"As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Romans 11:28-29
'God's gifts and his call are irrevocable'. This passage is about Israel and is a response to a question the Apostle Paul is asking, namely: Did God reject his people? (v.1). The answer he is arguing is: 'by no means!'. The basis for the question is that the gospel appears to have gone to the Gentiles and they were pushing their way into the kingdom making it look like the Jews had been sidelined in God's plan of Salvation. Paul is saying, 'no way' - I myself am a saved Jew!
His main argument for why it could never be the case that God had rejected Jews forever is that his promises, gifted to them, cannot fail and his call to them cannot fail - in other words those he has chosen cannot be rejected! He will not withdraw his sovereign choice. Verse 2 says, 'God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew'. Verse 5, 'at the present time there is a remnant (a small number from amongst the whole batch) chosen by grace'. Verse 7, 'What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened'. And verse 28, 'As far as the gospel is concerned (the here and now) they are enemies (of God) for your (gentile) sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.
So, throughout the chapter Paul is saying that God made an unforced choice to save a remnant of Jews from amongst the people he once called 'his people'. That is happening now and will continue to happen until the end. All of which tells us something because we are saved also; because just like the remnant, we are the subjects of God's sovereign choice. We gentiles are like a remnant from the world - the world which is God's also. For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whosoever should believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Election - or God's sovereign choice - is a gift. He didn't foresee any merit in us that persuaded him to choose us over and against anyone else. He chose us freely, and because it was a free choice, it can rightly be said to be a gift. And since God is not a man that he should change his mind, that choice - and therefore that gift - is irrevocable! Since Paul is using that argument to reassure Jews who are thinking it looks like God has changed his mind, it most certainly works in that way for us too. Our assurance is this: his gift of electing love is irrevocable!
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