The Rock-Solid Truth About God's Salvation Series

The Rock-Solid Truth about God's Salvation

The Book of Romans

Romans 9:15-33

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - August 28, 2016

(Revised March 22, 2021)

BACKGROUND

*In Romans 9-11, the Holy Spirit led Paul to discuss the Jewish nation. And Warren Wiersbe explained that Paul was basically answering this question: "If salvation is by God's grace through faith in the cross of Jesus Christ, then what about the Jews? Did God fail to keep His Old Testament promises to Israel? And if God was not faithful to the Jews, how do we know He will be faithful to the Church?

*There was also a personal reason for this part of Paul's letter. The Christ-rejecting Jews were convinced that Paul was a traitor to their nation, and we can understand why. Paul ministered to the hated Gentiles. He taught freedom from the Law of Moses. And whenever he preached in the Jewish synagogues, there was big trouble from the Jews who rejected Jesus.

*The Jewish Christians in Rome had most likely heard about these things, so Paul wanted to confirm his deep love for his people. And as God let us look into Paul's heart, we saw a man who loved the Jews as much as anybody possibly could." In vs. 1-5, Paul was even willing to give up his own salvation if that could help the Jews be saved. Then in vs. 3-24, we saw the infinite greatness of God in seven different ways. (1)

*Tonight, we will focus on the sure truth about God's Salvation. Let's begin by reading Romans 9:15-33.

MESSAGE:

*In Acts 16:30, a jailer from Philippi asked life's most important question: "What must I do to be saved?'' Then in Acts 16:31, Paul and Silas gave him the perfect answer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. . ."

*In tonight's Scripture, Paul expands on this great truth, and gives us the rock-solid truth about God's salvation.

1. FIRST: SALVATION COMES FROM GOD'S MERCY.

*This is the sure truth, and we saw God's mercy last time in vs. 15-18. There Paul wrote:

15. For He says to Moses (God says to Moses), "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.''

16. So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

17. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose I have raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be declared in all the earth.''

18. Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

*Thank God that He will have mercy and compassion on the people He has chosen! And thank God for His mercy, because we all surely need it!

*But these verses also speak to us about the supreme sovereignty of God and His flawless will. God always does the right thing, and that's good because He is in ultimate control of this universe and everything in it.

*God forbid that we would be foolish enough to think that somehow, we are better than the perfectly righteous Judge! But some people do want to question God's judgment, so in vs. 19-24 the Holy Spirit led Paul to write:

19. You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?''

20. But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?''

21. Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

22. What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

23. and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

24. even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

*God will surely have mercy and compassion on the people He has chosen. But who are the "vessels of mercy" in vs. 23-24? They are simply the people who receive God's mercy by receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. As Paul will say to us in Romans 10:11-13, "'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'''

*The sure truth is that God will have mercy on everyone who receives it by receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior. God is even called "the Father of mercies" in 2 Corinthians 1:3, and His great mercy can be found throughout His Word.