Romans 9:14-29

Good morning, everyone. Join me in your copy of God's Word and go to Romans chapter 9.

Romans 9 · chapter mention

! This is the third week we've been riding this crazy bull that is Romans chapter 9.

Romans 9 · chapter mention

! Hopefully most of you are still hanging on for eight seconds.

We are going to pick up the last little part of Romans 9 today.

We started by...

Last week I was torn whether or not to introduce to you in a doctrinal manner what we would call the doctrines of grace, Calvinism, or Reformed theology.

And I've done my best not to really push that, but just to let you see it in the text.

That really is sort of the best way.

And like, you know, some people get nervous when they hear the phrase Calvinism, but I can put you at ease.

Like, Paul was way before John Calvin, you know.

So when we look at Romans chapter 9, we see some things that are very hard for us to swallow as human beings.

Romans 9 · chapter mention

And it helped me as I wrestled with these things, somebody in my early 20s.

I was pretty frustrated.

I was really angry, hostile towards this kind of teaching.

And then I had just some men in my life who just very humbly and compassionately just pointed me back to the Scriptures over and over again.

To where I eventually just had to bow before what God's Word said.

And it also helped me to understand these are not new teachings.

It's been...

These are things that many in the historical, gospel-believing, Bible-preaching church have believed throughout the history of the church.

And one man that I know many of us respect would be a man named George Muir of Bristol.

And he was famous for starting his orphan homes.

And he cared for around 10,000 orphans in his lifetime.

And he pastored the same church for 66 years.

Didn't take a salary for 68 years and preached the gospel in 42 countries.

And he's a man marked by what many would say just humility, compassion, and service.

That's what marked his life.

Gospel conviction.

And he at first was very obstinate towards these things.

And just as an introduction, just really shortly, he was against the doctrines of grace for a long time.

But then he said this,

I was brought to examine these precious truths by the Word of God.

Being made willing to have no glory of my own in the conversion of sinners,

but to consider myself merely as an instrument.

And being made willing to receive what the Scripture said,

I went to the Lord, reading the New Testament from the beginning,

with a particular reference to these truths.

It's something he did frequently.

He would say, here's a doctrine or a teaching I've heard about.

Let me read through the entire Bible and see how many times I see this.

And he would just read through it.

And he said,

I found, to my great astonishment,

that the passages which speak directly for election and persevering grace

were about four times as many as those which speak apparently against these truths.

And even those few, shortly after, when I examined and understood them,

served to confirm me in the above doctrines.

As to the effect in which my belief in these doctrines is had on me,

by the grace of God, I have walked more closely with him since that period.

So, just by way of encouragement,

many faithful men and women have taught these things throughout the history of the church.

Now, going back into Romans 9,

two weeks ago, we did Romans 9, 1 through 5,

where Paul expresses the great anguish

and burdened, he feels,

for his fellow Jews that are still in darkness,

those who have rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

And he even says he'd be willing to give up his own soul

if it meant that all Israel could be saved.

And last Sunday,

well, excuse me, I probably should tie this all in together,

but the question has eroded,

since many Jews have not laid hold of Jesus as the Messiah,

has God's promise failed?

That's the question.

What does Israel's unbelief prove?

And Paul answers the question directly,

as we talked about last week in verses 6 through 13,

and he says,

yes, even though the majority of Jews have failed

to believe in Jesus as the Messiah,

God's promise to them has not failed.

And the reason that we unpacked at length

is just simply because God never made a promise

to save every single Jewish individual.

And he points out, if you look at verse 6,

for not all who are descended from Israel

belong to Israel.

And we see there's this reality

that there's an ethnic, physical Israel,

and there's a spiritual Israel.

And within the larger collective circle of national Israel,

there's a smaller circle of saved, believing Israel.

God only promised to save a chosen remnant from Israel.

He is faithful to that promise.

And then last week,

we sort of walked into that in the next few verses,

and we looked at Abraham and his sons,

and Isaac and his sons,

to show that God's election was not just to a group,

but it was to individuals.

He chose.

He chose.

He chose, right?

Isaac over Ishmael.

Jacob over Esau.

And God did this in verse 11.

We'll start there.

Look at verse 11.

God did this in order,

or so that God's eternal purpose of election

might continue,

not because of works,

but because of Him who calls.

So without regard of any human good work,

any merit,

any foreseen faith,

God chose some individual Jews,

but not all,

for salvation.

And like a good teacher,

Paul's anticipating at least two objections to that statement.

Right?

And I personally think these might have been things that he himself wrestled with.

Okay?

Things that I wrestle with still do,

but they are natural objections that arise.

And so before I get into this,

I want to say there is a humble and right way

to question God,

to come to Him with the desire to honor Him,

to come to Him with the desire to know Him,

to be okay if answers don't come.

There's a way to do that that is humble,

but that's not the kind of questioning

that we're going to look at here.

This kind of question is presumptuous.

It's arrogant.

And Paul draws that out here.

And again,

Paul doesn't just use his own feelings.

His own opinions and his own sentiments

to prove what he claims to believe.

In this chapter 9,

he cites 15 Old Testament references.

And today,

he uses

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

8 references

in the text today.

He's saying,

look, it's always been this way.

This is what the Scripture says.

To prove his answer.

So,

at least these two objections

comes to our mind.

We'll pick it up here.

But this is,

we're going to do it in the form of questions.

Three questions today.

Question number one is,

if God's election is true,

does this make Him unjust?

If God's election is true,

does this make Him unjust?

This is answered in verses 14 through 18.

All right,

let's look at this.

Verse 14.

Paul says,

What shall we say then?

Is there injustice on God's part?

By no means.

For He says to Moses,

I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,

and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

So then,

it depends not on human will or exertion,

but on God who has mercy.

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh,

For this purpose I raise you up,

that I might show my power in you,

and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

So then,

He has mercy on whomever He wills,

and He hardens whomever He wills.

Hard words.

But true.

So just to clarify the question,

or to clarify the objection

that Paul is anticipating,

he's saying,

Is God just in choosing

one particular individual over another

for salvation?

This sounds so unfair of God.

I thought God was supposed to be loving.

I thought God was always supposed to do what's right.

So if unconditional election is true,

then that would make God unjust,

arbitrary, unloving.

Therefore, it can't be true.

Right?

And by some small shot,

if it is true,

then it's not a God I want to worship.

That's where this kind of questioning can take us

when we are approaching things

in a man-centered position.

But I'm going to just say,

it's not wrong to say,

Well, God,

I just want to see how this fits together.

And if you say no,

okay.

But I'm just,

I would like to know

if there is an answer.

And Paul answers the question,

Does this make God unjust?

And he says,

No, never.

By no means.

The strongest negative

in the Greek language.

Other translations idiomatically say,

God forbid.

May it never be.

No, no, no.

A thousand times, no.

It's impossible.

No infinity,

as we would say growing up.

No infinity.

Even the mere thought of God

being unjust or unrighteous,

Paul says,

even the thought of that

to the slightest degree

is blasphemy.

Even with his limited revelation,

even that Abraham did not have

the Scriptures in his hand as we do,

Abraham said,

Shall not the judge of all the earth

do what's right

and act justly?

That's Genesis 18, 25.

And Moses wrote later,

God is the rock.

His work is perfect.

All his ways are justice.

A God of faithfulness

and without iniquity,

just and upright is he.

That's Deuteronomy 32, verse 4.

Deuteronomy 32:4

So by no means,

like God's election

does not make him unjust.

No.

By no means.

God forbid.

And so we go,

Okay, well,

I take it as your word.

Now, why do you say that?

So then he goes from that,

verifying his answer to affirming his answer

in the next few verses here.

And God is not just,

not unjust,

excuse me,

in choosing one or the other.

He goes to Scripture.

He goes to the Exodus account.

And in verse 15,

he looks at Exodus 33, 19,

verse 17,

Exodus 9, 16.

And I want you to look very closely

at 15, 16, 17, and 18.

Like, look at verse 15.

See the 4?

He connects the 4 in verse 15

to the so in verse 16.

And then later,

he connects the 4 in verse 17

to the so in verse 18.

So basically,

4,

because of this,

so,

therefore.

So he's driving home a point.

And first,

he speaks of Moses in verse 15,

as we just read.

4,

he says to Moses,

I will have mercy on whom

I will have mercy,

and I will have compassion

on whom I will have compassion.

Exodus 3, 19.

So God remains perfectly just

even if he chose not

to save anyone.

Further still,

the salvation of anyone

is only due to his grace

and his mercy alone.

In verse 16,

So,

so then,

therefore,

accordingly,

right?

It depends not on human will

or exertion,

the totality of human effort,

but on God who has mercy.

Our salvation then,

I mean,

you can look it up if you want to,

this is what it says.

I'm not trying to pull the wool

over your head.

It just,

it says that our salvation

is not ultimately due

to human free will

or our effort,

our work,

our exertions.

It depires completely

on God's merciful

and gracious will.

I have some things

we'll pull out of this

in just a second,

but then he goes from Moses,

what God said to Moses,

to what God said to Pharaoh.

In verse 17,

for,

because of this,

the scriptures say to Pharaoh,

for this very purpose,

I've raised you up

that I might show my power in you

and that my name

might be proclaimed

in all the earth.

He quotes that scripture

to show that God

is completely sovereign

over the actions of Pharaoh,

over the actions of his army,

towards the Israelites.

You know a verse

that will just spin your head around?

Spun my head around.

Proverbs 16,

4.

It says,

the Lord

has made,

created,

everything for its own purpose,

even the wicked,

for the day of evil.

God appointed Pharaoh

as a supreme ruler of Egypt

and in judgment,

he hardened his heart

so that God's saving power

and his glorious name

might be spread

throughout the whole world.

That's what that passage says.

And he repeated it

on several occasions

in the Exodus account.

God says that his goal

is to make his name great,

to glorify his great name.

At the climax of,

the Red Sea,

where they're at the Red Sea,

this is what God said

in Exodus,

I will harden Pharaoh's heart

and he will pursue them,

meaning like he will follow them

into the wilderness

and into the Red Sea

to his own destruction.

And I will get glory

over Pharaoh

and all his hosts.

And the Egyptians shall know

that I am the Lord.

Exodus 14, 4.

So saying in Exodus

the same thing

as chapter 14, 17 through 18,

but summary,

God,

so then, right?

Connecting it back

to the earlier part.

So then,

he has mercy

on whom he desires.

You see this?

Verse 18.

Mercy on whom he wills

and hardens whom he wills.

A lot of us struggle with this.

Like,

we have to understand

that God has

numerable attributes.

Guess what?

Justice and wrath

are two of those attributes

just as much as

goodness,

love,

and mercy.

And it may be hard

for us to swallow,

but God is glorified

when he destroys evil.

God is glorified

when he destroys

those who spit

upon his greatness.

And so,

I'm going to give you

three takeaways

from just this one passage.

All right?

We're saying,

again,

this just isn't fair.

I feel like this is unjust,

but we have to remember this.

Number one,

underneath this first question,

none are worthy

because all are guilty.

Because all mankind,

me,

I know me

and you,

all of us

have trampled upon

the infinite worth

of God.

We only

deserve judgment.

We all have rebelled

against our good creator.

We have no case

to plea.

This is what Paul does

in the first two chapters

in Romans.

He just lays it out.

Yeah,

you've got no case.

All guilty.

All guilty

before God.

And man

is not

deserving

of God's goodness.

I am not deserving

and you are not.

We only

deserve

death

for our sins

that mankind

has committed.

And it says,

those who practice

such wicked things

deserve

to die.

And they not only

do them,

but give approval

to those who practice them.

That's Romans 1.32.

And so,

when we see our sin

and how terrible

and appalling

it is,

we question

God.

How can we do that?

When we see

how awful it is,

the real question

is not why would

He save some,

but why would

He save any of us?

That is the question.

Why would God

be inclined

to save any of us?

Y'all know that

in 2 Peter

it talks about

how the angels

rebelled against God.

God didn't spare them.

He didn't spare any of them.

He didn't send them

any Savior.

He just judged them.

So the fact

that He even

sent a Savior

to save

mankind

is mind-blowing.

So none are worthy

because all

are guilty.

This leads

to

save any

sinner.

Yet He chose

to save

some

as a demonstration

of His mercy,

His grace,

and His love.

Because all

are guilty,

God has the right

to have mercy.

We see it right there

in the text,

verse 15.

Mercy on whom

He desires

and compassion

on whom He desires.

Now,

God would be

perfectly justified

again in

annihilating

all of us

for our rebellion

against Him.

There's a good chance

that you spat upon Him

today.

I have.

We have rebelled

against God.

And so,

there is no

injustice in God

if He chooses

to save some

and not others.

Now,

let me help you

wrap your head

around this.

This helped me.

I know my history

major was good

for something.

But,

I tend to bring

a Western,

democratic idea

of

justice

into this text.

And this is not

how the Bible

talks about things.

And let me

tell you,

the kingdom of God

is not a democracy.

It is an absolute

monarchy.

And we go back

in the ancient

and medieval worlds.

We will see that

a king,

an emperor,

a ruler,

they also served

as judges, right?

Think about Solomon.

He was a judge.

People brought their

cases before him

and he would listen

and he would make

a decision.

So,

these monarchs,

kings,

emperors,

would serve

as judges.

And,

a good monarch

would be powerful,

merciful,

and just.

If a king

isn't powerful,

then his subjects

can see him

as weak

and will take

advantage of him.

If he's not

merciful,

he cannot maintain

the love and loyalty

of his subjects.

He's seen as weak.

And if he's not

just,

then they see him

as corrupt.

Right?

So,

supreme power,

mercy,

and justice

are all inseparable.

And here's what would

happen.

If a king

was confronted

with a band

of rebels,

people who had

murdered,

raped,

stolen,

this is,

I'll show you

in just a second,

just a common occurrence,

but they would all

come before the king

and he would say,

look at me,

all of you

deserve the sword.

You all deserve to die.

You broke the law.

You hurt people.

You dishonored me

as the king.

All of you deserve to die.

But,

because

I am

a merciful

king,

I will pardon you

and you.

But the rest of you

get the sword.

Because people

also need to know

that I'm not a pushover.

And that,

I take the law seriously.

So in that one act,

a king would be feared,

right,

as well as loved.

He spared.

He spared

these rebels

when he didn't have to.

And so,

let me give you

just two examples

of this in the Scripture.

It's just important

for you to see this,

but you don't have

to look there,

but in Exodus 32,

we know the context.

Moses had received

the Ten Commandments,

from God

on Mount Sinai

and down the Israelite camp.

There's rebellion brewing

and idolatry spreading.

They build the golden calf

and commit this sensual,

depraved celebration

at the bottom

of Mount Sinai

and unbelief.

And Moses feels

that indignation

from God

coming towards the nation.

And he knows

that punishment

will come.

All right?

For that sin,

you'll see,

God commands

that 3,000 people

be killed

immediately.

And so,

here's a question.

A question for us.

For that horrific act

of idolatry,

would God be justified

if He put to death

all those Israelites

who had committed

that sin

or those who just stood by

and let it happen?

Yes.

He would be just

if He killed them all.

I mean,

Aaron blows my mind.

Aaron,

the mother of Moses,

was just like,

okay guys,

sure,

whatever you want to do.

And I always wonder

why God didn't punish him.

Well,

the answer is His mercy.

He could have.

He was guilty.

And Moses made that prayer

of intercession.

Right?

God demonstrated His justice

by executing 3,000

as a warning.

Don't do it again.

And He incited fear.

But He also spared the rest

inciting gratitude.

You see that?

Another quick example

comes out of,

this is really simple,

2 Samuel 8,

2 Samuel 8:2

verse 2,

that's when David

was winning

all these victories

against all the pagan

enemies of God.

And he defeated Moab

and he captured

a whole bunch of them.

And we read this,

David defeated Moab.

He measured them

with a line,

making them lie down

on the ground.

Two lines he measured

to be put to death

and one full line

to be spared.

The Moabites

became servants to David

and brought Him tribute.

So,

I hope you see that.

But I just want you

to think about,

if you were the judge,

if you had all the power

and that band of criminals

who committed heinous acts

came to you,

you expect them to come in

on their knees

begging for their lives,

right?

and they come in to you

and say,

hey,

we deserve to be let go.

We think this trial

is an outrage.

You can just say,

excuse me?

That is how

the indolence

that you feel

when you hear that,

that's just a fraction

of how God feels

probably

when we say,

that just doesn't

sound fair, God.

It puts me

in my place.

Spurgeon said,

sinful man

is now

not in the position

of a well-deserving

innocent child.

We will suppose

another case,

one closer to the mark.

A number of criminals

guilty of the most

aggravated

and detestable crimes

are righteously

condemned to die

and die

they must

unless

the king

shall give them

a free pardon.

If

for good

insufficient reasons

known only

to himself,

the king chooses

to forgive

a certain number

and leave the rest

for execution,

is there anything

cruel or unrighteous

here?

And so,

may we say,

is there any

unrighteousness

with God?

God forbid.

And that's

just important

for you to understand.

God has that right.

He's under no

obligation.

And the fact

that he saves any

should blow our minds

and this leads

to the third

and last one.

This is

hard to swallow.

But,

as a consequence

of what I just said,

just as

God freely

and graciously

decided to save

some,

so he also

passed over

others.

This is what

is referred to

as reprobation.

God has chosen

to pass over

certain persons

and punish them

for their sins,

manifesting

his justice.

I'm not making

it up.

Look at

verse 18.

So then,

God has mercy

on whomever

he wills

and hardens

whomever

he wills.

Now,

it's important

to understand

this,

that when we say

God hardens

somebody,

he doesn't just

go,

and just

zaps them

and just

makes them

bad.

Scripture teaches

we are bad

on our own.

We are

sinful

by nature.

What it means

is God

gives us

over to our

already sinful

devices.

God

hardens

sinners

not by

implanting

evil in us,

for that

would infer

evil comes

from him,

right?

But rather,

God chooses

not to

change us

and leaves

us

to our

already

existing

sin.

If you

go back

to Romans

1,

it says

three times

in there

a phrase,

God gave

them up.

God gave

them up.

And

that's what

happens

when God

takes his

hand off.

That's what

happens.

There is

grace

constraining

us.

Just for

the sake

of time,

I want

you to

write down

John

John 12:37–40

chapter

12

verse

37

through

40

where

basically

it says

that people

have

rejected

Jesus

because

God

has

blinded

their

eyes

and

hardened

their

hearts.

That's

what it

says.

It's a

hard truth

out of

God's

word.

And this

leads to

the second

question

in Romans

9.

Going

in verse

19.

This is

question

number

two.

Question

number

one is

does this

make God

unjust?

No,

it doesn't.

question

number

two.

If

God's

election

is

true,

then how

can

he

hold

us

responsible?

Verses

19

through

23.

Let's

read.

Paul

says,

you will

say to

me

then,

why

does

he

still

find

fault?

For

who

can

resist

his

will?

All

right?

Now

listen to

this

stunning

response.

But

who

are

you,

O

man,

to

answer

back

to

God?

Well,

what

is

molded

say

to

its

motor?

Why

have

you

made

me

like

this?

Has

the

potter

no

right

over

the

clay

to

make

out

of

the

same

lump

one

vessel

for

honorable

use

and

another

for

dishonorable

use?

What

if

God

desiring

to

show

his

wrath

and

to

make

known

his

power

has

endured

with

much

patience

vessels

of

wrath

prepared

for

destruction

in

order

so

that

to

make

known

the

riches

of

his

glory

for

vessels

of

mercy

which

he

has

prepared

beforehand

for

glory.

So

again

like

these are

things I

never read

most of

my life

until it

was shown

to me

and I

was like

this

I don't

like

this

this

rubs

me

wrong.

But to

clarify

the

question

that's

being

asked

they're

basically

saying

if salvation

just only

comes from

God

and who

just has

mercy

on whom

he wants

to

then how

can he

hold any

of us

responsible?

How can I

be blamed

!

for my

sin

if God

just

chooses

not

to do

anything

about it?

I can't

resist him

so

how can I

be held

responsible?

And

based on how

Paul answers

the question

in one way

we can

say

yes

he can

and he

will

hold you

responsible

hold me

responsible

he'll hold us

to account

for our

sins

but

Paul

chooses

the answer

in a way

that

is very

humbling

he doesn't

notice though

he doesn't

start going

outside the

Bible

using extra

biblical

philosophical

arguments

of free

will

or anything

else

to resolve

that problem

rather

he turns

back

to such

and such

a man

or woman

who would

ask that

kind of

question

so

presumptuously

and says

who are

you

to the

contrary

who are

you

to answer

back to

God

Paul

rebukes

any

prideful

challenge

made to

God

by using

a warning

that God

once gave

to Israel

in Isaiah

45

9

woe

to him

who

quarrels

with his

maker

so this

isn't

like a

humble

God

I just

would love

to know

if you

say no

that's

okay

but help

me see

it's not

that

it's like

well

God

how can

you hold

me

accountable

then

it's that

kind of

person

he's

answering

so he's

saying

stop

no further

cease

and desist

you go

too far

you puny

mortal

man

it is

blasphemy

to deny

much less

question

God's

right

to hold

rebellious

mankind

accountable

he insists

that fallen

finite

humans

being blinded

by sin

are in

no position

to question

God

right

I mean

think about

this

like

let me

ask you

personally

who in

this

congregation

feels

confident

enough

and they're

good enough

in their

walk with

God

to ascend

the mountain

and stare

God in

the face

and go

like

not me

not me

I will

not approach

the holy

one

and question

him

that has

not

happened

and worked

out well

for many

people

in the

scripture

Job

most notably

Job 38

1-3

the Lord

answered

Job

out of

a whirlwind

who is

this

that darkens

my

counsel

without

knowledge

now

gird up

your

loins

like a

man

and I

will

question

you

that's

what

God

says

to him

mind

blowing

so then

to reinforce

this answer

who are

you oh

man

he gives

this

common

illustration

!

makes this

indisputable

declaration in

the form of

a rhetorical

question

using that

common

biblical

metaphor

of

a potter

or a

molder

which is

God

the creator

molding

the clay

pot

or vessel

which is

man

humanity

in verse

20

right

see verse

20

well what

is molded

say to

its

molder

why

have

you

made

me

like

this

so

basically

for us

to question

God

our maker

is

presumptuous

and ludicrous

as a

clay pot

jumping off

the table

and

arguing

with

the potter

to fully

understand

God

we would

need

to be

equal

with

God

who has

made

us

and that's

a notion

more absurd

than a clay pot

being equal

to the potter

who made

it

so to

presumptuous

!

Isaiah

Isaiah 29:16

29

verse 16

this is

something

Paul is

thinking

about

he quotes

that

you turn

things

upside

down

shall

the potter

be regarded

as the

clay

that

the

thing

made

should

save

his

maker

he

did

not

make

me

or

the

thing

formed

say

of

him

who

formed

it

he

has

no

understanding

this is where

Paul is getting

this language

from

and

so

look at

verse

21

24

he

continues

this

same

illustration

He says

can the potter

do what he

wants to

over the

clay

to make

out of

the same

lump?

Now that lump in the metaphor is sinful human beings.

It's all of us.

It's a single lump of fallen humanity.

That's the clay that God is using to shape and mold.

And he says he can make one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use.

So just hear me.

That God has the perfect right to make different vessels for different purposes.

In this case, you see it right before your eyes.

He formed some vessels for honorable use and some for dishonorable.

In this context, meaning some who will be saved and some who will not be.

And let's connect the two categories together, alright?

There are two categories of vessels.

Dishonorable vessels.

And I'm pulling it right out of the text.

Dishonorable vessels.

That God has prepared beforehand in order to display his wrath by bringing them to destruction.

And then secondly, honorable vessels.

That God has prepared beforehand in order to display his mercy by bringing them to glory.

That's all right out of the verse.

I didn't make it up.

So God created a world in which both his wrath and his mercy would be put on display.

Right?

We freely and willingly choose sin every day.

He did not zap us and make us this way.

He can hold us to account.

He can save who he wants to.

Then going on in the next few verses, verse 22 and 23.

And then Paul just sort of takes a shot at it.

Like, I kind of think in one way, he's like, I don't know.

I think this.

I can tell you this at least.

But I'm not going to give you an exhaustive answer.

Here, he says in verse 22,

What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make his power known,

has endured much patience vessels of wrath or prayer for destruction,

in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy?

That's where I got that definition.

Which he prepared beforehand for glory.

Indeed, all that to say that God's mercy and God's grace

shines the brightest against the backdrop of his wrath.

When the end comes, we who are in Christ will be aware of it.

We won't suffer his wrath because we are in Christ,

but we will be aware of it when it happens.

And in that moment, it will be like Noah being in the ark.

And be like, look at what's going on around us.

And yet, we are spared.

Right?

Indeed, right?

We see here very clearly that those of us who are in Christ should understand.

We should know that God has patiently endured.

He has endured.

Even today, men just spitting upon his name.

He's endured it for thousands of years.

Why did he do it?

So that we may know and realize the great extent of his mercy and blessing towards us.

You see that?

So in summary of all this, Paul affirms all human beings, all of us, guilty before God.

Right?

We are all guilty.

And he doesn't offer some kind of philosophical reasoning as to why all this comes together.

He just simply insists that God ordains all that happens.

That's Ephesians 1, 11.

He works all things after the counsel of his will.

Even though God himself does not sin, he is not responsible for our sin.

He just insists that that is true.

Therefore, we have to humbly see the salvation of any sinner is only due to his grace.

And not because I deserve it.

I don't deserve it.

And so, the third question in the last few verses here.

Alright?

Third question.

From where do God select people come?

So meaning like, who are they?

Alright?

So, remember, Paul has used the scripture to give you his answer.

Even though it was a hard one to swallow.

And I want you to imagine Paul sitting there telling you this.

He's not just sitting up on a stool going,

Well, I have a great answer for you.

He's doing it with tears in his eyes, according to verse 1-5.

He feels it in his soul.

And he's saying, this is still true.

And so, he uses the Old Testament historical account in Exodus.

And now, he jumps forward to prophetic revelation.

Saying, hey, the prophets spoke of this.

The prophets foretold this.

He shows that God's election is consistent with prophetic revelation from Hosea and Isaiah.

That God's mercy not only extends to a chosen remnant of Israel.

But also, to elect Gentiles through faith.

Most of us in here want to answer a prayer that was.

That's awesome.

Verse 24.

He goes,

Even us whom he has called,

effectually calls.

That means,

now from the Jews,

not from the Jews only,

but also from the Gentiles.

As indeed,

he says in Hosea,

those who are not my people,

I will call my people.

And her who is not beloved,

I will call beloved.

And in the very place where it is said to them,

you are not my people,

there they will be called sons of God.

That's amazing.

So these texts were originally meant for Jews,

but Paul is applying them here to the salvation of the Gentiles.

Israel had displayed,

if you read Hosea,

if you read Isaiah,

any of the prophets,

Amos,

you'll see that God's people were in great rebellion against him.

And God warned them.

He warned them,

stop,

repent.

He sent them prophets.

He sent them messengers to say,

hey,

this idolatry,

this wickedness that you are committing is not okay.

Repent.

And they didn't.

And God judged them with Assyria and Babylon.

And they were taken into captivity.

Remember all this?

And so they,

by their own sin and disobedience toward God,

they,

in one way,

forfeited their covenantal status.

The Mosaic covenant was a conditional covenant,

where God said,

if you do this,

I will do this.

If you obey,

then I will bless you.

If you disobey,

you will be cursed.

And they were breaking that covenant.

Thank God,

the one that we live under is unconditional,

where God says,

I will do good to you,

regardless.

And so,

what he's saying here,

is that,

God has promised,

that outsiders,

Gentiles,

people outside the nation of Israel,

will be brought into God's people,

and united,

along with,

that restored remnant of Judah,

calling them all,

sons of God.

Like,

remember what Jesus said?

I have many,

many,

sheep,

who are not of this fold,

Israel.

I must go,

and bring them in,

also.

So they will be,

one sheep,

but one,

plug it out.

Yep.

Basically,

one flock,

with one shepherd.

That's it.

So this idea,

that God has,

people spread abroad,

that he's going to bring into one,

group,

Jews and Gentiles alike.

It goes back to Romans 1.

Right?

Not ashamed of the gospel,

for it is the,

power of God,

salvation,

for the Jews,

and the Gentiles.

Saul ties into this.

So he is,

bringing them all together,

into one collective people,

he will call,

sons of God.

And the prophets foretold this,

the stunning grace of God,

that there are people who will be called,

sons of the living God,

calling salvation,

to the Gentiles.

All right?

So look at verse 14.

This is where he quotes from Isaiah,

or excuse me,

verse 27.

Quotes from Isaiah.

And Isaiah cries out,

concerning Israel,

though the number of the sons of Israel,

be as the sand of the sea.

You see this?

Only a remnant will be saved,

for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth,

fully and without delay.

And as Isaiah predicted,

if the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,

we would have been like Sodom,

and become like Gomorrah.

Gosh.

So,

Paul ends that original premise,

that no,

God's word,

God's promise to Israel has not failed,

simply because,

his promise was never,

to save every single Jewish person.

Most of Israel was judged,

only that remnant was saved.

And this was,

due to the horribleness of their sin,

that they had committed.

And he says,

like Israel,

deserved,

deserved,

to be wiped out.

Like Sodom and Gomorrah.

But yet,

God,

showed mercy,

and chose to spare some.

You see that?

I mean,

it's just right,

all here in the text.

So,

wrapping it up,

I know your heads are spinning,

so is mine.

So,

when we have this class in a couple weeks,

like,

come and bring it.

Let's sit down and look at the scripture together,

and wrestle with these things.

But,

I want to give you two quick applications,

of what we see here.

Because this isn't meant to frighten you,

it's meant to give you hope.

Alright?

At least there are three things,

I will try to spend time on just two of them.

But,

one,

understanding election,

will give you a deeper humility.

Alright?

And I'm not saying,

if you don't believe it,

that you're not humble.

I'm just saying that,

it'll give you a deeper humility.

When we realize,

that my sin,

and your sin,

our condition,

how serious it is,

before God,

knowing that He graciously chose us,

to be adopted into His family,

it'll only leave us,

like in awe and wonder.

Rightly believed,

pride is impossible.

It blows my mind,

that so many people,

who claim to believe these things,

just approach them,

in such a pompous way.

It should destroy,

any kind of pride,

you have left.

And,

in love,

He predestined us,

to adoption.

1 Thessalonians 5,

9.

Check this out.

For God,

has not,

destined us,

to wrath,

but,

to obtain salvation,

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5,

9.

As I mentioned,

this is steeped in,

Baptist history,

history,

as well.

And,

a Southern Baptist,

pastor in 1842,

C.D. Mallory,

wrote this,

Is this not a doctrine,

that strikes at human pride,

and brings the creature,

low at the footstool,

of great Jehovah?

It strips him,

of all boasting,

nourishes a meek,

and lowly sense,

of dependence.

While,

the soul,

with still adoring thoughts,

of his matchless,

sovereign,

eternal love,

when the believer,

reflects,

of how much he is blessed,

he will melt,

into tenderness,

and grateful affection,

as he dwells upon,

the particular mercy,