Mercy Is Promised to All Who Repent

Read Romans 11:25-36
Theme: The plan of God for Israel
Title in NIV: A restoration of Israel is promised

Paul is talking to the Christians in Rome, both Jews and Gentiles. He explains history in that Israel has experienced a hardening. They have become enemies of the gospel because they rejected Christ. As Col 1:21 says, they became enemies because of their evil behavior and alienation from God. He tells them this rejection is so the full number of the Gentiles could come in. He also gives hope and says that all Israel will be saved because God gifts and his call are irrevocable. Basically, God will keep his promise in the form of the covenant he made. (Read the covenant: Isaiah 59:20-21; 27:9; Heb 8:10-12)  The Israelites are loved (vs. 28) and God does not want anyone to perish 2Peter 3:9, but wants all to come to repentance.

How can someone receive a reward for something they have never done? How can someone say, "I understand your pain", if they have never been in the situation in their own life? How can the Israelites receive mercy from God if, from the beginning, they accepted Jesus as their Savior? You cannot receive mercy for never rejecting. You can only receive mercy when you have rejected and then repent. You cannot be restored if you are whole. God's plan was for Israel to reject Christ so they could be in God's plan of restoration. Vs. 32 says, 'God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." That mystery is hard to grasp. God is wise and knowledgeable beyond what we can comprehend. We could never search enough, study enough to understand Him and his paths are beyond tracing out. We could never give enough to Him to merit a payment back to us.

Thank God for his plan. Vs. 25 says, 'in part', and also 1 Cor 13:9, 'we know in part." Let us not  get discouraged about the part we don't know. Let us live fully and faithfully in the part we have been entrusted with.

Blessings!!