ROMANS:ROAD TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
Man Opposes and God Disposes
Romans 9:1-18
Jerry A. Collins
SCC
Can God be unfaithful to His Word?
Is God unfair when He chooses one over another?
If God turns away from
Today, I have 10000 dollars I am
going to give away. The first 3000 people I choose are going to receive $1
each. Once I choose you, I promise to give you that $1. It will be yours to
have and enjoy. Then I am going to give away the next $7000 to fourteen people
who will receive $500 each. Once I choose you, I promise to give you $500. It
will be yours to have and enjoy. Can you imagine what the first 3000 people are
going to think when they hear that 14 people received $499 more each than they
were given? They will conclude that I was unfair to them. That I owed them what
I had given to the others and was obligated to be fair to them. Wasn’t it
unfair to give only $1 to 3000 and $500 to fourteen? Doesn’t it seem unjust to
decide to give money away in this fashion? This situation is very similar to
the real situation for
1. GOD SHOWED GREAT FAVOR TO
(1) What is about to be said is hard and disturbing but not out of any animosity 1-3. 2 witnesses to this he tells us are first the truth in Christ and second, his conscience which the HS is affirming. Rather then any sort of bitterness toward the Jews, even tho many of them had persecuted him because of the gospel, he is filled with not just sorrow and anguish but great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart for them. His desire for their salvation so strong vs 3—he could wish, one that God would not possibly grant, even tho a sincere wish—to be cursed and cut off from Christ for their sake of salvation. Here is an example of how we should feel toward those we know who are separated from Christ!
(2) God showed great favor to
2. GOD’S REJECTION OF
Proof: Isaac and not Ishmael 6-9
(1) The failure of Jews to
respond to the gospel of Christ did not mean that God’s Word had failed vs 6. It may have looked so to Jews when they saw Gentiles
receiving God’s favor they believed was reserved for them. Word ‘failed’ means
to ‘have gone off course’ as a ship would. Being a physical descendent of Abe
does not automatically qualify you as a true Israelite, that
is spiritual
(2) Abe had many other children thru Sarah, Hagar and concubines yet none counted concerning these promises 7. This reveals that just being a physical descendent of Abe was not enough. It is not enough to just grow up in a Christian family. Or to just attend a Christian fellowship.
(3) Only one branch of Abe’s family was singled out for God’s favor-- thru Isaac 7-9. God’s elective purposes applied only to him and his descendents. So, the only ones regarded as children of Abe are those designated ‘children of promise’ vs 8. This means it is not those who are born naturally as Abe other children were but the one born supernaturally as result of God’s power, as Isaac was born to Sarah supernaturally in her old age vs 9. God’s true children are always born supernaturally by faith and become recipients of God’s promises.
Proof: Jacob and not Esau 10-13
(1) However someone mite state that God’s favor would naturally come thru Isaac because he was firstborn of Abe and Sarah. That was not true of Jacob 10-12. Esau and Jacob had same mother/father unlike Ishmael/Isaac. As twins shared firstborn privilege since one conception produced both of them 10. However, God chose Jacob even tho Rebekah bore Esau first. As in case of Isaac God made a choice between them before birth. Their birth supernatural too since she was barren. God chose Jacob before any deeds or character showed him worthy of this. Fact that Jacob became less admirable person than Esau emphasizes God’s choice was not due to Jacob himself. None of us deserve God’s favor. God’s favor always based on His choice. His grace. Whether $1 or $500.
(2) Here then is confirmation of God’s choice 13. God’s love for Jacob revealed in his choice for him in line of promise and hatred of Esau seen in rejecting him in the line of promise (Mal 1:2-3). God did not owe his favor to either or to us.
3. GOD CAN SHOW MERCY TO ANYONE HE CHOOSES 14-18
(1)
The question naturally arises, Is it fair that God
chooses one person over another? How can this be just vs
14? The charge of unfairness and injustice in flatly denied. It is not possible
for God to be so.
(2)
The reason is because it is not an issue of justice but of sovereign decision vs 15. God has the right to show mercy to whomever he
chooses. In fact, He is not under obligation to extend mercy to anyone! If in
my kindness I give you $1 or $500 no one can complain because no one is owed
anything. Everything they received was undeserved and a matter of sovereign
choice and mercy!
(3)
This choice does not depend on any effort or desire on my part vs 16. No one deserves or can earn God’s mercy.
(4)
God also has the right to harden anyone He chooses, such as