Romans 9

Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 9:1-3 ”I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit, I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.”

Question 1: Who are the people of promise and has God failed to keep his promise with Israel?

Romans 9: 6-8 ”It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.”

Romans 9:10-13 ”Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. ¹¹ Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: ¹² not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Question 2: Is God unjust on how he disposes mercy?

Romans 9:14-16 ”What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! ¹⁵ For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. ”

Two main views on salvation:

• God is sovereign and elects/ chooses who is going to be saved.
• God has given man free will to respond to his call.

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

Romans 9:17-18 ”For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸ Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. ”

Question 3: Is God unjust in holding us accountable?

Romans 9:19 ”One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”

HOW CAN GOD PUNISH SOMEONE FOR PLAYING THE ROLE THAT HE DISGNED FOR THEM TO PLAY?

Romans 9:19-21 ”One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” ²⁰ But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” ²¹ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? ”

We must realize that God is just bigger and more capable than us.

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts. ”

Great Continental Divide

Question 4: Is God just being selfish?

Romans 9: 22-24 ”What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? ²³ What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— ²⁴ even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?”

This is a big question. Why does God get all the glory?

I am not going to spend much time on this, but let’s look at it with an illustration.

Who is at the center?

Question 4: Is God just being selfish?

Romans 9: 22-24 ”What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? ²³ What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— ²⁴ even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?”

This is a big question. Why does God get all the glory?

I am not going to spend much time on this, but let’s look at it with an illustration.

Who is at the center?