Romans 9:6-13 "God's Sovereign Choice"

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

I hope you all will be free to join us for Good Friday service in two Fridays.

We just celebrated the Messiah in the Passover Seder… with Pastor David Trubek.

We will continue our celebration of Christ… remembering His crucifixion and death on Good Friday… led by John Butcher.

And, then we will have a Resurrection Sunday service… celebrating Jesus’ victory over the grave.

Several services to honor our Lord this season. Please tell a friend!

Well… let’s continue our study in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Please turn to Chapter 9 of Romans… as we look at verses 6-13 today.

We’ve entered into our fourth major section of Romans… Romans Chapters 9-11… which pertains to God’s devotion or faithfulness to the nation of Israel.

Which is a great assurance to us Church Age believers because if God remained devoted to Israel despite their unfaithfulness…

Then, we can trust our position in Christ… our salvation to be sure as well.

Many scholars use the word “Vindication” to summarize the over-arching theme of Chapters 9-11…

Vindication is “to set free from allegation of blame”… and God is being vindicated in these three chapters.

Specifically, “The Vindication of God’s Righteousness” as Dr. Constable put it.

The term “Theodicy” describes the vindication of God… and means “divine justice”… by def. it is “the attempt to defend God’s omnipotence and goodness in the face of the problem of evil [or moral wrong] in the world.”

We posed the questions last week “Why would God and His righteousness need to be defended? What accusation has been presented against God that He should be vindicated?”

And the answer lies in God’s dealings with Israel. In these next three chapters Paul defends God’s righteousness in light of the nation of Israel… ethnic Jews, NOT the church.

And, Paul addresses God’s dealings with Israel in the past, present, and future:

Israel’s Past Election: Chapter 9

Israel's Present Rejection: Chapter 10

Israel’s Future Salvation: Chapter 11

God still has a plan for Israel as a Nation… and covenants specific to Israel… still to be fulfilled.

And, God devotion to Israel… testifies of His devotion to us.

We need not wrestle with insecurities… thinking “well if God put Israel aside, will God one day put me aside as well?”

Certainly not… even despite Israel’s rejection of God… not only in the OT as they repeatedly went after foreign idols… but namely in the NT as they rejected and crucified Christ…

God did not revoke His promises… He is a covenant keeping God…

Romans 9-11 stand as an assurance that God will keep His promises to Israel… and to Church Age saints as well.

Last week I gave a lengthy introduction, and discussed those covenants, so if you missed that message be sure to check it out on our app or website.

Last week we also looked at the first 5 verses of Chapter 9… where Paul shares his heart for Israel.

I don’t think there is anywhere else in Scripture where Paul so tenderly shares his feelings towards Israel.

He expresses utter heart-brokenness over their present state of unbelief…

His sorrow and continual grief is so deep… if he could… Paul would wish himself accursed from Christ for his Jewish brethren.

He would give up his own salvation for the nation of Israel to be saved.

Paul went on to describe eight special blessings God has bestowed upon Israel… seen in vv 4-5: adoption, glory, covenants, giving of the law, service of God, the promises and those promises being revealed to the Patriarchs, and most important… the Messiah… the Christ came from Israel.

So, in these first five verses Paul affirms Israel… but he will say some hard things to the Jews… especially at the end of Chapter 9.

So first he validates his love for them and recognizes God has blessed them.

It’s not a bad strategy… build them up… before you tear them down… and then build them back up again…

And Paul will build them up in Chapter 11 with a wonderful declaration, “And so all Israel will be saved.”

Let’s now continue… picking up in V6… where Paul illustrates “God’s Sovereign Choice” (our message title today)… spotlighting key figures in the OT.

Let’s Pray!

In reverence for God’s word, please stand, if you’re able, as I read our passage.

Romans 9:6-13 “But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

In V6 Paul states “it is not that the word of God has taken no effect.”

Some translations reads “It is not as though the word of God has failed.”

“Failed” or “taken no effect” in Gk is one word which means “to fall to the ground, to be fruitless, ineffectual.”

Despite Israel’s rejection of God… the word of God has not fallen… it is not fruitless.

The beginning of V6 stands as Paul’s thesis…

He will explain and defend why the word of God has not failed… as we move forward.

The word of God could look back to the eight special blessings Paul just described in vv 4-5…

… which reflects God’s intent for Israel to be a holy nation… a kingdom of priest…

Exodus 19:6 declares “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’”

And, as they functioned as priests… this was not just for Israel, but for all nations…

… as God proclaimed through Isaiah. Isaiah 42:6-7 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”

Israel was to bring the truth of God to the Gentiles… to be a light to the nations who were in spiritual darkness and blind… and to set free… those who were captive to sin.

But they failed… Not only were they hateful to the Gentiles, but they were unfaithful to God.

Repeatedly, they served and worshipped foreign gods and were disciplined… even up to losing their nation and God issuing a certificate of divorce (in Jer 3:8)… for Israel’s spiritual adultery.

Regardless… God’s word remains valid… and God will not fail to fulfill His promises to Israel.

It’s amazing how patient God is with people. The word the Bible uses for patient is “long-suffering.” That’s God.

It was roughly 2000 B.C. when God called Abram.

And during those 2000 years until Christ… they never really were a light to the Gentiles.

And yet… God never completely cast them aside.

Which is a great comfort for us when we fail to fulfill our duties of the Great Commission.

God has assigned duties to us to make disciples and preach the gospel…

And, yet… sometimes we hide our light under a bushel.

I sure am glad God is patient with us… but even better… God is glad when we are faithful.

I love that scripture gives confirms God’s future plan for Israel… which is a great comfort that He doesn’t just write people off.

Zechariah tells of a future time… during the Millennial Kingdom… when Israel will fulfill being a light to the Gentiles.

Zechariah 8:23 states, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations [Hebrew “goy” word they still use today for Gentiles] shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ””

Gentile peoples and nations will flock to Jerusalem… and people will know God is with Israel… who will serve as guides to worship God.

God is clearly not done with Israel yet, because that verse in Zechariah is yet unfulfilled prophecy.

And, God is 100% in fulfilling prophecy thus far… so take it to the Bank… it will be fulfilled!

But who is Israel? Is one an Israelite based solely upon physical descent from the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) to whom the blessings and promises in vv 4-5 were given?

Paul says, “No.” In vv 6-7 “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham...”

Just being a physical descendant of Abraham did not make one Israel.

At the end of V7… to prove this point… Paul quotes Genesis 21:12 “… in Isaac your seed shall be called.”

And before we discuss why… I want you to pay attention to Paul’s many OT cross references as we go through chapters 9-11.

Paul cites the OT about 93x in his writings… and about 1/3 of those citations are here in Romans 9-11.

Which would have been important for his Jewish readers… and sets an example for us today…

Paul doesn’t just share his thoughts… but backs his points up with scripture.

And so should we… if we desire to be credible in discussing Biblical matters.

There’s a lot of opinions in the world… and many of them are wrong.

Reason from scripture if you want to be credible.

Now… the context of Gen 21 which Paul quotes here in V7… this was when Sarah told Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael… and God agreed… for God’s calling fell on Isaac, not Ishmael.

Ishmael was not Israel… even though he was a son of Abraham.

God promised a different nation would come from Ishmael…

But through Isaac would come the promise…

Isaac begot Jacob (who’s name was changed to Israel)… and many generations later came Jesus who was Messiah…

… and from Him all the nations of the earth would be blessed… fulfilling God’s word.

Now is this the extent of what it meant to be Israel… just to be a physical descendent of the chosen line?

I don’t think so.

I also see a spiritual or faith component.

During one of Jesus’ teachings, in John 8:39, Jews proclaimed, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.”

Heb 11 tells us it was “By faith” that Abraham obeyed God and left his home country to go to the Promised land.

Abraham believed and obeyed God… those were the works of Abraham.

Faith… and because of faith, there was an outflow of works.

A true descendent of Israel… is not simply being a physical descendent of the Patriarch… they are God’s people of faith.

Not just physical descendants of Abraham… but spiritually… walking in faith descendants as well.

The name Israel has several meanings… and one meaning is a “God ruled man” or “Governed by God”…

Chuck Smith said, “Paul tells us that no one is truly Israel unless he is governed by God. We have a parallel situation with the word ‘Christian.’ Not everyone who is called a Christian is truly a follower of Christ.”

And, in Rome… reading this letter from Paul… were those who were truly Israel.

First century Jews who believed in Jesus as the Christ. God has always progressed His plan forward… through a faithful remnant…

If you were at our Passover Seder… you met David Trubek… a Jewish Christian.

There are only 15.7 million Jews in the world, and only 350,000 are Messianic. That’s only 2%… truly a remnant.

What a great opportunity we had to hear from a Jewish Christian and the perspective he shared about Passover.

If you missed it… and want to check it out… the slides and audio are on our app under Topical Teachings.

In V8… Paul confirms what we just discussed… that the children of the flesh (purely physical descendants) are NOT the children of God.

ONLY “the children of the promise are counted as the seed.”

Isaac represented the Children of Promise… and Ishmael represented the Children of the Flesh.

Only one branch of Abraham’s descendants would receive the covenant blessing.

When the LORD gave the Abrahamic covenant to Abraham, He said “… in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:3)…

God reiterated this to Abraham in Gen 18:18… and again in Gen 22:18 when God tested Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

That time God spoke of a singular seed, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed...”

… foretelling of a Messiah who would bring salvation to all nations…

Then God confirmed this covenant with Isaac in Gen 26:4.

And, then to Jacob in Gen 28:14.

God’s Sovereign choice… God’s sovereign election was through the lineage of Abraham, Issac and Jacob who became Israel… God would bring forth THE SEED… THE MESSIAH… Jesus Christ.

And anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ… as Paul states in V8 are the “children of promise” and “are counted as the seed.” … because they are in Christ.

In V8… Paul repeats the principle of V7 using different words for emphasis.

Being a physical descendant… a natural child of Abraham does not automatically qualify one to be a “child of God.”

God’s children (lit “the born ones of God”) are those foreknown by Him… the ones He called… those who come by faith.

Continuing to V9, Paul solidifies… it was God’s sovereign choice of Isaac over Ishmael by citing Gen 18:10…

Gen 18 is a glorious scene when three men came to Abraham’s tent… two are later identified as angels and one is repeatedly called the LORD…

It’s a great passage to show JW’s because the LORD must be Jesus… an OT Christophany… since “No one has seen God at any time” (Jn 1:18).

In this scene the LORD promised, “Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

She laughed within herself because she was barren and old (her words… not mine… I know better than to call a woman old)… scripture says “she was pass the age of childbearing” and Abraham was even older.

When Abram was 100 years old, God confirmed an everlasting covenant… that the promised line would be through Sarah…

Gen 17:16 God told Abraham regarding Sarah, “I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

She was 90 at that time… so… they weren’t exaggerating about age.

And, talk about being stretched in the waiting game. They were beyond hope to bring forth a son.

Abraham even said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

Meaning, “If only Ishmael were acceptable for your special blessing.”

God responded in Gen 17:19, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.”

Which only further testifies of God’s sovereignty.

God chose to do the impossible and choose Sarah… not Hagar (Ishmael’s mother) who was Sarah’s contingency plan.

No one could take credit in this way… God moved through the miracle…

… and God chose Isaac before he was born… before he did any deeds… good or bad.

And, if someone were tempted to make the case that Isaac was called because he was the firstborn of Abraham and Sarah…

The next example of Jacob and Esau dismisses that thought… for Jacob and Esau share the same mother and father…

AND, Esau was born first (according to Gen 25:25), and yet the LORD prophesied “the older [Esau] shall serve the younger [Jacob].” (Gen 25:23).

So, God’s calling remains His sovereign choice… NOT the cultural norm of birth order.

Another time that Paul referenced Ishmael and Isaac under the context of the covenant and God’s promises was in Galatians 4. You might want to turn there in your Bibles.

The Galatians were desiring to return to the bondage of the law, so Paul draws an OT example of Hagar and Sarah as an illustration…

Gal 4:22-26 reads, “For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman [Hagar], the other by a freewoman [Sarah… and ancient law dictated that the status of the mother affected the status of the son. Thus, Ishmael was born slave, and Isaac born free.].

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, [Ishmael was born naturally, but Isaac was born supernaturally fulfilling God's promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah… despite their old age].

24 which things are symbolic. [Note that: there is a figurative meaning contrasting law or work based righteousness TO grace or righteousness by faith.

Paul relates Hagar to slavery which figuratively represents law and works… because Abraham did not wait for the promise in faith… but took matters into his own hands and impregnated Hagar.

Paul relates Sarah to freedom which figurative represents grace that comes by faith in waiting on God’s promise.]

For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai [where the Mosaic Law originated] which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar [both Hagar and the Law have slavery in common]

—25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia [seemingly the land of Hagar's descendants and the land of slaves], and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children [1st Century Jerusalem which was enslaved by both Mosaic Law and Rome]

—26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” [Sarah who is not mentioned in vv 25-26… represents the Abrahamic Covenant and those free by living under faith… and the heavenly Jerusalem… the eternal city of believers… of whom Sarah is said to be the mother of all children of grace through faith].

Paul’s purpose in Romans 9 is thus demonstrated to highlight the difference between faith and works.

Paul draws this conclusion as he closes Chapter 9

Look in your Bibles at Romans 9:30–32 “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.”

And so when Israel rejects faith… and pursues works by the law… they are acting just like Abraham when he pursued Hagar in the flesh… instead of trusting in God.

And still… God chose Abraham as it is His sovereign right as the God of the Universe… to establish His covenant with whom He chooses.

Further… if God wants to establish covenant by faith and not works… even if He wants to go beyond Israel… and open the doors to Gentiles who pursue righteousness by faith…

Well… that’s His right to do so as well.

In Jewish history, they never complained that God had chosen them… and progressed the plan of salvation through Isaac…

They didn’t complain when they attempted to keep the law and earn salvation through self-righteousness.

But, they stumbled when Messiah came and He made it clear that faith came through belief in Him.

In John 8:24 Jesus proclaimed to the Jews, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

And “He” is italicized… it’s not in the original Greek… “… if you do not believe that I AM (the I AM from the burning bush)… you will die in your sins.”

They rejected God’s plan… and are solely responsible for their unbelief.

Which STILL… does NOT negate God’s sovereign choice.

How are we doing? Clear as mud?

In the late 90’s I attended 12-Step meetings… and they said, “Keep Coming Back”… literally to come back, but there was also a hidden meaning… to Keep Coming Back when confused… and eventually you’d get it.

I feel like that’s appropriate when with some of these heady teachings of Paul’s.

Understanding Scripture… especially certain passages… takes work… but it’s kingdom work… it’s eternal work… there’s no better work.

So, hang in there.

Moving forward Paul will further illustrate God’s Sovereign Choice with Jacob and Esau in vv 10-13 (also an illustration of choosing prior to birth)…

… and then Paul will illustrate God’s sovereignty with Pharoah in vv 14-18.

Paul is building the case that since God’s choice was not based on natural descent… nor upon human merit…

God’s choice of Israel was not about them… and God’s future plan for Israel is not contingent upon their obedience.

Their disobedience and their rejection of Him… will not make void God’s choice.

So, in vv 10-11, Paul continues… highlighting that Rebecca conceived children by Isaac.

Rebecca, like Sarah, was barren… and Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife in Gen 25:21. The LORD granted his plea and she conceived twins, Jacob and Esau. (Another supernatural birth).

And, Paul makes the point that God chose one of the boys… while they were still in the womb… before either had done any good or evil…

… to rule out personal merit being the basis for God’s choosing.

An unborn child has yet to demonstrate what kind of personal character they will have… whether good or bad.

And, being that we have the advantage of looking back on the boys lives…

… if we dissected the lives of Jacob and Esau… neither of them lived sterling lives.

So, point in V11 is “… that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls)…”

God’s election… meaning “divine selection” or choosing…

… might stand… meaning it endures…

… not of works… no human merit…

… but on Him who calls… it’s God’s sovereign choice.

Which He alone controls… and understands the reasons for…

And even if we deem His choice as foolish or impulsive… who are we? We are the creation… HE is the Creator…

Look up the universe and study it’s fabric…

Look down at the miracle of the ball of dirt on which you stand… positioned perfectly to sustain life and view the cosmos…

And look inside at the wonder that you are… your function and design that baffles our most brilliant minds.

God’s design and His choices are not haphazard… and nor were His choices with the Patriarchs… whether we understand them or not.

Now… this Election… this choice of God’s is it for Salvation or Service?

Calvinists emphasize individual salvation and God’s election being applied as God’s choice of whom He saves.

But, if we go down that road… as I warned last week…

… we would come to wrong conclusions about individual salvation…

… namely the teaching that individual salvation is exclusive to predestination without any human responsibility.

Which has great implications about God’s character…

… it paints God is a very negative light that God chooses people for the damnation of hell… before they were born… and literally hates some… as we’ll read in V13 “Esau I have hated.”

So… is Paul’s intent that God elected… and we’ll just narrow it to Jacob and Esau… for salvation or service?

In V12, Paul quotes from Genesis 25:23 “And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.””

The context is service. AND the context in NATIONS.

When Paul references Jacob and Esau… he is looking beyond these figureheads to the nations that would come from them… namely Israel and Edom.

And this is a common practice in scripture… to refer to a nation by it’s patriarchal head.

Ishmaelites from Ishmael… Moabites from Moab… Ammonites from Ammon (Moab and Ammon being Lot’s sons)…

Then there’s the Twelve Tribes of Israel… named after their Patriarchs.

Even outside of Scripture… mythological figures served as the basis for key civilizations…

Rome for ex., is named after the mythological figure Romulus…

And, Esau’s descendant indeed served Israel’s descendants… especially under the rule of king David.

2 Samuel 8:14 declares “He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants.”

And the point of this from a Romans 9 context… and don’t miss this… is that…

Esau… thus the Edomites were elected for a common use of service… as a vassal state, paying tribute or providing resources during David’s and possibly Solomon’s reigns.

Jacob… thus Israel was elected for an honorable use… for a higher purpose… to bring forth the Messiah and the Gospel to the world.

Thus, Salvation is not completely disconnected from God’s intent… for if God did not bring forth the Messiah through Israel… no one would be saved.

Then, after Paul establishes God’s Sovereign election of nations to service…

He writes and quotes Malachi in V13, “As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.””

Malachi 1:1–3 “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; 3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.””

In the previous verse, Paul quoted from Genesis… and now he quotes from Malachi (the first and last books of the OT)…

… for two purposes…

One… Paul is giving us a before and after picture… not a new doctrine of election.

In order to establish that God elects before He sees what choices individuals or nations make.

His choice is not about personal merit… or being of natural descent from Abraham… it is only God’s Sovereign choice… and His gracious will.

Paul also quotes from Genesis and then Malachi to solidifying that when he refers to Esau… he is referring to the Nation of Edom… not Esau the man.

The difference in time between Esau’s birth and Malachi’s prophecy was about 1500 years.

Esau had long been dead, so Malachi clearly is referencing the Edomites who were laid waste.

In Esau’s lifetime, he was blessed… Gen 33:8-16 and Gen 36 clearly indicate Esau was blessed in his material possessions and with a large family.

And, yet we read “Esau I have hated.” This is a very misunderstood and misinterpreted phrase.

As I just mentioned, Esau was a very blessed man, so God did not “hate” him in withholding blessings of this lifetime… and the context is not referring to salvation for eternity…

God’s hatred towards Esau is in reference to Esau NOT being elected to inheriting the covenant…

Love and hate as it appears in V13 is idiomatic language… not literal language.

It’s not personal, but covenantal language.

In choosing one (Jacob/Israel), the divine attitude towards the other (Esau) is hatred.

Hatred is relative to a higher choice. God’s choice of Israel is expressed by love.

Dr. Leighton Flowers states, “The Biblical use of “hatred” can refer to the choice of one over another for an honorable purpose.”

Jesus used similar idioms during His ministry:

Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”

John 12:25 “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

Jesus said that if anyone does not hate their parents, he cannot be My disciple… but then the Bible would also say, “Honor your father and your mother” (Eph 6:2)…

So, the idea of hatred must mean something else.

It’s a comparison. Love for Jesus means to “love all other things less” by comparison.

Even family and one’s self.

For God to hate Esau personally would be inconsistent with God’s character of love… and with God’s word…

In Deuteronomy 23:7 it was commanded, “You shall not abhor [to loathe or detest] an Edomite, for he is your brother."

So, it would be inconsistent for God to command Israel not to hate Edom, but then for God to hate Esau… and even condemn him to hell because of election.

This interpretation is in error.

Again… God loved Jacob and hated Esau which reflects God divine attitude in choosing.

Hatred is relative to the higher choice. God chose Israel.

Now… if God needed a cause to hate either Esau or the Edomites, He had it… it didn’t even take God sovereignly acting… or predestination.

Esau was a “man of the field” which was not just a reflection of his love for hunting and being an outdoorsman… it also reflected his rejection of the covenant’s responsibilities… as seen when he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew.

In fact… in the book of Hebrew, Esau is used as an example of what not to be. He is called a “profane person [a godless person] who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.” (Heb 12:16)

And his descendants, the Edomites… just before Malachi and also Obadiah prophesied against Edom… Edom had attacked Israel.

God promised Abraham, “I will curse those who curse you...” and Edom crossed the line.

Truly, if God based election upon merit… if this passage is primarily about salvation… why would God choose anyone?

“A woman once said to Mr. Spurgeon, ‘I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.’ ‘That,’ Spurgeon replied, ‘is not my difficulty, madam. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob.’ ” (Newell)

Truly, evaluate the life of that heel-catcher… that supplanter Jacob who…

… some would accuse of stealing the birthright from Esau…

… who tricked Isaac for the blessing…

… who used cunning for personal gain…

… who had unequal love for his wives… and his sons… favoring Joseph…

… passivity with sin… especially in relation to his daughter Dinah.

How could God love Jacob?

Evaluate my life or your life… and ask the same… How could God love us?

Dr. Flowers stated, ““Hatred” can also be use in reference to “Wrath,” for example in Eph 2 when Paul says “we were all by nature children of wrath.” This could be understood as hatred. This does not mean however that God does not have a desire for all to come out from under His wrath and into His love and provision of grace.”

God chooses and uses imperfect people to accomplish His plans and His purposes.

This is a great assurance to us today in our standing with God.

When we sit back and take in what these verses state… no doubt they highlight that God sovereignly chose Israel … and no matter their rebellion in rejecting Messiah… His will be done.

And what this testifies to us is not only that God chooses and works with imperfect people… and doesn’t forsake them in their errors…

That His choosing is not about family line… nor birth order… nor merit…

But it also testifies to us that God chose a nation to bring forth a Messiah… and faith in that Messiah… Jesus Christ… made a way for every person who trusts in Him to be saved.

And, NOTHING and NO ONE would DETER God’s plan.

God opened the doors for all to come to Him.

Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” (Jn 10:9)

God chose nations for service and not for salvation or damnation… what a great assurance!

He didn’t pre-choose any for Hell without giving them a choice.

Testifying that each of us has the human responsibility and free will to choose God.

God doesn’t sentence anyone to Hell before they are born and then hold them to that eternal condemnation without free-will decision.

But, you have to choose. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20–21 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Worship team please come.

God won’t force you to choose Him… but He knocks on the door of your heart and desires to come in.

Will you say ‘yes’ to Jesus? Will you trust Him with your life now and eternally… that He can forgive your sins… and usher you… as an overcomer… into heaven?

In a moment we are going to close taking communion.

And, I would encourage you that if you’ve never prayed and place your faith in Jesus as your Savior… do so as we close today.

Fully trust that His death was the sufficient sacrifice for your sins.

… and then take communion.

Feel free to pray privately… or our prayer team will be available to pray with you as we close.

Let’s Pray!

We are now going to take communion in remembrance of the Lord.

1 Cor 11:23-29 “...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

Please distribute the elements...

Communion is a time for us to look three directions…

We look back remembering Jesus’ sacrifice… His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins.

His new covenant. Salvation by faith and in grace.

Look forward in hope of His imminent return… we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. He is coming.

And, looking inward to examine ourselves… to take communion in a worthy manner.

Time to do business with God.

Once you have prayed… take the communion elements individually.

Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord...

...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option...

Pray and place your faith in Jesus as your Savior today.

Fully trust that His death was the sufficient sacrifice for your sins.

… and then take communion.

Our prayer team will be available to pray with you as we close.

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