In other words, a person can be in active and open unholy living and in rebellion to God’s law and still retain their position to be used to bless others without changing their sinful ways through repentance. It is true that God can use anything to promote His kingdom. He even used a donkey to get His message out, but that doesn’t mean He will give a person carte blanche to do whatever they want.
The verse quoted (Rom 11:29) is not speaking about someone in active ministry who is living in unconfessed sin. God is explaining to Gentile Christians, through the Apostle Paul, that the disobedient Jews (His chosen people), can become, by His mercy, a Born-Again Christian and share in the gracious gifts and the eternal calling of God, just as they (the Romans) were in pagan disobedience. It is God alone who made the Jews the recipient of the displays of His grace and called them to the Messianic salvation. He will never be subject to change His mind and or regrettable mistakes that He would need to repent of. He will never withdraw His grace from Israel and leave and abandon His calling of Israel.
God placed all the Jews and the Gentiles in the discussion on the same level to save all of them by the same means through His mercy that is in Christ Jesus who saves all alike by justification through faith alone. The Christians in Rome were being implored to embrace each other and sing thanksgiving to the one mercy that brought them all together and made them one. God will not change His mind regarding His chosen people and their mission and destiny. His promises concerning them are unconditional.
The word “calling” (Gk: ???s??) denotes the act of God by which He extends an invitation to all people to come and partake of His favors, whether it be by a personal revelation as like the Jewish patriarchs, or by the promises of the Gospel, or by the influences of the Holy Spirit. God never draws or invites sinners to Himself without being willing to fully bestow pardon and eternal life. It is not a vocation or career assigned to anyone by Him; it is His authoritative invitation to be a part of the Messianic kingdom with all the spiritual right and privileges that entails.
God said that He will not repent of the promises He made to the forefathers, even though many of them had become rebellious, disobedient, and had been cast off, should not be forgotten and abandoned.
The gifts (Gk: ?a´??sµa = charisma) denotes any benefit which is conferred on another as a mere matter of favor (grace), and not of reward (Rom 5:15-16, 6:23). The favors that God bestows on sinners through Jesus Christ include election, pardon, peace, joy, sanctification, justification, adoption, and eternal life in particular effectual calling, are irrevocable, and He will never repent of giving because they are the exclusive and spiritual gifts and blessings of God's free grace given in Christ
The Born-Again Christian naturally and habitually abides in Jesus and does the things that accompany salvation. “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven” because they are ‘bad trees.’ Jesus said that “It is only the person “who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Jesus also said that many “will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”(Matt 7:21-23).
If a person is living in habitual sin and rebellion against God “it is impossible,” in the case of those who have “once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their harm and holding him up to contempt” (Heb 6:4-6).
The Bible tells us that “no one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” who protects them and the “evil one does not touch them” (1 John 3:9, 5:18). Those who naturally and habitually obey the Word of God and “walk as Jesus did” do so because God's love is truly made complete” in them (1 John 2:5-6 NIV).
When a person is living in unconfessed sin and does not repent before God He actively stands in front of them in full military battle armor resisting them and will not show them favor in any situation ( 1 Peter 5:9; James 4:6-10). When a person choses to walk in holiness and humility, submitting their self to God, He lifts them up so that they will be able to resist the devil who then has to flee from them.
By living in the “meekness and gentleness of Christ” there is found the “divine power to demolish strongholds” of “arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God”. Humility is what is able to help “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:1-5 NIV). Walking in humility is the secret to victorious spiritual warfare and effective supernatural ministry.
True Repentance
Jesus said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev 3:19-20 NKJV).
Repentance is most often thought of as ceasing to sin, doing penance and turning around and going the opposite way. Many believe that repentance is how you measure up to the high standards of God. It’s their way of saying, “I'm deeply sorry, and I promise to never do it again.”
Webster's Dictionary defines the word repent: 1) to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life; 2a) to feel regret or contrition; 2b) to change one's mind.
The first definition is what many believe that Jesus taught - that only people who repent (stop sinning and change their ways) will enter into the Kingdom of God. Actually, many non-Christians do this all the time as they realize it will benefit their lives. However, the word “repent” in the New Testament means to change one's mind or purpose for the better, to think differently about or reconsider what they are doing or what they have done. It does involve turning from sin, but most importantly, it means turning to God. It’s not about working one’s way into Heaven.
The first Commandments states, "I am the LORD your God”…"You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Ex 20:2-5 NIV)
God desires to be the center of a person’s life. The Father longs for them to depend on Him to be their refuge, glory, and strength, rather than some “Idol.” Anything that keeps them from trusting Him exclusively He considers to be "other gods.” He is waiting for them to turn their heart away from these "other gods" and towards Him.
The reason a person should repent is that God wants to prove that He is a better refuge and strength than anyone or anything else. He is looking for people who will stop trusting earthly sources for filling their longings and desires. He is looking for people who will lean on and cling to no other but Him. He desires that they turn their affections towards Him and place their trust, confidence, security, and total dependence on Him and be satisfied with nothing else.
Repentance is a process of turning to God so people can receive His presence in trade for what they usually try to gain by dependence on earthly sources. Repentance makes it easier to turn and draw near to the Lord and deal with the many reasons that tend to hold them back from Him. It will take them from loving their earthly ways to loving God. It will also lead them to the place where earthly things become less and less attractive because the benefits of His presence far surpass anything this life has to offer.
