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Romans 11:29
29   For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

This verse is a much quoted verse by unconditional eternal securists. Some use this Scripture to supposedly "proves" that we are saved without ever repenting. Yet, a look at the context of Romans 11:29 will prove this to be false.

CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT!

If we look at the context of Romans 11:29 we see that this Scripture is directly speaking about unsaved Israel (although its truth can apply to all).

Romans 11:25-29
25   For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26   And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27   For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28   As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29   For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

It is very clear from the context that those being directly addressed in v.29 (Israel) are unsaved. No saved person has "ungodliness" (v.26), "sins" (v.27), or are "concerning the gospel they are enemies" (v.28). Even most unconditional eternal security teachers are not deceived enough to claim that Israel, as mentioned here, is saved. That would be a horrendous cheapening of grace, even compared to the usual cheapening of God's grace by unconditional eternal securists.

Think about it! To suggest that ungodly sinners who are enemies of the gospel are saved! What utter, devilish blasphemy!

Romans 11:29 is not saying that you do not have to repent to receive the gift of salvation or any other gift or calling for that matter (see 2 Cor. 7:10)! It is simply saying that the gifts and the callings of God to the Israelites are still good. God did not make a mistake in calling them that He would need to repent of and for that reason His "gifts and calling are without repentance."

The Greek word ametameleta, meaning "not to be repented of" is translated "without repentance" here. God will not repent of His gifts and calling, they are without repentance. His gifts and callings are not to be repented of, but to be restored to Israel when they are saved.

Romans 11:29 gives just another way of expressing the idea that even though the Israelites are presently ungodly sinners who are enemies of the gospel they will all be saved and fulfill God's original calling and gifting for them (Is. 66:7-8; Zech. 12:10-13:1).

As we have seen from the context of Rom. 11:29 that the verse is not saying that repentance is not necessary to receive the gifts and calling of God, especially considering that the Scriptures make it clear that we MUST repent in order to receive the most important gift and calling, salvation (Mt. 3:2; 4:17; Mk. 1:15; 6:12; Lk. 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; 17:30; 26:20; 2 Cor. 7:10; etc.).

The reader would do well to always remember that any doctrine that uses one or two Scriptures prove itself but goes against numerous Scriptures cannot be correct. As we have seen Rom. 11:29 is one of these Scriptures used by many unconditional eternal securists to make an excuse for their failure to repent and fully surrender to God, thus forcing them to make excuses for their lack of true personal salvation from all sin.

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