ROM 9: 14-18. VINDICATING GOD PART 2.
RECAP: LAST TIME PAUL EXPOUNDED GODS SOVEREIGNTY IN HIS ELECTING LOVE OF INDIVIDUALS. THE JEWS WERE SELF ASSURED OF THEIR HERITAGE – YET IT WAS AN ASSURANCE WHICH WAS MISPLACED. THEY BELIEVED BECAUSE THEY WERE NATURAL DESCENDENTS OF ABRAHAM AND ISRAELITES THAT THEY WERE AUTOMATICALLY GODS CHILDREN. WHAT PAUL WAS PROCLAIMING MADE GOD OUT TO BE A LIAR BECAUSE GOD WAS BREAKING HIS COVENANTAL PROMISES. SO PAUL SETS OUT TO VINDICATE GOD.TO CLEAR UP THEIR MISUNDERSTANDINGS. V6 ITS NOT AS THOUGH GODS WORD HAD FAILED. PARAMOUNT TO HIS EXPLANATION TO HIS JEWISH HEARERS WAS V6 NOT ALL DESCENDED FROM ISRAEL ARE ISRAEL. NOT TO CONFUSE THE TWO ISRAEL’S: (SPIRITUAL AND EARTHLY) NOT EVERY MEMBER OF ISRAEL IS A MEMBER OF GODS SPIRITUAL ISRAEL (THIS IS THE KEY FOR THE NEXT 3 CHAPTERS)
HE GOES ON TO EXPLAIN THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ABRAHAM’S NATURAL CHILDREN AND THE CHILDREN BORN OF THE PROMISE V7 NOR BECAUSE THEY ARE ABRAHAMS DESCENDANTS ARE THEY ALL ABRAHAMS CHILDREN. HE CLEARLY SHOWS FROM THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES THAT ISAAC WAS SELECTED AS A CHILD OF PROMISE. V7-9. GEN 21:12 AND NOT ISHMAEL NOR THE OTHER NATURAL CHILDREN THAT ABRAHAM HAD.
V10 -13 THEN HE WENT ON TO SHOW AGAIN GODS ELECTING LOVE, IN SELECTING JACOB OVER ESAU EVEN THOUGH BOTH WERE FROM THE PROMISE SEED OF ISAAC - YET GOD BRINGS DISTINCTION AGAIN . BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN BORN OR HAD DONE ANYTHING GOD OR BAD GOD’S ELECTING LOVE SELECTED JACOB. GEN 25:23. THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER
PAUL WANTS US TO KNOW ABRAHAM‘S REAL DESCENDANTS ARE GOSPEL BELIEVERS ROM 4:11,12 SOME MAY BE CIRCUMCISED AND UNCIRCUMCISED. YET BOTH WILL WALK BY FAITH. THESE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE RECEIVED GODS ELECTING LOVE AND ARE THE REAL SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM AND THE TRUE ISRAEL. SO GODS WORD HAS NOT FAILED - SO DO NOT CONFUSE THE TWO ISRAEL’S.... BUT IS BEING FULFILLED AND THEIR UNBELIEF IS CONFIRMATION OF THEIR TRUE LINEAGE.
SO EARLIER THE FIRST OBJECTION WAS AN ATTACK ON GODS PROMISES V6, HERE THEY ARE ATTACKING GODS CHARACTER V14.
LETS READ ROMANS 9:14-18:
• ANYBODY WHO IS A PARENT WILL HAVE OFTEN HAD TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN AND WHEN THOSE DECISIONS HAVE GONE AGAINST THE CHILD’S WISHES . WE’VE ALL HEARD THE CHILD SAY “THAT’S NOT FAIR!” AND “WHY?” BUT THE PARENT MAKES THOSE DECISIONS FOR THE CHILD WHETHER GOOD OR BAD AND T DOESN’T HAVE TO GIVE AN EXPLANATION. BECAUSE THEY ARE THE PARENT THE OTHER IS THE CHILD.
• AS WE GET OLDER THAT SAME OUTLOOK WE SHOW AS CHILDREN TOWARDS OUR PARENTS CAN OFTEN MANIFEST ITSELF AS ADULTS TOWARDS GOD. HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU HEARD THE ACCUSATION AGAINST GOD “THAT’S NOT FAIR?” WHEN SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED WHICH A PERSON DOESNT LIKE?
YET GOD IS GOD......GODS IN SOVEREIGN CONTROL : WE NEED TO REMEMBER THE GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN CREATION AND THE AFFAIRS OF THAT CREATION. THIS MEANS HE HAS THE RIGHT OF GOD TO DO AS HE WISHES (PS. 50:1; 115:3 IS. 40:15; 46: 9-10. 1 TIM. 6:15) WITH HIS CREATION. THIS IMPLIES THAT THERE IS NO EXTERNAL INFLUENCE UPON HIM AND THAT HE ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO EXERCISE HIS RIGHT ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. BEFORE WE WERE EVEN AROUND REV4:11 “YOU ARE WORTHY, OUR LORD AND GOD, TO RECEIVE GLORY AND HONOUR AND POWER , FOR YOU CREATED ALL THINGS, AND BY YOUR WILL THEY WERE CREATED AND HAVE THEIR BEING.” PAUL CONFIRMED THIS FACT IN, ACTS 17 “IT’S IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING.”
SO OUT OF HIS OWN FREE CHOICE HE CREATED ALL THINGS....FROM THE FIRST MAN ADAM TO THE ZEBRA AND NOBODY INFLUENCED HIM AT ALL. AND HE IS SOVEREIGN CONTROL OF ALL THE AFFAIRS THAT TAKE PLACE UPON THIS EARTH, WHETHER ITS A SPAROW FALLING TO THE GROUND OR NATION RISING UP AGAINST ANOTHER NATION NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT IT GOING THOUGH HIM FIRST, NOTHING AT ALL TAKES HIM BY SURPRISE.
• FIRST LESSON: WE LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE IS THAT WE NEED TO LET ‘GOD BE GOD’ AND REMEMBER THAT HE IS SOVEREIGN KING. HE HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY HE DOES AS HE CHOOSES. AND NONE OF US CAN RETORT BACK TO HIM “THAT’S NOT FAIR.”
THE ACCUSATION GOD IS UNJUST. V14 WHAT SHALL WE SAY IS GOD UNJUST?
THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE PAUL’S OBJECTORS ARE, THEY THROW A VERBAL ACCUSATION TOWARDS HIM “WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS NOT FAIR!” YOU ARE MAKING GOD OUT TO BE UNJUST.” HOW CAN HE CHOOSE ONE OVER THE OTHER?
THEIR BIG PROBLEM - YOU SEE IF GOD CHOOSE ISAAC AND NOT ISHMAEL, AND GOD CHOOSE JACOB AND NOT ESAU THEN GOD MUST BE UNJUST (UNRIGHTEOUS) THEY ARE INFERRING THAT GODS PURPOSE IN ELECTION IS COMPLETELY UNJUST A COMPLETE BREECH OF HIS CHARACTER.
“YOU SEE PAUL EARLIER YOU PREACHED TO US” THAT ROM1:17 IN THE GOSPEL A RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED, “YET IF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING HERE IS TRUE ABOUT GOD CHOOSING ISAAC OVER ISHMAEL AND CHOOSING JACOB OVER ESAU THEN YOU MAKING GOD OUT NOT TO BE COMPLETELY UNJUST.
ISN’T THAT EVEN TRUE TODAY AMONGST PEOPLE WITH UNREGENERATE MINDS - OR CHRISTIANS WITH AN IMMATURE FAITH - WHEN IT COMES TO THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION, "I JUST CANT UNDERSTAND THAT, IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE GOD CHOOSING ONE PERSON OVER THE OTHER, IT DOESN’T SEEM FAIR – WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN THAT?"
BUT WE NEED TO LET GOD BE GOD HE ELECTS INDIVIDUALS.....ROM: 8:29: FOR THOSE GOD FOREKNEW HE PREDESTINED. ROM 9:11: YET BEFORE THE TWINS WERE BORN OR HAD DONE ANYTHING GOOD OR BAD- IN ORDER THAT GODS PURPOSE IN ELECTION MIGHT STAND ROM 11:7. WHAT THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL SOUGHT SO EARNESTLY THEY DID NOT OBTAIN. THE ELECT AMONG THEM DID 2TIM 2:10: THEREFORE I ENDURE EVERYTHING FOR THE SAKE OF THE ELECT. TIT:1:1 TO FURTHER THE FAITH OF GODS ELECT- 1PET1:1: TO GODS ELECT MATT 24:22,24,31 JESUS WILL GATHER HIS ELECT ON HIS RETURN JHN13:18: JESUS SAID, I KNOW THOSE WHO I HAVE CHOSEN EPH 1:4. FOR HE CHOOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.
SO IS GOD UNJUST? SEEMS A FAIR QUESTION THAT GOES STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF MANY “HOW CAN GOD CHOOSE SOME AND NOT OTHERS? WHAT’S UNDER ATTACK HERE WHEN PEOPLE MAKE THESE ACCUSATIONS? THE RIGHTEOUS CHARACTER OF GOD – BECAUSE THEY ARE SAYING “GOD HAS GOT IT WRONG.” “THAT GOD IS UNFAIR!” UNRIGHTEOUS
PAUL’S RESPONSE? V14 NOT AT ALL!
STRONG WORDS: GOD FORBID! CERTAINLY NOT! NO WAY! GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, COMPLETELY JUST AND RIGHT GEN18:25 SHALL NOT THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH DO WHAT IS JUST? THERE ARE NEVER ANY MISCARRIAGES OF HIS JUSTICE, THERE IS NO INCONSISTENCIES IN GOD’S CHARACTER WHATSOEVER, GOD CANNOT NOT SIN HE CANNOT BE UNRIGHTEOUS AND UNJUST PSALM 119:137 RIGHTEOUS ARE YOU, O LORD, AND RIGHT ARE YOUR RULES. PSALM 119: 142 YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS RIGHTEOUS FOREVER, AND YOUR LAW IS TRUE. GOD CALLS HUMAN BEINGS TO UNDERSTAND THAT HE IS COMPLETELY RIGHTEOUS JER: 9:24. 24 BUT LET HIM WHO BOASTS BOAST IN THIS, THAT HE UNDERSTANDS AND KNOWS ME THAT I AM THE LORD WHO PRACTICES STEADFAST LOVE, JUSTICE, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE EARTH. FOR IN THESE THINGS I DELIGHT, DECLARES THE LORD.”
PAUL’S RESPONSE CONTINUED V16 -17 -18 .
YET A SIMPLY NO, IS NEVER SUFFICIENT TO THE UNREGENERATE MIND? NO MATTER HOW STRONGLY PUT, THEY WANT A BIT MORE PROOF AND SO PAUL CONTINUES TO VINDICATE GOD FROM THE SCRIPTURES.
HE GIVES THEM TWO COMPLIMENTARY HISTORICAL EXAMPLES IN THE LIFE OF MOSES AND PHARAOH.
IN SO DOING HE WILL REVEAL THE RIGHTEOUS CHARACTER OF GOD IN HIS ELECTIVE PURPOSES. IN ONE LIFE SHOWING HIS DIVINE WILL TO SHOW GRACE AND MERCY AND IN THE OTHER TO SHOW HIS DIVINE WILL TO HARDEN V18 BOTH OF WHICH BRING GLORY TO GOD.
AT FIRST GLANCE IT SEEMS WHAT HE IS ABOUT TO SAY HAS EVADED THE QUESTION, BECAUSE HE BEGINS TO SPEAK ABOUT MERCY, AND THERE SPEAKING ABOUT GODS ELECTION BEING UNJUST. YET THEIR REASONING IS MISCONCEIVED, BECAUSE THE WAY THAT GOD DEALS WITH SINNERS (CHOOSES ANYBODY) IS NOT THROUGH HIS JUSTICE BUT IT IS THROUGH HIS MERCY. V16 IT DOES NOT, THEREFORE DEPEND UPON HUMAN DESIRE OR EFFORT BUT ON GODS MERCY.
V15 THE LIFE OF MOSES AND HE SUBSTANTIATES WHAT HE IS SAYING HE TAKES THEM BACK TO THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES, TO THE OT, HE QUOTES GODS WORDS TO MOSES AS HE PASSED BY HIM (EX:33:19)” V15 FOR HE SAYS TO MOSES “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.
THE STORY : THE ISRAELITES HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM SLAVERY MOSES WAS ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP RECEIVING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. THE PEOPLE WERE IMPATIENT AS THEY WAITED FOR MOSES TO RETURN, SO WITH THE HELP OF AARON THE PEOPLE CREATED A GOLDEN CALF AND WERE WORSHIPPING IT - THEY HAD BROKEN GODS LAW AND FALLEN INTO IDOLATRY- AS A RESULT 3000 ISRAELITES WERE WIPED OUT UNDER THE ORDERS OF THE LORD - THAT DAY.
EX 33:12 – 19 MOSES LATER SEEKS OUT REASSURANCES THAT GOD IS GOING TO BE GRACIOUS TOWARDS HIM AND THE PEOPLE V13. AFTER ALL THEY HAVE JUST WITNESSED THE WRATH OF GOD – ARE THEY GOING TO BE SAFE FROM JUDGMENT? V16 SO GOD ASSURES HIM OF HIS GRACE TOWARDS HIM 33:17 YET MOSES ASKS FOR A LITTLE MORE EVIDENCE AND ASKS TO SEE HIS GLORY V18 AND SO GOD SAYS HE WILL LET HIS GOODNESS PASS BY MOSES V19 AND AS HE DOES HE UTTERS THESE WORDS 33:19 “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.
IMPORTANT APPLICATION: HERE WE SEE GOD REVEALING TO MOSES THAT IT IS HIS DIVINE PREROGATIVE TO SHOW HIS JUDGMENT ON 3000 AND HIS DIVINE PREROGATIVE TO SHOW HIS MERCY UPON CHOOSING MOSES AND OTHERS TO BE SAVED.
PAUL HAS ALREADY CONVEYED TO US THAT WE ARE ALL SINNERS ROM 3:9, 23 AND IF GOD WAS TO DEAL WITH US IN ACCORDANCE TO JUSTICE WE WOULD ALL DESERVE JUDGMENT- NONE OF US CAN CLAIM WE DESERVE GRACE AND MERCY FROM GOD – SO WE CANNOT COMPLAIN IF MERCY IS WITHHELD (SO GOD CANNOT BE UNJUST IN CHOOSING ONE OVER THE OTHER BUT ACTUALLY MERCIFUL)
THE POINT IS THAT NOBODY IS SAVED IN ACCORDANCE TO THE JUSTICE OF GOD BUT IN ACCORDANCE TO THE MERCY OF GOD.
NOTE: ITS NOTHING HE SEES IN THE SINNER (ROM 9:16 DESIRE ,EFFORT, ) BUT ITS BECAUSE OF HIM WHO IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. SO THE FACT THAT GOD CHOOSES ANYBODY AT ALL IS SIMPLY MIND BOGGLING.
• WHAT IF IN MY KINDNESS I BEGAN WRITING CHECKS OUT RIGHT NOW, A CHECK FOR YOU NICK A £1,000, SAY TO YOU OLIVE £3000 THEN TO JOE £25 TO SAM COULD £1500 DO YOU? AND I DECIDE NOT TO WRITE ANYMORE - NOBODY COULD COMPLAIN THAT THEY NEVER RECEIVED ANY. WHY? BECAUSE IT WAS ALL A COMPLETE UNDESERVED GIFT THEY NEVER WARRANTED IT AND NEITHER DO YOU.
V18 THEREFORE GOD HAS MERCY UPON WHOM HE WANTS TO HAVE MERCY
• A MOTHER ONCE APPROACHED NAPOLEON SEEKING A PARDON FOR HER SON. THE EMPEROR REPLIED THAT THE YOUNG MAN HAD COMMITTED A CERTAIN OFFENSE TWICE AND JUSTICE DEMANDED DEATH. "BUT I DON’T ASK FOR JUSTICE? THE MOTHER EXPLAINED. "I PLEAD FOR MERCY? "BUT YOUR SON DOES NOT DESERVE MERCY,? NAPOLEON REPLIED. "SIR, THE WOMAN CRIED, "IT WOULD NOT BE MERCY IF HE DESERVED IT, AND MERCY IS ALL I ASK FOR "WELL, THEN, THE EMPEROR SAID, "I WILL HAVE MERCY AND HE SPARED THE WOMAN’S SON. LUIS PALAU, "EXPERIENCING GOD’S FORGIVENESS,? MULTNOMAH PRESS, 1984
THE LIFE OF PHARAOH AGAIN HE QUOTES SCRIPTURE ( EX 9:16 ) GODS WORD GIVEN TO MOSES TO SPEAK TO PHARAOH V17 FOR THE SCRIPTURE SAYS TO PHARAOH : I RAISED YOU UP FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE, THAT I MIGHT DISPLAY MY POWER IN YOU AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE EARTH.
FIRSTLY GOD IS SAYING HERE TO PHARAOH THAT HE WAS ELECTED BUT NOT TO SALVATION, BUT FOR A VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSE “RAISED YOU UP FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE” THAT IS BROUGHT ONTO THE STAGE OF HISTORY. AFTER ALL “HISTORY IS GODS HISTORY” AT TIMES GOD RAISES UP PEOPLE TO DISPLAY HIS POWER FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE ……JUD 2:16 THE LORD RAISED UP JUDGES 1KIN 11:14 THE LORD RAISED UP AN ADVERSARY AGAINST SOLOMON HAB:1:6,I AM RAISING UP THE BABYLONIANS.
• EVERYBODY HAS PURPOSE IN THE DIVINE COUNCIL OF GOD – NONE OF US ARE MERE ACCIDENTS
FOR PHARAOH, GODS PURPOSE WAS TO DISPLAY HIS POWER IN HIM. THAT MEANS HE IS ONLY PHARAOH BECAUSE GOD HAS GIVEN HIM THAT POSITION IN THAT POINT OF HISTORY SO THAT GOD MIGHT DEMONSTRATE HIS GLORY AND POWER OVER HIM:
GODS POWER DEMONSTRATED IN THE SUBSEQUENT PLAGUES, MIRACLES, PASSOVER , THE REDEMPTION OUT OF SLAVERY, THE PARTING OF THE RED SEA, THE DEFEAT OF THE EGYPTIAN ARMY. PHARAOH’S SOLE PURPOSE FOR BEING RAISED UP WAS AS AN ADVERSARY AGAINST GOD SO THAT GOD MIGHT DISPLAY THE GLORY OF GOD! EX 15: 1 -18 : SONG OF GLORY TO GOD.
THIS REDEMPTION WAS ALWAYS REMEMBERED BY THE JEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY AND CELEBRATED JUST READ THE PSALMS - ABOUT THE EXPLOITS OF GOD -THEY CELEBRATED AND REMEMBERED EVERY YEAR WITH THE PASSOVER MEAL WHAT TOOK PLACE - AS GOD BOUGH THEM OUT OF SLAVERY - NATIONS ALSO AS A RESULT HAVE HEARD OF THE GREAT EXPLOITS OF GOD PROCLAIMING HIS POWER AND GLORY.
• THAT REMINDS ME OF ANOTHER MAJOR EVENT IN HISTORY WHEN ANOTHER ONE WAS RAISED UP FOR GODS GLORY (GOD HIMSELF) LUKE 1:69 HE HAS RAISED UP A HORN (STRONG KING) OF SALVATION FOR US . ZECHARIAH SINGS OF KING JESUS WHO WAS ISA 52:13 WAS RAISED AND LIFTED UP FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE TO BRING US REDEMPTION.
• TODAY WE TOO CAN LOOK BACK AT THE WORK OF THE CROSS WHERE JESUS OUR PASSOVER LAMB DEFEATED SATAN AND BROUGHT US OUT OF THE BONDAGE TO SIN BECAUSE HE WAS RAISED UP TO DO SO……. AND TWO THOUSAND YEARS ON THIS IS STILL BEING PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE EARTH TO THE GLORY OF GOD!
LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THE SOMBRE 2ND HALF OF V18 AND HE HARDENS WHOM HE WANTS TO HARDEN. HERE WE SEE THE EXACT OPPOSITE TO WANT HAPPENED TO MOSES WHO RECEIVED MERCY PHARAOH HEART WAS HARDENED AND HE RECEIVES JUDGMENT.
WHO HARDENED PHARAOHS HEART IT IS NO DOUBT IT WAS GOD, IT IS CONVEYED 9 TIMES IN EXODUS: 4:21, 7:3, 9:12, 10:1, 20.27, 11:10, 14:4,8,17.
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN. IT GOD WHO ELECTS THOSE FOR SALVATION AND IT IS ALL OF HIS MERCY WHICH DEMONSTRATES HIS GRACE TOWARDS SINNERS AND IT IS GOD WHO HARDENS OTHERS WHICH DEMONSTRATES HIS HOLINESS AND HATRED TOWARDS SIN. BUT BOTH WHETHER DEMONSTRATING HIS MERCY OR JUSTICE HIS GLORY IS MANIFESTED ROM 9:22 -23.
• THE DOCTRINE OF REPROBATION: IS THE SOVEREIGN DECISION OF GOD BEFORE THE CREATION TO PASS OVER SOME PERSONS, IN SORROW DECIDING NOT TO SAVE THEM, AND TO PUNISH THEM FOR THEIR SINS AND THEREBY MANIFEST HIS JUDGMENT. JUDE:4, ROM 11:7, 1PET.2:8,
DOES THAT ERADICATE HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY - DOES IT MEAN WE ARE ALL PRE – PROGRAMMED LIKE ROBOTS? NO IT DOES’NT! IT’S A MYSTERY AND MIND BOGGLING.
WE DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPOND AND WE CANNOT SIMPLY EXPLAIN IT AWAY – JESUS SAID, JOHN 3:18 WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED JESUS ALSO SAID TO THE JEWISH LEADERS JOHN 5:40 YET YOU REFUSE TO COME TO ME AND HAVE LIFE.
BUT ALSO KNOW THIS THAT WHOSOEVER CALLS UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD CAN ONLY DO SO BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN ELECTED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
THE ELECT ARE THE WHOSOEVER WILLS, THE NON-ELECT ARE THE WHOSOEVER WON’TS. - D.L. MOODY
CHARLES SPURGEON WROTE - MANY PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THEIR ELECTION BEFORE THEY LOOK TO CHRIST. BUT THEY CANNOT LEARN IT THUS; IT IS ONLY TO BE DISCOVERED BY ‘LOOKING UNTO JESUS.’ LOOK TO JESUS, BELIEVE ON HIM, AND YOU SHALL MAKE PROOF OF YOUR ELECTION DIRECTLY, FOR AS SURELY AS YOU BELIEVE, YOU ARE ELECT. IF YOU WILL GIVE YOURSELF WHOLLY UP TO CHRIST AND TRUST HIM, THEN YOU ARE ONE OF GOD’S CHOSEN ONES. GO TO JESUS JUST AS YOU ARE. GO STRAIGHT TO CHRIST, HIDE IN HIS WOUNDS, AND YOU SHALL KNOW YOUR ELECTION.
CHRIST WAS AT THE EVERLASTING COUNCIL. HE CAN TELL YOU WHETHER YOU WERE CHOSEN OR NOT, BUT YOU CANNOT FIND OUT IN ANY OTHER WAY. GO AND PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM. THERE WILL BE NO DOUBT ABOUT HIS HAVING CHOSEN YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE CHOSEN HIM.
WE SEE THAT IN THE HEART RESPONSES OF PHARAOH, HE HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO ACT JUSTLY AND LET THE PEOPLE GO, YET PHARAOH HIMSELF CHOOSE TO HARDEN HIS OWN HEART AGAINST GOD. EX 7:13,14,22; 8:15,19,32, 9:7,17, 27, 34,, 10:3,16, 11:9 ; 13:15;14:5.
DR LEON MORRIS RIGHTLY STATES “NEITHER HERE NOR ANYWHERE ELSE IS GOD SAID TO HARDEN ANYONE WHO HAD NOT FIRST HARDENED THEMSELVES.”
GODS ACT WAS A JUDICIAL ACT ABANDONING HIM TO HIS OWN DEPRAVITY GOD DELIVERED JUSTICE UPON HIS STUBBORN DISOBEDIENCE NOT TO LET THE PEOPLE GO AND THAT IS SEEN ROM 1:24, 26, 28. SO GOD ACTS WITH JUSTICE AS A RESULT OF SIN OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
“THE CAUSE OF ELECTION IS GOD AND THE GROUNDS FOR ELECTION IS HIS MERCY . THE CAUSE OF REPROBATION LIES IN THE SINNER AND THE GROUNDS FOR REPROBATION IS JUSTICE.”
PAUL HAS CLEARLY SHOWN HIS OBJECTORS THAT GOD IS NOT UNJUST, BUT JUST BECAUSE WE AE ALL SINNERS AND THE FACT THAT HE SAVES SHOWS HE IS ACTUALLY MERCIFUL AND THE FACT HE BRINGS CONDEMNATION TO SINNERS DEMONSTRATES HIS PERFECT JUSTICE BOTH ACTIONS BINGING GLORY TO GOD.
THE ASTONISHING THING ABOUT IT ALL IS NOT THAT SOME ARE SAVED AND OTHERS ARE NOT BUT THAT ANYBODY IS SAVED AT ALL. SO WHATEVER WE RECEIVE GOD IS JUST AND RECIEVES ALL THE GLORY. AMEN.
NEXT WEEK, HOW CAN GOD BLAME US THEN, IF HE HOLDS ALL THE CARDS?
