By Faith - Romans 9
Romans - By Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Romans 9
Baptisim
Baptisim
Today we have some hard conversations before us. We are going to talk about some different and for some people divisive topics. Because of that I thought why not throw one more in.
We have baptisms coming up at the end of the month. We practice believers baptism here. We believe that baptism is for people who have made a confession of faith Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.
Believers Baptism is two things,
it is the identification with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. It is saying I am dead to sin and alive in Christ.
it is also and has become a public confession. The Bible talks about making confessions of faith but we have linked baptism to being that confession.
why am I bringing up baptism? We have baptisms at the end of the month and some people have asked if they can get re-baptized?
Here is my answer.
what is the purpose of baptism? As we mentioned it is identification with Christ, His death and His resurrection. It is also obedience. Jesus commanded baptism. We do it because He said to do it. When we come to Jesus and submit to Him we are saved. We do not earn it. Baptism is an ordnance we do after confession and it only needs to be done once. When we understand what baptism is. That it is not just getting in water it is not mere symbolism. Something spiritual happens. The the water is no longer just water it is death, burial, and resurrection. We can be changed in that moment. We would be different moving forward and we could always look back to our baptism as a marker, as an ebenezer stone. When we, the world, or the enemy tries to pull us from Christ we can look back on our testimony and declare with confidence
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Now what about if you backslid. You were going along and at some point you found yourself like the prodigal son living with pigs. You finally came to your senses and realized you can return to the Father. Do you need to be re-baptized? No, you do not need to but I would say you can.
If a married couple has been having difficulty and they reconcile. They are Able to work things out and get back on the same page. They may decide to renew their vows, They do not need to. They are not going to become more married than they were, but they may want to make a public confession before the church, God, and each other that they are committed to making it work. We would say that is ok. Re-baptism for this reason is a good idea.
What is election
What is election
There are three big discussion points that come out of Romans 9. The first is election and we have to understand what the Bible talks about when it talks about election.
Before we jump in though I want to mention two important things.
We are an interdenominational church.
We are an interdenominational church.
You could also say we are non-denominational but I prefer the term interdenominational because it is less about what we are not and more about what we are.
Interdenominational means we have people from many different backgrounds and faith traditions. We have catholics, methodists, baptists, restorationist, wesleyans, charismatic, and people with no faith tradition. I believe this is right and beautiful. It is our diversity and not our conformity that should be celebrated. It is our unique perspectives that gives us such rich flavor.
We bring these different things together and we challenge one another towards faith and good works.
Second, the discussion of predestination, election, and God’s sovereignty has divided the church for centuries. It has been something that has caused church splits and new denominations to form. I think this is wrong. Why do we let side issues cause us division when Christ prayed for our unity.
Election
Election
Election in the Bible centers around three different things.
First, it
Is both that God chooses Israel and then the church to carry his message.
Is both that God chooses Israel and then the church to carry his message.
Here in this passage this is a big part of the conversation.
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.
Israel was called to reveal God to the world. This is why they were created
he says, “It is not enough for you to be my servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
They were given the Law, the revelation, the promises. God created and called Abraham to create a people from Him to reveal Himself tot the world.
This was not done to the exclusion of others having a relationship with Him.
Throughout the Old Testament we read about God inviting others in. Like we just read Israel was meant to be a light to the nations. The nations were to see the light and come in.
God was always calling in others.
You will regard the alien who resides with you as the native-born among you. You are to love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.
“You must not exploit a resident alien or oppress him, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.
The Lord protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
God wanted others to come in. He chose one people to reveal Himself so that others would see.
Under the New Covenant God has done a new thing and just as He created Israel He now created the church.
I do not think this means God is done with Israel or that He has abandoned the people or the nation. He has plans and He will work them to completion. My focus is on the church which is comprised of all nations, tribes, and tongues. From Americans, to Jewish, to Chinese, to Ethiopian, to Arab Christians.
The church has its origin in the eternal purposes of God. It is the new covenant community of Jesus, rooted in Israel, constructed by Jesus, and inaugurated by the Holy Spirit…The church is the redeemed communion of saints, bought by the blood of Christ, universal and invisible, incorporating all believers throughout all ages—those on earth and those in heaven.
Christopher Morgan
God created the church and it is His.
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.
He created it and it is called to reflect Him and His ways.
This is why Jesus has many harsh words for the church in the book of Revelation. He wants His church, His bride to reflect Him well.
We are elect because He has elected the church to be in the first place.
This is not unlike what God is doing here at Journey. We see what God is doing and we are meant to be a testimony inviting others into what He is doing. We are to see it, receive it, embrace it, and then invite others into it.
This is one meaning of election.
Election is also that God calls some individuals for specific tasks.
Election is also that God calls some individuals for specific tasks.
Over and over again we see this idea of election in Scripture. We see that God calls some people to something for some purpose.
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet
The word of the Lord came to me:
I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
He was called to be a prophet. It was his calling before birth.
Paul was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles.
Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Sosthenes our brother:
It was his calling, his election.
Abraham was called to be the Father of many nations. It was his calling, his election.
“As for me, here is my covenant with you: You will become the father of many nations.
Some are called to use and operated in different giftings.
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, leading, various kinds of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles?
Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
God gives different gifts and different callings to people for His purpose. He elects some for some things.
Something like pastoral ministry is a calling an election. If you are not called and try to do it, it can and will eat you alive.
This is another meaning of election.
Election and Salvation
Election and Salvation
Most when we talk about election only want to talk about salvation and this is where things get dicey. But we have to understand the above issues first. We cannot forget that words like election or baptism can have shaded meanings and usages. People ask me all the time if I believe in election or predestination. Of course I do look at what we just spoke about it. It is all over the Scriptures. But do I believe that God only calls some to be saved and others not to be?
Verses like
You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.
seem to indicate that God only wants some people saved but I would argue that this is talking about the disciples that Jesus called and yes He predestined them to be saved as part of their election to be disciples and apostles.
For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.
There are also some for whatever reason that are chosen for a different task like Pharaoh was
Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor?
But does this apply in a general sense?
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
This one is a little harder.
In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will,
Again this is a little harder.
Verses like this cause us concern. What do we do with this? It makes it seem like God chooses some for salvation but we need the whole council of God.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
Tell them, ‘As I live—this is the declaration of the Lord God—I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?’
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I am a whosoever.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
What do we do with these seeming contradictions? Do we decided that we have to fall into either the reformed or Arminian camps?
I don’t think so. I think we can embrace the mystery. God is too big for us to completely box Him into something as small and simple as predestination in regards to salvation.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
God is so beyond our simple comprehension and our ability to understand. We only know of Him what He reveals to us.
The point we should walk away from with regards to predestination in terms of salvation is this.
Only by the grace of God is sinner saved and the unrighteous made clean.
Does He call some or all? I do not know, but I what I do know is I am going to tell everyone just to be on the safe side.
Sovereignty of God
Sovereignty of God
The next big topic to come out of this section and it is closely tied to election is the Sovereignty of God but it is so much more than that.
Sovereignty means supreme power or authority.
This means God is over all. God is God all by Himself.
God is sovereign He can do as He pleases.
The greatest thing in the world is that God is sovereign. He does not need our help although He invites us to partner with Him, He does not need our input, He does not need our advice, He does not need our permission.
God is sovereign and He is in control. This one doctrine sits above everything else. He is God and He is good.
When times are tough, He is sovereign, when times are confusing He is sovereign, when I am unsure He is sovereign.
He knows what He is doing and He is not worried. God is the unmoved mover. He is the uncaused causer. He is the one who sits on the throne.
This helps us with the topic of election because we can rest that even if we do not understand He does.
The sovereignty of God gives us the phrase BUT GOD.
If we go back to the garden we see Adam and Eve fell. To them it looked like everything was wrong and now broken forever, but God.
It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.
All those who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.
When it looked like everything was broken God was not worried because He had a plan.
When my life looks like it is falling apart I do not need to be worried because God has a plan.
When you feel like everything is broken you can rest easy because God is sovereign.
This leads us to the last point which is
What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.
But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law.
Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
We have to walk in faith. We accept that God has plans we do not understand by faith.
We approach God in faith.
We seek His will by faith.
We ask for what we need in faith.
Are we a people of faith? A People who believe for greater things by faith? A people who draw near to the King of the universe by faith?
We come to God in faith and ask Him for whatever we need in faith and if He says yes and gives us our desires we rejoice and if He says no we rest in His sovereignty.
