God's Sovereign Choice Part 2

Introduction:

I. Paul’s Passion (vs 1-5)

Romans 9:1–5 AV

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

II. Paul’s Pronouncement (vs. 6-8)

Romans 9:6–8 AV

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

III. God’s Prerogative (vs. 9-23)

Romans 9:9–10 AV

For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

Again, Paul explains that even though Abraham had two sons, it was the son of Sarah that was the son pf promise not Hagar.

It is important to remember that eve though God showed some measure of Grace to Hagar, the promise was through Issac and not Ismael.

And then he explains that not only was the promise through the son of Sarah but also the promise was going to come through Isaac.

Now, again, we are dealing with a man to whom was given a promise through his offspring.

But just like Abraham, God is particular about through whom the promise will be made.

Not only siblings, but Paul tells us that

Paul wants to dispel any confusion arising from the that Abraham’s children, Ishmael and Isaac, were half-brothers.

Some one might have said, “the reason why it was given to one and the other was because there were two different mothers”.

But that is not the case with Jacob and Esau, because they had the same father and mother.

Not only did they have the same parents, but they were twins, born virtually at the same time.

Romans 9:11–13 AV

(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Dramatically, the firstborn is passed over and the second-born receives the promise of God.

But notice what Paul says that completely destroys the synergist view of foreknowledge.

Romans 9:11 AV

(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

The choice had nothing to do with the actual good or potential good, the actual evil or potential evil, of Jacob and Esau.

It had to do with the purpose of God.

It is of his sovereign good pleasure.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

Some have tried to get around this position by saying that Jacob and Esau were representatives of nations. On this interpretation Paul is not talking about the election of individuals but of nations. Even if that were the case, all the questions that surround the problem of predestination of individuals would still apply to the predestination of nations, only on a higher scale.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

But the apostle is clearly writing of the selection of individuals. There may be national repercussions as a result of it, but the election of which he speaks whereby one man is elect, while another is passed over, has nothing whatsoever to do with the virtue, foreseen or otherwise, of these two individuals.

Romans 9:13

Romans 9:13 AV

As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Now, I will address this because I believe that it is important that you understand what the apostle is saying.

We need to speak on the word hate.

The objection that I normally hear is that, “I cannot imagine God hating”.

And as long as you try to make God like one of us, you will continue to have a problem with the fact of God hating.

Remember one important thing that we have said many times from this pulpit; God is not good and righteous because he follows a list of what are said to be righteous things, He is that list.

If God does it, that makes it righteous; if for no other reason than the fact that God did it.

You see, for us to hate is because we have been offended and not the holiness of God.

Our hatred is based on human emotions.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

When the Scripture speaks of God’s hating, it means that he did not bestow favour upon Esau. God did not give to him grace and the benefits of salvific love. It doesn’t mean that God hates in the sense that human beings hate.

The Greek word for “hate” is “μισέω” and means according to every Lexicon of there; “to detest, to reject”.

But let me say this on this subject.

If you get stuck and have a problem with “Esau I hated”, then I will submit to you that you really do not understand the depth o human sinfulness and depravity.

It is not “Esau I hated” that should amaze us.

What should amaze us is “Jacob I loved”.

Romans 9:14 AV

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

Of course, this raises the question: Is there arbitrariness in God? Is he capricious? Do his choices border on the irrational with no legitimate reason whatsoever? Absolutely not! God never does anything without a reason. It is beyond the character of God to act in a whimsical, capricious manner. God’s decisions are always taken in accordance with his character.

Now, the spectre of arbitrariness is here because the Scripture makes it very clear that there is no reason in the elect why God has chosen them.

But the fact that there is no reason in them, does not mean that there is no reason at all.

God has a reason for doing what He does.

But the point is that that the reason does not lie in us.

This always seems to raise the question, “Is God unjust?”

Some people think that this is a necessary inference from the doctrine of sovereign predestination.

God is willy-nilly, saves some and damns others and in violating the canons of justice, is in fact, unrighteous.

Some think that by rejecting the doctrine of predestination, somehow they are holding to a higher view of God.

Let’s say for the sake of illustration that you have two groups of sinners; group A and group B.

In His sovereignty, God chooses to give grace and elect group A.

He chooses to leave group B to themselves.

Group A gets grace, group B get justice.

Which group is treated with injustice?

Neither!

The non-elect can never say that they are treated unfairly or with injustice.

They getting exactly the justice that they deserved and, really, want.

You say, “Do you mean that people want to go to Hell?”

People loved the sin that leads them there, so in that case, yes!

But God treats no one with injustice.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

The Arminian believes that the ultimate basis for our salvation is whether or not we choose to receive Jesus Christ. Whoever chooses Christ will be saved, and whoever refuses Christ will be damned. Those who choose Christ will be elect, and those who do not choose Christ will lose any possibility of election. In the Arminian view of theology, election is based upon human decision. This is a serious distortion of what the apostle Paul is teaching here.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

Jesus made it clear that no one can come to him unless it is given to him by the Father (John 6:65). Our natural state of sinfulness is one of utter moral dereliction. We do not have the moral power to come to Jesus if left to ourselves. The gift of grace, with which predestination is concerned, means that God gives the ability to come to Jesus Christ to some people. He does not give that ability to everyone. He gave it to Jacob; he withheld it from Esau.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

It is not that God brings some people into the kingdom who don’t want to be there, kicking and screaming against their will. The point of regeneration is that God changes the heart. God quickens to spiritual life and plants a desire within for Christ.

But does it seem right, is there something basically unfair about that?

Does God have the obligation to give this opportunity to all men?

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

The reply must be another question: Why would God ever be under any obligation to give us anything after we have fallen, having committed cosmic treason, resulting in the desires of our hearts being only wicked continuously? It is absolutely essential that we understand this: God Almighty owes us nothing. We have no claim upon grace. If we had, then we would not be talking about grace but about justice. Grace, by definition, is something that God is never obliged to give, but something that he gives freely and voluntarily.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

No one deserves to be saved, for all are under the condemnation of God. If God delivers justice to everybody, all will perish. But suppose that God, in his desire to be merciful, decides to be merciful to some, but not to others. For example, if there are ten people who are guilty, and God sovereignly decides to pardon one of them and sentence the other nine, who has received an injustice? The nine who are sentenced receive what they deserved—the just punishment for their sins. The nine received justice, the one received mercy. But none received injustice.

It is so vital that e understand this, because it makes the next verse much more understandable.

Romans 9:15 AV

For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

The Gospel of God: Romans The Just Character of God (9:6–16)

This is the basic essence of the doctrine of predestination, showing it to be a doctrine of grace. Some people think that predestination inclines Christians to pride, but how could this be? Any understanding at all of divine election recognises that it is purely by the grace of God. The doctrine of predestination reminds us of the merciful character of God.