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Romans Lesson 19 (2008)

UNDERSTANDING GOD’S SALVATION PLAN
(God’s Sovereign Choice)

Romans 9:1-29
Key Verse: 9:16

“It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”

In the first chapter of his letter to Romans, Apostle Paul said that he was not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written in the Scriptures, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Ro 1:16-7) One of the most essential lessons we learn from the book of Romans is what it means to live by faith. We who are justified by faith in Christ Jesus must also live by faith, because salvation is not a single event but a lifelong process of justification, sanctification and glorification.

Romans 9-11, which we are going to study in the next few weeks, is one of most overlooked passages in the New Testament. I don’t know exactly why? Do you know why? Perhaps it’s because it is very hard to understand. However, I realize that this section of Romans is very important because explains God’s plan of world salvation. Chapters 1-8 deal with God’s salvation of each individual, whereas chapters 9-11 deal with God’s salvation of his chosen people Israel and the entire human race. I pray that through the study of this passage, we may understand world history from God’s point of view. Today’s passage, Romans chapter 9, deals with God’s election (God’s sovereign choice). In this chapter we learn mostly of who God really is.

FIRST, PAUL’S CONSTANT PRAYER FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL (1-5)

Look verse 1-2. “I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying, my conscience confirms in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” As we have studied, Apostle Paul concludes Romans chapter 8 with great assurance of God’s love by saying “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (8:37-39) But chapter 9 starts with groans of deep sorrow and anguish. Why? It’s because the great majority of his people Israel rejected the gospel and failed to receive God’s wonderful salvation. In fact, Paul was hated by them because they thought Paul betrayed them by preaching the gospel against the Jewish traditions, especially among the Gentiles. Pau was the number one on the list of the most wanted in Israel. However, Paul’s love for the people of Israel didn’t change. He was ready to sacrifice his own life and even his own salvation for the sake of their salvation. He said in verse 3. “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.”

Was Paul a patriot? Yes. Yet, he was more than a mere patriot. He loved his people because they were God’s chosen people. Look at verses 4-5. “There is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” It’s easy for us to focus on others’ negative points rather than their positive points. When we do so, we lose respect and confidence in them. Paul knew that the people of Israel rejected God’s calling and had many negative points. Yet, he had tremendous respect for the people of Israel. Here, we learn that if we are going to pray for someone in our family, unbelieving friends or people around us, we should not disrespect them for any reason because they still bear the image of God whatever their spiritual condition may be. It is true that when we disrespect or hate others in our hearts, we cannot truly pray for them. We cannot hate someone and still pray for them. Even though Paul was hated by his own people, he still loved and respected them. He prayed unceasingly, “Lord, Father. Please, save my people Israel!” , just like Jesus who prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” It’s easy to disrespect those who are doing wrong. But we should not despise them but in respect and love, we should pray for them. “Lord, Father, save all people in New York, America and the whole world.”

However, has Paul’s prayer for the people of Israel been answered? Yes and no. it’s true that many Jews have been saved in Paul’s time and throughout history. Yet, we cannot deny that the majority of the people of Israel rejected Jesus and the gospel. It seems as though God’s promises concerning the people of Israel were not fulfilled. What a disappointment! If Paul invited 1,000 Jews to Christ and Bible study, nearly all of them rejected his invitation. It seemed that God didn’t seem to answer Paul’s prayers. Was it because Paul didn’t pray enough? We know that Paul prayed so much. No one could ever pray harder and more sincerely than he did. Then, does it mean that God failed to fulfill His words of promise? Not at all.

SECOND, GOD’S SOVEREIGN CHOICE AND MERCY (6-29)

In verse 6, Paul denies that God’s word had failed by saying “It is not as though God’s word had failed.” Paul’s argument is that first of all, not all physical descendants of Abraham are considered as God’s children.

Look at verses 6-9. “It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: ‘At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.’” How many sons did Abraham have? Abraham had two sons – Ishmael and Isaac. Who was older, Isaac or Ishmael? Ishmael was born to Abraham through Hagar 13 years earlier than Isaac. In fact, when Ishmael was born, Abraham was pretty satisfied. So when God promised that his wife Sarah would have a son, Abraham fell facedown, laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing! It’s okay, Lord. I am happy with Ishmael. He is a great guy! Why don’t you choose him?” Abraham loved Ishmael and wanted him to be his legal heir. But God said, “No, not him.” In fact, Isaac was born to Abraham through Sarah in her old age according to God’s promise. This shows that God does his salvation work in His way, according to His plan and time table.

Both Isaac and Ishmael were Abraham’s sons by birth, but God chose to give the promised blessing to Isaac. Likewise, we become God’s children not according to physical heritage but according to spiritual heritage based on God’s promise. John 1:12-13 reads, “Yet to all who received him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, God gave right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

In verses 10-13, we learn that God fulfills the work of His salvaion not only based on His promise but also according to His own election, His sovereign choice. Look at verses 10-13. “Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad – in order that God’s purpose in election might stand; not by works but by him who calls – she was told, ‘the older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” Most of us have trouble with the last phrase “Esau I hated.” How could God hate Esau even before he was born? But the word “hate” does not mean animosity or bitterness. It simply means “not chosen.” Here are two sons from the same parents. One is chosen, the other is not. Paul emphasizes that God’s choice happened before either one of them had done anything good or bad. We don’t understand why God chose Jacob over Esau. God didn’t choose Jacob because he looked better or behaved better. Jacob didn’t deserve salvation more than Esau. In fact, no one deserves salvation. If we get what we deserve, all of us would go to hell. The amazing miracle is that God saves anyone even though none of us deserves it. Why some are chosen and others are not is mystery we will never be able to understand.

But why did God do things this way? It’s because God is God who can do whatever he wants. He is the one who makes the decision. Look at verse 11b-12 again, “in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls – she (Rebekah) was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’” When Rebekah was pregnant, she didn’t even know that she had twins in her womb. But one day she had severe pain in her belly and didn’t realize that there was a wrestling match between her twin sons in her belly. When she prayed, the Lord God told her that two nations are in her womb… and the older will serve the younger.” (Gen 25:23) God didn’t consult with either of the parents. Rebekah was told what would happen to her children. Romans chapter 9 is all about God’s sovereignty, what he does and how he chooses his elect. It teaches that God is the decision maker. In His sovereign will, God chose Jacob, not Esau.

Does this make God an unfair and unjust God? Look at verse 14. “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!” To prove his point, Paul quotes from Exodus 33:9. In the wilderness while Moses went up on the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments, the people of Israel had become impatient and made a golden calf and indulged in all kinds of sins. God was angry with them. They deserved God’s punishment. But when Moses pled for mercy, God’s answer to him was “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Ex 33:19) It was good news for the people of Israel because God chose to show mercy instead of judgment when they turned to idolatry.

Is God fair in the way He treats people? Yes. Although it may not seem fair at first glance, God is fair and just in dealing with each person. Why? Because God is God who is absolutely free to do whatever he chooses to do. We complain to God, saying “Lord, it’s unfair. How come my friends have so much talents and I don’t.” But God is God who does not have to treat me the same way He treats my friends or neighbors. He does not have to treat me today the way he treated me yesterday. He is absolutely free. But there is a problem with us. If God determines not to save me, I shouldn’t be blamed because I cannot change God’s will. Where is my free will? In fact, I have my own will. But no one has absolute freedom, except God alone. When we don’t submit to God’s will, we are punished. Why? It’s because God is God.

There is the case of Pharaoh whose heart the Lord hardened. Look at verses 17 and 18. “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.’ Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” Wait a minute! It sounds like as if Pharaoh was on the brink of turning to God when God hardened his heart. Was that the case? No, not at all. The fact is that it’s Pharaoh who hardened his heart first. The ten plagues, which were a sign of God’s judgment, should have awakened him to his own sinful rebellion. But Pharaoh continually hardened his heart against the Lord. When it says “God hardened Pharaoh”, it does not mean that God manipulated him. But it means that God allowed him to go his own way because he insisted on his own will. So justice is done to Pharaoh, and God is fair to punish him.

Look at verses 20 and 21. “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? ‘Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” Does the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” Yes, he does have the right to do what is pleasing to Him. God is God. He can make me a beautiful coffee mug or a toilet basin. If he does not think it is a necessary object, he can destroy it whenever he wants. What if you and I just disappeared? What if we had never existed? Would it make any difference? No. What if we were born as worms or animals? Can we complain about it? Of course not. Luckily, we are made in God’s image. We are also chosen to be saved. We need to recognize God as God and ourselves as His creatures.

However, God does not use his absolute sovereignty to torture human beings and to destroy them. He uses his absolute sovereignty to reveal his power and wisdom so that his name be spread and save humankind from their sins. He is a merciful God. Look at verses 22-24. “What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath – prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory – even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?” Here the objects of wrath refer to the Gentiles. Some Jews thought that the Gentiles were objects of God’s wrath, created as fuel for hell. But God didn’t destroy them all. He rather was patient with them and showed his mercy to them and made them his own children.

What Paul was saying is that God didn’t fail to fulfill his promise even though the majority of the Jews in history failed to obey God’s will. He did what He intended to do. He saved those whom he chose to save. Throughout history, God called His people both from the Jews and the Gentiles. Look at verses 25 and 26. These are quotations from Hosea, the Old Testament. “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one. (Hosea 2:23) and “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called “sons of the living God.’” (Hosea 1:10)

God does exactly as he pleases in every situation and in all parts of the world. His ultimate will is always being done. He is God. In short, God is good all the time and all the time God is good. Some of us have hard time to accept God’s arbitrary rule since we as human beings have our own will. Instead of obeying God’s will, we make our will absolute. Romans 9-11 talk a lot about God’s mercy and grace. But we can understand it only when we are firmly grounded in the truth of God’s absolute sovereignty.

We are familiar with the story of a man named Job. One day he lost everything he had, including his children (7 sons and 3 daughters). But he did not sin against God by complaining. Instead, he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” And his wife told him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” But Job said, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble.” (Job 1-2) God is not entitled to make us happy.

Can we fight against God’s will? No. Things don’t always happen as we pray or wish. There is always a choice that we must make. We can reject God’s sovereignty and decide to fight against it. But that rebellion only leads to anger, bitterness, despair and finally to a hardened heart. Surprisingly, many believers have chosen this path. Even though they sing hymns, praying the prayers, their hearts are not in it because they are angry and bitter toward God and others. They have “wounded spirits.”

How can we be healed? We should come to God and humbly accept God’s sovereignty, fully trusting that in all things God works for their ultimate good. Unbelief is root of all sins. God is God. He is good. He should be the center of our lives. He does not have to please us. We should rather please God. He does not have to apologize for what he has done and for who he is. The problem is not with God but with us. Our freedom is not real freedom unless we submit to God’s sovereign will. When we accept God’s sovereignty, we can have a confidence in Him and can be more than conquerors even in the midst of unspeakable tragedy. There are so many unsaved people around us. Do I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for them? None of us deserves salvation. We deserve punishment. But God in his great mercy gave His Son to be our Savior. Salvation does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s sovereign choice and mercy. (16) God’s salvation plan is deep and hard to fathom. Our faith should be based on God’s sovereignty and mercy. May God help us to grow mature in faith as we learn to acknowledge God as God and trust and obey him day to day.