“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’ Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all” (Romans 11:25-32).
In the final portion of Paul’s resounding rebuttal of the Jews’ claim that God’s rejection of them is irreversible, the inspired apostle lists several things which are and are not reversible.
What is reversible:
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The Jews’ rejection status. If they will obey the gospel as the Gentiles did, their promised Messiah will separate them from their ungodliness and take away their sins.
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The Jews’ ignorance of and blindness toward God’s eternally purposed plan of universal salvation for all who obey the gospel. Ignorance and spiritual blindness are chosen behaviors; therefore, they can be reversed, and this ought to be done immediately.
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A status of disobedience before God. All humanity stands before God as guilty sinners. Through God’s mercy, both Jews and Gentiles can stand before Him guiltless saints in Christ.
What is not reversible:
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God’s universal Messiah who saves all humanity via obedience to His gospel. Jehovah has made a new covenant and sealed it with the blood of His Son. This covenant is irrevocable.
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The spiritual gifts God bestowed upon the physical descendants of Abraham and the promises of the coming Messiah. These are irrevocable facts of human history. These past blessings upon the circumcised, however, do not eliminate the necessity of their present obedience to the gospel.
