God's Sovereign Choice

GOD’S SOVEREIGN CHOICE

ROMANS 9:5-18

PAUL IS DEALING IN THIS CHAPTER WITH THE ANXIETY THAT COMES WHEN HIS PEOPLE CHOOSE TO NOT BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH. HE ALSO HAS TO DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT GOD IN HIS SOVEREIGNTY, CAN ELECT TO SAVE SOME OF HIS PEOPLE BUT NOT ALL.

WE TEND TO CONFUSE THE ISSUE OF SOVEREIGN GRACE AND THE DOCTRINE OF “ELECTION”, THINKING IT MEANS THAT GOD HAS CHOSEN TO SAVE SOME AND THEREFORE CHOOSES NOT TO SAVE OTHERS.

THIS IS NOT THE CASE. GOD WOULD NOT BE SO CRUEL AS TO BRING INDIVIDUALS INTO THIS WORLD, ONLY TO CHOOSE BEFORE THEY WERE FORMED THAT THEY WOULD BE DESTINED FOR HELL. THIS GOES AGAINST THE TEACHING OF SCRIPTURE.

2 PETER 3:9: THE LORD IS NOT SLOW IN KEEPING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME UNDERSTAND SLOWNESS. INSTEAD HE IS PATIENT WITH YOU, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE

JOHN 3:16-17:

16 FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. 17 FOR GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD, BUT TO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH HIM.

1. PAUL IS CAREFUL, HERE, FIRST OF ALL TO REFER TO HIS PEOPLE AS “ISRAELITE”, NOT JEW. “ISRAELITE” IS A SPECIAL RELIGIOUS POSITION, TO MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE. IT IS NOT A NATIONALISTIC DESIGNATION AND HAS RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE EVEN IF NOT ACCEPTED BY MOST OF HIS PEOPLE. HE THEN LISTS A NUMBER OF BLESSINGS THAT THE ISRAELITES ARE REWARDED WITH FOR CHOOSING TO FOLLOW CHRIST.

A) ADOPTION: PAUL IS USING THIS TERM IN A DIFFERENT WAY HERE THAN HE DID IN CHAPTER 8. THERE IT WAS FOR INDIVIDUALS, HERE IT IS FOR THE NATION. GOD’S ADOPTION OF ISRAEL AS HIS “CHOSEN PEOPLE”, CONVEYS TO THE NATION ALL THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES INCLUDED IN THE OLD COVENANT. THESE BLESSINGS DO NOT INCLUDE SALVATION FOR EVERY SINGLE ISRAELITE.

B) THE SECOND PRIVILEGE IS THE “GLORY”. THIS REFERS TO GOD’S

CONTINUING PRESENCE WITH ISRAEL, OR HIS “SHAKINAH” GLORY. IT IS THE KNOWLEDGE, NOT JUST THE FEELING, THAT GOD IS PRESENT IN THEIR LIVES.

C) THE “COVENANTS” HERE IS NOT REFERING TO JUST THE OLD TESTAMENT SACRIFICIAL COVENANT, BUT TO SEVERAL OF THE COVENANTS THAT GOD MADE WITH PEOPLE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

PAUL WAS SHOWING PEOPLE GOD’S CONTINUING PRESENCE WITH THEM AS INDIVIDUALS, AND MARKED THEM AS “SPECIAL PEOPLE”, OR PEOPLE WHO HAD A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

HE DOES THIS TODAY AS WELL. BECAUSE OF THE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH CHRIST, WE SHOULD DEAL WITH OUR DAILY ISSUES IN A MUCH DIFFERENT WAY THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP. THIS DIFFERENCE WHOULD BE ATTRACTIVE AND SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED BY PEOPLE.

D) THE “GIVING OF THE LAW” SIMPLY REFERS TO THE FACT THAT GOD CHOSE ISRAEL TO GIVE THE LAW. IT IS A SPECIAL GIFT TO A SPECIAL PEOPLE.

E) “TEMPLE WORSHIP” COULD REFER TO ISRAELS WORSHIP OF GOD WHEREVER AND WHENEVER IT WAS CARRIED OUT, BUT MORE LIKELY WAS A FOCUS ON THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM.

THIS IS TRUE IN OUR WORLD TODAY AS WELL. GREAT NUMBERS OF PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY CAN WORSHIP GOD ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE. IT IS OFTEN SAID THAT “I DON’T HAVE TO GO TO CHURCH TO WORSHIP GOD.” I DARE SAY THAT IN MOST CASES THERE IS NO WORSHIP BEING DONE IN THOSE OTHER AREAS AS WELL.

IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT PEOPLE WILL COME TO CHURCH ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. THEY ARE THE FOUR SEASON WORSHIPPERS. THEY COME AT CHRISTMAS, EASTER, THANKSGIVING, AND USUALLY MOTHER’S DAY. THEY ARE HERE FOR THE SEASON, CHURCH IS PART OF THE ROUTINE.

WHAT PAUL IS SPEAKING OF HERE IS THE BLESSING THAT PEOPLE HAVE WHEN THEY TRULY ARE COMING TO CHURCH TO WORSHIP GOD. IT IS WHEN THEY TRULY WRESTLE WITH ISSUES IN THEIR LIVES AND SEE GOD WORK IN THEIR MIDST.

F) THE “PROMISES” THAT PAUL CONCLUDES VERSE 4 WITH ARE THE PROMISES GIVEN TO ABRAHAM AND THE OTHER PATRIARCHS. THESE ARE PROMISES THAT IF FOLLOWED WILL BE PASSED ON DOWN TO THEIR DESCENDANTS.

2. THE SECOND PRIVILEGE THAT PAUL SPEAKS OF IS IN VERSE 5. IT IS THE PRIVILEGE OF “BELONGING”. IT IS THE PRIVILEGE OF BELONGING TO THE SAME SPECIAL GROUP AS “THE FATHERS” OR “THE PATRIARCHS.”

THIS BELONGING TO THE PATRIARCHS IS IMPORTANT, AS GOD HAS MADE PROMISES TO ABRAHAM, ISSAC AND JACOB THAT ARE VALID BOTH FOR THEM AND THEIR DESCENDANTS.

WHAT GREAT PROMISES GOD HAS MADE TO THESE PATRIARCHS, AND THESE PROMISES ARE PASSED ON TO THOSE OF US WHO HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST.

THINK OF THE NAMES OF GOD.

• El Shaddai:“God Almighty.” The derivation is uncertain. Some think it stresses God’s loving supply and comfort; others His power as the Almighty one standing on a mountain and who corrects and chastens (Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; Ex. 6:1; Ps. 91:1, 2).