Mercy on All

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: [4] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

 27 “and this will be my covenant with them

when I take away their sins.”

 28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now [5] receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (Romans 11:25-32 (ESV)

“For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” Wow. All God wants to do is show mercy.

We have all been disobedient. Paul here talks about our relationship with Jews. They are enemies of God for our sake. And yet this is all the more reason to love them. We are to love our enemies. God still loves them, even as he loved us while we were still enemies of God. The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable, he says. This is true of those he has given us in baptism too. All have been disobedient that he might have mercy on all, and having mercy on all they might be saved.

This should also color our relationship with all who reject the gospel. We have no reason to be proud. God has shown mercy to us. It is the same mercy he would show to others through us who are now the body of Christ.