Sunday Sermon: He Has Mercy on Whomever He Wills (Romans 9:17-18)

You're listening to the preaching ministry of Gabriel Hughes, pastor of Providence Reformed Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on this podcast we feature teaching through a New Testament book, an

Old Testament book on Thursday and our Q &A on Friday. Each Sunday we are pleased to present our sermon series.

Here is Pastor Gabe. Let us come back to read once again, Romans 9, verses 14 to 18, that we may see the glory of God, even in all that he has purposed.

Josiah Shute, the 17th century Puritan said, Beware, if God is not first in his glory, our own glory will be our downfall.

So let us seek God with our whole hearts this morning. If you would please stand for the reading of the word of the

King. This is Romans chapter 9, verses 14 to 18. Hear the word of the

Lord. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part?

By no means. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom

I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.

For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very purpose

I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

So then, he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

You may be seated as we pray. Heavenly Father, what blessed truths we have come to embark upon as we open up this text and have read in this deep chapter, one that we who has reformed on our church sign might take a great deal of pride in and want to challenge those who don't hold the beliefs that we hold with passages such as these, armed to go out and therefore practice our own personal apologetics in talking down the free willer or the

Arminian or the otherwise. But that is not our purpose here. Our purpose here, first and foremost, is that we would see you in your glory and your purposes accomplished.

These passages do not arm us for battle as much as they comfort us in our weaknesses.

Indeed, every word that we read from the word of God is the sword of the Spirit. But Lord, may it pierce our hearts first.

And we see these things not as, well, that person really should have been here to hear this today. But we are here that we may hear this today.

That this word may govern over us and our circumstances. That we see

God who is perfect in all of his ways and purposes. And Lord, we give you the praise and the glory.

In our every rejoicing and in our every trial. Knowing that you are sovereign and you have promised to deliver us into your presence forever.

It's in Jesus' name that we pray and all God's people said, Amen. I begin by coming back to the passage that our dear brother

Alan had read to us last week. From Exodus chapters 33 and 34.

In our Sunday school class this morning, we had just come into Exodus 33.

And this chapter, of course, not as famous as the chapter that comes before it.

But we recognize it as being on the heels of this wicked saga that had just taken place in Israel.

Where they had worshipped a golden calf. They had heard the voice of God from Mount Sinai.

They heard God himself giving the Ten Commandments. And even saying, you will have no other gods before me.

And you will not raise up a graven image. And yet, what did Israel do?

Took off the very treasures that they had come out of Egypt with by the blessing of God.

Melted the gold down and had fashioned for themselves a golden calf. The absurdity of it played out for us in Exodus 32.

To the degree that Aaron even says something as dumb as, well I put the gold in this fire and out came this calf.

And we laugh. But how absurd is our own covetousness or our own idolatry.

When we turn to things of this world, feeling like God does not do enough for us.

And after this wicked thing had happened, God had said to Moses, I'm going to wipe them out and I'm going to make you a great nation.

Moses intercedes on behalf of Israel. And God relents from his anger.

This being a picture of the greater Moses who was to come as we read about in the book of Hebrews. Jesus Christ who intercedes for us on our behalf.

Now as God has said that he will be with Moses and he will deliver this people into the land that he had promised to the descendants of Abraham.

Moses says, I want to see your glory. I want to know even more fully that you are with us.

Let me see your face. And God says to Moses, no one can see my face and live.

But while my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Then I will take away my hand and you shall see my back. But my face shall not be seen.

Now that's the way that chapter 33 ends. Chapter 34 begins with Moses making new tablets.

He had broken the tablets that God had first given to him in anger against Israel and had thrown them down at the base of the mountain.

So he fashions new tablets. And the Lord descends in the cloud and stood with him there on the mountain.

And the Lord proclaimed the name of the Lord. The way that it would more literally read in the text is that Yahweh proclaimed the name of Yahweh.

And this is a fabulous passage. A beautiful couple of verses because we get to hear

God describe himself. This is who God is as he passes before Moses.

And we read this in Exodus 34 verses 6 and 7. Yahweh passed before him and proclaimed

Yahweh, Yahweh, a God merciful and gracious.

Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

But who will by no means clear the guilty. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.

This is in the same conversation where God had also said to Moses, end of chapter 33.

I will make my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name,

Yahweh. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. And I will show mercy on whom

I will show mercy. The very passage that we see quoted for us in the section of Romans 9 that we're looking at today.

And then God does that very thing. Proclaims himself before Moses as he passes by.

Saying that he is a God merciful and gracious. Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and thankfulness.

And that's the part where we go, yes, amen. That's the

God for me. The one who keeps steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

But what else does God say about himself? We go on to read that God says of himself, but who will by no means clear the guilty.

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.

When I came face to face with this text at a young age.

I remember reading this in verses six and seven. Reading God proclaim himself as he passes by Moses.

And I was faced with a very real question to myself, even as a child reading this text.

I found myself asking, is this the God you worship?

Do I worship the God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

And also pours out his wrath on the wicked. Is that the

God I worship? Or do I only want the fluffy comfortable things that I can grapple with.

And not all of the holy and righteous anger that he will pour out on those who rebel against him.

Have I fashioned a God in my mind of my own making? Or do I worship God for who he says that he is?

And my friends as we come into this text in Romans nine. Where this section of Exodus is even quoted for us.

That we may know who God is. And the wonderful things he does for us.

We also read of some hard truths here in this section in Romans nine fourteen to eighteen. And so I put for you that same question.

Is this the God you worship? He is the

God who is merciful and forgives. But he is also a

God who is just. And pours out judgment. Last week as we looked at Romans nine.

We focused on mainly verses fourteen to sixteen. And I read that again for your benefit.

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? Because once again. If before Jacob and Esau were born.

God had a purpose of election for one and excluded the other one. Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated.

Before they were born and had done anything good or bad. Paul even spells it out right there. And so if that's the case.

We are inclined in our humanness. In our human weakness to want to say.

Then is there injustice on God's part? Is that not fair? That God would choose one and not the other.

Before they had even done anything good or bad. And Paul's response to that being by no means.

For he says to Moses. Exactly what we read in Exodus thirty three. I will have mercy on whom

I have mercy. And I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

And as we considered last week. It is God's choice. To love whom he will love.

And to judge whom he will judge. And verse sixteen.

So then it depends not on human will or exertion. It's not our choice.

And it's not by our duty or merit. That we have somehow earned God's choosing.

But rather it is on God. It is on God who has mercy.

God chooses to whom he will show mercy. And from whom he will withhold it.

And so we come into the next portion of this passage today. Which is verses seventeen and eighteen. For the scripture says to Pharaoh.

Exactly as our brother Alan had read for us this morning. From Exodus chapter nine. For this very purpose

I have raised you up. That I might show my power in you. And that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

And by the way that is the thesis statement for the entire book of Exodus. This is why

I have done this. That my name might be proclaimed in the earth. And then verse eighteen.

So then he has mercy on whomever he wills. And he hardens whomever he wills.

Now as we look at this text today. I'm going to divide this up into three parts. Verse seventeen we read of God's purpose.

And that's stated very plainly. In the words of God to Pharaoh. For this very purpose

I have raised you up. We will consider that first. Secondly we're going to consider God's prerogative.

Prerogative by the way is a right or a privilege. That is specific to a particular individual or class.

And God has a prerogative that is specific to God. And we see that in verse eighteen.

At the beginning. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills. Well into verse seventeen going into verse eighteen.

That my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills. And then finally number three.

We will consider God's power. And that's the last portion of verse eighteen after the comma. And he hardens whomever he wills.

God's power being proclaimed in this. Which will then be expounded upon in the next section of Romans nine.

Which we'll look at next week. So first of all God's purpose in verse seventeen. Secondly God's prerogative.

Last half of verse seventeen into verse eighteen. And then finally the last portion of verse eighteen. God's power.

Purpose prerogative power. As we look at this today. Let's come back to verse seventeen.

Where we read once again. For the scripture says to Pharaoh. For this very purpose.

I have raised you up. That I might show my power in you. And that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Pharaoh was a despot. Pharaoh was a wicked man. He was the Hitler of his time.

He was the most powerful ruler on the earth. In the most advanced and widespread kingdom or empire.

As much as we talk about the vastness of the Roman Empire. Egypt at that time was that era's

Rome. And Egypt and the empire of the

Pharaohs lasted a really long time. Outlasted even Rome. In the breadth and the depth of Rome in its coverage on the earth.

Pharaoh was even more powerful than we know Alexander the Great to have been. And he had enslaved the

Hebrew people who had come into that place. Because Joseph had been there by the providence of God.

That Joseph would be placed in that place. Through such unjust means. But remember as we've read even going through Romans.

When we were talking about the providence of God in chapter eight. Joseph saying to his brothers in Genesis 50 -20.

What you intended for evil. God intended it for good.

That many people might be saved. As Joseph's brothers were.

And even through the line of Judah we get to the Savior. Judah is preserved so that Jesus can be born.

And we're saved even by what God providentially had done thousands of years ago. Through Joseph in Egypt.

And so because Joseph was positioned there. As the second in command to Pharaoh.

To oversee the gathering of food. And then the distributing it in the seven years of famine.

So all of Joseph's brothers and family therefore came to Egypt. And they are there and they are fruitful.

And they multiply for the next several hundred years. They become a great population. And Pharaoh enslaves them for his purposes.

Now the Pharaoh that's being talked about here in this passage. Wasn't that Pharaoh. It actually was who was likely his grandfather.

But you see the slavery that was going on there in Egypt. For generations upon the

Hebrew people. And they were subject to such great tortures. Even genocide.

As we read about in Exodus. Pharaoh trying to control the population of the Hebrews because he was threatened by them.

And he didn't want them to raise up and come against the Egyptians. Or if some enemy were to come against Egypt.

They would try to recruit the slaves. We don't want the Hebrews to side with our enemies. So we need to control the population.

And so Pharaoh had ordered that all of the baby boys that were born would be thrown into the

Nile. To not only control the population but even that the strongest among them, the men.

Would not be able to rise up against Egypt. Horrible slaughter that was going on.

And however many thousands or tens of thousands of babies were murdered in that period of time. The scripture does not tell us.

But what a monster Pharaoh was. Why would

Pharaoh be given such a position? To have such rule even over the people of God.

And even have so much power and so much will that he would deny

God. When God sent Moses to Pharaoh to tell him, let my people go.

So that my people may worship me. And then plague after plague after plague comes upon Egypt.

And yet Pharaoh remains obstinate. And though we do have those occasions in which he says, okay fine. Tell your

God to take away the plague and I'll let you go. Moses does it and then Pharaoh goes right back to his hard heartedness again.

And keeps the people enslaved. And we see this over and over and over again. Why would God even allow or purpose this to happen?

We have the answer given to us. And when Paul cites this here.

He's referencing something that's not new. Like we've seen this again and again from Paul as we've been in Romans 9.

Paul will make references to Old Testament Scriptures to show people, Hey listen, I'm not presenting to you a new doctrine.

That God has just decided, well I've changed my mind and now we're going to teach this instead. This is the way

God has established it from the beginning. And so Paul references this passage from the second book of the

Bible. So that you would know this is how God has worked in creation.

And he has even said to Pharaoh through Moses. For this purpose

I have raised you up. He even said it. Here's why you have the rule in the reign that you have.

Because I'm going to show myself more powerful than you. I have raised you up that I might tear you down.

And that my name might be proclaimed in the earth. And to this very day my friends, we still proclaim the name of God because of what he did in Egypt.

Even unbelieving sinful sodomites in Hollywood think this story is amazing and want to make movies out of it.

Because even they recognize the power of God that's demonstrated through Pharaoh.

In all of the mighty plagues that came upon Egypt. Just as God had said to Pharaoh that he was going to do.

Just as God had told Moses that he was going to do. You have the burning bush episode. In which

God is telling Moses that he's going to send him back to Egypt and you're going to tell Pharaoh let my people go.

And God tells Moses. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart.

And he will not let my people go. So that my wonders will be seen throughout

Egypt. The incredible miracles and plagues that will come upon this people because of Pharaoh's hardened heart.

And there's all kinds of debate over all the different times it said there in Exodus Pharaoh hardened his heart.

Or Pharaoh's heart was hardened. Or God hardened Pharaoh's heart. So who did what? Maybe Pharaoh hardened it first and then

God came along and hardened it. Which came first the chicken or the egg? God says it to Moses there in the burning bush.

I will harden Pharaoh's heart. He told him the pattern that was going to happen.

But what was Moses reaction whenever Pharaoh hardened his heart? Why'd you bring me out to do this?

God had told him exactly what was going to happen and Moses would go. The people of Israel would complain.

And then Moses would go complain to God. But all of this was happening by God's sovereign hand.

There wasn't anything in this process that God himself did not have control over.

It was all happening exactly as he said that it was going to happen. He would even raise up Pharaoh and he would even harden

Pharaoh. So that the power of God would be demonstrated in this wicked obstinate man.

The Pharaoh of Egypt thought of himself as a god. In fact if you've seen the artifacts of the

Egyptians and the headdress that Pharaoh would wear. That very headdress itself was a proclamation of Pharaoh's divinity.

It was this large gold helmet looking thing. You know what I'm talking about? And that gold whenever you see pagans that would crown themselves with gold.

Pagan rulers that would wear gold upon their heads. This was their fashioning for themselves a halo.

Look at how glorious and mighty I am. So that it would make you cower to even look into the face of this ruler.

Because of this gold shrine that would be right there upon his crown. Pharaoh also had another symbol right there in the middle.

A serpent. And that also among pagans was a sign of their divinity.

Now we know because of what the scripture says. The serpent is Satan. And the man is actually proclaiming himself to be a servant of Satan.

Not recognizing that he is not really who he pretends himself to be.

But even despite his own personal notions of grandeur and his elevating himself.

God puts him there for the purpose of tearing him down. To show his might is greater than even the greatest ruler on the planet at that time.

This is why Pharaoh is elevated to that position. And this is why he does all the wicked things he does.

This is why even that his heart is hardened so that he will not let the people of Israel go. For this very purpose

I've raised you up that I might show my power in you. My friends it goes all the way to the 10th plague.

And the 10th plague is the death of the firstborn. And Pharaoh loses his heir to the throne before he finally relents and says get out of my sight.

But God purposed that it would be exactly like that. So that we would look at Passover.

And we would see the sign of the coming of our Passover lamb. Who is

Christ. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 5. For Christ our

Passover lamb has been sacrificed. And everything that happened right there at Passover.

With the angel of death coming through and striking down the firstborn. Of those who did not have the blood of the lamb over their doorposts.

God was using that even to show us the Savior who would come. Our Passover lamb so that all who are under his blood will not perish under the righteous judgment of God.

But we have been delivered as we have read here by his mercy and his compassion.

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. That is a wonderful comforting promise. And I will have compassion on whom

I have compassion. All of these things taking place that we would look at Christ.

My oldest daughter Annie turns 18 on Tuesday. God help me.

I look at her and I don't think man I'm getting too old for this. I look at her and I think I'm not old enough for this yet.

I have an 18 year old daughter. Annie has always thought way ahead of her age group.

If you've ever looked at her and you thought what a mature young lady. I tell you she's always been that way. By the blessing of God.

When she's 4 she's speaking in such ways that everybody goes what a lovely 9 year old you have.

No she's 4. And I remember one time when

I believe her Sunday school class was going through the plagues in Egypt.

And my little girl no more than about 5 years old at this time. Comes to me and says why didn't

Pharaoh just let the people of Israel go. Why did it take plague after plague after plague.

Death after death after death. Pharaoh himself suffering with boils and all the gross stuff that he got.

Why did it take all the way to 10 plagues before he finally let the people of Israel go.

Now I know the answer to this from Romans 9. But I'm thinking to myself my 5 year old daughter is not going to be able to grapple with some of these advanced deep concepts that we get to Romans 9.

So I need to give her the fluffy free will answer. So I say to her well sweetheart you know sometimes this is just the way people are.

They choose to do the stupid thing. I mean even if it costs them. Even if they have to suffer the consequences.

And they know that they're going to suffer the consequences. But they just keep on doing it. And her response to that was not oh

I see. Her response to that was but why. And as much as I continue to say that you know it's.

She wasn't old enough yet to recognize people doing sinful dumb things. And here I am trying to grapple with you know sometimes people just choose to do the wrong thing.

And finally after the but why's but why's but why's. I take her to Romans 9. And I read to her this is what it says in the scripture.

God says in Romans 9 17 for this very purpose I raised you up that I might show my power in you.

And my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. God put Pharaoh there and hardened his heart to rebel against God.

So that God's power would be demonstrated through Pharaoh. And I said this to my five -year -old daughter.

And she goes oh. And was perfectly fine with that answer.

And here I am reformed dad thinking that I can't give my five -year -old

Romans chapter 9. But these same passages that give answers to us are sufficient enough for a child.

To know that God is going to have mercy on whom he has mercy. And he's going to have compassion on whom he has compassion.

Now I wrote about that in my blog. And I wrote about that from the standpoint of don't be afraid to give difficult concepts to your child.

They can understand it. My child understood it and it is just as it will be a comfort and a teaching to us.

So it will be to your children as well. I wrote that in my blog. I had not been a pastor for this of this church for very long.

And a young man in my church whose name was Ben. Came to me in my office.

And he said Pastor Gabe I was really troubled by some of the things that you wrote in your blog.

And I said okay. And he goes are you a Calvinist? Now at this particular time

I was not calling myself that. I was not wearing that label.

I had never self -attributed it that label to myself at that time. And the reason why was because I don't want you to hear

Calvinism when I preach. I want you to hear the word of God. And so I looked at Ben and I said why are you asking me that?

And he said some of the things that you said to your daughter according to your blog. Are just there it's troubling.

And I replied to him it's troubling that I gave my daughter the word of God.

A couple of years later there were a couple more couples. Two couples in the church.

That right as I was coming into preaching Romans for the first time. So this was in 2015. They came to me and accused me of changing my doctrine.

Like you're not the same man that we thought you were when we first became members of this church. That's what they were accusing me of.

And one of the wives in fact said to me your doctrine has changed. And I replied to her no it's not.

And to prove it go talk to Ben. Who was no longer a member of that church.

Because he left over the way that I read scripture. There are those who will read this response to Pharaoh in Romans 9.

And they will find it a sufficient answer. Like my daughter Annie found it a sufficient answer.

But there are others that will read this and they will say I can't handle that.

And those who wrestle with these things. I'm not saying that those couples who came to me. I'm not saying that Ben who came to me are not saved.

That's not what I'm saying. But I would still put before them the same question that I'm asking you this morning.

Is this the God you worship? Can you handle this?

To recognize that there are those whom God will draw to himself. And there are those whom he by his sovereign hand won't.

And in fact will even actively harden. We read here of the purpose of God in verse 17.

We go on to read of his prerogative in the rest of 17 and into 18.

God does this so that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth. My friends, he has saved you or has not saved someone else for the same reason.

So that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth. And are you proclaiming the name of God as your savior to others?

Remember that when Jesus was in the temple teaching and the people were praising his name and singing his praises, quoting the

Psalms and doing so. The Pharisee said to Jesus, tell them to be quiet. And Jesus' reply to them was,

I tell you if these were silent the very rocks would cry out. Would the rocks cry out because you were silent?

Or have you like Bill this morning stood up and proclaimed the wonderful love of God on your heart and the salvation that you've been given through Christ?

Who as we have heard about here, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.

And I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. And as we see at the end of 18, he has mercy on whomever he wills.

It's whoever God has willed. In John one again, Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him.

But to all who did receive him, he gave the right to become children of God who were born not of blood, nor of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And he has saved you. He has saved you. That his name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

This is God's prerogative. His glory and his majesty.

I'm taking my students in my Bible class right now through Psalm 23. We're actually in Colossians.

That's where our main lessons are. But I'm having them memorize Psalm 23. And you know how

Psalm 23 begins. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Everything that I could ever need or have,

I am completely satisfied in my Savior. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

All these wonderful things that God does for me. And indeed, my friends, he does love us with an unfathomable degree of love.

How could we ever comprehend the depths of God's love for us? We know

God's love for us all the more when we look at how sinful and wretched we are. And I am not deserving of the love of God.

I deserve to be judged and yet he has lifted me up out of that place and seated me with him in the heavenly places.

As said in Ephesians chapter 1. What greatness of the love of God. We'll spend all eternity studying the love of God and still not come to the end of it.

But why ultimately does God do all of this?

End of verse 3. He leads me in paths of righteousness. Why? For his name's sake.

It is ultimately, again as said in Ephesians 1 .6. To the praise of his glorious grace.

And he has saved you, my brother or sister, so that you would praise

God. And more than this, that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

When 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 talks about Jesus coming in the judgment of God with angels of fire with him.

It says that he's going to pour out his judgment on the wicked and those who did not believe the gospel.

So that he may be marveled at by those who did believe and are saved and will be delivered by the coming of Christ.

We read in Philippians chapter 2. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord. And also the reason for this in verse 11. To the glory of God the

Father. Even Jesus did all that he did for the glory of God.

Out of love and compassion and care for us. Yes, I will have mercy on whom

I have mercy. I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. But God's ultimate prerogative is that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

So then he has mercy on whomever he wills. But then lastly we have his power.

In the last portion of verse 18. We've heard of the purpose in verse 17.

We've heard of the prerogative and now the demonstration of power. And he hardens whomever he wills.

Just as he demonstrated this power in Pharaoh. So he continues to demonstrate this power in all those who continue to rebel against God.

And will even perish in judgment. It is all according to the will of God.

He has mercy on whom he has mercy. He has mercy on whomever he wills.

And he hardens whomever he wills. That, and we come back again to what was stated in verse 11.

In order that God's purpose of election might continue. Not because of works, but because of him who calls.

Now as we get to the end of verse 18 here. He hardens whomever he wills. That is leading us right into the next section that we're going to get into next week.

You will say to me then, why does he still find fault for who can resist his will? The next question that Paul anticipates and he responds to and he answers.

And so we will expound upon this demonstration of his power as we get into the next section.

So I'll save that until next week. But let me give you three applications as we kind of bring this to a close.

Three applications for you. Number one, I encourage you to be reverent with your questions.

Let me start with that one. I'll come back to it here in a moment. Number two, be humble in your approach to these doctrines that we've read about today.

And number three, be confident in your witness.

So first of all, be reverent with your questions. Now, I was thinking about this this past week.

Because remember we're coming right off the question in verse 14. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part by no means?

Okay. Now, somebody's asking that question combatively. Oh, okay.

So if God's choosing Jacob and Esau before they're even born and can do anything good or bad, then is God unjust in that?

So they're being combative with that question. But let's say you had that question. Let's say you were thinking that.

Can we attribute God with not being fair? If He's already chosen before one is born and one has done anything good or bad.

It's okay to ask those questions if you ask them reverently. If you're asking them not to be argumentative with God.

Because remember what I said last week. If you put yourself in that place of going, is there injustice on God's part? Then you're pointing the finger back at God and that's not where you want to be.

And the question that we have coming up in verse 19. You will say to me then, why does He still find fault for who can resist

His will? If you can identify with that question like, yeah. Well, you're in the wrong spot.

You're in the person accusing God instead of the person coming before God and asking. Instead, our posture should be like Abraham's when he was asking

God before God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Right? How did

Abraham approach God? Well, the God who is just over all the universe, will

He do right? What if 50 righteous people are found in the city of Sodom?

Will you spare it for the sake of the 50? And God says He will. And you know how that conversation goes.

Down to 45, down to 40, down to 30, down to 20. God, what if there's only 10 righteous people?

But remember how Abraham kind of qualified those questions as he continued to ask them.

He's standing there with Yahweh in the form of a man. Yahweh is physically there standing with Abraham.

And Abraham says, oh God, let me ask this question. Though I am but dust and ashes.

What if there are only 10 that are there in the city?

Now, we might read that exchange. We're going, boy, Abraham's getting bold there with the questions that he's asking.

But he was so humble in the way that he approached them. I don't deserve to even speak to you in your presence.

I could be wiped out just because I would dare to question the power and the will of the

Almighty. But I am but dust and ashes. So let me ask you, what if there's 10 righteous?

And it's okay for us to ask these questions of God if we're asking them reverently.

In desiring to know Him and His character. Is this the

God you worship? And if the outcome is not what we wanted, will you continue to worship

Him anyway? Because as that text goes on, after fire and judgment are poured out on Sodom and Gomorrah and all the cities of the plains.

It says that Abraham came out and he saw the smoke rising as smoke from a kiln.

What was Abraham doing that morning when he saw that? He was praying. And he saw that the judgment of God did indeed come down on cities.

That Abraham had to know there were not even 10 righteous that were found there.

And so in whatever happens in life or in circumstances. Can you be comfortable with that?

And know God is working. And this was all according to His sovereign plan. So that His name and His power,

His purposes might be proclaimed in all the earth. Ask questions, but be reverent in your questions.

David begins Psalm 13 by saying, how long O Lord are you going to forget me forever? Do you really think God forgot

David? What a thing for David to ask. But he says at the end of Psalm 13, but I have trusted in your steadfast love.

Because you have dealt bountifully with me. It's okay to ask the question, but be reverent in your asking.

I took my children to see Toby Mack in concert on Friday in Phoenix.

My youngest daughter, Mariah, is nine. I was nine years old when

I started listening to Toby Mack. And here he's 60 years old and still does about the best live concert

I think I've ever seen. If some of you know Toby's story, then you know that it was a few years ago that he lost his oldest son.

Very unexpectedly, Truett. Truett had actually just performed a concert and he went out and partied with his friends.

Toby was not even aware that his son was a drug user. But he partied too hard and it went too far.

And he died that night. Toby, when he was sharing this story in the concert, he said that he had just started reading through the entire

Bible. And had committed to Genesis to Revelation. And he was two months into that process when his son died.

And his response to that was to close the book and set it aside. And to say, I can't deal with this right now.

And this was his open heart confession to the crowd, to the audience, as he's talking about these things.

He said, my Bible remained there on the table and I kept passing by it every day.

And then finally, I sit down and I pick it up and I open it and I said, okay God, I'm going to give you a chance.

And he's kind of walking on a catwalk. Like this long stage that goes out from the main stage.

And he stops and he looks down at the people that are kind of like right there. And he goes, can you imagine talking to the

God who created the cosmos and saying to him, I'm going to give you a chance. And he said, but God was merciful to me even in my stubborn and selfish pride.

And he said, and I opened up to Psalm 9. And he quoted these verses to the crowd. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed.

A stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you.

For you, oh Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

We can ask, but let's be reverent in our asking. Number two, be humble in your approach.

As I said this morning in my prayer opening up the scriptures today, we can get kind of prideful about these doctrines.

We can get prideful about the fact that we've got reformed on our church sign out front. And we can go to our

Romans 9 and we can arm ourselves with these passages because we want to skewer our Arminian brothers and sisters.

Or even the atheist that comes along and will issue his doubts about God and your proclamations of his sovereignty.

You can respond even with the way that Paul responds to the complainer here in Romans 9.

Well, how can God judge anybody? Because if he's made everything and he's said all it is, then it's all his fault.

And you can even respond to the atheist. Who are you, oh man, to answer back to God, right? So we'll go to Romans 9.

We'll arm ourselves with these passages to try to draw our spiritual blood. And that's not really the way that our approach is supposed to be.

These are very complicated doctrines. And there are people going through very complicated things in their lives.

And sometimes, my friends, the best answer is not, you know what? God works all things together for good.

Not like that. Don't say it like that. It is true, the rough time that we're going through is not any less good.

It's still for our good and for his glory. But it may need a little bit more tenderness to bring a person to an understanding of God's working in the midst of difficult things.

Our own confession says, in the London Baptist Confession of Faith, chapter 3 of God's decree, paragraph 7,

The doctrine of the high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in his word and yielding obedience thereunto may from the certainty of their effectual vocation be assured of their eternal election.

So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.

If God has so willed that you believe and understand the doctrine of predestination, praise

God for that. But don't use it as a dividing line.

Use it to help comfort those who need to be reminded of God and his sovereignty and how he's working in the midst of all things.

I know I'm going a little bit long, but I told you I was wrestling with these things. So let me give you a third application.

First of all, be reverent in your questions. Number two, be humble in your approach. And then number three, be confident in your witness.

Now here's the beautiful thing about this, brothers and sisters. As we're reading here, that he has mercy on whom he has mercy and he hardens whomever he wills.

He'll save whom he wills, he'll harden whom he will. Here's the beautiful thing. Our witness and our evangelism has guaranteed success.

Guaranteed. If God has predestined that someone is going to be saved, then your sharing of the gospel and their believing in it will save them.

Even if you mess it up. I don't know that there's ever been a time that I could look back on my evangelism and say,

I perfectly shared the gospel today. I feel like every time after I've done that, I'm going back praying, going,

Oh God, what did I say there? Oh, please don't let that be the stumbling block. Please don't let that be the thing that keeps them from believing and coming to faith.

And then I'll find out later, man, that thing that you said, it was perfect. It was the thing that I needed to hear. Praise God. There's guaranteed effectualness in our witness because whom

God has purposed for salvation, he will save. But it's always by grace through faith.

They still need to hear the gospel and believe it. God has ordained the ends and the means to that end.

If he has ordained these for salvation, as we read about in Romans 8, he's foreknown them, he's predestined them, he's called them.

They are justified, they are glorified. All that comes through the hearing of the gospel and the believing in Jesus Christ.

That's still the only way a person comes to salvation. But let us share it knowing that God will accomplish what he means to accomplish through our witness.

Be confident in your witness. And in that, also be confident in knowing that you are his.

You are his. And as I said earlier, these things that we read in Romans 9, they reinforce what we have read in Romans 8.

If there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our

Lord, then all these things that we read about in Romans 9 should not make you doubt your salvation either.

Be confident that you are his, you belong to him. You are a citizen of his kingdom. You will be saved.

And our sharing of the gospel with others will save them too. And should it so be, my friends, as I've had happen many, many times, that a person will not believe.

That was God's will too. Continue to pray for that person as you can.

For it is God who grants repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will.

That's 2 Timothy 2 .25. But as we will see and as we will read further next week, no one can point the finger at God and say,

Why are you doing this to me? God will have mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

And is that, my friends, the God you worship. You've been listening to the preaching of Pastor Gabriel Hughes, a presentation of Providence Reformed Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona.

For more information about our church, visit our website at providencecasagrande .com.

On behalf of our church family, my name is Becky, thanking you for listening. Join us again