Romans 9.24-The Objects Of God's Grace Were Also Effectually Called By Him, Not Only From The Jews But Also From The Gentiles
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday April 2, 2009
Romans: Romans 9:24-The Objects Of God’s Grace Were Also Effectually Called By Him, Not Only From The Jews But Also From The Gentiles
Lesson # 317
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 9:1.
This evening we will study Romans 9:24 in which Paul continues to advance and intensify his discussion of God’s sovereignty over Israel, which he illustrates in Romans 9:20-21 with the potter-clay motif.
In verse 22, Paul teaches that because God does choose to demonstrate His wrath and to make known His power publicly and explicitly through the gospel, He endured with much patience unsaved Israel in his day who are destined for eternal condemnation.
Then, in verse 23, Paul teaches that God endured with much patience unregenerate Israel in his day in order to make known through the gospel His infinite glory to vessels destined to be the objects of grace, which He prepared in advance in eternity past for glory.
This evening we will note verse 24, and in this passage Paul teaches that these objects of grace, which God elected in eternity past, were also effectually called by Him, not only from the Jews but also from Gentiles.
Let’s read Romans 9:1-24 and then concentrate on verse 24 for the rest of the evening.
Romans 9:1-24, “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: ‘THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. For this is the word of promise: ‘AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.’ And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, ‘THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.’ Just as it is written, ‘JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.’ What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 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 does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.’ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’ On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”
Let’s concentrate on verse 24 for the rest of the evening.
Romans 9:24, “Even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”
“Us” refers of course to Paul and his fellow Christians in Rome in contrast with the unbeliever who is a vessel destined for eternal condemnation.
“He called” is the third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb kaleo (kalevw) (kal-eh-o), which refers to the “effectual call” of God since to be a vessel, i.e. regenerate person that is destined to be the object of God’s grace for all eternity demands that one exercise faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
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It indicates that these vessels that are destined to be the objects of God’s grace for all of eternity were summoned by God through the communication of the gospel, which would effectively evoke from them the response of faith in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, which He invites.
“Also” is the “adjunctive” use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which is introducing a “additional” description of those who are born-again.
In verse 23, Paul teaches that God made known His infinite glory through the communication of the gospel to vessels destined to be the objects of His grace for all eternity, and which vessels He prepared in advance in eternity past through election.
Now in verse 24, he is saying that “in addition to” these things, God has effectually called the believer.
Romans 9:24, “Even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”
“Not only…but also” indicates that this effectual call of God is not restricted to the Jews but also includes the Gentiles.
“From among Jews” indicates that God effectually called objects of grace “out from” those who are Jews racially or biologically.
“From among Gentiles” indicates that God effectually called objects of grace “out from” those who are Gentiles.
The Old Testament is filled with allusions to the Gentiles being included in God's plan of salvation.
The Lord’s actions, at the Tower of Babel rebellion demonstrate not only that He is sovereign over the nations but also His desire that all the nations would be offered salvation.
The promises made to Abram that are recorded in Genesis 12:3 reveal God’s plan of salvation involves the Gentiles.
The promises that the Lord made to Abram that are recorded in Genesis 15:1-6 reiterate that the Gentiles are included in the Lord’s plan of salvation.
The Lord promises that He made to Abraham that are recorded in Genesis 17 further reiterate and enlarge upon the fact that the Gentiles are included in the plan of salvation.
Genesis 22:15-18 records that the Gentiles are included in the plan of salvation.
Genesis 26:1-6 records Isaac receiving from the Lord reconfirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant, which reveals that the Gentiles are included in His plan of salvation.
Genesis 28:13-15 records Jacob receiving from the Lord reconfirmation of the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant and reassurance that the Lord would protect and prosper him in exile in Paddan Aram.
This passage further reconfirms that God has the Gentiles included in His plan of salvation.
Genesis 35:9-13 records the preincarnate Christ appearing to Jacob and reconfirming the change of his name to “Israel” and reconfirming the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant.
This passage also reveals once again that the Gentiles are included in God’s plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ.
There are other Old Testament passages, which speak of God including the Gentiles in His plan of salvation.
Zechariah 2:11, “Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.”
The Lord’s desire that the Gentiles receive salvation through faith in Him is demonstrated in the story of Jonah and the people of Nineveh.
The apostle Peter had a bad attitude towards the Gentiles as a believer and had to be directed in a vision to go to the Gentiles with the Gospel (Acts 10:1-11:18).
In Galatians 3 Paul taught that the Gentiles were not excluded from receiving the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul teaches that God the Holy Spirit is building a spiritual temple, which is the church and it is composed of both Jew and Gentile races.