Sorrowful Heart, Unfailing Promise

Children’s Bible Page 1230.

Have you ever felt misunderstood?

I remember in seventh grade, I entered a school talent show with a group of buddies, and for our talent, we literally did a lip sync performance of “I want it that way” from the Backstreet Boys.

Now, in this talent show, one dude juggled, some people played instruments, like legit talents.

But, when it came time for awards, our group, the front street boys, I think we called ourselves, got third place.

I was honestly embarrassed that we won a place when everyone else in the competition actually had a talent.

So, I asked one of the teachers afterward, “Who judged this competition?”

And that teacher gave me this whole big lecture because she thought I was asking the question because I was somehow delusional enough to think we deserved better than third place, when I was truly asking because I thought it a shame we got anything at all.

It’s no fun to be misunderstood.

When it comes to being a follower of Jesus, many times we are misunderstood.

The culture of the world sometimes tries to paint Christians as hateful or intolerant because of our stand on the Bible, when we know that we center ourselves around the greatest love the world could ever know.

I say that because as we come to Romans 9, Paul has just finished writing eight chapters of the greatest most detailed explanation of the gospel of God ever written, all under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and it culminated in the glorious passage of Romans 8:31-39 as he expounds on the inseparable love of God toward us who believe.

And, so, we may expect Paul to now launch into how this great gospel applies to our daily lives.

And Paul will do that beginning in chapter 12, but before he does that, Paul is going to spend chapters 9,10, and 11 answering some challenging questions that he obviously had to address over and over again in His gospel ministry.

Remember, that Paul was a Jew, and the Jews were God’s chosen people in the Old Testament chosen by God to know Him and to make him known throughout the earth.

Yet, as we read the book of Acts that tells of Paul’s missionary journeys, while he would always begin his ministry in every city by preaching the gospel to the Jews, the majority of Jews rejected Paul and his message in quite violent ways.

So, then, Paul would go preach to the Gentiles, which is any other people who were not Jewish, and he found much more receptivity to the gospel amongst the Gentiles.

You see, the Jews as a whole had long since abandoned the true meaning of God’s word, and had formed a system of religion based on rule keeping and social status naturally rejected the message of the gospel.

So, listen to what the Jews said about Paul and the gospel:

Acts 21:28 ESV

28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

So, because Paul was teaching that you cannot be saved by following rules, and Paul was seeing Gentiles be brought into the church, and he was leading people to worship Jesus, the vast number of Jews said Paul was teaching against God’s people, His law, and His temple.

Which just was not true. He was wildly misunderstood. The Jews thought Paul hated them and spoke against them, which could not be further from the truth.

Given this background, let’s read:

Romans 9:1–18 ESV

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. 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.” 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. 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.

1. Cultivate A Passionate Heart For The Lost

Remember, Paul himself was a Jew.

So, in the midst of so many of his fellow Jews slandering and misrepresenting Paul and his ministry, Paul writes:

I am speaking the truth in Christ - I am not lying

Now, Paul did not usually make a habit of writing like he didn’t think people would believe what he had to say.

Paul usually wrote very plainly while leaning into his authority as an apostle of Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Yet, here, as he is going to share the love and concern he has for his fellow Jews, he feels it necessary to say, I’m not lying.

I’m speaking the truth in Christ.

My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit.

Paul is grounding the words that He is getting ready to speak on the surest foundation He knows: the truth of Christ and the Holy Spirit of God.

Given that foundation, whatever he says next must be completely sincere or Paul is making himself out to not only be a liar but a blasphemer of God.

So, what is the truth that Paul has backed the full weight of the name of Christ and the Spirit of God on?

Verse 2 & 3 - that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 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.

While Paul has just spent the past eight chapters presenting the greatest good news the world has ever known,

That those who are in Christ have the joy of a loving relationship with God and the hope that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

And while that joy is real and ever present for Paul, Paul also has an aspect of his life where he experiences continual sorrow and anguish.

The words Paul uses speaks of a deep and emotional inner pain and grief.

And the source of Paul’s great sorrow and anguish is this - that so many of his brothers and sisters in the flesh are lost and separated from Christ.

I know so many of my fellow Jews misunderstand my love for Christ and my ministry of his gospel as a hatred of my people, but the exact opposite is actually the truth.

I love and long for my fellow brothers and sisters in the flesh to know Christ so badly.

It pains me that they don’t know him and His great love.

It pains me that they misunderstand him and misunderstand me.

I cannot think of a more intense statement of sacrificial love than to dare to say that Paul could wish himself accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers.

The only other place in Scripture we find a similar statement is from Moses:

Exodus 32:32 ESV

32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”

While I cannot honestly say my desire of another’s salvation has ever raised to that kind of inconceivable level, I want you to recognize that Moses and Paul are reflecting to us the passion, sorrow, and anguish of Jesus’ love for us in order to endure all that he did on the cross in order to save us.

Maybe you are here today, and you are misunderstood by family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers whom you deeply love and care for and would give anything for them to come to know Christ as their Savior, but they misunderstand you for being narrow minded, judgmental, or even hate filled.

Can I encourage you that your experience is one of being identified with Moses, the apostle Paul, and even Jesus Christ himself?

Paul’s saying, “I’m not speaking against my family, my friends, my brothers and sisters in the flesh. I don’t hate them! I love them! And I know the only true love I can show them is to witness to the cross of Christ and the love of Christ to them!”

Paul then shows in verses 4-5: there are so many reasons why I love and honor the Jewish people.

Verse 4 - They are Israelites: The name Jew was more of an ethnic or political designation, but Paul chooses to use the term Israelite that specifically denotes them as God’s chosen Old Testament people.

to them belong the adoption: throughout the Old Testament, Israel is depicted as being adopted by God as His son.

the glory: it was the Israelites to whom God revealed his glory on the mountain, in the temple, and in numerous miracles.

the covenants: It was to Abraham, the father of the Israelites, to whom God made a covenant promise to bless him and make his people a great blessing.

It was to David, the king of Isreal, to whom God made a covenant promise to establish his throne forever where the great son of David to come would sit.

the giving of the law: The Old Testament is clear that one of the greatest privileges of God’s people was their having God’s law which distinguished them from all other nations.

the worship: they were given the great sacrificial system pointing to the hope of one to come who would forgive their sin, and they were given the Sabbath as a free people to rest and worship.

the promises: added to the covenants, it is estimated that God made around 7,700 promises to His people throughout the Old Testament all pointing to salvation and eternal life with Him.

To them belong the patriarchs: starting with Father Abraham who believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness as a model of salvation for all time.

And if these were not enough to appreciate and love the Jewish people, the ultimate honor of the people is that Christ came in the flesh according to their race,

And Christ Jesus is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

There are two things Paul is doing here in these lists:

One, he is connecting the gospel of Jesus that He preaches back to God’s actions and activity in the Old Testament, in order to make a defense of the gospel to Jewish people.

Second, he is honoring the history of the Jewish people as yet another example of why he is not against them but is for them.

This passage compels us in two ways:

One, are you and I as passionate for the lost as Paul is?

Do we experience sorrow and anguish over those who are separated from Christ?

Are we compelled to witness the gospel to them even with the risk of being misunderstood or mislabeled?

Second, is the Christ who is God over all worthy of our sorrow and anguish, our prayers and our efforts to win the lost to Jesus?

Do you have names of specific people you are praying for and sharing Jesus with?

Have you lost a passion for the lost in the midst of all the other cares of life?

May I encourage us all as we dive deep into the great love of God in Christ for us that we ask him to cultivate in us a passion for the lost.

2. Trust In God’s Sovereign Purpose Of Election

Here’s what is happening here.

Paul, if you say the Jews are blessed in all these ways, but then you also preach that the Jews do not have the righteousness of God based on their following the law or any other observance, and you say that because many don’t trust in Christ they are lost,

Aren’t you saying the word of God has failed?

I mean, if Israel is God’s chosen people, but so many of them are not saved, how can God say they are his chosen people, doesn’t that contradict God’s word and prove that it has failed?

Not at all.

Verse 6 - But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.

Maybe Paul’s just playing tricks now, I mean, if I walk up to you with my four biological children and say, “These are my children, but they are not all my descendants.”

At that point, you should label me a loony toon.

But, we’ve already seen a few verses back in Romans that can keep us from labeling Paul a loony tune:

Romans 2:28–29 ESV

28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

In other words, God never promised that every single ethnic Jew would be saved.

Even throughout the Old Testament, God was always clear that there would always be a remnant that had true faith and was truly saved.

Belonging to God in salvation has always been about repentance and faith from the heart, not ethnicity.

So, what Paul is saying is, not all who are ethnic descendants of Israel belong to spiritual Israel, God’s saved and spiritually adopted people.

There were many many Old Testament Israelites who walked out their days in unbelief and God was not pleased with them.

Paul then gives two Old Testament examples to make the point crystal clear that not all ethnic Israelites would have faith and be saved into true Israel.

Verse 7 - Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.

Now, Abraham already had a son named Ismael, but God did not choose that descendant of Abraham to be named.

He chose Isaac, because God had promised Isaac, not Ishmael would be the one.

But, of course, we could look at that example and say, “Well, sure, Abraham had Ishmael when He and Sarah’s faith wavered and he had a son through one of their servants, so it makes sense that God had a specific reason because of the two boy’s backgrounds to choose Isaac and not Ishmael.”

But, the second example takes the truth of God choosing a true faith remnant out of Israel even farther.

Verse 10 - 13: 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.”

When Isaac, who was the chosen descendent of Abraham had children, he had twin boys, and before they were even born, God chose Jacob to be the son of the promise over the few seconds older Esau.

Well, how did God make that decision? He had no history, or works, or status in order to go on!

We are told in verse 11 how God made his choice: in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls.

Remember the glorious order of salvation we saw back in

Romans 8:29–30 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Once again, foreknew means that God set his love on from eternity past.

All whom he foreknew, he predestined.

All whom he predestined, he called.

All whom he called, he justified.

All whom he justified, he glorified.

It is his work from start to finish.

God chose His remnant people out of all Israel by His sovereign choice.

It is what theologians call unconditional election.

He loved and chose based on no merit, status, ethnicity, or any other, but purely based on His sovereign will and choice.

Before they came out of the womb, Jacob I loved, Esau I hated.

On what condition? Was it because God knew Jacob would be a better person that Esau. No.

Was is because God looked down through time and knew Jacob would freely choose to believe and Esau wouldn’t? No.

It was unconditional so that God’s purpose of election might continue.

This is truly the only way salvation is by God’s grace alone through faith alone, and is nothing of ourselves.

Trust in God’s sovereign purpose of election.

Throughout church history, some Christians have sought to reimagine the doctrine of predestination and unconditional election due to the fact that it naturally leads men to ask if this is truly right and fair of God.

But, I have found, that we do not have to reimagine these doctrines in order to have this question answered, we simply have to read the next verses, because Paul knew these doctrines would raise that question, so he raises it in verse 14:

3. Trust In God’s Perfect Justice

Verse 14: What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

God’s unconditional election of all who will be His is not unjust on God’s part in any way.

Think about it: every week, we as a church glory in the truth that God in Christ has done everything necessary for our salvation!

Our salvation does not depend in any way on our will or exertion or works.

Well, if that is true, whose will does our salvation rely upon?

God’s will.

God’s foreknowing, God’s predestining, God’s calling, God’s justifying, and God’s glorifying.

God did not do all this glorious work in Christ’s life, and death, and resurrection and then sit back and say, “I’m just going to stand at the door of everyone’s heart and knock and I just hope some people will choose to let me in.”

There is only one verse in the whole Bible that speaks of Jesus standing at a door and knocking, and it’s in Revelation, and in that passage, he is not standing at the door of someone’s heart, he is standing at the door of the church of believers in Laodicea who had started trusting in their material wealth too much and were losing their trust in Christ.

So, God did all this glorious work of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in order to show His never ending mercy to those whom He chose to set His love upon from all eternity past.

Think about it this way: Would you rather God’s mercy toward you depend on you choosing to repent and turning to Him on your own?

Something Romans has already shown us we as spiritually dead sinners would never do?

No, we would rather throw ourselves upon the mercy of God.

The final question for today really becomes, well, what about those who were not chosen from eternity past?

Is it not unjust of God that they were created with God knowing that they would not be saved?

Verses 17-18: 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.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

Pharaoh was one of the great enemies of God’s people who harshly enslaved them in Egypt and who refused to obey God’s command to let his people go time and time again.

And what does the Bible say concerning God and Pharaoh both in the Old Testament and again here?

God raised Pharaoh up for this very purpose, that God might show His power through Pharaoh, that God’s name would be proclaimed in all the earth.

How did God accomplish this in Pharaoh’s life? By hardening his heart toward God time and time again.

You think about it: I say probably at least once in every sermon that we all rightly and justly deserve the wrath of God poured out on us due our sin.

We all justly and rightly deserve death and hell.

So, is God unjust to send any of us there? No. He is completely just.

But, in God’s great love toward us, even while we were sinners deserving death and hell, He sent His son Jesus to die in our place for our sin and to take the punishment we deserved onto himself.

Jesus took our death and hell on himself, so that all who place their faith in him will be shown nothing but mercy from God for eternity.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God is completely just to place our sins on Jesus, that he would die for us, and that we would be shown mercy.

There is no injustice on God’s part.

You can trust in God’s perfect justice.

One of the greatest tragedies of our fallen sinful nature is that we struggle so mightily in our minds and hearts to allow God to be God.

To accept the fact that God is not simply a slightly better version of ourselves, but that He is wholly other and that He is wholly good, right, and just in his purposes.

Conclusion:

As we close, I want to encourage you to respond to these truths of God the way Paul did.

Remember, the context of this whole passage is a passionate desire for more to be saved, and a commitment to sharing the gospel of Jesus with all knowing that it is witness to the gospel that saves souls.

So, first, I encourage you to be in awe of God’s great love and grace in choosing you.

The passage will go on to say that all who call on Jesus as Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved.

So, if God has done this work of faith in your heart, bask in the love of God for you.

Be in awe that He would unconditionally set His love on you despite all your sin and failures.

He is a good and perfect Father who has brought you near and given you hope for both now and eternity.

And finally, be passionate about sharing the gospel with all people understanding it is God who saves by the power of the gospel.

You see, the doctrines of God’s purpose of election and His perfect justice do not discourage us from having a passion for the lost and sharing Christ with them, as some have said.

No, it is the opposite.

A passion for the lost and a passion for evangelism flows out of a heart that fully believes that God wills to save through the preaching of his gospel!

For while it is God’s work to choose to grant faith at the preaching of the gospel, it is us whom he uses to preach that gospel.

It is us whom he shares His heart and his passion for the lost.

It is us whom he shares his sorrow and his anguish for the lost as we pray and beg for God to move on their behalf.

And it is God whose arm is not short that He cannot save.

So, we pray, and we love, and we share, and we trust, as we experience the great love of God for us, it is our joy to share it with others and call them to enter into this joy that is ours in Christ.

Let’s pray.