sexual immoral act ever committed.
Every
murderous thought or deed done.
Everything you I have done; and though we have not been crushed for it, is an act of God’s mercy. Everything that the justice of God requires was poured out on the only begotten Son of God, because God is angry with sinners. But Rom 5:8 once again reveals God mercy, “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Without mercy, God’s wrath would completely destroy God’s people. Without mercy there would be no opportunity for sinners to receive grace.
Mercy tempers justic
When we sin, we prove this in Scripture over and over again, as God demonstrates mercy. Is this to say we should continue in sin? Absolutely not! As Paul said in chapter six, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Rom 6:1-2. In fact, understanding this and taking it to heart should draw us closer to the Scripture and away from sin. In fact, when we see the sin happening around the world, we should rejoice because God is showing His mercy by not annihilating every one of us.
This is what is irrevocable!
The God who saved you would never revoke His promises that He made in the garden before kicking out Adam. The God who made an everlasting covenant with Abraham would promise it would come to fruition for the remnant of Israel. The Son of God, death on the cross, would be sufficient to save sinners for all eternity.
This is what we are to make
the world Jealous about!
His promises are irrevocable.
We always need to careful not to make a commitment to someone you don’t keep; because we are prone to forget what we promise. Understand! We all have failed in this area of life. But God….. is all powerful and perfectly holy. He would never make a careless promise. “Irrevocable” means here as: “Incapable of being recalled or revoked; unchangeable; irreversible; unalterable.” A great example of this is when David wept when Saul and Johnathan were killed; he was heartbroken because of his love for Johnathan. We read in 2 Samuel chapter 9, “And David said, "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"….And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, "Mephibosheth!" And he answered, "Behold, I am your servant." And David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always." 2 Sam 9:1-7. This demonstrated the love David had for Jonathan, a love that extended to Mephibosheth. The same is true in our redemption. God’s love for His Son was poured out on Calvary so that we could sit at His table and receive this His great love that He had for His Son. See! When God was getting me he wasn’t getting anything special. The only reason we are included into the Kingdom of God is because of God’s love for His Son. Jesus said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” John 17:1-7
What is Paul saying that is irrevocable? If God’s calling of Israel (the remnant) is irrevocable, Israel must have a future in His plan. Even in Israel’s current state of unbelief, Paul affirms the covenant promises still belong to them. Romans 9:4. God will fulfill His plan and purposes, as Paul was asked a question previously. “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged." Romans 3:1-4. The same is true for those apart of the church! “in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” Titus 1:2. That all the promises made to the people of God shall be fulfilled. The church, and the remnant, need not be discouraged or desponding, in times of persecution, trials and uncertainties. None who are truly “born again” will be forsaken, or cast off. One theologian said, “God does not give the gift of repentance and faith, of pardon and peace, on people, for a temporary purpose; nor does he capriciously withdraw them, and leave the soul to ruin.”
We read in Hebrews 6:13-20, “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek “which means king of righteousness Why this name was given to this man is unknown.”.” This name may have been given on account of his distinguished integrity.
The gospel promise is not only irrevocable and it secures; this promise goes beyond our comprehension. (v33) –v36) An example I came across to what Paul is saying is “In the deep part of the ocean, the water becomes murky. Some fish survive at the bottom of the ocean where the sunlight never penetrates, but we cannot see them. Our vision into the ocean is limited to the shallows” “Oh the depth of the riches of God” just because we cannot see it we never stop pursuing the riches of God. How do we do that? Well to make Gold pure, you first must put it into the fire… to refine and purify it. The same is true in the Christian life! Charles Spurgeon said, “God puts us through the crucible, through the flames and the fire of persecution, so that the gold of our faith may be purified.” It’s this “awe of God” the infinite wisdom of God, that compels our worship of Him. This is what fuels the heart of the church, towards transcendent worship. We cannot plunder the depths of God’s wisdom, and knowledge, but we seek after Him nonetheless.
The gospel magnifies
this mystery.
His grace is rich, and His
wisdom is unmatched.
And we are satisfied in Him alone. And what’s more amazing is that His judgments are “unsearchable” and His ways “untraceable”. You cannot track His ways, or be one step ahead of Him. He is “Yahweh” Isaiah said, “…."Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.”
Isaiah 40:8-15
The nation of Israel at this time was living in fear because Babylon was very powerful. Isaiah reminds them that God’s omnipotent and He will fulfill His purposes because the nations are nothing before Him. We read in Job 41:11, God’s responds to Job doubting the wisdom of God. “Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.” It’s this truth that should cause the hearts of God’s children to sing praises to Him, because He is sovereign over His creation. These two verses alone, point to the fact that God has no need of our help, and He has no need of counselors……He is self-sufficient.
The gospel is all of God and Him
displaying
His perfect work through His Son.
His perfect, purpose, and plan, to save the remnant of ethic Jews and to save those outside the commonwealth of Israel by His grace. We are recipients of this mercy and grace as we rest in the Sovereign God of the Universe who calls sinners to Himself. Paul remind us that as you hear and read these past three chapters (9, 10, 11), we do not know all that God knows. (v34-v35)
Sola Dei Gloria “To God be the glory”
The incredible sovereignty of God should compel our worship of Him. We were not created to outsmart God; we were created to worship Him and put our trust in Him alone.
This is why we have the Scriptures which are sufficient and complete for a life in godliness. But there is also a mystery/ not yet revealed of God.. as we see in the song “The Love Of God”
“Could we with ink the ocean
fill,
And were the skies of
parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a
quill,
And every man a scribe by
trade;
To write the love of God
above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the
whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.”
God’s gift of unmerited grace and His divine election are irrevocable and for that I have amazing
peace in the midst of chaos. God knows the remnant of
Israel will be restored in the last hour because God is sovereign and He knows
what He is doing. I love what R C Sproul said as we close, “….Paul in the midst of his struggle about the future of his people. He
knows that their future is in the hands of God, not in the hands of the
Pharisees. God has the power, authority, and will to turn people away from
their disobedience. Had God waited in heaven for us to turn from our sins and
come to the cross, He would still be waiting. In His sovereign mercy and grace
God does not wait for us to turn or incline ourselves; God brings us away from
our disobedience to respond to Him.”
“For the gifts, and the calling of
God are irrevocable”
When the Lord exercises His redeeming call on someone, it is final; He never takes it back. The gift of His redeeming grace has not only brought us near, but gave us seat at His table because He loves His Son. "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (v34-36)
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