Romans 9

Introduction

Yall tonight we are in Romans chapter 9.

Now we just spent nearly a month going through Romans chapter 8 and we were reminded over and over how great Romans 8 is because of the promises it has for us as believers.

We can really sum that up by saying That there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and for those who are in Christ Jesus he makes us More than Conquerors.

But now we get to Romans chapter 9.

And Romans chapter 9 is THE SINGLE MOST controversial chapter of the Bible.

and the reason why is that Romans chapter 9 teaches us about what is known as Election and Predestination.

TULIP

So my goal tonight is to walk us through Romans 9. We are going to talk about these terms and I hope to show you that its not really that controversial at all as long as you dont try to do Bible gymnastics.

Like if we can just read the Bible for what it says and trust it for what its says. We dont have to make excuses for what it says.

so lets jump in. and ill try to point out some truths as we go.

Romans 9:1–2 “1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”

Paul is giving us a declaration of what he is sharing with us is truthful.

Its not easy. but its true.

and for Paul particularly he knows what he is going to share is going to be hard to hear for the jewish people. The people who were Pauls people, because remember he was a jewish pharisee before coming to know Jesus.

He is filled with sorrow and he mourns that what he is sharing is true.

There are times in life where the truth is hard to swallow. But we cant just ignore the truth.

Denying Loans

The Truth is if I avoided the hard conversation for fear of harm it only caused more harm.

Romans 9:3–5 “3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”

Paul is saying he loves his people so much that he would give up his own salvation for his fellow Jews to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

First truth I think we should be impacted by here in Chapter 9 is this:

1: Our hearts should burn for the people we love to know Jesus

Paul literally wept and cried out that he would spend eternity separated from God just for others to know Jesus.

He was that passionate about them knowing Jesus.

Now Paul also knew that he couldn't do that.

He says I WISH i could do this.

Paul knows he belongs to Jesus and that nothing can change that. He cant lose what Jesus holds.

verses.

In the second half of verses 4 Paul tells us about what the Jewish people or Israelites were promised by God in the Old Testament.

But all six of these things they were given in the Old Testament were supposed to be given to them in a greater way through Gods Son.

Yet many of the jewish people completely missed Jesus.

They experienced the less versions. They didnt get the best.

This is why Paul is mourning for his brothers and sisters.

When I was in HS every year we would take a class field trip. The most important and best one was the 11th grade trip to NYC.

and yall we went to TIme Square and me and my friends were so excited because we were going to get REAL NEW YORK PIZZA FROM SBARRO.

Now it was just like the scene from the office. Like im not lieing I had never seen the office until stephanie and I got married. But Michael Scott does the same thing when he visits NYC.

BUT PRAISE THE LORD. This real NYer stopped us.

You bleeping idiots. You dont go to Sbarro when your in NYC thats like going to Olive Garden in Italy. and then he gave us this hole in the wall pizza joint a couple blocks away. IT WAS THE BEST.

BUT that NYer was passionate because he didnt want people thinking the lesser thing was the greater thing.

This is more or less how things are for the Jews. They have accepted the lesser six promises yet they missed they best way all six of these things were fulfilled in King Jesus.

Romans 9:6–13 “6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. 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.” 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. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 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.””

Right away we start off with takeaway #2. in verse 6

2. God’s Word never fails

Paul is making the argument that Gods word has not failed.

It would seem that if the Jews are the people of God and some of them missed Jesus than maybe their hope is gone.

But that is not true.

Instead God is at work saving people through the Power of His Word.

Paul then starts making the argument that salvation doesnt come from biology or through being apart of the physical nation of Israel.

We say this all the time.

We dont get to Jesus because of our parents. or our grandparents.

and this is true for Gods chosen people too. The israelites are no different. Their salvation depends on faith not family.

Paul points us to two OT examples.

We have the story of Abraham and his two sons. Issac and Ishmeael.

Issac was the chosen son who had the faith to go with his dad up the mountain. Yet we know nothing of Ishmaels faith and he comes from the same family.

then we have the story of Jacob and Essau.

Jacob and Essau were twins. Same everything. But God declared The older will serve the younger.

and in verse 13 he says Jacob I loved but Esau I hated.

God showed a unique favor to Jacob.

and this is where we really start to understand what is called Election.

takeaway# 3

3. In Election we trust God has chosen who he saves.

To explain this and make sense of it I want us to look forward at verses 14-16.

Romans 9:14–16 “14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 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 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

God is righteous. God is just. God is the one who defines those very words.

He is the one who gave us the ability to think about and reason about things.

Some Christians dont like to believe in Election because they think that makes God bad.

and thats why Paul immediately tells us otherwise.

Paul is reminding us that God is the one who made the rules. He cant be unfair. He cant be injust. He cant be cruel. Because we belong soley and completly to Him.

We are His.

Paul uses Jacob and Essau as an example of election. Before they were even born God declared his love for Jacob. He knew he was going to save and use Jacob,

Is that wrong? Paul says no.

and he doesnt just say no he says it emphatically. By no means.

then he says of God. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

So Pauls argument then is if thats what God says: Whose role is it to save sinners?

Its Gods. Mankind cant save themselves.

Ephesians 2 says it in the best way I know.

That when we were sinners we were dead in our trespasses.

Dead people cant ask for help. Dead people cant revive themselves. Dead people need God to bring them back to life.

and that is Gods decision. and thats what he does when he saves.

He shows mercy on those who he wants to show mercy to.

Paul then points us to the example of Pharoah Romans 9:17–18 “17 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.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”

God hardened Pharoah heart.

Pharoah didnt harden his own heart.

God still used Pharaoah for a purpose and controlled pharoah and but he never saved Pharoah.

Romans 9:19-24 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

This should be an encouragement for us. When we share the Gospel and people dont respond we havent failed.

Its not our fault. Its not could i have done this or that better.

4. In Election we acknowledge has supreme power over his Creation

God in creation made us. And then he watched and he knew as Adam and Eve where in the Garden. He knew their thoughts. He knew the temptation to eat the fruit.

And God never interviened. He let them do it.

Why?

Why did God let sin happen?

Paul gives us the reason in v 22.

He wanted to make his wrath and power known. but not only that he wanted to make his glory known.

and his glory would be known through his mercy.

and those who would come to know his mercy and glory arent just the jewish people but all people.

Romans 9:25–33 ESV

25 As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” 26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ” 27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.” 30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

5. In Election: We See Gods Saving Grace for the Nations.

Hyper Calvinism