God's Sovereign Election
Romans • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 25 viewsThroughout history, God has sovereignly chosen a people for Himself. It all began with Israel, but it was never limited to ethnic Israel. The promises to Abraham belong to those who share in his faith, the true Israel.
Notes
Transcript
Title: God’s Sovereign Election
Text: Romans 9.1-13.
Main Idea:
God has sovereignly chosen a people for Himself according to His will and by His grace.
Introduction:
We have been through quite a lot together already in Romans 1-8.
From the depravity of mankind (Romans 1) and the reality of God’s just judgment of sin (Romans 2) to God’s mercy and grace in establishing himself as both the just Judge of sin and the Justifier of sinners (Romans 3) ...... and then to His glorious sanctifying work in those whom He has saved (Romans 5-6) who are the true descendants of Abraham by faith (Romans 4) and not by law (Romans 7)…
In all of this Paul has given us (by the work of the Holy Spirit) arguably the greatest explanation of the Gospel and its impact in of our lives.
Then we stepped into Romans 8 together, where we learned that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. We have been freed from sin to walk in the Spirit as sons/daughters and heirs with Christ as we await future, promised glory with God.
Our eternity with Christ is both already and not yet, but most importantly it is secure.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 9: God’s Sovereign Election
Said simply, Romans 9-11 is challenging.
In this portion of the epistle, Paul works hard to anchor both the ideas of God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility. At quick glance and without careful consideration, we are tempted to lean heavily towards one side or the other. Paul stands firm on both ideas in these chapters.
I want to encourage you this morning to understand this section as a whole over the next 7 weeks!
Reading and understanding Romans 9 alone could leave us thinking that everything is up to God and we have no involvement or responsibility in this life.
A study of Romans 10 only without the surrounding context could lead us to think that all things are up to us, since there is a heavy focus on human responsibility and the urgency of belief and evangelism.
By God’s grace, Paul proves the union between these two ideas in Romans 11 for our benefit so that we can dictate them to others.
***Please come forth with any questions. We are available to help.***
QUESTION:
When you think of great mysteries, what comes to mind?
Ancient Egypt (Pyramids, Ancient Technology, Tools, Statues)
Stonehenge
The Appendix (What does it do?)
There is some amount of mystery surrounding each of these things, but the inability for us to understand them fully does not lead us to determine:
The Ancient Egypt monuments and Stonehenge were not created by mankind - ALIENS.
The Appendix is completely passive, does nothing, and serves no purpose.
The presence of mystery does not mean the absence of truth.
There are countless things in our lives that we do not fully understand, and yet we still hold them as true.
We don’t deny mathematics or physics because we do not understand them fully, but for some reason… there is a temptation for many to either deny or reshape the ideas of God’s Sovereignty or Election.
When we talk about God’s Sovereignty in salvation and Human Responsibility in sin, we all have some level of initial hesitation because it is hard for us to wrap our minds around it.
Following Covenant Renewal at Moab (Blessings and Curses)
29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Example: The Trinity
Anyone who is a true, Bible-believing Christian today will not dare to deny the Holy Trinity - 1 God in 3 persons.
“Trinity” is not used in the Scriptures, but it is clear that God has revealed himself in this way in the Word. The Father (Genesis 1, Deut 6.4), the Son (Hebrews 1, John 1, Colossians 1), and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1.2, Acts 5.3, Jn 14.25-26) are all fully God, but distinct in person.
Like the Trinity, the Scriptures clearly teach God’s Sovereign Election from beginning to end. “Election” is not a NT idea, but it is interwoven throughout redemptive history.
Even with the difficulty of this doctrine, it is the duty of both pastors and church members to “teach what the Bible teaches, and not what we would like it to teach.” (Romans - An Expository Commentary, RC Sproul)
Outline:
God Chose Israel (v.1-5)
God’s Word Has Not Failed (v.6-9)
God Calls in His Will and By His Grace (v.10-13)
Christ Centered Exposition - Romans (p159)
“So, let’s keep these three chapters in view as we study one at a time. Doing so will give us a needed balance on sovereignty and human responsibility, it will keep us mindful that we are dealing with the infinite wisdom of God, and it will encourage us to have an attitude of praise.”
PRAYER
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. 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.
1. God Chose Israel (v.1-5)
1. God Chose Israel (v.1-5)
CONTEXT of the Audience
Before we dive in, let’s not jump past some important context concerning the audience of this letter - the Churches of Rome.
Depending on a person’s background, Romans 9-11 was received very differently. For the Gentile, Paul’s words regarding his kinsmen (the Israelites) sit a little bit differently.
For the Gentile potentially ignorant to much of Israel’s history, their joy likely remained on the fact that they have been grafted into the family of God, adopted as sons and daughters of the Most High.
For the Jew, Romans 1-8 remains just as joyous, but it possibly opened up a couple specific questions:
“What is Israel’s place within the promises and purposes of God?” (CCE, p160)
Has God’s Word failed with Israel, and now He is turning to the Gentiles as a backup plan?
This is exactly what Paul is trying to address here in Romans 9-11. Has God failed Israel, and if so should the Gentiles even trust Him?
Paul’s Opening (v.1)
In an attempt to gain the trust of those in the churches of Rome, and certainly his Jewish kinsmen, Paul assures his brothers and sisters in Christ he is telling the truth.
The message he is delivering here is not of his own accord. It is not Paul’s opinion. It is not Paul’s truth, but the difficult message Paul is about to deliver finds its origin in Christ who is the Truth (John 14.6, Eph 4.21), and Paul’s conscience is clear because the Holy Spirit of God speaks in what he is writing to them.
Paul’s Heart for His Kinsmen (v.2-3)
Paul lets his audience in to what he is feeling concerning the topic at hand - Great Sorrow and Unceasing Anguish
The words used by Paul here in the Greek carry the idea of a person in mourning, consumed by grief. Just coming from Romans 8, arguably one of the most joyous chapters in all scripture, what is driving Paul into “unceasing anguish”?
The Jews, Paul’s kinsmen according to the flesh, have largely missed or rejected the long awaited Messiah.
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
The reality that his people are missing the Truth and Peace found only in Jesus Christ is a great weight on his mind and heart…. so much that Paul makes a radical statement that leaves us in shock.
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.
We know this to be an impossible wish based on what Paul just wrote at the end of Romans 8.
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul knows he cannot become accursed (anathema: condemned before God) upon his own choosing, but if it were possible Paul says he would gladly step into it so that his fellow Israelites could be found in Christ.
This is the same word Paul uses when writing to the Galatians, saying if anyone preaches another gospel (even himself) apart from the one they received, let them be accursed (condemned).
Application:
Are we burdened for the people of this nation and all nations we remain in the darkness?
Example: More burdened by the outcome of the Presidential Election
Conversation between our church members during Reach HG
Paraphrase: “I am a believer, and I know we don’t need to neglect gathering with the church body, but I just can’t do that until this election is over.”
Are we more burdened by the temporal effects of things in this life than the eternal reality of those not in Christ?
Paul looks around and sees his people at large are missing it! Their hope and confidence remain in their heritage, the Law, and their own righteousness, and Paul knows these things to be rubbish compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3).
Are our hearts burdened for the lost in our community?
In a more broad sense, are our hearts burdened for those across our world that are not only still enslaved to sin, but have never heard the only Name by which they can be saved?
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
I do not live like I am burdened for the lost around me, and that needs to change. I pray you will join me with a heart of repentance in this today.
Uniquely for Paul given Israel’s history, why is he so burdened by this reality?
The Spiritual Heritage of Israel
The Adoption
Out of all the nations on earth, the Creator set his affection and blessing on Israel. The OT scriptures tell us that Israel was the chosen, adopted son of God.
Israel, the son, Called out of Egypt
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,
Israel Rejected the Father’s Love
1 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.
4 I led them with cords of kindness,
with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and I bent down to them and fed them.
Israel, the adopted son among all the other nations of the earth, spurned the kindness and love of their Father.
The Glory
This means that the presence of God was with the people of Israel. Unlike any other people, the one true God established a place with Israel where His glory would dwell.
8 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
The Ark of God and the mercy seat atop it symbolized the power of God and His presence with His people. In 1 Samuel 4 when the ark was stolen by the Philistines, the wife of Phineas responds in anguish given the news she had received.
20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
The presence of the eternal God dwelled with Israel, and yet when He came bodily to them as promised to fulfill the Law and restore David’s throne forever, they rejected Him.
The Covenants
From Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, the Lord God established a covenant with His people. He promised to make them a great nation and bless them so that they may be a blessing to others.
In his forbearance and kindness, He was always faithful even when Israel was not.
10 “You are standing today, all of you, before the Lord your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones, your wives, and the sojourner who is in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, 12 so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the Lord your God, which the Lord your God is making with you today, 13 that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 14 It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant, 15 but with whoever is standing here with us today before the Lord our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.
The covenant between God and man began with Adam, but continued through Israel.
The Law
After coming out of Egypt, God gave his people the Law in his grace. His perfect law was not given to restrict their enjoyment in life, but instead to set them apart from all other nations. True joy and fulfillment for Israel collectively was found in keeping the Law as God commanded.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!
Not only was the Law for their good and God’s glory, but it was truly given in grace to reveal their sinfulness and need for a Savior. Paul is in great emotional pain at Israel’s misunderstanding here.
The Worship
The privilege of worshipping the true God!
The Promises
The promise of blessing and the Lord’s favor if the walked in accordance with His commands.
The promised Messiah! The Offspring (singular) would come in perfect timing.
The Patriarchs
Faithful forefathers in the faith.
The Messiah
If all of this was not enough, from Israel would come God in the flesh, the suffering servant sent to rescue humanity from sin and death.
Jesus Rejected by His Very Own
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, and his own people did not receive him.
Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
This is why Paul is in great anguish! Out of great love for God and his people who received all of these great blessing, the burden of Israel walking the wide road to destruction sits with Paul continually.
Application:
Do not follow in the footsteps of Israel and miss the Word and saving work of God that stands before you today!
The Visible Church and The Invisible Church (St. Augustine)
GOSPEL
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.”
2. God’s Word Has Not Failed (v.6-9)
2. God’s Word Has Not Failed (v.6-9)
Paul provides for his audience in v.6 the thesis statement of his Holy-Spirit-driven argument in Romans 9-11. Paul argues that the Word of God has not failed! Yes, all these things belong to Israel, but God has not cast them aside as a failed experiment and turned to the Gentiles as Plan B.
Instead, Paul reveals a more clear understanding of God’s promises to Israel and defends His faithfulness to his Word.
Paul makes a radical statement that would have challenged everyone present from a Jewish heritage, and then he defends this understanding by offering three historical illustrations. Today, we will look at two of those illustrations together.
Romans 9:6–7 “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.””
The Word of God has not failed because the promises of God to Israel never had only ethic Israel in mind.
We are given two different views of Israel here in these verses.
On one hand, we have “Ethnic Israel”. This is the people group who are the physical offspring of Abraham - the Jews. Three times in John 8, Jews being instructed by Jesus appeal to either being the offspring of Abraham (v.33) or calling Abraham their father (v39,56).
On the other hand, we have a different view of “Israel” that Paul is speaking of here that does not seem to be solely tied to Abraham biologically.
Paul tells us that not all who are Abraham’s physical descendants are considered his “children”, and then he points us back to Genesis 21 for our first illustration.
Isaac and Ishmael
Why does point us back here?
He wants to show us that God’s Sovereign Election is not a NT theological concept, but instead it is a central theme throughout redemptive history, even within Ethnic Israel.
BACKGROUND
Genesis 12.1-3, Abram is called by God to go to a land He would provide. The Lord promises to make from Him a great nation and through him all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Genesis 15.1-6, God establishes His covenant with Abram. Abram was concerned the Lord had not provided an heir as promised. The Lord assures him his very own son shall be his heir, and then points Abram to the stars - “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believes the Lord and it was counted to him as righteousness.
Genesis 16, In Abram and Sarai’s impatience with the Lord’s timing, they seek other natural means of nearing a child through Sarai’s servant, Hagar. Abram’s first son is born, named Ishamel.
Genesis 17-18, Isaac’s birth is promised multiple times over.
Genesis 21, Isaac is born from Sarah as promised by the Lord, and He confirms that “through Isaac shall your offspring be named” (Gen21.12) which is the same distinction we see here in Romans 9.
What is Paul teaching us here?
From the beginning, it was never about Ethnic Israel.
God had promised a son to Abram and Sarai, but this heir would come by the Lord’s provision and not by mere human attempts to bend the will of God to their preferences or timetable. The promise of the Lord was given to them both in Genesis 17-18, and the fulfillment of that promise came through Isaac.
Child of the Promise
23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.
God chose Isaac and not Ishmael. From the beginning of time, God’s will was for His covenant promises to be continued through Isaac and not Ishmael. This does not mean that Ishmael, or even his mother Hagar, were not created in the image of God or loved by God, but it was through Isaac that Abraham’s offspring would be named.
Who is the Offspring of Abraham?
16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
Israel saw themselves as the privileged, blessed offspring of Abraham and children of God..... BUT Christ was the promised offspring from the beginning. The covenants, the Law, and all things belonging to Israel find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
APPLICATION:
God’s Word has not failed Israel because it was never about solely Ethnic Israel from the beginning. God was choosing a people for Himself, and that certainly found its origin in ethnic Israel, but the promise of God were never limited to just them.
Church family, you can trust the Word of our God. If you are in Christ, it is because God chose you to share in the faith of Abraham so that the righteousness of Christ would be graciously granted to you.
28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
You are a child of the promise because God has sovereignty chosen you, called you into existence in Christ.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
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.”
3. God Calls in His Will and By His Grace (v.10-13)
3. God Calls in His Will and By His Grace (v.10-13)
Before we get to the glaring red light of v.13, let’s walk through some background together.
Paul presses forward here into his second illustration to defend God’s Sovereign Election. If God’s choosing of Isaac was not enough, He points us again back to Genesis and the story of Jacob and Esau.
BACKGROUND
Genesis 25.19-27, Abraham’s son of promise, Isaac, takes Rebekah as his wife. Isaac prayed that the Lord would provide since Rebekah was barren. In His provision and according to His will, God grants Isaac’s prayer and opens Rebekah’s womb, providing twins.
The scripture tells us that Rebekah inquires of the Lord because the children struggled within her. She asks the Lord why this is happening and the Lord responds:
23 And the Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”
Before Their Birth
Paul then doubles down on his position saying: Before they were born, having committed no transgression or good acts, God chose Jacob.
Paul highlights here that God’s choosing of Jacob and not Esau was not based on anything they had done. In fact, within their mother’s womb they both stood condemned before God in their sin.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
With Adam as their representative, they shared in Adam’s transgression and were born into this world in a place of opposition to their Creator, just like you and me.
Rebekah was told the older would serve the younger not because of works (good or bad), but simply because it is God who calls according to His will and purpose.
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
It is God who calls people out of spiritual darkness into the light of salvation. It was God who called Isaac, not Ishmael.... Jacob and not Esau according to His will and by His grace.
13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Christians often take issue with this verse. We find great difficulty in understanding what Paul (empowered by the Holy Spirit) meant when he wrote this to the Romans.
Example: Intentionally skipping Romans 9 in study material
I was in a bible study class years ago (not yet teaching), and we were walking through Romans according to a provided study guide.
In my discipleship group, my brothers asked me: Did you notice how our study guide skipped Romans 9?
I was honestly confused. Certainly Romans 9 brings many challenges that can be difficult to mentally walk through, but why would we skip at altogether?
The Avoidance of God’s Sovereign Election
Out of sight, out of mind. If I don’t address it, it is not real.
The Denial of God’s Sovereign Election
Fearful of a God we are possibly uncomfortable with, or one we cannot fully understand and explain.
Theological Gymnastics to Understanding God’s Sovereign Election
Reshaping God into what we prefer. A new Jesus that is more loving and compassionate in our eyes.
APPLICATION:
Ultimately, it does not matter what we think about God.
What matters is how God has revealed himself in the Law, the Prophets, by His Son, and through the apostles.
If we are uncomfortable with what the text means, that is an US problem and not a GOD problem.
What does this mean: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Simply, this means that God in His sovereignty chose to set His affection on Jacob and use him according to His will, which he did not do for Esau.
The extension of God’s effectual love to Jacob was based on nothing in Jacob! Arguably, Jacob was the worst.
Gen25.29-34, Jacob was an incredibly selfish person, conning his brother Esau into giving up his birthright for a bowl of stew. Jacob cared about himself and establishing his own name and wealth.
Gen27, Jacob deceived his own blind father, Isaac, in giving him the blessing that was rightfully Esau’s by birth.
We are all deserving of God’s judgment! No one is deserving of God’s choosing, grace, and mercy
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
God’s choosing of Jacob was not based on works and certainly not based on godly character, but God chose a wretched sinner like Jacob and transformed him to be used for God’s glory in carrying forward the covenant made with Abraham.
Election: “Isn’t that unjust, unloving, and unmerciful?”
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 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.
Sadly, Christians look at texts like Romans 9 and Ephesians 1 and take a position that it cannot mean God has chosen some and not others. We take our finite, imperfect understanding of LOVE, GRACE, MERCY and impose those on the Creator and Sustainer of all things thinking: Surely our understanding of these things is better than God’s.
We think that the idea of Election is absent of God’s love or does not align with God’s character in some way, but in fact it is exactly the opposite.
God looked down on sinful mankind, and in His justice He could have judged us according to His perfect standards. What would be “fair” is all of mankind receiving the judgment we are due. No one is deserving of His love and grace!
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I would never have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born, or else he never would have chosen me afterward.
Charles Spurgeon
APPLICATION:
God either has all authority in heaven and on earth or He does not (Matthew 28.18-20). Either He is the author/founder and finisher/perfecter of our Faith, or He is not. We cannot have it both ways!
In understanding Romans 9.13, let’s consider our Lord’s words in Luke 14.
The Cost of Discipleship
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Was Jesus commanding hatred for our families? Of course not! He is making a clear distinction: The love you have for me should make your love for your family look like hate.Jesus is not prescribing hatred for others, but instead He is calling his disciples to radical love and devotion to Him.
In the same way, God loved Esau as one created in His image and blessed Esau greatly by making from him a great nation (Genesis 21.18). BUT.... Esau was not the object of God’s electing purpose. God’s love for Jacob and His choosing of Jacob for the line of promise emphasizes His rejection of Esau.
God’s Sovereign Election is evident throughout the Scriptures as a whole. According to His Will and by His Grace, God is choosing a people for himself from every nation tribe and tongue. This election began with Israel, but the promises of blessing to Abraham and His descendants were never limited to ethnic Israel.
If you share in Abraham’s saving faith, you are a child of the promise, chosen by God for adoption as sons and daughters before the foundation of the world by His grace. God’s sovereign Election is not a divisive idea that should drive us to different camps in disagreement, but instead it unifies those who are in Christ knowing we stand justified, are being sanctified, and will one day be glorified with our Lord purely by His grace and for His glory.
