Vindicating God (Part 3) Stand In Awe! Series

ROM 9:19 – 24 . VINDICATING GOD (PART 3) STAND IN AWE!

RECAP: WE ARE IN THE HEART OF OBJECTIONS BEING THROWN AT PAUL V19 - 24 FROM HIS JEWISH COUNTRYMEN, THESE PEOPLE HAD REJECTED JESUS AS MESSIAH, THIS WHOLE SALE REJECTION THEY BELIEVED WAS A SIGN TO THEM THAT JESUS IS NOT THE MESSIAH. PAUL ON THE OTHER HAND WAS SAYING THE OPPOSITE IN THESE CHAPTERS 9,10,11 THAT JEWISH UNBELIEF IS ACTUALLY A SIGN THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, AND THEIR LARGE SCALE REJECTION IS NOT INCONSISTENT BUT ACTUALLY CONSISTENT WITH GODS COVENANTAL PROMISES IN HIS WORD.

1. SO THEY MAKE KNOWN THEIR OBJECTIONS TO PAUL, THE FIRST OBJECTION IF YOU ARE RIGHT PAUL GODS WORD HAS FAILED V6 HAS GODS WORD FAILED? GOD HAS BROKEN HIS WORD, HIS PROMISES HAVE FAILED.” BECAUSE WE ARE GODS CHOSEN DESCENDANTS THROUGH ABRAHAM WE ARE BENEFICIARIES OF ALL GODS PROMISES. AND SO IN V 6 – 13 PAUL SHOWS HOW MISGUIDED THEY ARE BECAUSE BELONGING TO GOD IS NOT OF NATURAL DESCENT V6-9 AND NOT OF OUR GOOD WORKS. V10 -13 BUT ALL ABOUT GODS ELECTING LOVE TOWARDS THE INDIVIDUAL.

2. THE 2ND OBJECTION CARRIES ON FROM THE LAST ANSWER GIVEN. SURELY PAUL IF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS TRUE THEN ISNT GOD UNJUST (UNRIGHTEOUS) V14 IS GOD UNJUST? HERE THEY OBJECT TO THE RIGHTEOUS CHARACTER OF GOD, IN REGARD TO HIS ELECTIVE PURPOSES IN CHOOSING ONE AND HARDENING ANOTHER. V14- 18 PAUL UNPACKS HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF HIS ELECTIVE PURPOSES AND REVEALS TO HIS MISGUIDED CRITICS - FIRSTLY THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND HE DOES AS HE PLEASES TO SOME HE DEMONSTRATES MERCY TO OTHERS HE HARDENS. BUT THE GROUNDS OF GOD DEALING WITH US IS NOT HIS JUSTICE BUT HIS MERCY. BECAUSE IF HE DEALT WITH US ACCORDING TO HIS JUSTICE, THEN WE WOULD ALL BE CONDEMNED, SO HOW CAN GOD BE UNJUST? HOW CAN GOD BE UNFAIR BECAUSE HE IS ACTUALLY MERCIFUL? AND IF HE HARDENS, HE IS RIGHT AND JUST TO DO SO AND HIS GLORY IS MANIFESTED IN SO DOING. SO PAUL HAS REVEALED THEIR IS NO VIOLATION TO THE CHARACTER OF GOD AT ALL IN HIS ELECTIVE PURPOSES. ROM 11:7-8 REINFORCES WHAT HAS BEEN STIPULATED HERE THAT GOD SHOWS MERCY AND GOD HARDENS.

3. AND SO NOW WE FIND OURSELVES AT THE 3RD OBJECTION V19 ONE OF YOU WILL SAY TO ME: “THEN WHY DOES GOD STILL BLAME US? WHO RESISTS HIS WILL?” IF OUR SALVATION IS ALL OF GOD V15, 18 AND WE DO NOT RESIST HIS WILL (WHICH WE CANNOT) THEN THE QUESTION ARISES...IS IT FAIR FOR GOD TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE, WHEN HE MAKES ALL THE DECISIONS V19 ? ONCE AGAIN HERE AS EARLIER THIS OBJECTION IS AGAINST GODS CHARACTER, “HOW CAN GOD BLAME ME WHEN HE MAKES ALL THE DECISIONS?” HE HOLDS THE STRINGS; I’M JUST THE PUPPET ON THE STRING.... JUST A ROBOT PRE –PROGRAMMED - ITS HIS DIVINE DECREE TO REJECT SOME AND RECEIVE OTHERS I’M JUST A VICTIM OF HIS WHIMS?

THESE OBJECTORS ARE ACTING LIKE THE LITTLE BOY WHO HAS GOTTEN INTO TROUBLE, WHO TURNS AROUND TO DEFEND HIS CORNER, “I HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER HE MADE ME DO IT?” AS THE LITTLE BOY PASSES THE BLAME FROM HIMSELF TO THE OTHER, LIKEWISE THEY PASS THE BLAME.

PAUL DOESNT REPLY WITH ANSWERS BUT WITH COUNTER QUESTIONS - HE DOESN’T NEATLY ANSWER THEIR OBJECTIONS - BUT FORCES THEM TO LOOK AT WHO GOD IS? AND WHO THEY ARE IN RELATION TO GOD? HE IS CALLING THEM TO SILENTLY STAND IN AWE OF GOD!

• ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1968, THE THREE ASTRONAUTS OF APOLLO 8 CIRCLED THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON AND HEADED FOR HOME. SUDDENLY, OVER THE HORIZON OF THE MOON ROSE THE BLUE AND WHITE EARTH GARLANDED BY THE GLISTENING LIGHT OF THE SUN AGAINST THE BLACK VOID OF SPACE. THOSE SOPHISTICATED MEN, TRAINED IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, DID NOT UTTER EINSTEIN’S NAME. THEY DID NOT EVEN GO TO THE POETS, THE LYRICISTS, OR THE DRAMATISTS. ONLY ONE THING COULD CAPTURE THE AWE-INSPIRING THRILL OF THIS MAGNIFICENT OBSERVATION. BILLIONS HEARD THE VOICE FROM OUTER SPACE AS THE ASTRONAUT READ IT: "IN THE BEGINNING GOD"--THE ONLY CONCEPT WORTHY ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE THAT UNSPEAKABLE AWE, UNUTTERABLE IN ANY OTHER WAY. "IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED"--THE INVASIVE, THE INESCAPABLE SENSE OF THE INFINITE AND THE ETERNAL.

1. STAND IN AWE AND EXAMINE YOURSELF BEFORE GOD. V20 -21

• EXAMINE YOUR IDENTITY: V20 WHO ARE YOU, A MERE HUMAN BEING.

PAUL WANTS US TO KNOW, THAT THERE IS A GREAT GULF BETWEEN HUMAN BEINGS AND GOD AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT OURSELVES IN RELATION TO GOD? WHO ARE YOU, A MERE HUMAN BEING? AND HE IS GOD THE CREATOR WHO FORMED YOU V20B YOU ARE A PIECE OF CLAY AND HE IS THE POTTER. HE IS THE HOLY GOD AND WE ARE SINFUL HUMAN BEINGS.