The Vessels of Mercy

Romans 9:23–33 NKJV

23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25 As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” 26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” 27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. 28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.” 29 And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.” 30 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. 33 As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Review

God has determined, according to His purpose and by His divine power to make known the riches of His glory to the universe and throughout all ages on vessels of mercy. Vessels which He had prepared beforehand purposed for glory. This is what we saw in the scriptures last week.

Overview

This week we will take a closer look at who these vessels of mercy are.

1. They Are Called

2. They Are Both Jews and Gentiles

3. They Are Made Righteous Through Faith Not Through Works

They will be glorified because they are called, they are both Jew and Gentile, and the have been justified by faith.

in other words Romans 8:30 the other way around.

Romans 8:30 said They that predestined are call and they that are call are justified and those that are justified are glorified.

Now he says...

“They will be glorified because they have been prepared beforehand and are called and have been justified by faith not works.”

They Are Called

So who are these vessels of mercy who Paul says God is making known the riches of His glory in.

Romans 9:23–24 NKJV

23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Those who are called. These are the ones who God has determined they should be examples of is glory and grace for all the world to see. Even us whom he called.

Ephesians 1:11–14 NKJV

11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

These are the vessel of mercy even us who were called.

We preach the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the general call to all mankind and yet it is futile my preaching is in vain except the call of God comes to you. No one can come to Christ except the father draws them. Is’t this an amazing. Our commission to preach the gospel and make disciples, to expand the kingdom of God is a work which God has determined will be a accomplish only through the coming together of Christ and His Church.

1 Corinthians 1:21 NKJV

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

Romans 10:14–15 NKJV

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

They cannot cannot call on the Lord unless they hear the word proclaimed and they cannot respond to the word by faith unless they have been called by the God.

So we must proclaim the gospel without discrimination because it is none of our business who God determines to call.

And it is God who elects and even though He could save without our input whatsoever He has determined in His wisdom that the new birth will take place when His will meets with our will. The only problem is that our will never seeks God. But God overcomes this by His divine calling which is effectual to give us both the desire to seek Him and the ability to find Him.

So who does God call?

They Are Both Jews and Gentiles

Romans 9:24 NKJV

24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

We remember Paul’s main purpose in Rom 9? To demonstrate that God’s word is true even though the Jews seem to have rejected Jesus as the Christ. If the Jews are God’s chosen people and yet most of them have rejected Christ and therefore been excluded then has God broken His promise to Israel? How can Israel be excluded and the gentiles be included if God’s promises are true? But Paul has demonstrated that not all who are Israelites are the true Israelites to whom the promises were given.

Rather true Israelites are predestined and called, and by faith are justified. But now Paul comes back to the Gentiles what about the Gentiles? And Paul says Gentiles and Jews alike become true Israel by the same process. Even us whom He called, not of the Jews only but also the Gentiles. This is major statement. This would be enough to get a person thrown out of the synagogue.

Ephesians 2:11–22 NKJV

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

So the Vessels of Mercy are those who are called by God even us not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles. Paul backs this with 2 quotes from the Prophets.

Romans 9:25–26 NKJV

25 As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” 26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Now this reference to Hosea is speaking of Israel who Because of their disobedience God said that “You are not my people. And God says that He will call them His people once again. In the place where is was said to them “You are not my people” there they shall be called sons of the living God. So how does this relate to Gentiles?

When God said “you are not my people” the Israelite became like the Gentiles in that they were not the peple of God so I believe that what Paul is doing here in using this reference to demonstrate that in the same way that God could make Israel who were at that time not His people into His children He also makes Gentiles who were not His people into HIs children.

Then Paul quotes Isaiah

Romans 9:27–29 NKJV

27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. 28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.” 29 And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

So what is Paul saying with this reference ti Isaiah?

In chapter 9 of Romans Paul has not only been demonstrating that the Gentiles can also be called and made into the people of God but that not all the Jews are the people of God.

So many Gentiles will be chosen and yet many Jews will not be chosen and this is consistent with God’s promises and this is consistent with the Old Testament Scriptures.

This is what Paul says is a great mystery

Ephesians 3:1–7 NKJV

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

1 Peter 2:9–10 NKJV

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Praise the Lord!

I was a bit ambitious to think that we could complete the chapter today so we will save the last point for next time.