A Study of Romans 9 from Great Falls

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Nobody sit over here. I sort of feel like leaning this direction.
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Now, from my perspective, you're on the right, which is good. The sheep on the right goes to the left.
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But from your perspective, it's just opposite. You're leaning to the left. So I'm not sure if that has something to do with your senators or just what.
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But anyway, we would like to thank you very much for your senators.
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So all of us across the United States very much appreciate that. Anyway, let's not go there.
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Turn with me, please, in your Bibles to... Well, I'm almost... To be honest with you,
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I once was teaching at a large Southern Baptist church. And I read through this chapter.
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I didn't even comment on it. And I had people leave angry with me for having read this text of Scripture.
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And so, with some fear and trepidation, I ask you to turn to the ninth chapter of Romans.
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Yes, that chapter. Undoubtedly one of the most controversial chapters.
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Ironically, not because it's unclear. Not because it's particularly difficult in the original languages or anything like it.
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It is controversial because of what it says. I remember talking to a man after I worked through this text at that same church long ago.
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And he came up to me afterwards and said, You know, I've read that many times. And I thought that's what it was talking about.
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But I said, I know we don't believe that. So I just ignored it. And unfortunately, a lot of people do that.
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When we are pushed on our comfort issues. But the fact of the matter is, the
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Apostle Paul, after all the beautiful words of Romans chapter 8. Where he has talked about the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
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And neither height nor depth or any created thing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
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And all these other things. He then feels the need to defend his gospel.
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And he is defending his gospel against specific accusations.
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Remember, the Apostle Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was a
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Jew. He was a Jewish Jew, if we could put it that way. He wasn't just Jewish because of his father and his mother.
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But he had been trained under Gamaliel. He was a Pharisee. He was as Jewish as you could get.
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And so after enunciating these wonderful blessings in Christ. And going through the 8th chapter which has been called the cathedral of the
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Christian faith. The pinnacle of Christian revelation. You can tell that he feels an absolute necessity to answer one of the most difficult objections.
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To that early Christian proclamation. And he had heard that objection over and over again.
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Okay, Paul. Paul, that sounds wonderful. That sounds great, Paul. God's done all this wonderful stuff.
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And this person you believe to be the Messiah. But there's one little problem, Paul. The people of God don't believe it.
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That is, the vast majority of the Jewish people think you're nuts.
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And so if all these promises were made in the Jewish scriptures.
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Were read by the Jewish people for all this time. And the Jewish people believe that they themselves were the seed of Abraham.
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To whom these promises were given. Paul, how is it that the
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Jews as a whole are rejecting your message. And that many of those who are embracing your message are actually
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Gentiles. In fact, you call yourself the apostle to the Gentiles.
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Paul, how can you be right. And face such a glaring contradiction.
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And that's what Romans 9 is all about. Because as he says, I'm telling the truth of Christ.
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I am not lying. My conscience testifies, assures me in the
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Holy Spirit. I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed.
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Cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen. Who are the
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Jews, the Israelites. To them belongs the adoption of sons.
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The glory, the covenants. The giving of the law, the temple worship, the promises. Oh yes,
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I recognize that much was given to the Jewish people. They had advantages that no one else, no people has ever had.
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To them was given the adoption of sons. To them the glory, the covenants. The giving of the law, temple worship, which pointed to Christ.
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All these benefits, promises were given to them. And to them belonged the patriarchs.
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And from them, by human descent, came the Christ. Who is God over all, blessed forever.
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It was through the Jewish people that God entered into his own creation in the person of Christ.
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What glories were theirs. And so Paul does not, for a moment, dispute the fact that the
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Jewish people had been given tremendous advantages. He said at the beginning of this letter, actually in chapters 2 and 3.
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To them the oracles of God had been committed. They even had the very words of God.
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All these things he accepts as being completely truthful. But then, in the next sentence.
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The apostle gives us the key to the interpretation of the rest of this chapter. And I submit to you.
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That all of the methods that men have used to get around this chapter. And the standard response to the ninth chapter of Romans.
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This has nothing to do with salvation. This just simply has to do with nations.
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This is just Paul saying, well he can do with one nation what he wants. And another nation what he wants.
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That particular response, which you'll find in book after book after book. Collapses.
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As long as you read the sixth and seventh verses. Which is but one sentence.
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In the original language. Notice what it says. Paul says, it is not as though the word of God had failed.
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That's the objection. The objection to this position is, the word of God has failed. All these promises to Israel, but they're not the ones believing.
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It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel.
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Are Israel. Not all those who are from Israel are truly
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Israel. Nor are all the children Abraham's true descendants their seed.
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Rather through Isaac will your descendants be counted. Now what is his assertion?
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His assertion is, you need to look more closely. At how
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God had dealt with his people. The revelation of the Old Testament shows us that yes.
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There were in the Old Testament those general people of God. But how many times did they go into apostasy?
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How many times did they turn away after idols? How many times did
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God the prophet say, you're a stiff necked people. And then in Ezekiel.
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He gave those illustrations. Remember the valley of the bones? And they're dead.
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And the wind has to come along and blow. And the bones come together and living beings are created.
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God has to create true life. Or in the same section he talks about taking out a heart of stone.
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And giving a heart of flesh. Illustrations used in the New Testament.
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Of the work of the spirit of God. We see in the Old Testament a remnant.
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A remnant. It is not all who are called as the children of Abraham. Who are truly of Israel.
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The whole history of the Old Testament. Is of a people who are given all these blessings.
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And yet unless God changes the heart. All the blessings in the world.
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Will not cause someone to walk in righteousness. The people of Israel had every advantage in the world.
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But they kept going after false gods. And it was only God reserving for himself a remnant.
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Remember what he said to the prophet? The prophet's in the cave and he's all sad. I'm the only one left.
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And what does God say to him? No. I have reserved for myself 7 ,000 who have not bowed to me to bail.
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Not they reserved themselves. I've reserved for myself. Here Paul is going to explain to us.
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Express to us. That the Jews who have confused ethnic
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Israel. With those who are truly of the faith of Israel.
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Who truly follow after Abraham the father of faith. That's where the problem is.
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God has always elected his people from beginning to end.
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And he's going to demonstrate it right here. But there's the key. Not all those who are descended from Israel.
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Are truly Israel. He's not talking here about. Well you know. God just does big things with nations.
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And stuff like that. No. He's going to explain. He's going to demonstrate. From the history of Israel.
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That it is God who is sovereign in this matter. Notice what he says. Beginning in verse 8.
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This means. That is. It is not the children of the flesh.
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Who are the children of God. But the children of promise. Are counted as descendants.
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You can have Abraham's genetics. But you have to be a child of promise.
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You have to embrace that promise of God. If you don't have any concern about spiritual things.
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You can be as Jewish as the day is long. It doesn't matter. This means it is not the children of flesh.
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Who are the children of God. Rather the children of promise. Are counted as descendants. For this is what the promise declared.
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And he starts going through history. This is what the promise declared. The word of the promise was this. About a year from now.
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I will return. And Sarah will have a son. See the promise came from God.
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He is the one who brought about the child of promise. Abraham had tried his own thing. He had
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Ishmael. It didn't matter. That is not the point. He went beyond God's promises.
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And not only that. Verse 10. But also Rebecca. When she was.
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Had conceived children by one man. That is our father Isaac. Listen carefully now.
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Because this is where we really start digging in. Even before they were born.
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Or had done anything good or bad. In order that God's purpose in election would stand.
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Not by works. But by the one calling. It was said to her.
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The older will serve the younger. Just as it is written. Jacob I love. But Esau I hate.
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Now hear what God says in this text. Before they were ever born.
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Before they had done anything good or bad. See the standard way that man has.
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To get around this biblical teaching. Is that God stands in eternity past. And he looks down the corridors of time.
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And he sees who is going to be good. Who is going to believe. And he sees who is going to be evil.
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And who is not going to believe. And so he chooses based upon what he sees us doing.
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But Paul is doing everything he can. To say no, no, no.
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Before they are even born. Or done anything good and bad to be able to be seen. So that God's purpose in choosing.
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In election might stand. Not ex ergo.
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Not by works. Not by the deeds that they did. But by the one calling.
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By the one choosing. That's God. What he's saying is. It's not based upon man's works.
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It's based upon God's calling. He's creating a 180 degree contrast between the two.
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He couldn't make it any clearer. He is specifically denying the idea.
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That God's choice of Jacob over Esau. Was based upon something in Jacob.
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And think about it. Think about Jacob at the time that he is given the birthright. He's not really a very attractive character.
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He's a deceiver. God didn't look at him and go I can see he's better than Esau.
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Most of us especially. I mean Esau was a Montana guy wasn't he? I mean he's stepping out his back door.
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And nailing elk and deer and everything else. And you can skin him in five minutes.
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And he cooks the best venison on the planet. And I mean he would have just been.
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He would have been governor up here. He's a Montana guy. And so if we were going to choose somebody.
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Let's face it. A lot of us look at little wimpy deceiving mommy's boy
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Jacob. And we go. And we look at Esau.
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And I mean he was on the basketball team. He was on the football team. He led the high school to the state championship the whole nine yards.
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But Paul's whole point is that's not why. He was passed over.
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And that's not why Jacob was chosen. It's not of works.
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It's not of their actions. It is of the one calling. God had a purpose.
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And his purpose will stand. So because of his choice.
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It was said to her even before they were born. The greater will serve the lesser.
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The younger will serve the older. It shouldn't be that way. That's not the way it was normally done.
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But even before the events that led to Esau selling his birthright and everything else. God intended for the promise to go through Jacob.
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Not through Esau. And that is his right. Just as it has been written,
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Jacob I love but Esau I hate. And we don't like that. We don't like that. That's not fair.
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Grace and mercy is not a category of justice. Grace and mercy transcends categories of justice.
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And may I suggest something to you? When you read verse 13. And you hear
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Jacob I love but Esau I hate. Now I know what people do there. They go, well that's from Malachi.
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That proves it's nations. Except Malachi is going back to this story. And rooting in history to demonstrate why
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God was dealing with nations the way he was in that day. It doesn't get around how Paul is using him.
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Just as it has been written, Jacob I love but Esau I hate. Let me tell you something. What should catch your attention in verse 13.
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What should catch your breath. What should shock you in that verse.
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Is Jacob I love. Do you hear me?
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It shouldn't be Esau I hate. We're talking about that holy
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God. That thrice holy God.
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Dealing with sinful creatures. Who he could rightly wipe out in a moment.
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In his wrath and his justice. And no one would be able to say a word against him.
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The amazing part of verse 13 is not Esau I hate. The amazing part of verse 13 is
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Jacob I love. And that's where we miss it. Because we have been so infected with humanistic thinking.
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So infected with an idea that focuses upon man as the central aspect of everything
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God's doing. Oh God is lucky to have us. That we don't hear the true amazing statements.
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That despite Jacob's character. Despite Jacob's sinfulness.
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Before he was born. God sent his love upon him. That's what's amazing.
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Because that's the confession of any believer today. If you have experienced
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God's grace in your life. It's because before you were ever born. God set his love upon you. Not because he looked into the future and said well that's going to be a great person.
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Just the opposite. The whole lesson of Israel. How many times did God have to say I didn't choose
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Israel. Because they were a good people. Because they were better than any other people.
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More numerous and more powerful. I chose them out of my own grace.
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And that's what Paul is reminding these people of. God's word hasn't failed. Your own scriptures show you that God has always acted in this way.
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He's always acted in grace. And he has always chosen his people. Not based upon their goodness.
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Or their deeds. But his purpose that he is working out in this world. As soon as that's said.
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Paul knows. The apostle knows the objections of man. Notice in verses 14 and 19.
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You are given objections. And I cannot tell you how many times.
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I've had to point out to my fellow believers. When they have defended man's traditions on these matters.
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Do you realize that you're lining yourself up with the person who was objecting to the apostle
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Paul? That's generally not a good thing. If your objections are the objections that Paul responds to.
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That might indicate that you're standing against the apostle in this matter.
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What shall we say then? What is the first thing we hear when
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God's electing grace is announced? That's not fair. God's being unjust.
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He has to give everybody the same chance. Why? Why does any convicted convict need any chance to begin with?
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It really calls into question whether God is right to say that all have sinned. And that the wages of sin is death.
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It calls into question whether God was right to bring the flood in the days of Noah. Where only a few were saved.
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Well you didn't give them a chance. Why does the holy
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God of eternity need to give anyone a chance? Well because we're so good.
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No we're not. That's just the way He is. His grace and His mercy is free.
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Yes, and it's wonderful. But to be free it has to be
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His mercy and grace. It cannot be demanded of Him. Think of it this way. What if...
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And I don't know, does Montana have the death penalty? Okay. I always have to ask.
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You never know these days. The governor of a state always has the right to pardon a criminal.
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And let's say there were... I used to know the exact number of people that were on death row in Arizona.
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Let's say the governor pardons a particular individual. And let's say there's 50 people on death row.
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And the governor pardons one of these individuals. Now I know that the other 49 will make this argument.
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But do they have a legal or logical argument to say... Well you've got to pardon me too because you pardoned him. No, because the governor can pardon freely.
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He can pardon one and not pardon the other 49. And he remains absolutely just. Because you cannot demand that pardon in the first place.
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In the same way, when we think of God's choices. There are only three possible choices.
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Either God can save no one. God can save everyone.
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Or God can save a particular people. In which of those three options does
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God have any choice at all? In which of those three options can all of God's attributes be demonstrated to His creation?
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His holiness, His justice, His wrath against sin. And His mercy,
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His love, and His grace. In only one of those situations can
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God's full character be revealed. If He saves no one, we don't see the love, mercy, and grace.
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If He saves everyone, we don't see His justice and His holiness. If He saves undeserving sinners, we see both.
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And if He saves just one, it would be an amazing thing. He has decided to save a multitude.
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That is what Paul is defending. So, what shall we say? There is no unrighteousness or injustice from God, is there?
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May it never be. For He says to Moses, Literally, let me translate for you here, literally, but not in good
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English. I will mercy whom I will mercy. And I will have compassion on whom
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I have compassion. I will mercy whom I will mercy. And I will compassion whom
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I compassion. See, we don't use those verbs in that way. We talk about having mercy on someone.
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Or having compassion. But in the original language, those are verbs. To mercy someone, to compassion someone.
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And this is drawn right out of Exodus 33. Where God has His encounter with Moses. He reveals
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Himself to Moses. In that text, God again emphasizes the fact that He has the right.
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He has the freedom to demonstrate His mercy and His grace as He sees fit.
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And so what you have here is you have the Apostle taking the Old Testament text. I will mercy whom
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I will mercy. And I will compassion whom I will compassion. And then verse 16 gives you the inspired apostolic interpretation of that text.
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So then, let me again give you a literal rendering. It is not of the one willing.
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Or of the one striving or running. But, opposite of that, the mercying
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God. It is not of the one willing. The central aspect of the religions of mankind.
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Is the assertion that man's will is not enslaved to sin. That's what holds man's religions together.
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The assertion of the autonomy of the human will. I cannot tell you how many times the
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New Testament talks about the inabilities of man. The slavery of man.
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And the abilities of God. And yet what is the bent of man. But to take biblical revelation and reverse it.
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To where you have God who is limited. And man who has all the power.
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But that's not what the Apostle says. It is not of the one willing. It is not of the one striving.
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The one running. The one trying to attain a goal. It's not of man's will.
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It is not of man's efforts. It is instead of the mercying God. You want to find out why.
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When you look at two men. One believes and one does not. If you sit there and examine them.
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You're looking in the wrong place. Paul says. It is of the mercying
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God. And then he gives another example. For the scripture says to Pharaoh.
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Remember good old Pharaoh. For this very reason
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I raise you up. That I might demonstrate my power in you.
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And that my name might be proclaimed. In all the earth.
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Think back. What does that mean? Pharaoh died. Pharaoh ruled over the greatest nation in the world at that time.
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And these slaves. These Hebrews. They were helping to build his cities.
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Along comes this Moses fellow. And before Moses ever appeared before Pharaoh.
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Exodus chapter 4. When God said to Moses. I'm going to send you to Pharaoh.
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What else did he tell Moses? I will harden his heart.
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Oh but Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Yes he did. But there are a number of times.
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That if Pharaoh had had simple common sense. He would have said get out of here. But God had a purpose.
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He wanted to demonstrate his power. In the destruction of an idolatrous nation.
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Each of the plagues. Demonstrated Yahweh's power over one of the major Egyptian gods.
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And if Pharaoh had just had common sense. After the first or second or third plague.
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He would have said get out of here. But God hardened his heart. So that.
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Not only would Egypt. Be spoiled. Destroyed in that sense.
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But what was the last plague? The death of the firstborn. And what happens in the death of the firstborn?
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The establishment of Passover. And what is Passover? It becomes the greatest thing
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God did in history. To point to the cross. So God had a purpose.
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And he hardened Pharaoh's heart. So that Pharaoh didn't even have common sense enough.
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To let the people go. So he would accomplish his purpose. Oh that is not fair. Pharaoh was a sinner.
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If God had struck Pharaoh dead for his sin. No one could have said a word. And so if he uses him to his greater glory.
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How is that not fair? But notice what he says.
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For this very purpose I raised you up. I raised you up. God raised up Pharaoh.
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So that he might demonstrate his power in him. And that his name, God's name.
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Would be proclaimed in all the earth. And see there is our problem folks.
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We don't think God has the right to do that. Ask yourself a question.
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How high. On your ranking of what is important. Would be the demonstration of God's power.
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And the proclamation of his name throughout all the earth. God says that is the top of his list.
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And if we are truly sensitive to his spirit, his word. It would be the top of ours too. But that means
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God has absolute sovereign right over his creation. To do with it as he pleases. And that is what he did.
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That is what he did with Pharaoh. So then.
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Here is another quote from the Old Testament. You want the inspired New Testament commentary on it?
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Verse 18. So then, therefore. He mercies whom he wills.
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And whom he wills, he hardens. Therefore, he mercies whom he wills.
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And whom he wills, he hardens. It is right there. It led to Pharaoh doing something really stupid.
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I don't know about you, but after ten plagues. The death of the firstborn. If I am sitting in my chariot.
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And I am looking at that sea. And the walls of water. Do you think I am going in there?
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Think about it. Pharaoh did. Every one of his soldiers looked at him going, you idiot.
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God had a purpose. Pharaoh did it. And God was absolutely just to do so.
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So then, God has mercy on him. Whom he chooses to have mercy on, he hardens. Whom he chooses to harden. You will say to me.
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You will say to me. Because I can guarantee you.
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Paul had heard it. Paul had gotten this objection over and over and over again.
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You will say to me. Why does he still find fault? For who can stand against his will?
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Who can resist his will? Is that not the objection that mankind raises over and over again?
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Well, if what you are saying is true. Then God is unjust to judge anyone. Because he is just forcing.
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We are just puppets on a string. Oh, I hear that all the time. We are just puppets on a string. What an amazing thing.
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If God actually accomplishes his purposes amongst men. Then God cannot possibly be just.
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That is what people are saying. I don't know what Old Testament they are reading. I don't know if they just don't remember in Genesis 20.
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When the king is. He is going to go into Sarah. Because Abraham was lied to. And doesn't know she is a married woman.
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What did God do? He kept him from sinning. He kept him from sinning.
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What happened to his free will? He kept him from sinning. And then there is this text.
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Lord, why have you hardened our hearts so as to destroy us? God brings the people of Israel to the land.
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He hardens the hearts of various kings to come out in battle. They wouldn't have done so. If God hadn't wanted to destroy them.
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Over and over and over again. God's sovereignty in human affairs is found.
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Right on the text of scripture. I think one of the reasons. That so many people struggle with Romans chapter 9.
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Is that in our modern day. Most evangelicals only have 27 books in their Bible. They lost the other 39 a long time ago.
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They are just books from which we read stories. That is one of the problems.
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What about the 33rd Psalm? I love the 33rd Psalm. God is creator of all things.
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He has his purpose. Man has desires and purposes. And God frustrates them.
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But God's purposes never frustrate. The contrast is drawn over and over again.
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Read the 33rd Psalm sometime. It is right there. People say.
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How can he still find fault? For who resists his will? Some people believe.
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At this point we are just faced with a great mystery. Paul's response in verse 20.
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I don't know. We just need to know the flow. I think that is completely wrong.
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I believe the apostle gives a full and convincing response.
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If we will but hear it. In verse 20. Here is literally what it says.
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Oh man. Oh man. Who indeed are you?
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The one answering back to God. Does what is molded say to the molder.
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Why have you made me like this? Do you see what the answer is?
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It is not one that we necessarily like. Outside of the work of the spirit of God in our hearts.
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Oh man. Oh creature. Oh little thing that flourishes for but a little while.
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And then disappears. Who knows so little of what is going on in the world around him.
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Oh man. Will you answer back to God? You see there is no question that God does find fault.
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God judges Pharaoh. Think about all the times in the
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Old Testament. Think about Joseph's brothers. Remember Joseph's brothers? Remember what happens when
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Joseph comes and he is wearing a coat of many colors? What do they want to do?
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They want to kill him. They want to kill him. God does not allow them to do so.
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So much for their free will. But he does allow them to throw him in a pit.
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And take his coat of many colors and tear it up and dip it in animal blood. And sell him as a slave to Egypt.
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And then go back and heartlessly deceive their father. Who weeps and mourns over his lost son.
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What they did was sinful. What they did was evil.
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But you know where I am going don't you? Because after daddy dies. The brothers come before Joseph.
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Joseph is the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. And the brothers have figured that the only reason
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Joseph hasn't turned them to mincemeat. Buried them in the sands of Egypt.
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Eaten them with scorpions. Done something. It was because daddy was hurt. Now daddy is gone.
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And they've got no place to hide. And so they come before Joseph. And they fall down.
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And oh please don't destroy us. Remember Joseph's response?
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This is not the response Joseph would have given as he was being dragged away by the
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Midianite slave traders. This took years for him to come to understand this.
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But Joseph doesn't whitewash his brother's sins. He doesn't say oh you didn't sin.
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No. What does he say to them? You indeed meant this for evil.
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But God meant it for good. To save many alive to this day.
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Joseph understood. That even in the sinful actions of his brothers.
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God's will was being accomplished. Does that mean they weren't sinners?
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No. One action. The intent of their heart evil.
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The intent of God's heart good. One other illustration. Isaiah chapter 10.
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God brings Assyria down from the north to discipline his people. He had told them in Deuteronomy 28 -29.
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Curses and blessings. Curses and blessings. You've broken the covenant. Here comes the curses. But then he says and after I have punished
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Israel. I will then punish Assyria. Why? Because of the attitude of the heart of the
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Assyrian people. They did not glorify God. They did what they did for evil purposes.
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And God says I will judge them for what they did. One action. On the
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Assyrian's part, evil intentions. On God's part, holy intentions. Perfect compatibility between the sovereign will of God and the actions of man.
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Do you want the most obvious example? Acts chapter 4. Jewish leaders have arrested
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Peter. They've said don't preach anymore in this man's name. The apostles come back to the church and they pray.
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And the prayer of that church. You hear the words. To the sovereign
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Lord. You, your holy servant
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Jesus. In this city were gathered against him certain people.
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He mentions Herod. Pilate, the Jews, the Romans, the
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Gentiles. When you think about it, every one of those people had different motivations regarding the role they played in the crucifixion of Jesus.
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Herod was a nut. Herod was insane. Pilate was a wimp.
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He was a coward. The Jews hated Jesus. They were jealous.
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Filled with rage at his exposure of their hypocrisy. The Gentiles? Just some guy from Galilee who's causing problems that's getting out of the way.
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Totally different motivations for each group. But what did the early church say in Acts 4 .28?
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They did what your hand and will predestined to occur. Motivations of their hearts.
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Evil. Motivation of God. Bringing about the greatest
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God glorifying good of all of creation. In the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
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I submit to you that if you do not see and accept the sovereignty of God over human affairs.
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This book makes not a bit of sense. Who are you
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O man? To answer back against God. We'll not say the mold or why did you hate me like this?
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Pots and dishes and cups. Formed by the hand of man.
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Have no right to look at man and say wait a minute. I don't want to be a fork.
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I want to be a spoon. I don't want to be a cup.
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I want to be a plate. The potter has the right over the clay.
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The thing formed has no right to say to the one who formed it. Why did you make me like this?
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And this is where man says no. I won't go there. I won't go there.
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I will not accept. That I am truly the creature.
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And that he has the right to make me as tall as I am. As much or as little hair as I have.
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Where I live. How much money I have. No. I'm in charge.
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I want to sing with old blue eyes. I did it my way. That's man's religion.
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Paul says who are you? To answer back to God. Verse 21.
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Doesn't the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay.
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One vessel for a special or honorable use. And another for an ordinary use.
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You've seen the potter. You probably had to like I did. Make stuff in class.
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Back in high school and college. Not very good at it. Everything I've made is just really sort of ugly.
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People are really good at it. And the potter can take a lump of clay. And he can take a part off of it.
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Plop it down there. And he says you know what? I need a new way to stand. Plain old thing.
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For garbage. Fires it up. Takes the same lump. Puts it there.
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And he says the king wants something for his celebration. And so he works.
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And he's careful. And he creates a beautiful object. One lump.
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The potter didn't look at the lump and go. You know I think that side of the lump over there.
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I'm going to be nicer to than this lump over here. Because that lump I think it smiled at me.
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I look into the future and I see that it's going to believe in me. No! It's just a lump of clay. And he can take a part.
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And he can make a garbage can. And then he can take a part. And make a beautiful thing for the king's celebration.
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It's up to the potter. Paul's answer to someone who says.
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Who still finds fault? Doesn't the potter have the right.
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To make from the same lump of clay. One vessel for special use. And another for ordinary use.
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What if God willing to do what? This is where people stumble.
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But I've got to show you what scripture says. Verse 22. What if God willing to demonstrate his wrath.
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And to make his power known. But we don't like that.
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We just want God to be willing to show his love and mercy. And so on and so forth. Again.
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God is about demonstrating all of who he is. Not just part of who he is. And I've said it many many times.
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If you look at that cross. And all you see.
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Is the love of God. You are not seeing all of the cross. If you look at that cross.
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If you don't see God's wrath against sin. If you don't see the depth of the suffering of the
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Christ. On that cross that he endured in our place. If you don't see his holiness.
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Then you'll never see the heights of the love that that demonstrates. And the first thing this text says is not.
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What if God willing to demonstrate his love. The first thing it says is. What if God willing to demonstrate his wrath.
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And to make his power known. Has endured with much patience.
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Vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. That's what
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Pharaoh was. For many years Pharaoh walked in his hatred of God.
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For many years Pharaoh engaged in the most horrific pagan religious practices.
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And he had the joys of life. And he had health and he had riches and women.
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But God's wrath abode upon him. And at any moment
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God could have justly taken him out. But he didn't. He wanted to make his power known at the right time.
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That justice. That wrath fell. With much patience he endured him.
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Think about the Amorites in Israel. 400 years.
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While the people of Israel were down in Egypt. They kept their sin and their debauchery.
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And then at the right time. God brought judgment. The hands of the people of Israel. Drove them out.
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For 400 years. They could have gone. Where's God's justice? We make our children to pass to the fire and matter is not.
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But God's justice was coming. Verse 23. And what if he is willing.
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To make known. The riches of his glory. On the vessels of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory.
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Even us whom he has called. Not only from the Jews but also from the
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Gentiles. There you have it. God is making known the entirety of his personal nature.
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His attributes. His wrath. His power. His holiness. And the wealth of his glory.
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His love and his mercy. On the vessels of mercy. Not vessels of worthiness.
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Not the better vessels than the other vessels. But the vessels of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory.
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Not of works but of the one who calls. Even us.
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Whom he has called. From among Jews and Gentiles.
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There is God's sovereignty. And yes I have heard all the kinds of ways around this.
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I've even heard someone say. Well actually there in verse 22. When it says those vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.
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It could be interpreted in such a way that they prepared themselves for destruction. Oh. Yeah. Okay we're talking about the potter.
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And he's making vessels. Some for common use and honorable use. So if we actually follow it all the way through.
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That would mean this part of the clay jumped out of the lump. Onto the wheel and formed itself into something that was for destruction.
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Yeah that's Paul's point. It's amazing to me. It's amazing what people will do.
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The test isn't. It's not cloud. It's not difficult. The only reason people do that is because of tradition.
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Tradition. Well that's not how so and so put it. Or I don't think we should talk about that kind of thing.
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Because some people don't like to talk about that. You'll notice that this morning.
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I talked about a subject. The atonement of Christ. Without ever using any of the common buzzwords that people use.
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And this evening you have not heard me use any of the standard terms. Of the debates that take place over these texts.
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You know what I'm talking about. But I can just stick with the text. But at this point I want to use a name.
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To point something out about the balance we need to have on these issues. In 1536.
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A young man less than 30 years of age. Published a, at the time, fairly short book.
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It was a defense of Christians as fellow Christians in France. He was born in Nyon, France. And they were suffering under great persecution.
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The book was called The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Over the next number of years.
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It would go through many other editions. And become greatly expanded. Until it became one of the most important Protestant works ever published.
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And of course I'm talking about John Calvin. But what most people don't know. Since most people don't actually read what he wrote.
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Is that when he finished that book. He didn't start off with election and predestination. He didn't get to it until the third book actually.
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And ironically. He didn't get to election and predestination. Until after the longest single chapter in the entire work.
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You know what's on? Prayer. And when he got to it.
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He said we need to be very careful. And balanced in how we handle this. But he said something very important.
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He said there are some people who would say. We should not talk about this subject. May I suggest to you.
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That that calls into question. The very wisdom of the Holy Spirit of God. Who put so much discussion about it.
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Into inspired scripture. He was exactly right.
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The Spirit gives to us. What he knows his people will need to know.
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And there is no greater pride destroying realization. Than to know.
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That the only reason. That I will stand. Amongst the redeemed. Around the throne of God.
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In eternity to come. Seeing his praises. Is that little five letter word.
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Grace. It's not that God looked down the corridors of time.
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And thought I'd be better. It's God's grace. That's the message of scripture.
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Now. Some people say. Oh well. That's all well and good.
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But you know Peter said. There are many things difficult to understand. Paul. I think that's just one of them.
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Why don't you show me that in Jesus's words. There are some people who suffer from what I call. Hyper red letters.
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Unless it's printed in red. It's not as inspired as what's printed in black. And so in our next time together.
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I'd like to show you the exact same message. From the lips of Jesus. So that you can tell.
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So that you can see. From the words of scripture. This wasn't just Paul's idea. This is the teaching.
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Of holy scripture as a whole. So we're going to take about a five minute break. I'm sorry about a ten minute break.