Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Romans

Romans 9:14-33

INTRO:  A former mayor of New York befriended a poor, dejected outcast of society, and he was reproved by a prosecuting attorney who said, "That tramp's no good.  He's getting only what he deserves."  hearing this, the judge interrupted the harsh counselor by asking with a smile, "Did you ever hear of the mother who visited Napoleon on behalf of her condemned son?  The emperor told her the young man had committed the same offense twice, and justice demanded the death penalty.  'But Sire,' she pleaded, 'I don't ask for justice -- only for mercy.'  'He doesn't deserve it,' said Napoleon.  'No, he doesn't,' she admitted, 'but it would  not be MERCY if he deserved it.' 'You're right!' said the ruler quickly, 'I'll grant your request and show him mercy!'"

EXP: The theme of  worship this morning has been Mercy, God's Mercy. Mercy and grace go hand in hand with God.

TRANS: In our text this morning, Paul will address three claims against God made by ethnic Israel based on this freedom they don't believe God has. Open your Bibles to Romams 9:14.

I. God is not JUST. (vs. 14-18) READ: Rom. 9:14-18
    A. Ethnic Israel's first claim.
 'God is not just': Paul, God just can't pick and choose based on His whim. He must choose based on what He has said to His people. He has gone against not only His word but His way of dealing with us. God is not just.

    B. Paul's Response
  Paul responds where they left off. He uses God's Word as well as God's dealings with people to refute their claim. First Paul looks at Moses. Never has a man been more worthy, more deserving than Moses. All he wanted was to know that God was really with him. 'Show me your glory' , Moses cried out while on the Mountain.  In an amplified paraphrase God replied  something like this. You have been more willing than anyone to do my will. If there was ever a man who could dictate terms to God, it would be you Moses...But, there is no such  man who can by his action or desire tell me what to do. The answer is no.
But because I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, I will show you my goodness. Not because of any merit on your part, but because I desire to do it. Paul tells us in verse 16, that  God's choosing  does not depend on the will, desire or effort of man, but on God's mercy alone.

 God seems to be saying thru Paul, Can this be any clearer? Are there still questions on how someone obtains eternal life? How someone is chosen to be my people? Are there still questions about my sovereign choice?

 Here let me give you another example, Paul says...the  Gentile Pharaoh. God brought him into the world, raised him up, made him famous, gave him a great kingdom with power and wealth. Even though Pharaoh was evil, he had many opportunities to turn and repent.  He heard the Word of the Lord from Moses but scripture says that Pharaoh hardened his heart to God. And then God hardened Pharaoh's heart by removing His restraining grace from him. Remember Romans 1 'God gave them over'? That's what He did with Pharaoh. And God overruled Pharaoh's evil and used it for good. He showed that the mightiest man on earth can not stand against God. He showed that God will have mercy on whom He desires and will harden whom He desires.

APP: God is perfect. Perfect in knowledge,  wisdom,  power, presence, in faithfulness, goodness, justice, in mercy, love grace and holiness.  Agreed? Isn't God then perfect in the choices He makes?

TRANS: Ethnic Israel was not convinced and they make another claim against God in verses 19-29

II. God is not FAIR. (vs. 19-29) READ: Rom. 9:19-29
    A. Ethnic Israel's second claim.
  'God is not fair' Paul. You say that Pharaoh was manipulated to work out God's plan. If God has mercy on some and hardened others, then how can God find any fault when we sin. Who can resist His will? It's not our fault, it's God's. God is not fair.

    B. Paul's Response
  I like how Paul responds. 'Who are you O man to answer back to God?' We need to hear this from time to time when we shake our fists at God for something we think He has done in and to our lives that we don't particularly like. Paul says that man has NO RIGHT to speak against God. Can the clay tell the potter how it is to be made? This attitude shows a low view of God and a very high view of man. Not only does man have no right to question God, but God has every right to determine how the clay is to be used.

Note: The clay mentioned here already existed. It is by nature sinful, depraved and deserves destruction. The lump of clay represents all mankind.  Some hold to what is called double predestination. This is where God elects some to salvation and therefore He Elects the rest to Hell. I don't agree and verse 21 points this out. There are not two distinct lumps of clay made by God. Both vessels for honor and vessels for destruction are taken from the same lump of sinful clay.  And it is from that one lump that God  makes some vessels for Honor (the saint) and some vessels he allows to go the direction they are headed by their own choice and actions, so He makes them for common use (the unrepentant sinner).

 God is not unfair because the whole lump is contaminated with sin and deserves destruction. But God in his great mercy, prepares some for honor and glory. If God was fair like the Jews wanted Him to be, then He would immediately destroy all the vessels of wrath because they deserve destruction. But God is merciful and is patient with the vessels prepared for destruction. Remember He was patient with Pharaoh. Why? Because He uses them to show to the world His great love and the wonderful riches that await the vessels of honor.

 Paul also says that God is even doing this today..he and all Believers are examples of God's mercy. And this includes the Gentiles. In verses 25-29 Paul shows that the lump of contaminated, sinful clay includes both Jew and Gentile and from that one lump, God calls one people to Himself. And he proves this by using two OT texts from Hosea and Isaiah where God states His eternal plan..to bring Gentiles into the Family of God, those who were once not a people are now the people of God, Gentile and remnant Jew alike. True Israel.

TRANS: Ethnic Israel, really getting mad at Paul by this time makes their final claim against God.

III. God is not CONSISTENT. (Vs. 30-33)
READ: Rom. 9:30-33
    A. Ethnic Israel's third claim.
  'God is not consistent' because He makes one way to eternal life for the Gentiles and another for the Jew. Come on Paul, everyone should follow the Law to obtain eternal life.

    B. Paul's Response
  It was never following the law that brought eternal life...I already told you that. Just as Abraham was not declared righteous by circumcision or obedience to God's Law, but by faith because he believed God, salvation is not by obedience to the Law but by Faith in the one who kept the Law perfectly, Jesus the Christ. God is always about relationship first, relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.

  Here is the paradox. Ethnic Israel tried to obtain righteousness by their works and were rejected by God. The Gentiles who did not have the Law, by the grace of God put their faith in the person of Jesus Christ, and were given what they didn't deserve...salvation.

 Paul said God is consistent because this has always been His plan. Didn't I just show you 2 OT texts which point this out? God's way to eternal life has always been through election. Election has always been by God's mercy and mercy goes hand in hand with God's grace. God is consistent, He is faithful to His covenant. He is sovereign.

CONCLUSION
 Let me close with this. A free salvation, given by the mercy and grace of God is an offense to most people on account of their pride. They cannot bear the idea of  being indebted to God's sovereignty. This implies that they are guilty and ruined by sin. They want to do something to merit their salvation. The doctrine of the sovereignty of God is a slap in the face to our pride, because it lays all our high ideas of independence in the dirt and reduces us to a sense of utter dependence.

 This message and the theme of the morning has been God's mercy. As believers we need to seek the mercy of God on a regular basis as we still struggle with pride and sin in our lives.When we realize and experience God's mercy: in not giving us what we deserve...eternal death and separation for Him and when we experience His grace: in giving us what we do not deserve....eternal life in Christ. It ought to bring us to our knees before Him in worship and thanksgiving.

 As we consider the claims of  ethnic Israel, we can be assured that God is JUST, He is FAIR and He is CONSISTENT. Paul has argued that God has not broken His promises. They are all fulfilled, just as He said, in Abraham's children of promise, by faith, because of God's mercy with flows out of His grace and His grace is given in accordance with His sovereign will.

 Paul has proven, God is sovereign and has the right to show mercy to whom He desires. If we lose sight of God's sovereignty, we lose sight of God.

May God is His mercy, never allow that to happen to us.