Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Attention - I have a difficult question to ask you this morning.

If God is powerful enough to eradicate evil, why doesn’t he?

Need - We all struggle with the problem of evil.

Not just Christians, but all faiths.

All belief systems - even atheism has to answer the problem of evil

Why doesn’t an all powerful, all loving God stop evil?

It’s a great question with troubling implications.

And, if we are going to be honest, we all wrestle with this when we think about it.

Textual Idea: Paul deals with this question as he moves into the next part of the rhetorical argument he is working through in Romans 9.

What is the argument?

After Paul argues the point that God has mercy on whomever He will and he Hardens whomever he wills, Paul then gives an argument from his detractors.

Look at verse 19?

In verses 20 and 21 he goes on to say...

Well, Paul, in today’s passage continues on dealing with the same argument.

And he is proving a very significant point.

God is no evil despot as He is being accused.

No! In fact, He is a God not only of powerful wrath, but of great patience!

God puts up with so much from His creation.

If I were God, this world would probably be a floating charcoal briquette by now!

But not our God!

And His extreme patience must be taken into consideration when trying to understand the eradication of evil and evil people...

This leads us to the main thought for this morning...

Sermon Idea: God’s Patience with “Evil People” is Glorious!

Interrogative: How so?

Transition: God’s Patience with “Evil People” is Glorious for three reasons...

His Patience with “Evil People”...

Shows off His Character

Makes Known His Glories for His Own

Creates more “Mercy People”

Let take a look at the first point...

1. God’s Patience with “Evil People” Shows Off His Character (vs.

22)

Explanation - Paul starts his argument here with a hypothetical, theological question.

“What if God” - He is leading his readers down the difficult path of attempting to understand the mind and rationale of God Himself.

A task, in some regards, that is impossible because, “Who can know the mind of God (Romans 11:34).”

But in this journey down this path, Paul accentuates qualities or characteristics about our God that, if understood, should cause wonder, awe, and whole hearted worship, not the blame being ascribed to Him.

“What if God...” (Who has the right to do anything He desires)

Desiring to show his WRATH - “punishment...from God, referring to divine judgment to be inflicted upon the wicked.”

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

Desiring to show his POWER - the mighty, spoken of God, the Almighty.

The expression “I am strong [dunatós]” means “I am able, I can”;

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

Endured with much PATIENCE - to be long–suffering.

Forbearance, long–suffering, self–restraint before proceeding to action.

The quality of a person who is able to avenge himself yet refrains from doing so

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

These are characteristics of our God!

Not all of His characteristics, but some very important ones - especially for the context of this passage.

The New American Standard Bible helps us understand the context a little better by reflecting the proper word order in the Greek.

In other words, God has held back!

He, at any moment could have poured His wrath out.

He could have made his power known - even on a more grand and glorious scale than Noah’s flood or the Egyptian plagues...

God, at any point could crush and destroy His creation because we (his creation) have chosen to live in a way that is contrary to His holiness.

“…has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction...”

κατηρτισμένα εἰς ἀπώλειαν

Passive: 'having been prepared for destruction'

Middle: 'having prepared themselves for destruction'

tn Or possibly “objects of wrath that have fit themselves for destruction.”

The form of the participle could be taken either as a passive or middle (reflexive).

Honestly, this is a great challenge of this passage.

Verse 22 says nothing regarding whom prepared them for destruction, Paul simply states that God

“has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.”

I prefer the middle voice rendering - “having prepared themselves for destruction.”

This places the onus squarely on the creature where it belongs and frees the blame from God creating those who are, as Calvin says, “Doomed from the womb.”

The middle voice translation is the position John Stott takes...

So God’s two actions, summed up in verse 18 as ‘showing mercy’ and ‘hardening’, have now been traced back to his character.

It is because he is who he is that he does what he does.

And although this does not solve the ultimate mystery why he prepares some people in advance for glory and allows others to prepare themselves for destruction, yet both are revelations of God, of his patience and wrath in judgment and above all of his glory and mercy in salvation.

Side Note - regardless of the position you take...

Passive: 'having been prepared for destruction'

Middle: 'having prepared themselves for destruction'

…it doesn’t much matter for the believer or the unbeliever.

Remember, this portion of chapter 9 is dealing with God’s side of the salvation.

And we must rest in the mystery of how God handles this and trust that He is GOOD and JUST and will ALWAYS do RIGHT.

Paul is still answering the rhetorical “blaming God” question back in verse 19.

“Why does he still find fault?

For who can resist his will?”

In verse 20 he says, “Who do you think you are to question God?”

The molded will not talk back to the molder and say, why did you make me like this.

The potter, according to verse 21 has the right to do whatever he pleases with His clay and the clay does not have any right to impugn the motives of the potter.

This is the point, isn’t it?

God’s character is on full display.

God is a God of wrath and power.

And the fact of the matter is, one day His cup of wrath will overflow and pour out.

He will meet out His justice powerfully and you nor I will have any say in the matter.

In reference to the cup of His wrath...

This is what God promised to do and will do.

This promise is His wrath on full display.

This promise will show His power in ways that you simply cannot understand.

The writer of the Battle Hymn of the Republic attempted to capture the situation when he wrote...

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.

He have loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword.

His truth is marching on.

However, this day has not yet arrived.

It will as sure as I am standing here.

God will have His day.

God will exert His rightful justice.

While Psalm 115:16 is true for now...

The day will come.

The DAY OF THE LORD when He will take back everything and after great tribulation, will create a new heaven and a new earth for all of His children to enjoy with Him.