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Bro. Otis Fisher
The God whom we're called upon to trust and to whom we are to look as a source of all good is not the absolute Jehovah, nor the God who stood in special relations to the Israelites, but the God of redemption, the God whom the Lord Jesus Christ revealed, whose will will be accomplished, and who was his father.
It is this relationship which is the ground of our confidence. It's because God has sent the Lord Jesus into the world, because he spared not his own son, that he is our God and Father, or that we have access to him as such.
It is, therefore, in Christ as entitled to him in the covenant of redemption, that the people of God are elected to eternal life and to all the blessings therewith. Again, this election is from eternity.
This ninth chapter is the doctrine of election. This is not for newborns. It was at this time that the events in Acts 23, 12 took place. Let me read. And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
And there were more than 40, which had made this conspiracy. The last we hear of these people, they starve to death. Now, Romans 9, 1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing witness in the Holy Ghost.
As one united to Christ and devoted to his service and the Holy Ghost under his direction and influence, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. Now, here he has great heaviness and continued sorrow, yet he has joy.
How can that be, Dennis? The next verse is poignant. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. He uses the word accursed, anathema, a person or thing doomed to physical destruction.
The apostle here does not speak of his wish as a possible thing. It's simply a vehement expression of feeling, showing how strong was his desire for the salvation of his people. Paul is saying that he would give his body as a sacrifice for the welfare of his people.
Who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenant, and the giving of the law, and the service of God and his promises? In Exodus 13, 21. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and night.
Now, Paul refers back to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These Jews before him were descendants of them. Five, whose are the fathers and whom is concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever.
Amen. This Messiah was more than just a man. He's God. The very being who gave them being, though he appeared to receive a being from them. The supreme as being God and consequently blessed forever. No words can more clearly express his divine supreme majesty and his gracious sovereignty both over Jews and Gentiles.
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel which are of Israel. Now, there's a statement that needs explaining, and I hope some of you can explain it. Greg, when he says, not are Israel which are of Israel, what does he mean?
All right. David, he has thy true people. This implied a selection, did it not? And its selection implies a choice. And therefore, the doctrine of election was illustrated in the very commencement of history.
And as God had them made such a distinction, he might still do it. As he had them reject a part of the natural descendants of Abraham, so he might still do it. This is the argument which the apostle is pursuing.
Israel had the visible presence of the Lord. How? Roger, how did they have the visible presence of the Lord? All right. Paul is talking about the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness. They had the Shekinah glory.
They could see it. Why don't we have the visible presence of God? Well, that's true, but we have another more personal Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells us. We don't need something visible to watch.
Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. This did not hold even in Abraham's family, let alone his descendants. But God then said, in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
That is Isaac, not Ishmael. In the Bibles of the East that are not this Bible, you'll find Ishmael there. Shall be called the seed, the seed to which the promise was made. It was made to Isaac, not Ishmael.
That's right. So he chose out a group of people. That demands there are those he did not choose. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not children of God. I don't know how much more plain you want it, but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.
It's from the seed of Isaac that we came spiritually. We all know that you're not a Christian just because your parents were. In John 8, 39, we have they answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father.
Jesus saith unto them, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham.
Abraham did not ignore God. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. Satan can do nothing but lie. Nine, for this is the word of promise. At this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son.
This is the promise that was made to who? Abraham. The design of the apostle in introducing this fact is doubtless to show to whom the promise belonged. It's very difficult to explain the ninth chapter to a non-Christian.
And by specifying this, he shows that it had not reference to Ishmael, but to Isaac. Have you ever seen one of the Koran copies? A copy of the Koran? Anybody? Does it put Ishmael first? Yes. That's right.
But that's not true. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, whose purpose was to elect or choose the promised seed, not of works, not for any exceeding merit in him did he choose him, but of him that called of his own good pleasure, who called to that privilege.
We cannot explain, or if we could, if some of you can, I wish you'd explain it to me, why he chose me. Eleven, for the children, talking about those conceived, being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.
God's decree, which proceeds from only his good will, by which it pleases him to choose one and refuse the other, Paul does not say might be made, but being made might remain. Therefore they are deceived who make foreseen faith the cause of election, and foreknowledge, foreknown infidelity the cause of reprobation.
How is it, Greg, that God chooses us, but he did not predestine someone to go to hell? All right? Paul's talking about sovereignty, about election, everything here. How is it that God can elect me, and I go to heaven, and he does not elect that one, and he goes to hell, but God did not choose him?
God did not formulate the pattern of eternal damnation. Why was it that God did not do that? Diane, all right, that's it. You all came in today, and you come through a door and shut the door. Did you shut others out?
Yes, you did. When you shut a door, you shut some people out. If they come, they shut some people out. What? That's it. Absolutely.
But they couldn't come. They didn't know that. So God chose me.
He did not choose X, Y, Z. He didn't predestinate some for heaven, some for hell. He did in that he chose us out, and they were already headed for hell. That's right. Greg? Oh, are you as righteous, I think, are you as righteous as you will be?
What do you think, Dwayne? Dennis, excuse me. Katie, are you as righteous as you will be? Jenny, what about you? What do you think, Jenny? There's two ways to take care of a woman. First is, give them everything they want.
The second is, I forgot. I would hope so. I would hope so.
Greg? When God looks at us, well, he don't see us. He sees Jesus. That's right. So we've got our right.
You're as righteous right now as you will ever be for eternity. It's not your righteousness. It belongs to Christ. It's his righteousness. But don't think, as Brother Fred inadvertently said, that we grow in righteousness.
We grow in sanctification. We do not grow in righteousness. Do you see the difference? Anybody not understand? Does everybody understand? You have as much righteousness as you're going to have. That's right.
Absolutely. If it was ours, it would be different. I tried that, and it didn't work. This proves that there are two seeds in the world, those of Satan and those of God. There has got to be two seeds. His mercy does not stand on man's effort, or on church attendance, on Wednesday night attendance, tithing, praying, witnessing, or any other thing.
All is according to the sovereign will of God, which has always been the same. God has not changed his sovereign will. I'm fascinated with the mind of God, and I can't even open the door. In Daniel 4 .35, which I've quoted many, many times, and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say to him, What doest thou?
Verse 12. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. Now, he sets about to prove that the casting away of Esau, in that he was made a servant to his brother, and proves the choosing of Jacob, in that he was made lord of his brother, although his brother was the first begotten.
And in order that no man might take what God has said, and refer to it to external things, the apostle shows out of Malachi, and we're going to study that book for long, who is a good interpreter of Moses, that the servitude of Esau was joined with the hatred of God, and the lordship of Jacob was the love of God.
You know, as human beings, and as born-again human beings, we don't like to say that God hated Esau. We'll try to soften it a little bit. In Malachi 1 and 2, I have loved you, saith the Lord, yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us?
Was not Esau Jacob's brother, saith the Lord, yet I love Jacob. And I hated Esau, there it is, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, we are impoverished, but we will return and build desolate places.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, they shall build, but I will throw down. They shall call them the border of wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord had indignation forever. The Bible makes it very, very clear that there are two seeds.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. If you'll look up those two words, hated means to pursue with hatred, detest, dislike, loathe, abhor, and despise. We just can't get away from it.
And what shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbids such a thing. Is there unrighteousness with God? Is it wrong for him to make such distinctions as he does among men? Is it wrong for God to do that?
Is it right because that's the right thing to do? I didn't hear you. All right, Clarence? Whatever God does, is it right because he does it, or does he do it because it's right? However his dealings may appear to men, they should always feel free that whatever he does is wise, holy, just, and good.
We cannot. Oh, we understand these things on a human level, but Greg, I cannot understand God, so I guess I'll quit trying. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
God's always done that that he desires. Isaiah 40 and 13, who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor, hath taught him. With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the paths of righteousness, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding.
Nobody. He says, I will not have mercy on those that I hate. I will not have compassion on those that I will not. He answers first with regard to those who are chosen of salvation, in the choosing of whom he denies that God may seem unjust, although he chooses and predestinates to salvation those that are not yet born, without any respect of worthiness.
Because he does not bring the chosen to the appointed end, except by the means of his mercy. The way we're chosen, the way that we finally attain, the way that we go to heaven, does not depend on me. Nothing depends on me.
Now, mercy, let's look at that word. To have mercy presupposes misery. And again, misery points to sin, or voluntary corruption. And corruption signifies a pure and perfect creature. Moreover, mercy is shown by her degrees, that is, by calling, by faith, by justification, by sanctification, so that at length we come to the glorification, which is not yet, but that's where we're headed.
As the apostle will show afterwards, now all of these things orderly follow the purpose of God to clearly prove that he can by no means seem unjust in loving and saving that that belongs to him. 16. So then, it is not of him that willeth.
What's that mean? Not of him that willeth. Roger, tell me, what's that mean? For years in my earlier life, I grew up in a church that if you didn't go Wednesday nights, you were sinning. If you didn't do certain things, you were sinning.
Well, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. Now we got running in here. Diane, what's that lead us to think? Works. It's not by works. Is Archie in here? Yes, there he is. Archie, what's it mean that our salvation is not by works?
All right, that's right. So then, it is not of him that willeth, not of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Salvation is not due to the one who is willing or wants to or that someone else wants to.
Neither is it due to anyone working for it. It is according to the will of the Heavenly Father. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
I need to stop here. Why was Pharaoh spared, David? Yes, you agree with that, Roger? Russell, do you agree with that? Archie, you had your hand up. He says, for this purpose I have raised you up. What purpose?
What was the specific thing that Pharaoh did? How could God get glory from Pharaoh? That's right. The child of Satan remains in this world as long as he performs, as long as, well, let me back up. A child of Satan has a certain task to do.
When he finishes that task, he'll go home to hell. The same thing is with you, a child of God. When your task is finished, then he'll call you home. Not before. The work of a sinner must be accomplished, then he'll go.
If it's true on one side, it's true on the other. I apologize for not making much sense this morning about my voice. No, I'm not going to say that. Let's stand and be dismissed. Courage dismisses, please.