Romans 9:6-16 God’s Purpose of Election Part 1

And yet, when the MEssiah - the SOn of God – came into the world – The vast majority of Those people rejected Him – AND only a small remnant received Him.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,[b] and his own people[c] did not receive him. John 1:10-11

37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him…John 12:37

What is the explanation for this? They are Israelites and to them belong all these privileges - Has God’s Word failed? And Futhermore, could it fail us - the people of Romans 8?

This is the inevitable question that Paul answers in these chapters – beginning in Chapter 9.

(What Paul begins to explain is this: It was never God’s plan or Promise to save every single descendant of Abraham. What we find is that the purpose of God was to choose a remnant out of Israel and the World to show is Mercy and Grace - )

Read.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. 9:6

Notice – after Paul makes this statement you see the word ‘For’ (6,9, etc…)

Here Paul begins to defend his statement that God’s Word has not failed- He will reason us through it –

IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT THE RIGHT CONCLUSION THEN - YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW HIS FLOW OF THOUGHT - HE LEADS YOU DOWN A PATH OF REASONING WHERE EACH SEGMENT LEADS TO THE NEXT.

FOLLOW THE TRAIL!

AND NOTICE – HE WILL BASE HIS ‘Fors’ on the Bible! He will use Scripture to defend His thesis! -

PEople from Scipture or direct quotations of verses - Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, Hosea, Malachi

(Friends, we must not form our theological conclusions apart from the BIBLE. Making theological conclusions [especially with emotionally charged doctrines like Election] based on what you feel or think is a bad idea – Make sure- especially in really important areas of docteine.)

First – Clarification (6B-9)

“…For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.””

(not all who are descended from Israel [truly] belong to Israel – means that not everyone who is in the corporate nation of Israel are truly Israelites. And then he makes it even more clear what he means by saying, “not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring…”

And then HE GIVES AN EXAMPLE – ISAAC AND ISHAEL - Paul quotes from Genesis and what God said to Abraham – that Isaac, not Ishmael would be the recipient of God’s Covneant promises

Do you remember the story in Genesis 17 – God has promised Abraham an offspring – a covenant offspring who would be a blessing to the nations – Abraham had a child through Hagar- and Sara was still barren. But God showed up to Abraham again in chapter 17 and promised a son through Sarah – and Abraham said:

… “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.[f] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.” Genesis 17:18-19

The promised covenant blessings then to Abraham’s offspring were passed on to a son - a son of God’s choice - the promises would go through Isaac – and not Ishmael – or we could put it this way – God chose Isaac to receive his covenant promises. And Paul, in Romans 9 is saying – “God’s Word has not failed because not everyone born into Abrahams family are recipeints of the eternal covenant promises of God – Just lke Ishmael – though born from Abraham – did not receive these promises but Isaac did.

What does this mean? Look at verse 8 –

8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

God’s choice of Isaac made Isaac His child!

Not all Israelites are children of God and not all physical descendant of Abraham -are the recipients of God’s covenant blessings to His Children!

Romans 8:16-17!

IOW- NOT ALL ISRAELITES ARE PROMISED SALVATION –

GOD CHOOSES HIS CHILDREN –

REMEMBER AND IT IS THE SAME WITH US:

ROMANS 8:29?

So – Paul is clarifying that not all those who are in Israel are promised to become children of God and inheritors of all the promises- God chooses the ones to receive His promises of eternal blessing!

39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” John 8:39-41

They believed that All from Israel are Israel and that All who were descended From Abrhama were children of GOD.

(So, Paul is clarifying that misunderstanding - saying that God’s Word has not failed- because the Covenant promsies and blessings of Abraham were never guaranteed to All his descendants. Just because your are a child of Abraham according to the flesh does not mean you are a child of God. The Promise of God’s covenant blessings were given through Sara, not Hagar, to Isaac not Ishmael.)

Now- In verses 10-13 He is showing that this choosing of God – GODS ELECTION OF HIS CHILDREN IS NOT BASED ON ANTYING THEY WOULD OR WOULDN’T DO!.

SO – He goes down the liie from Abraham’s children to His grandchildren.

10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

(Paul is demonstrating here that God chose Jacob and Not Esau [TWINS] to be the recipient of his blessings. And he chose them before they were born – before they had done anything – He chose Jacob UNCONDITIONALLY! – IT WAS NOT BASED ON ANTYHING GOOD OR Bad that he would do – And God did this so that HIS PURPOSE OF ELECTION MIGHT CONTINUE.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.”

God’s eternal love - His covenat blessings - Sonship was given to Jacob and not Esau - He loved JAcob - but he rejected Esau.

TAKE NOTE OF THAT WORD: PURPOSE and take note of the Word CALLED

Romans 8:28-30

The very same thing has happened to us -God chose us, predestined us and called us to be His children!

(So, we could pause here and summarize what Paul has just taught – God’s Word has not failed Israelites because God’s Word never promised to save all Jews. Just because someone is born into Abrahams family line – doesn’t make that person a Child of God and heir of the covenant promises and blessings He promised to Abraham. God chose Isaac – not Ishmael – To be the recipient of God’s covenant blessings- He Unconditionally Chose Jacob – Not Esau – To be the Recipient of God’s covenant blessings – God unconditionally chose to set His unseparable covenant love on Jacob and Not Esau – And Paul said God did this to continue his purpose or plan of Election. God’s plan to save people is through the plan of Election – Unconditional Election of Grace – not works or merit or anything else – merely by His gracious choice – ONE RECEIVED HIS ETERNAL LOVE AND THE PROMISE OF THE MESSIAH AND THE OTHER DIDN’T

– Paul knows how some will respond to this teaching – “THAT IS NOT RIGHT! IF GOD DID THAT HE WOULD BE INJUSTICE!”

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!

(Paul knows that the teaching of Unconditional Election unto salvation tempts people to respond emotionally with human reason and say, “THAT IS NOT RIGHT! THAT IS INJUST! If that’s true, God is not being righteous!”

But notice carefully how Paul responds – not with emotion per se – not with human reason – BUT PAUL RETRUNS TO THE SCRIPTURE TO ANSWER THAT CHARGE

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.”

.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Exodus 33:18-19

You see? He is YAHWEH – THE LORD – I AM WHO I AM – And One of the most important aspects of who I am and how I want to be known and how I want my name to be declared and how I want to be glorified is the FACT. – THAT I SOVERIGNLY DISPENSE MY MERCY ON WHOMEVER I WILL!

YOU SEE? God is not ashamed of His Divine perogatoive to choose whom He will to be recipients of His Covenant love and mercy!

Paul is referencing this extrmeemly well known passage to illustrate GODS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN UNCONDITIONALLY CHOOSING SOME FOR SALVATION AND NOT OTHERS. THE CHOICE TO DISPENSE MERCY IS GODS. THE CHOICE TO SHOW COMPASSION IS GODS. AND IN EXODUS 33 – HE IS CONNECTING THIS PEROGATIVE WITH HIS GOODNESS AND HIS NAME. IOW – WHEN WE THINK OF THE LORD WE SHOULD THINK OF HIS PEROGATIVE TO SHOW MERCY TO SOME AND NOT OTHERS – WHEN WE THINK OF THE LORD SOVERIGN GRACE SHOULDN’T BE FAR FROM OUR THINKING.

Now what about man’s will? Isnt that the final determiner of Mercy and Grace? What about free will?

16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,[b] but on God, who has mercy.

Doesn’t someone have to ‘will’ to be saved?

Yes – SO, how does that work?

…it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

So, how has God’s Word not failed Israel?

Chapter 11:1-5

THere is a remnant to this day who have been reserved by God - they have been elected by Grace to receive the covenant blessings - Just like Abram, and Isaac and Jacob and YOU!

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[b] for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6

NOTICE: Paul believes knowledge of the fact that God chose you not based on anything you’ve done and in love for you particularly predestined you to be in His family – He chose you to be His child! AND PAULS SAYS, THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A BLESSING TO YOU TO KNOW

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