Election (part 10) - [Romans 9]

Well, thank you for that jazzed up rendition speaking of jazzed up turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 9. There couldn't be a more high-powered passage in all of Holy Writ Romans chapter 9. As you know, we've been going through a lengthy study on God's sovereign election and I remember when I first heard the news that Kim was pregnant with Haley.

I Told me I remember the joy and delight that was in my heart that I would be a new father. I Remember before Haley was even born and before we even named her that I would Sing to Haley while she was still in the womb and I would I would read scripture to Haley when she was in the womb.

Do you know I loved her? Before she was even born. And I still love her in a greater way in a more fantastic way. In the most transcendent way. God loved us before we were even born. You realize that people think of election as some kind of starchy dry Doctrine that is just for those who want to live their life in Geneva in the 1500s in the 1600s.

But this is a doctrine that basically says before we were born. Before eternity was even begun as it were in eternity past pre Genesis 1 1 pre-earth. Pre people pre angels with only the Father Son and the Spirit as one try you and God.

God loved us. That's amazing. I believe that the last nine messages on election have been very important to our congregation to undergird us with the truth that The gospel that life that everything about us is not about us.

Not under our name God, but to your name you receive the glory and that's what's been so good. Election doesn't address marriage problems financial problems. Directly, but in an indirect way it gets our eyes back onto this great God who says I loved you with an everlasting Love and nothing in time can stop me from doing that very thing.

I'm not going to go through the first 18 questions in review for the last nine messages on election. But I will say that we've divided up these 10 weeks with 20 questions. 20 questions about election a very controversial topic.

I don't know why it's so controversial on one hand. But it is controversial and we've looked at 18 questions that help us understand that it is God and God alone who chooses. It is God's grace and God's grace alone that decides who goes to heaven and we've looked at this topic Every which way and I am going to try by the best of my abilities to finish election chapter.

Election number 10 today and we'll be on to Matthew chapter 5 next week. Basically, we have the plan of salvation that we talk about in evangelism. And this is the initiation of God's plan of salvation.

Every plan starts with something and in God's economy. It starts with a father choosing to love us to call us by name. And Romans chapter 9 Helps us understand that it is God's nature to choose. It is God's prerogative to pick.

It is God's triune plan that he not pick everyone. And in the final analysis, you have to account with your salvation with one of these two words alone. God alone saves me or with I God save myself. And we know quite clearly it is God and God alone and the word with Has nothing to do with Paul's vocabulary our Jesus's our gods.

If you're in heaven one day and you stand before God you will not say God. Thank you for my tendency to believe my predisposition to believe the pre-unit pervenient grace that you gave me to believe you will stand there in awe.

Worshipping with the angels singing worthy is the Lamb who is slain. It is God and God alone. And he will not give his glory to Another. And that's what election does it pushes us to the cliff and forces us to just fall off and say we did not contribute anything to our salvation.

Question number 19 from last week was does God choose us individually or by name. Remember that does God choose us by name? Mike Abendroth, I'll love him before time. Or is it kind of a general John Doe Jane Doe to whom it may concern?

Anonymous kind of choosing. And we tried to answer that with Romans 9 to say he chooses us by name. And if you look at Romans chapter 9, let's work our way through that a little bit. And Paul is basically answering this question if chapter 8 says that we're safe and secure in Christ's arms for eternal security for preservation of the Saints.

Then how can that really be true? If not, all of the Israelites are born again. How can it be true that we don't lose our salvation and nothing can separate us from loves God. Romans chapter 8 verses 35 and following.

Yet the Israelites God's chosen people. They're not all going to heaven. How can you explain that conundrum and Paul basically answers the question? Why are some Jews saved and others not. And he answers it with this because it's never been part of God's plan to save everyone.

You say well if I were God, I would save everyone. A you're not God and B. I'm glad just kidding. We are just different. That's why we need revelation to tell us. I don't mean the book of Revelation last book of the Bible.

I mean, that's why we need the external source of God to teach us and to train our minds. So we understand God. Properly, we are not like God and we would not do the things that God does and so therefore we can't figure it out.

Intuitively are just in our own mind. I think God would be this way. That's what pagans do instead God in his mercy and his goodness. He has delivered to us the book. Over 1 ,500 years and over 40 different different authors He has given us this book so that we know how to think about God.

And do you know if you think anything about God, that's not true. What would we call that? Idolatry and it's easy to become an idol maker. That's why the the beloved kind sweet Apostle John says in 1st John chapter 5 the last verse.

What does he say little children guard yourself from? Idols because it's easy to think about God. God wrongly. So Romans chapter 9 basically is this breathtaking passage that magnifies God's grace by showing that his Grace is not just grace.

It is a sovereign grace and it is undeserved grace. Redundancies, yes. Grace is always sovereign grace is always undeserved. But I'm going to try to highlight those because as John Gershwin would say it is a blessed redundancy.

Grace is always sovereign. Grace is always Undeserved and this helps us just take the magnifying glass and just look at God's greatness. Romans chapter 9. I've said it once before but this is the chapter that Bruce Binney dared not read when he had a view of God.

That was less than electing but now do you love the chapter Bruce? Is it your favorite one almost? All right. Quickly in review if you look at Romans chapter 9 verse 1 and following we'll set up the context.

You've got Jesus the Jewish Messiah to the Jewish nation yet the Jewish Messiah to the Jewish nation. Has let some of the people slip out of his hands. Somehow they're they're they're not believers in him and what's going on?

And Paul's going to say the reason the ultimate reason the eternal reason why not every Jew is born again. It's because of God's plan. Oh, they didn't believe that's true but that's Romans chapter 10 the primary reason that they're not part of of salvation is because God didn't choose them all.

He says I'm telling the truth in Christ verse 1. I'm not lying. My conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit. That I have a great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart it hurts Paul he's not some stoic.

He's not some kind of man who couldn't care less about those who are going to eternal perdition. He loves them, but he subjects his mind to revelation. He doesn't get off on all this emotion and that emotion will drive him to his answer.

His emotions are good and they're fair and they're right and God has given us compassion for the lost. But he takes his emotions and he places them underneath revelation, that's where they always belong.

For I could wish that I myself were a curse. Verse 3. Separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh. I would be damned For them, but I can't be and so I'll submit to your word God.

And I know that if Israel disobeys your promises are still true and then Paul gives six proofs that Sovereign election is both sovereign and undeserved and in review number one proof number one is that God's Word Consistently endorses a partial choosing that is to say that God's Word from front to back.

Endorses and shows and displays. God doesn't always pick everyone. And he says that in verse 6 to defend God's Word, but it is not as though the Word of God has failed. It's not as if God promised all the Jews to be saved and now they're not so it's the words fault for.

Here's the here's the reason they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel. You may be a national Jew, but you're not necessarily a born-again Jew is Paul's point. Just because you're a physical descendant doesn't mean you are born again, and he's talking here within the nation.

Elect nation does not mean all the people are elect for salvation. Proof number two again in review. Not only is it consistent with God's Word that he doesn't choose everyone or that his grace is both sovereign and undeserved.

But number two furthermore exhibit to let us consider this. God sovereignly chooses to bless only Isaac and no other son of Abraham. He sovereignly just chose Isaac and no other son. He didn't choose Ishmael.

He didn't choose the six sons of Keturah. He chose Isaac and we know he did because he was supernaturally conceived. Hundred year old Abraham ninety year old Sarah. I think we need supernatural help for a conception.

No, I you know I have an amen on that. Yes and God chose to do that. He could have done it any other way, but he chose Isaac over Ishmael on purpose. He wanted to verse 7 says that neither are they all children because they are all Abraham's descendants.

They all are physical children, but they're not all spiritual children as his point. But through Isaac quoting scripture your descendants will be named. That's because it's the sovereign promise of God.

It's supernatural. He goes on to say in verse 8 and following. It's one thing to be born of natural procreation. But it's another to be chosen by God for salvation. God picks and chooses grace is sovereign and undeserved.

God rejected Ishmael. Zimran jock Shan you need to have some assurance that God's message is here. It is clearly stated and Proof number three the noose tightens a little bit. Why is not all Israel saved.

Answer. God didn't plan it that way. Why isn't all Israel saved? Why isn't everybody in on earth today saved because God's grace is always sovereign and undeserved. With exhibit our proof number three God chooses Jacob and not Esau.

I can say this way it pleased God to choose Jacob and not Esau. Do you see it in verses 10 and following of Romans chapter 9 it pleased God to choose Esau? No, may it never be it was not Esau. It was Jacob and you see where he chose them verse 11.

They hadn't been born. They didn't do anything good or bad. So that God's purpose and here's the key to unlock the chapter according to his choice. You want to underline those two words his choice would stand not because of work.

But because of him who calls are him who chooses and then verse 13 there are the words in Bible. I can't erase them. Jacob. I have loved but Esau I have hated. God chose Jacob pre pre natally if you will.

This was not a normal birth. The situation this was not a normal natural cultural deal. Esau comes out first and he should have all the blessings. It is of him who calls and only him who calls and now we come to proof number four.

We've caught up and now we go to proof number four that shows that God can do whatever he wants. And he usually wants to pick less than the whole. Proof number four. God sovereignly chose Pharaoh to do his work.

God gave mercy to Moses, but he chooses Pharaoh to do his work. Look at verse 17 for the scripture says the Pharaoh. Again all in the context of God's sovereign hand doing whatever he wants for this very there's that word again purpose.

I Raised you up. Speaking to Pharaoh to demonstrate my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth. Election is sovereign here. It's it's negative election in a sense where this just shows God's choosing power and he even uses Pharaoh.

He says in Exodus 4. I'm going to Harden your heart and then in chapter 8 and and following in Exodus He does harden his heart. But God says I'm going to do this in Exodus 7 that I may multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

Chapter 14 it says that I might be honored through Pharaoh. This is a demonstration that God picks and chooses anyone He wants. There's Moses for work. There is Pharaoh from work and as God picked Moses the murderer for good things.

So too is God's prerogative to pick Pharaoh the murderer for his purposes because God always chooses. It's the way of the Lord and Now we have number five proof number five. From this text we glean as it were the fifth nail in the coffin of a man-centered view of God number five.

God even sovereignly chooses the Gentiles to be saved. God even chooses Gentiles to be saved. This is a mind bender. This is a a puzzle that Houdini couldn't get out of seemingly that if you're Jewish and you mean that God chooses the Gentiles.

I mean, come on the Gentiles the dogs. How would God choose. Why would he choose. And Then Paul forces us back to because that is by nature God who chooses and he's even chosen Gentiles if you look down to verse 24 Even us whom he also called not from among the Jews only but also from among Gentiles.

Why is not Israel saved Romans 9 because God didn't choose them all to be saved because his grace is always Undeserved and sovereign including his choice of the Gentiles. They didn't earn it they didn't deserve it and he even uses verses 25 and 26 to show these verses for the Jews can be applied in an inspiration way to the Gentiles.

Much more to be said about that proof number six. Translation. I Get a finish in number ten and I can't talk anymore about the Gentiles being saved except to say I'm glad he saved Gentiles and Chose Gentiles because I'm a Gentile and I think most of us are too proof number six.

God sovereignly decided to grant sonship by faith alone. He decides even on how Salvation should be determined. He gets to choose that I would choose how good we are how much we were occur who our parents were but God chooses the instrument and the instrument is a Non-meritorious faith.

Look at Romans chapter 9 verse 30. Even the righteousness which is by what faith Romans 9 32. Why. Because they did not pursue it by faith. God has chosen even the instrument of salvation and that instrument is Faith.

He could have chosen any other way. Work hard try hard go door-to-door ride bicycles read the Bible cut yourself. Give offerings and he said here's what you do. You realize you have nothing and you trust that someone else has done it for you Christ Jesus in this particular case.

Dying on the cross and after you look at all these the first thing you want to do after hearing God doesn't choose everyone. God picks and chooses at his own pleasure. I know if you're like me you are like this.

I've got questions this doctrine always elicits responses and these are the responses what? Why how could it be? Who are you to tell me and on and on it goes and you know, Paul knows that so he answers those questions right here.

Look at Romans chapter 9 verse 14. What I've done is I've walked our way through Romans 9 and now we're gonna go back in and see these questions. How can this be that God does this and Paul like a good lawyer is going to teach us with these questions and you see Romans 9 14 Job like questions, what shall we say then?

By the way, if salvation is how good you are. He's never going to ask these questions because everyone's gonna say hey, we live in a Capitalistic society at least spiritual capitalism and whoever does the best and the most and and can all that other stuff.

They'll just make it into heaven. But if it's God's choice to get into heaven our responses, well, that's so unlike us. How can these things be? For what should we say and most the time our normal natural response is going to be wrong.

Just between us. Here's what Paul is going to do. Paul is gonna kind of ferret out any pride that that exists in the heart of a person to somehow say God did it all and I was a recipient. But my faith is what he saw in the future and therefore he saved me.

Paul's just gonna take all that out. And he's just gonna kind of root it out. He's gonna take his little dandelion a remover and you know, if you just take a dandelion. And just pick off the top what happens.

That's right. So here he's gonna take that little Stick poker thing with that little V there at the bottom. I've seen pictures of them. I never used them and they've just goes right down there and gets the root and pulls it out.

To the degree that there's pride in our hearts thinking we did something for God. Therefore he chose us based on anything good about us. It robs from the glory of God and it robs from our praise. Paul is gonna just try to get it out at the root and he does it in a wonderful way with this kind of questioning and he is going to try to make us like John the Baptist.

I Must decrease so God must what increase and you say but this is a hard doctrine. Before I get into the answers of the questions, you know. The best minds in all the world have struggled with this doctrine.

You don't have to feel like you're out on an island alone. You're on your own spiritual patmas and you're the only one who's ever said, you know what a been draw seems so sure of election. But I struggle it's hard for me.

Jonathan Edwards said. From childhood up my mind had been full of objections against the doctrine of God's sovereignty in choosing whom he would to eternal life and Rejecting whom he pleased leaving them eternally to perish and be everlastingly.

Tormented in hell it used to appear like a horrible doctrine to me. But then when he learned from the word he goes on to say the doctrine has been very often appeared exceedingly pleasant bright and sweet.

Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God. You're not the only one so Paul through the Spirit of God helps us. Election always stimulates questions. And the first one is in verse 14 is God unrighteous.

I hate to even say that it's God unrighteous. I mean it sounds stupid to say God's unrighteous. But that's what happens when we live in this works system. This get-up-and-go system this bootstrap system.

We somehow realize God doesn't choose that way at all and we go in our heart of hearts. God be fair. He didn't choose to save everybody. Judas is in hell today because God didn't choose him to go to heaven.

Is that fair? Is that even an okay question to ask. And Paul does it for us? There is no injustice with God. Is there. May it never be? Contrary to all externals. We can't put God's fairness on trial.

He is the one who defines justice. Must a righteous true or false. A righteous God must choose everyone know. True or false a righteous God must choose people based on what they morally and ethically do.

See there's no injustice with God. Is there unrighteousness with God. And the Greek basically expects a negative answer. May I dedicate power toy? They all? Can it be can that ever be no a billion times?

No, the judge of the universe does right. Doesn't he? If Paul thinks faith Foreseen faith is the key that unlocks God's salvation. He would never ask this question. But since it's God's pre eternity Decision then people ask the question.

God alone determines those who receive his blessings after all. Jacob was an Adam. Esau was an Adam. Pharaoh was an Adam. Moses was an Adam. Isaac was an Adam. Ishmael was an Adam. I'm an Adam. You're an Adam.

Judas is an Adam. And for God to come by with swift sovereign mercy. Is it okay for him to save some? Well, there's no injustice with God. Is there? Now if I could do a drum roll, I would do a drum roll right now.

But I was not doing anything on musical talent night last night. If you ask this question, then may I just say in love and in kindness to help you think about God. You've betrayed what you really believe about God if you answer this question in the affirmative or if you even ask this question.

But why doesn't God show grace and mercy to everyone? Shouldn't God show grace to everyone. Shouldn't God do that and when you put the word should our ought our must next to grace. Then you've undermined the very definition of grace.

There's no shoulds and oughts and would-haves with God's grace. It is God's Imperial regal monarch power that decides. If you say should our ought it is no longer grace and it is no longer mercy. Let me ask it this way.

Has anyone ever Deserved salvation. There's no Injustice with God is there because everyone deserves hell and he picks out some for heaven. Look what he says with individual language moving away from national language verse 15.

I mean This is a whole sermon right here and I'm gonna do my best just to I feel like I'm kind of some volcano today. I'm just holding myself down because I can tell I'm starting to ramp up because verse 15 is one of those verses that will blow your mind.

If I was Steve Yeltsin Steve Lawson, I would yell right now. See we'd understand. How could he do that? This is it right here. If you understand this It will change your prayer life. It'll change your praise life.

It'll change your evangelism. It'll change everything about you because you will see God as he has revealed himself. Our hearts are idle factories. We make up things about God. This is how I think God should be.

When God has told us in his word who he is in Romans 9 15 for God says to Moses I Will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. That's right out of Exodus.

Moses is up in the mountain. The people down below are making a golden calf. Jumping and dancing and all kinds of orgiastic things and just doing horrible sacrilegious blasphemous things. Moses comes down and then God kills three thousand people.

How many deserve to die? God kills three thousand people, but he has mercy and compassion on the rest. Now as I look at this verse in verse 15 so far as I look at it, I'm glad it doesn't read this way.

I'm glad it doesn't say I will have mercy on none. But he says I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. The parameters are no external parameters. No influences. No external pressures. Basically what I wrote my notes I am who I am and I will do what I will do is the idea and then.

Now you've got to go there go to Exodus 33 and see it. Just it behooves ours us to go there to see what happens see where this quote come from comes from. Basically in Romans 9 Paul is using this quote to show the sovereign grace of God and to show that it's undeserved and that God Justly can wipe out everyone.

But if he snatches some out of his deserved punishment. It's called grace or mercy. It's not something to put God underneath the microscope. Exodus 33 3 ,000 rebels have been killed the whole nation should have been killed and now here we come.

Verse 17 of Exodus 33 the Lord said to Moses I will also do this thing of what you've spoken for you have found favor in my side and I have known you by name. Then Moses replied or said I pray you show me your glory.

Don't forget verse 18. That's the key. Show me your glory God. I want to see you who for you. I want to see you for who you really are. I Want to see you kind of on the Mount of Transfiguration before it even happened.

I want to just see you. And what does God say verse 19. I Myself will make all my goodness pass before you and proclaim the name of the Lord before you mark that word goodness. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will show compassion on whom I show compassion.

You know what's happening here? Moses says to God God, I'd like to get a glimpse of you. I'd like to get a glimpse of you and I want to see the essence of you. I want to see if we boiled everything down.

Here is the extract of God. I want to know who you are by definition. I want to know who you are by core. I want to know what makes you God what makes you different than everything else and all the gods of Baal and the Ashtoreths and All these other gods God.

I want you to boil it down for me so I can see this is the essence and nature of God and What does he say. The essence and nature of God is I choose who I want to choose. You want to know what makes God different than every other God?

He chooses anybody he wants anytime he wants and when Paul when Moses says I want to see your glory come by God says I'll show you my goodness and the goodness is this I Choose people by my own divine prerogative.

Oh, yes, Isaiah might say when you see the essence of God, it's holy. Holy. Holy John Three might talk about an essence of God is love. But in this particular case, it is just the biggest biggest essence as holiness or love.

It is God's Prerogative to choose what makes God's God what makes God God is he chooses? Glory of God. Shows itself through the prism of I choose who I want to choose. I'm not just God by name. I'm by.

I'm God by my actions and Sam Storm said rather. It is a solemn declaration of the nature of God to show mercy. Independently of external constraints our conditions is what it means to be God. That is absolutely mind-boggling to me.

There is no unrighteousness with God. Is there? He doesn't say I'm gonna make a choice and Roberts rules of order and and moral majority and congregational voting and the elder board and John Calvin or Martin Luther.

They all get aside to decide. No, no. Every blessing that comes through God comes because he chooses to give it back to Romans chapter 9 verse 16. Romans 9 16 and this truth has an inference in our life.

If you want to know what God is at nature at the look at the most Calm I don't even want to say that you have to be careful when you talk about God. If you want to know what God is, he's a God who chooses.

That's how he manifests himself not only Love and holiness, but by choice and it has a way to affect us verse 16 of Romans 9. So then it follows in other words. It does not depend on look at the singular language no nation language the man who wills.

Are the man who runs. Do you want to know why people get into heaven some do and some don't because it depends on God who has? Mercy if you look at Romans 9 16 in the NES at least so then it. What's the what's the subject?

What does it refer to it refers to the sovereign? Undeserved grace of God. Let me just read it this way. So then God's sovereign grace does not depend on the man who wills are his free will are the man who runs or tries or is Baptized or catechized but on the God who has mercy.

Sovereign grace depends on God's mercy. Can God do whatever he wants with his creation? The answer is yes, and even though it was Jacob being sly with the porridge and even though it was Jacob putting hair on himself and stealing the blessing all those things were Human, but the main reason why Jacob was Jacob is because God said I choose you.

Look down in verse 18. This is this is even more amazing and Paul is just nailing it. He's taking these these nails and just putting them on the coffin of any kind of human pride you and me God. But we're working together and and the difference between me and my neighbor is I chose you know.

So then he has mercy on whom he desires. Individual I mean a singular relative pronoun whom whom he desires and he hardens whom He desires. Oh, this is gonna be great. Then if God does all this and I'm not a Christian I don't need to be one because if he hasn't chosen me, then I can do whatever I want.

I might as well live it up. Yeah, I could just party I can do whatever I want. How can God find any reason wrong in my life if he never chose me? Verse 19 question number two. If God is sovereign you are still held accountable if you're an unbeliever who will say to me then Why does he still find fault for who resists his will?

Singular language again. We're not talking about nations. We're talking about individuals. How can God find fault if he didn't choose me? Somehow implying that the two don't go together. God's sovereignty and human accountability.

They do go together. Maybe not in our mind, but in God's mind they do. Who's resisted his will who's bolted the door who's blockaded it and barred it from God. God can't be barred. So I'm just free. I Can do whatever I want and it says asinine is some some, you know.

Idea that we have where boy that's hard to read. That's hard to recover from isn't it out of the tape Andrew God is selective. God elects and God as boy said doesn't owe us an answer and he shows that in verse 20 on the Contrary, who are you?

Oh man who answers back to God? Do you know people aren't allowed to question the monarch if you're thinking you know what God isn't just God isn't fair. I don't have to do this. That's not the God I worship then I have one bit of advice for you.

And that's this advice. Don't ever talk like that. Don't ever say those things. Paul doesn't say good question way to go. I See your flowchart of thoughts there. Glad you're working that all out. And yeah, I kind of you know, if I wasn't being inspired right now by the Holy Spirit I'd ask the same thing.

Paul rebukes the question and even thinking about it. He doesn't say, you know, that's his good thinking. He just says you know, what do we think somehow the infinite eternal God of the universe Has to conform to our ideas about what is right and what is wrong.

God has mercy on whom he has mercy and compassion on whom he has compassion. The thing molded look at verse 20 will not say to the molder. Why'd you make me like this? Will it? No complaint departments in heaven.

We have to be careful. We are to suppress our thoughts like that. We are to kind of hold them down. We were trying to push them underwater. If we're trying to push a kid down underwater if they've got a lifejacket on it's difficult.

We're just trying to suppress that thing as a lifejacket of our pride. I Don't mean the person's a thing. This is such a hard doctrine you need a little comic relief and I supply that. Not saying the kids the thing I was saying the lifejacket's the thing.

But as that buoyant vest is prone to want to rise up so too we are prideful at heart and we think it's you know. We got it going on. That's why God picked us and Basically, and this is for the kids there and miss O 'Brien.

You'll like this. We don't say this to our dads. We don't say this to anyone but here's what God says to us when it comes to putting God on the witness stand. We should repent and shut our mouths. We are never to ask God questions like this.

We have no right to criticize no right to question. We are creatures a and sinful creatures at that and then we're gonna go, you know what God you don't really run things properly. Never. John Calvin said let us treasure the following observation in our minds.