Romans 9:14-24

All right, and amen. Please have a seat and take with me, if you will, as your copy of God's Word.

We certainly have been excited as we've studied through it over the past year.

I'm not really sure how long we've been doing this for now.

And we've been brought now to three chapters, which I've shared with you previously.

At moments in the past weeks, I kind of wish didn't exist in the Book of Romans.

There have been times where I wish we really just could have skipped to Chapter 12 and kept going on.

But to be faithful to the letter itself, to not allow the enemy to dictate for us what we teach on on Sunday mornings, here we are.

And we're dealing with some weighty truths, some things in Scripture that can be hard to understand.

As even Peter wrote of Paul's writings,

there are some things in them that are hard to understand,

which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction as they do the other Scriptures.

And so as we approach things like this, we must do so reverently and humbly and maybe with a bit of fear that we handle them properly.

And so we've been looking together in Romans up to this point.

We've seen Paul make this great case for justification by faith alone,

that there's no thing that a human can do before God because we've all sinned.

We've all fallen short of the glory of God.

And it's by faith in Jesus Christ that we have right standing before Him.

And that now we have the Spirit of God which abides in us,

that helps us in our trouble, in our distress, in defeating sin.

And yet, that struggle exists.

That even as Christians, delivered from the bondage of sin,

we still carry the weight of our flesh.

And we strive against it by the Spirit within us.

Not only that, but from the exterior, we're going to experience trouble.

Chapter 8, verse 18, Paul says,

For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worth comparing

with the glory that is to be revealed in us.

And so He's lifted our eyes heavenward.

He's looking and casting an eternal perspective

so that as we struggle with the indwelling nature of sin

and with the persecution of the world,

even just the illness and the calamity that comes with the fallen world,

we might look to eternal things.

And then we're going to read, beginning in verse 28 of chapter 8,

through the end of chapter 9.

I hope that you'll follow along with me.

I'm using an ESV, so I'll try to read slowly for you in case you're not.

But let's begin in 8, 28.

And we know that for those who love God,

all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to His purpose.

For those whom He foreknew,

He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,

in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom He predestined, He also called.

And those whom He called, He also justified.

And those whom He justified, He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all,

how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?

It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn?

Christ Jesus is the one who died.

More than that, who was raised.

Who is at the right hand of God.

Who indeed is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,

or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

As it is written,

For your sake we are being killed all the day long.

We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

No.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,

nor things present, nor things to come,

nor powers, nor height, nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation

will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am speaking the truth in Christ.

I am not lying.

My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit

that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ

for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen, according to the flesh.

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants,

the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.

To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh,

is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever.

Amen.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed.

For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,

and not all are children of Abraham, because they are his offspring.

But through Isaac shall your offspring be named.

This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God,

but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

For this is what the promise said,

About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man,

our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born,

and had done nothing either good or bad,

in order that God's purpose of election might continue,

not because of works, but because of him who calls,

she was told, the older will serve the younger.

As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

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 have mercy,

and I will have compassion on whom I 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 very purpose I have raised 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.

You will say to me then,

Why does he still find fault?

For who can resist his will?

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?

Will what is molded say to its molder,

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 to make known the riches of his glory

for vessels of mercy,

which he has prepared beforehand for glory?

Even us, whom he has called,

not from the Jews only,

but also from the Gentiles.

As indeed he says in Hosea,

Those who were not my people,

I will call my people.

And who was not beloved,

I will call beloved.

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

You are not my people,

there they will be called sons of the living God.

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,

Though the number of the sons of Israel

be as the sands of the sea,

only a remnant of them 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.

What shall we say then?

That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness

have attained it,

that is a righteousness that is by faith,

but that Israel who pursued a law

that would lead to righteousness

did not succeed in reaching that law.

Why?

Because they did not pursue it by faith,

but as if it were based on works.

They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,

as it is written,

Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling

and a rock of offense,

and whoever believes in him

will not be put to shame.

Join me in a prayer over our time together.

Father, I pray that you will bless

the preaching of your word,

and I pray that it will be faithful

to the text's meaning.

I pray that my study, Lord,

and the words that you are filling me with,

that I pray will come out clearly,

will point people to the great truth

of the majesty of God

and the purpose of salvation

to this world.

I pray, Father, by your spirit,

you will help us to hear and understand

and apply

and to rightly understand these truths

so that we will be wise as we handle them.

And I pray this in Christ's name.

Amen.

So I've broken for you down

beginning in verse 6,

the end of the chapter,

the chapter into kind of four sections,

and we're dealing with them in three weeks.

to say that the large rejection of the gospel

by the nation of Israel

does not discredit the gospel

because the unbelief of Israel

and therefore the subsequent salvation of Gentiles

is consistent, number one, with God's promises.

We talked about that last week,

verses 6 through 13.

It's consistent with God's promises.

Number two, that it is consistent with God's person.

We'll look at that together today.

And then three and four,

which we'll look at next week.

That it's consistent with God's prophecies

and with his provision.

And so together today,

let's look at how

the rejection of the gospel by the Israelites

and therefore the inclusion of the Gentiles,

God's sovereign plan,

is consistent with God's person.

Let me draw you to the second half of verse 11.

This promise has been given here by God

to Rebekah

for Jacob to be the one who's loved.

The promise is carried through.

And then Paul writes,

in order that God's purpose of election might continue,

not because of works,

but because of him who calls.

The promise was carried by Jacob

and the acting that he's referring to,

that it not being by works,

is simply them being born.

Jacob and Esau were twins.

Esau was the firstborn.

And in so doing,

he should have received the favor.

He should have received all of the blessing

as the firstborn,

as these two are twins.

But God,

so that his purpose of election might stand,

gave the promise to Jacob.

And we talked last week at length

about the doctrine of election.

And today we get to look further

at how that is consistent

with God's person himself.

And we see in our text today,

verses 14 through 24,

two objections.

So Paul's laid this case

for God's sovereign election of his people.

That not all Israel is Israel.

That he is saving now the church,

which includes us.

And there are objections that come up

in people's minds.

I would imagine that Paul has taught this now

a number of times.

And these have been common questions.

I would propose that it's even questions

in his own mind

that he's had run through his mind

and he's had to deal with

with the scriptures.

I remind you in chapter 9

that he uses 12 Old Testament quotes,

nine of which are first person God.

We know that all of the Bible

is inspired by our Lord.

All written by him.

But there are cases in the Old Testament

where God actually speaks.

It's the record of his voice

and what he actually says.

Nine of them are first person God.

Why?

This is what I want to say to you

to preface all of this.

Why does Paul use

these particular Old Testament quotes?

It is to quiet us.

God himself has spoken on these matters.

We will not understand all of it,

this side of glory.

The more I think about that,

I'm not even sure we'll understand it,

the other side of glory.

We may not care to understand it

because we'll be in the presence

of the Almighty.

But this side of glory,

we certainly will not

completely wrap our minds

around God's full sovereignty

and control.

What Paul is telling us is

listen to what the Lord says

of these things.

So the first objection in verse 14.

What shall we say then?

Is there injustice on God's part?

And Paul's answer

is the most emphatic no

he could give in the Greek language.

You could probably think

of some English versions

of the most emphatic no

that could have been given.

It's meginnoito.

It's impossible.

No, no, no.

King James has rendered it.

God forbid.

It would be blasphemy

to say such a thing.

This by no means

is forceful.

No.

God has sovereignly chosen

who will be saved.

Does that make him unjust?

No, no, no.

Exactly what Paul is saying.

And then he quotes

verse 15.

He quotes what God says to Moses.

I will have mercy

on whom I have mercy

and I will have compassion

on whom I have compassion.

But before we deal with

what's happening

with that Old Testament quote,

let's look together

just at a few texts.

Genesis 18.25.

Abraham says,

Shall not the judge

of all the earth

do what is just?

Zephaniah 3.5

says that God

does no injustice.

Malachi 2.17.

Listen to this.

You have wearied

the Lord

with your words.

But you say,

How have we wearied Him?

By saying,

Everyone who does evil

is good in the sight

of the Lord

and He delights in them.

Or by asking,

Where is the God

of justice?

Malachi says,

You have made God

grow tired of you

because you keep asking,

How is that fair?

As we look across the world,

we want it to be

a certain way.

God doesn't seem

to be working things out

the way we think

it should be done.

Where is the God

of justice?

Malachi says

he's growing weary

of those questions.

Paul says to us,

God's character

is not only defined

by justice.

What if it was?

What if God was

only completely just?

And He is.

But what if He was

only completely just?

And this is the proper

perspective we need

as we read through this.

The original audience

of this letter

would have had it

read to them

much the way I read

beginning in verse 28.

And that took a while,

didn't it?

But it would have been

read to them

beginning in chapter 1,

verse 1.

It would have been

a grand sermon.

It would have taken

hours to sit and listen to.

But they would have

just recently heard

in chapter 3,

verse 10,

there is none righteous,

not one.

No one seeks after God.

No one does good.

Paul has clearly

laid that case for us

that by no work

that we can do

will we be justified

before God.

And it comes to here.

They have no room

for self-righteousness

at this point.

Right?

They are lamenting

their own condition.

They know that apart

from God's work

in their life,

they are totally

and utterly lost.

If God were fully just,

if that was all

of His character,

all of us

would be damned.

All of us are guilty

in the original sin,

and we ourselves

have committed

so much sin.

All of us deserve

damnation.

It's ours.

We bought it

with our sin.

And that's the condition

that we read

about the glorious,

sovereign election

of God

to us.

When we begin

to think

that we deserve

things,

look at me

and my great life.

we begin

to read these things

in a much different

perspective,

but we are,

were enemies

of God

apart

from Jesus Christ.

Praise God

that Jesus' character,

God's character

is not just

wrapped up

in His justice.

Psalm 37.6

says,

He will bring forth

your righteousness

as the light

and your justice

as the noonday.

So God is

righteous,

perfect,

and holy.

Psalm 97.2

Clouds and thick

darkness

are all around Him.

Righteousness

and justice

are the foundation

of His throne.

And then add to that

Psalm 33.5

He loves righteousness

and justice.

The earth is full

of the steadfast love

of the Lord.

Psalm 89.14

Righteousness

and justice

are the foundation

of your throne.

Steadfast love

and faithfulness

go before you.

So God,

being fully

just

and righteous,

must

punish

sin.

There is no sin

ever committed,

ever has been,

being committed,

ever will be committed,

that will not be

punished by God.

So for those of us

that our

end is not destruction,

full and final,

eternal punishment

for our sin,

who was punished

on our behalf?

Jesus Christ.

Because God

is fully

righteous,

fully just,

and yet

He is love.

He has shown

some

mercy.

We did not

deserve it.

You cannot

think that way.

You have become

a God

in your own

mind

if you think

you deserve

the favor

of God.

Verse 15.

I will have

mercy

on whom I

have mercy

and I will

have compassion

on whom I

have compassion.

We often

don't understand

New Testament

text because

we don't

understand our

Old Testament.

We don't

know

where Paul

is quoting

from in this

case.

We know

he said it

to Moses

because he

says that.

That might

be the

extent of

our

understanding.

The original

reader knew

exactly what

he was talking

about.

He knew

the story

and the

condition,

the case

for this

language.

In Exodus

Exodus 33 · chapter mention

chapter 33

is where this

comes from.

We see

the people

of Israel

having been

led out

of captivity

in Egypt,

crossing the

Red Sea,

Pharaoh's army

destroyed.

They camp

at the

base of

Mount Sinai

and Moses

goes up

on the

mountain.

While he's

up there,

in this

brief time

he's up

there,

they get

bored

and they

say,

where has

Moses gone?

Where's our

leader?

This man

that represented

God.

And so

what do they

do?

They melt

down all

their gold

and they

build a

golden

calf.

Moses

gets news

of this.

God

informs him

of it.

He

pleads

their case.

He goes

back down

the mountain.

This is

when he

breaks the

tablets.

He's so

angry.

He breaks

the Ten

Commandments

at this

time.

God

commands

that

3,000

men be

killed

as a

punishment

for this

sin.

But he

doesn't

destroy

all of

Israel.

Moses

goes back

up on

the mountain.

A couple

of weeks

ago we

talked about

the parallel

between

Paul's

lament

for Israel

that he

desired that

he himself

could be

cut off

from Christ

in order

that Israel

would be

saved.

And that

was reflective

of what

Moses cried

out to

God.

Moses

said,

leave me

behind.

If you're

not taking

your people,

leave me

behind too.

You can

count me

accursed

if you're

not going

to save

your people.

God

promises

him that

he'll go

with him.

He'll

deliver the

people to

their final

destination

to the

promised

land.

And then

in verse

18 of

Exodus

33,

Moses

says,

please

show me

your

glory.

Moses

is amazed

already at

what God

is doing.

He says,

please

show me

your

glory.

And God

says,

I will

make all

my goodness

pass before

you,

and I

will

proclaim

before you

my name,

the Lord.

And I

will be

gracious to

whom I

will be

gracious,

and will

show mercy

on whom I

will show

mercy.

God

is

incredibly

significant.

Think of

where we

are.

We're on

the very

tail end

of this

story of

Israel

betraying

God,

deserving

destruction.

Not that

they had

ever deserved

to be let

out to

begin with,

but certainly

now,

God could

have punished

them.

Moses

pleads

with God,

and God

adds to

his name,

the Lord,

I am,

and says,

I will

be gracious

to whom I

will be

gracious,

and I

will show

mercy on

whom I

will show

mercy.

What a

great comfort

this would

have been

to Moses.

It didn't

cause Moses

to ask

questions.

Moses didn't

go,

wait a minute,

but how

was that

fair?

He said,

good.

I am

glad that

you are

the Lord,

and for

some reason

you are on

our side,

because we

do not

deserve it.

When this

name was

originally

given to

Moses,

chapter 3

of Exodus,

verse 13,

then Moses

said to

God,

if I come

to the

people of

Israel and

say to

them,

the God

of your

fathers has

sent me

to you,

and they

ask me,

what is

his name,

what shall

I say

to them?

It's the

first giving

of this

name.

God

said to

Moses,

I am

who I

am,

and he

said,

say this

to the

people of

Israel,

I am

has sent

me to

you.

God

also said

people of

Israel,

the Lord,

same Hebrew

word,

the God

of your

fathers,

the God

of Abraham,

the God

of Isaac,

and the

God of

Jacob,

has sent

me to

you.

This

is my

name

forever,

and thus

I am

to be

remembered

throughout

all

generations.

This

is the

name

that the

Hebrew

people

won't

say,

Yahweh.

It's

called

Y-H-W-H

in the

Hebrew.

This

is that

name,

and it

contains

in it

so much

amazing

truth,

but

essentially

what God

is saying

is that

I am

God,

and you

are not.

I am

God.

I answer

to no

one.

Everything

answers to

me.

I like

this.

Everything

plugs into

God.

God

plugs into

nothing.

He is

self-sustaining.

He is

self-existent.

all power

in the

universe

is in

him.

And so

this

God

says to

Moses,

I will

declare

before you

my name,

the Lord.

I am.

And I

will have

compassion,

on whom I

will have

compassion,

and I

will show

mercy,

to whom I

will show

mercy.

It's not

really a

complete answer

to the

question,

is it?

It's not.

If you

think as

logically as

I do,

it's not a

complete answer

to the

question.

Is there

injustice

then on

God's

part?

Paul says

no.

Couldn't

be.

That's

impossible.

You want

to know

why?

Because

God says

this is

how he

functions.

Because

God is

just,

and we

know that

to be

true.

So if

God's

doing

this,

it's

not

unjust.

That's

the answer

that we're

given to

this

question.

And it's

yours to

choose what

you do

with that.

I hope

that you

humble

yourself

to that

reality.

I hope

that you

won't stand

in judgment

over it.

So verse

16,

he goes

on,

so then it

depends not

on human

will or

exertion,

but on

God who

has mercy.

For the

scripture says

to Pharaoh,

for this

very purpose

I have

raised 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.

That's

interesting,

he actually

juxtaposes

Pharaoh

against

Moses.

Again,

contextually,

think of

the story.

So we

have Moses,

the adopted

brother of

Pharaoh,

both leaders

of large

groups of

people,

both

murderers,

Pharaoh,

many Israelites

were murdered

under his

hand.

You remember

that the

reason Moses

fled Egypt

was because

he killed

an Egyptian

who was

being harsh

to one

of the

Israelites.

Both

murderers

neither

deserved

the favor

of God,

and yet

one did,

and the

other was

destroyed.

To what

end?

God's

glorious,

magnificent

name.

That it

would be

proclaimed,

that he

might show,

exhibit,

and we're

going to get

here later,

his wrath

to the world

for sin

as well

as his

mercy.

Now,

Paul does

not deny

the necessity

of faith

on our

part.

Now,

see,

Romans 1,

16 and 17,

kind of the

whole thematic

verses for

this book.

For I am

not ashamed

of the

gospel,

for it is

the power

of God

for salvation

to everyone

who,

what?

Beliefs.

To the

Jew first,

and also to

the Greek.

For in it

the righteousness

of God

is revealed

from faith

for faith.

As it is

written,

the righteous

shall live

by faith.

So,

our salvation

is necessitated.

There's

necessity

for faith.

Ephesians 2,

8 and 9,

Paul writes,

For by grace

you have been

saved through

faith.

This is not

your own doing.

It is the

gift of God,

not as a result

of works,

so that no

one may

boast.

Is faith

required on

our part?

Absolutely.

Who works

the faith?

God Almighty,

to His

glorious praise.

The second

objection,

that was

amazing,

the second

objection,

You will

say to me

then,

why does

He still

find fault?

For who

can resist

His will?

How many

of you,

please don't

raise your

hands,

but how

many of

you,

when first

dealing

with

God's

election,

ask this

question.

Maybe not

in this

exact phrasing,

but ask

this question.

I did,

but I

wrestled

with it.

I can

remember the

first time

I read

Romans chapter

Romans 9 · chapter mention

9,

with that

question in

my mind,

and I came

to this

point,

I was so

elated,

because I

thought the

answer,

like the

real answer

to the

question,

was right

on its

heels.

I thought,

here it is,

I'm going to

work it all

out now,

I'm going to

totally understand

the universe,

after I read

the rest of

chapter 9.

We don't

get the

answer,

do we?

Why does

he still

find fault

for who

can resist

his will?

And I

love Paul's

writings.

I think if you

read Paul's

writing,

dramatically,

you'll,

you begin to

kind of feel

the sarcasm

sometimes,

the rhetoric,

because his

response is,

but who

are you,

oh man,

to answer

back to

God?

Will what

is molded

say to

its

molder,

why have

you made

me like

this?

Now,

the evil

is not

in asking

the question.

It is

okay to

ask questions.

It is

okay to

wrestle with

doctrines.

Please

seek out

the truth.

the problem

is when

we answer

back to

God.

When we

stand in

judgment over

him.

Talking

back.

Have we all

gotten popped

for talking

back to our

parents?

You know

the difference

between

answering your

parents,

having a

conversation

with them,

and talking

back.

Much

different.

That's

what Paul

is correcting

here, that

we would

talk back

to God.

And he

uses this

analogy.

And it's

not a

specific text

that he's

quoting, but

there are a

number of

times the

same analogy

is used

throughout the

Old Testament.

So I just

want to show

you a few.

Isaiah

Isaiah 64:6

64,

verses 6

and 8,

says,

We have

all become

like one

who is

unclean,

and all

our righteous

deeds are

like a

polluted

garment.

We all

fade like

a leaf,

and our

iniquities

like the

wind take

us away.

There is

no one

who calls

upon your

name,

who rouses

himself to

take hold

of you,

for you

have hidden

your face

from us,

and have

made us

melt in the

hand of our

iniquities.

Don't you

catch all

that?

All of us

are utterly

sinful.

No one

comes to you,

no one

turns to you

of their

own accord,

because you

have hidden

your face

from us.

But now,

O Lord,

you are our

father,

we are the

clay,

and you

are our

potter.

We are

all the

work of

your hand.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:1–6

18,

verses 1

through 6,

Arise and

go down to

the potter's

house,

this is God

talking to

Jeremiah,

and there

I will let

you hear

my words.

So I

went down

to the

potter's

house,

and there

he was

working at

his wheel,

and the

vessel he

was making

of clay

was spoiled

in the

potter's

hands,

and he

reworked

it into

another

vessel,

as it

seemed good

to the

potter to

do.

Then the

word of

the Lord

came to

me,

O house

of Israel,

can I

not do

with you

as this

potter

has done,

declares

the Lord?

Behold,

like the

clay in

the potter's

hand,

so are

you in

my hand,

O house

of Israel.

So in

the positive,

God can

take us,

who are

utterly

spoiled by

our sin,

and he

can rework

us.

He can

change us

because we

are pots.

He is

the potter.

And then the

most striking

one,

back in

Isaiah,

Isaiah 45:9

chapter 45,

verse 9,

it says,

Woe to him

who strives

with him

who formed

him,

a pot

among

earthen

pots.

Does the

clay say

to him

who formed

it,

what are

you making,

or your

work has

no handles?

Are we,

those people,

woe to him

who strives

with him

who formed

him,

who answers

back to

God?

What are you

making?

Or,

your work

has no

handles.

If you're

one of these

people,

as I have

been,

so I'm

not standing

in judgment

over you,

I have

been arrogant,

I have stood

in judgment

over God's

word,

he's calling

you really

silly.

Does a pot

ever say

to the potter,

how come

you haven't

given me a

handle?

It would

be insane

for something

like that

to happen,

right?

Paul is

pointing out

the insanity

of you

standing in

judgment

over almighty

God.

So he says,

has the potter

no right

over the clay

to make out

of the same

lump of clay

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?

So he makes

a statement

in a rhetorical

question.

God,

desiring to

show his

wrath,

made known

his power

with much

patience.

He made

vessels of

wrath prepared

for destruction

in order

to make

known the

riches of

his glory

for vessels

of mercy,

which he

has prepared

beforehand

for glory.

glory.

This is

us,

even us,

even us,

whom he

called not

from Jews

only,

but also

from Gentiles.

Remember

where Paul

is in the

book,

right?

We talked

about how

it seems

really random

at the

beginning of

chapter 9

that Paul

laments over

Israel.

Those who

were given

many of the

blessings,

the privileges

of God,

that they

had turned

their back

on the

Messiah.

He laments

over that.

They're his

people.

Right?

Don't we

do the

same sometimes

when we

approach the

doctrine of

election?

We lament

over those

who are not

saved.

Paul's in

the same

place.

Paul's not

high and

mighty,

casting

judgment.

God is

God.

God is

wrathful.

God judges.

Right?

Paul himself

is broken

over this.

But like

Moses,

he ultimately

has the

right

perspective.

Verse 24,

he says,

even us.

We're all

aware of

how filthy

and vile

we are.

Are we

not?

It's really

easy,

really easy

to look at

somebody else

and think

that they

are polished

and put

together.

To think

that they

don't sin.

Look at

them.

They're

phenomenal.

We do

that.

Very often

we elevate

people in

that way.

Christian

artists.

It happens

all the time

with them

because they

sing emotional

songs about

God.

They must

be perfect.

Preachers,

that happens

a lot with.

I hope

that I

talk honestly

about myself

enough that

you don't

do that

with me.

I struggle

with sin

the same

way you

do.

I need

a gracious

God to

help me

live every

day the

same way

that you

do.

God is

so we

should

connect

with that.

Even

us,

the worst

of sinners,

he has

called not

only from

the Jews

but also

from the

Gentiles.

Praise

him.

Now let's

be sure we

pause here

as we see

the potter

making objects

of destruction

and objects

of glory

to recognize

that God

is not

the source

of evil.

James 1.13

says,

let no one

say when

he is

tempted,

I am being

tempted by

God for

God cannot

be tempted

with evil

and he

himself

tempts

no one.

And

Habakkuk

1.13

says,

you who

are of

pure eyes

than to

see evil

and cannot

look

at wrong.

These are

one of

those

apparent

paradoxes

of

scripture.

And I

say that

carefully

because there

are no

paradoxes

in scripture.

There are

no

inconsistencies

in scripture.

But it is

an apparent

paradox.

For God

to be fully

sovereign over

all things

and control

of all

things,

doesn't God

then also

have to be

the creator

of evil?

Would the

scriptures say

no?

He is

not.

No.

I have a

little mind

and I cannot

work out that

in its entirety.

But I trust

that the

Bible is

true