Romans 9:1-24; Introductory Perspectives

Opening Prayer and Review of the Series

0:00 To him that it's only as the Spirit breathes, not so much upon the word, but upon our hearts. For we know there is no obscurity in your truth, but the veil lies upon the eyes of our soul. And so we pray with the psalmist, open thou our eyes, that we may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

0:23 Teach us by your Spirit.

0:26 Those among us who are not savingly joined to your Son, may they be shut up to his sovereign mercy. Those of us who by grace have been brought into the fold of God, Lord, lead us on in the understanding that we might be led on in devotion and led out in service.

0:47 Speak to us to this end for our good and for the glory of your dear Son. Amen.

0:57 We continue tonight our series of studies on the general theme, the sovereignty of God. Just briefly to review and bring into focus, where we are in our studies. We're seeking with the Bible in our hands to walk down any path that it leads us. Walking in a climate of faith, walking with the posture of little children, willing to be taught of God concerning his truth.

1:24 The theme of our studies, God's sovereignty or everything, everything, that comes into the picture of God as Lord and King in his world. The one who rules all things. After the counsel of his own will, ordering every event for the fulfilling of his own eternal plan. And as we've been seeking to bring together from the Old and New Testaments, those portions of divine truth that set forth God's sovereignty, his rule in his world.

1:56 We've done so by looking at a word study of some key words. And now we are presently considering God's sovereignty in the realm of grace in terms of those who are in the realm of grace. In terms of those key passages in which God sets forth this wonderfully edifying truth. And we've broken up this section under two main headings.

2:18 God's sovereignty in grace is seen, first of all, in the key words which teach this doctrine. And those words, of course, were for. The words elect. The word predestinate.

2:36 The word called. And the word for. And now we are presently studying the key passages which teach this doctrine. And these passages we've approached from a two-fold standpoint.

2:50 The passages in which our Lord himself is teaching. And then the passages in which the apostles and the inspired writers teach. Not that our Lord's words in the Gospels are of any more authority than the words of the apostle Paul. But this is simply a convenient way to break down our study.

Introduction to Romans 9 as the Pivotal Passage

3:09 Now, having concluded some of the key passages, and we had to be selective, not exhaustive, I want to begin tonight a study with you in the key passages in the writings of the inspired apostles concerning this doctrine of the sovereignty of God in grace. That God saves whom he wills to save for no other revealed reason than that he wills to save them. You get that? That's not double talk, is it?

3:39 God wills to save whom he wills to save for no other revealed reason than that he wills to save them. For of him and through him and unto him are all things. And the first passage is perhaps the pivotal passage in the entire word of God. This morning in our catechetical instruction, I asked what is the key passage teaching the essential deity of Jesus Christ.

4:04 A passage that states beyond a shadow of a doubt that the one who walked among us, was and is God. And a number of you immediately blurted out John 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

4:20 All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that hath been made. Now, what John 1 is to the deity of Christ in declaring that truth, and then in becoming a hammer and an anvil upon which every heresy of the doctrine of his deity can be made. He pounded to pieces and smashed to smithereens. So this chapter that we're going to study is to the sovereignty of God.

4:48 It becomes the most wonderful proclamation in a detailed, systematic way of his sovereignty and grace. And it also becomes an anvil and a hammer which utterly crashes to pieces every objection to this doctrine of the sovereignty of God in grace. And already some of you know the chapter. To which I'm referring, and that chapter is Romans chapter 9.

5:14 So, will you turn with me, please, to the ninth chapter of Paul's letter to the church at Rome.

Introductory Perspectives: Theme of Romans 9-11

5:22 And all we're going to do tonight is give what I am calling some introductory perspective.

5:31 Does that sound very academic and intelligent? You go out tonight, someone says, what did you learn at church? You say, well, I got some introductory perspectives to the sovereignty of God. Now, don't you tell them that.

5:43 But I had to use some words to try to convey what we want to do. And I've used them purposely. We're just going to introduce the chapter by trying to get certain perspectives on the chapter without going into a detailed study of the chapter for a bit. Now, first of all, we want to consider what is the theme of this chapter.

6:05 And then secondly, we want to consider some guidelines for our study of the chapter. Now, what is the theme of this chapter? Now, what is the theme of this chapter? What is the great theme of Romans 9, or we could say the entire section, Romans 9 through 11?

6:18 Well, anyone who reads these three chapters through Romans 9, 10, and 11 comes to the conclusion that the theme has something to do with the rejection of the gospel by the Jews as a nation and the communication of the gospel to the whole Gentile world as a result of this national rejection of the Gentiles. Now, that's the general theme. In other words, Paul is dealing with something that goes on continually in time and in human experience. This is what he's dealing with.

7:01 Men stand and proclaim the gospel. As the gospel is proclaimed in the world to any given group of people, there are always two classes. Those who accept the message in faith. Those who reject the message in unbelief.

7:23 Now, this is just a fact of human experience that is going on continually. It'll go on here tonight. As the gospel is woven into the warp and whoop of our study, as the urgent appeal is made to be reconciled to God, to repent and believe the gospel, some are in the process of rejecting, others in a state of mind of receiving. Now, this goes on continually.

7:48 The Bible says, wherever the gospel is preached, some will believe and be saved, some will disbelieve and be damned. Now, this is what happens in time, and this is what is discernible of human experience. You and I can see this going on. Now, what Paul is going to do in Romans 9 particularly, and somewhat in 10 and 11, he's going to trace this thing back.

8:10 What happens in time is clear. Some accept, some reject. What happens in human experience is obvious. There is this division.

8:19 But now, what is the cause of this? What is behind this? Is it a frustration of the purpose of God? Is this left at the mere whim and fancy of men?

8:30 Is this division brought about under the government and control of the devil? What's behind all of this? And what Paul is doing in this chapter is to bring us up to that impenetrable wall that takes us back beyond time into eternity. And not so much to human experience, but to divine purpose.

8:55 So, in these chapters, Paul is going to declare to us that what happens in time and in human experience can be traced back to what happened in eternity in the divine purpose. And this is the general theme of these chapters showing us that even this process that goes on continually of acceptance and rejection is not a willy-nilly process left at the whims of men or the devil, but even this, in all the mystery and in all the problems of it, is somehow an unfolding of the eternal and the divine purpose. Now, if we'll keep that before us,

9:38 it will help us to sort of think our way through the passage. I hope you could reproduce this little hand-scratching if you had to, for your own sake. And then, of course, I trust, as you do, that you seek to communicate these truths to others. All right? So much, then,

Guidelines for Study: The Mountain Summit Analogy

9:56 for the general theme of the chapter. Now we want to get some guidelines for our study. Now, why do we want to have some guidelines? Well, will you permit me to use a parable or an extended illustration?

10:11 We're all gathered together at the summit of a mountain. And we're told that if we can...

10:18 I mean, I'm sorry, not the summit. We're gathered together at the base of a mountain. And our guide tells us that if we can ascend to the summit of that mountain, we will behold a view the likes of which none of us has ever seen. And so he describes what this view is like.

10:34 It'll take our breath away. It'll just leave you staggering. You won't know whether to faint or shout or cry or weep. And he gets us all excited about what's up there at the summit.

10:45 But he says, before we begin our trip, now my end is to get you up there to the summit, and have you just utterly awestruck by this panorama of beauty. But in order to get there, we've got to make our way through some difficulties. So let me give you some guidelines. If you want to get to the summit, let me warn you.

11:06 About a third of the way up the mountain, you're going to see a beautiful little path that goes off to the left. And it's covered with all kinds of beautiful flowers. And you're going to be tempted to say, well, all I see is craggy rocks up ahead of me. It'd be so much easier to go down that nice little path, and it's so beautiful.

11:23 Now let me warn you, don't go down that path. And he said, about halfway up the mountain, you're going to see a place that looks very level and straight, and you're going to want to run. But let me warn you that unseen to you, there's a deep crevice, only about two feet wide, but about 300 feet deep. So you've got to be careful when you get halfway up, and beware of the crevice.

11:44 And so he goes on and gives us five or six dangers to avoid. Now why does he do that? Not to be a killjoy. But he wants you, so desperately, to share with him the beauty of the summit that he feels necessary to give you some guidelines and warnings about some by-paths that would lead to your destruction.

12:04 So in the same way, my concern is the concern of the Apostle Paul that when we're done studying Romans 9, 10, and 11, we'll stand where Paul stood, upon that mountain peak of divine revelation, and listen to his declaration. Listen to it. Oh, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. I'm reading from verse 33 of chapter 11.

12:35 How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor? For who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

12:53 For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. You see what happened to Paul? After he climbed this mountain, he stood at the top and he said, Oh, this is more than I can bear.

13:14 What a great God! What a mighty God! Oh, the depths of his riches, and riches of his wisdom and his knowledge. And it's as though Paul just says vocabulary, quit, no use trying anymore.

13:26 Of him, through him, unto him be are all things, to whom be glory. Now that's where a study of Romans 9, 10, and 11 should lead you. Utterly awestruck at this summit of divine revelation as you look out at the eternal purposes of God, governing and ruling, even in the rejection of the gospel, and blessed be God in its acceptance in the hearts of men. So that's why I want to give you some guidelines, so that we don't fall down those precipices, that we don't end up munching daisies when we ought to be climbing up to mountain peaks.

14:03 This is why. All right? Now what are those guidelines? Well, the best way to get them is to get them from the passage itself.

14:10 And this has been a great encouragement to me, to realize that the very abuses to which this truth is prone in the hands of men, the very objections, the very objections that men bring to the doctrine of God's sovereignty in grace are all answered, all the basic ones, right here in these chapters. So, I come to this conclusion. If I believe this truth like Paul believed it, if I hold this truth as the Holy Spirit intends me to hold it, then I will not be going off into any of these pathways, but it will lead me where it led Paul, to stand back in amazement and wonder and awe, in praising and blessing, my great and my eternal God.

Guideline 1: Divine Sovereignty Does Not Lead to Indifference

14:54 All right then, let me give some of the guidelines. Number one, if we rightly understand this truth of divine sovereignty and grace, as it's stated in Romans 9, and surely it's stated, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, I harden whom I harden, I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated, and all the attempts of all the people, theologians and all the commentators of all the ages, all stack up to failure when they try to bleed the teeth out of those, or pull the teeth out of those verses. They've still got teeth, and those teeth chew. But now, what can help us

15:38 in keeping us from some extremes in this area? Number one, if we rightly understand the truth, it will not lead us to be indifferent to the salvation of men. One of the first objections that comes when people begin to be confronted with this truth, this doctrine, that God is sovereign in grace. He chooses some to life, and purposes to bring them to life, and He bypasses others to lead them to the just deserts of their sin.

16:06 Immediately they say, Ah, if that was true, if God's chosen some, He's going to save them, that'll just lead us to be indifferent to the salvation of men. Well, let's ask this question. Did it lead Paul to be indifferent to their salvation? How does the chapter begin?

16:22 Look at it. How does it begin? It's as though the Holy Spirit almost anticipated this objection, and so he lets us, as it were, look into the fleshy tables of Paul's heart. Listen to him.

16:34 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. The same man who penned these words, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated, the election obtained, that the rest were hired, and the man who speaks with greatest clarity and severity of the fact that even this process of acceptance and rejection of the gospel and the word of promise

17:19 is rooted in the divine and eternal purpose, this man says, I'm not indifferent to the salvation of men, I could wish myself accursed, and all the theologians and the commentators try to twist the passage and try to somehow make it fit with their systems, and I feel it's all a lot of foolishness. This is a man with a broken heart. The man with a broken heart doesn't sit down and analyze if his statements are theologically precise any more than a person who's sobbing sobs with alliterated praises. A man who's sobbing, a man who sobs and who cries, who finds his sobs and his groans falling one upon another, and here a man whose heart is broken

18:03 for his kindred, for his brethren, says, why I could wish myself accursed, it's obvious, he's taking a strong figure of speech saying I would go to any end if somehow I could see my brethren saved. So I say to you who may be treading fearfully, as you sense that your pastor's trying to take you by the hand and lead you up to that mountain peak of God's truth concerning his sovereignty and grace, and you stand down at the bottom and say, but I'm afraid if I walk up that mountain I'll become indifferent to the salvation of men. Not if you walk as Paul did and stand where he stood. For the same one who spoke these truths says, I could wish myself accursed.

Guideline 2: Divine Sovereignty Does Not Lead to Fatalism

18:46 So this truth does not lead to an indifference to the salvation of men, if it's rightly understood. Second guideline, if the truth is rightly understood it does not lead to fatalism. What is fatalism? It's this attitude.

19:01 If some are elected, they'll be saved, do what I do, do what I will. If they aren't elected, they'll be damned, do what I can. And then the worst kind of fatalism when the person says it about himself. If I'm elect, I'll be saved, do what I can.

19:17 If I'm not elected, I'll be damned, do what I may. Is that what it led to in Paul? It's Paul who said, the purpose of God according to election might stand. Verse 11, not of works, but of him that calleth.

19:32 The same Paul who said this was far from fatalistic in saying, well, since God has elected some, they'll be saved. Since he's not elected others, they'll be damned. Listen to him. Listen to him.

19:45 Chapter 10, verse 1. We find him using the means of prayer. Look. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.

19:58 A man who's caught in the grip of a fatalistic concept. He doesn't pray. He sits back on his oars. Paul says, I pull the oars of prayer.

20:07 I'm pulling those oars. My heart's desire and my prayer. He not only prayed, he preached. Look at verses 14 and 15 of the same chapter, chapter 10.

20:17 How then shall they call on him of 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? And how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace.

20:37 Paul says there's an inseparable connection between people being saved and people being preached to. And there's an inseparable connection between people being preached to and having a preacher. And so Paul was not fatalistic. It's interesting to me that I was brought up knowing this missionary passage as much as John 3, 16.

20:59 I knew all about Romans 10, 14 and 16, 17, but nobody ever told me about Romans 9, 5 through 23. Isn't that true? It be just as wrong that people only live in, I know some people, all they live in is Romans 9, 5 to 23. God will save his elect.

21:19 So they sit back and fold their hands and let the world go to hell. They didn't walk up that mountain with Paul. They got off somewhere. They're off in a little bypass somewhere.

21:28 They're not there. Because we see in the life of the Apostle Paul that his understanding of this truth of the doctrine of God, sovereignty of grace in grace did not lead to indifference to the salvation of men, nor did it lead to fatalism. He prayed. He preached.

21:45 He used every means possible, even a means as low as envy and jealousy. Listen to him further on in chapter 11, verses 13 and 14. Now if the fall of them the Jewish nation be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness. For I speak to you, Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office, verse 14, if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are of my flesh and might save some of them.

22:20 He said, I'm talking the way I'm talking, hoping to get some of my Jewish friends filled with a holy jealousy. Saying, I don't want to be left out. I want that too. Now that's using means, isn't it?

22:34 Is that a man who's fatalistically sitting back and say, oh well, people who get saved do what I can. No, no, not at all. So, this second guideline should be kept before us. This truth does not lead to fatalism.

Guideline 3: Divine Sovereignty Does Not Alleviate Human Guilt

22:48 And if it leads you to fatalism or to an indifference to the salvation of men, you do not understand this truth in its proper perspective. And I say to some of you who are having problems wrestling with this truth, don't be afraid of it. Saying, well, it must lead to fatalism because it didn't do it with Paul. It must lead to indifference.

23:07 It didn't do so with Paul. And then the third guideline is this. This does not alleviate or negate the guilt of men's unbelief. Well, if God has chosen some to life and they will be brought to life, then those who do not believe the gospel, how can they be blamed?

23:24 If God doesn't choose to give them grace, how can they be blamed for their unbelief? God blames them. As long as God blames them, I have a right to declare to men that unbelief is a sin. And notice how Paul does this in this very passage.

23:37 Notice in chapter 9, verses 30 to 32. Notice how unbelief is considered a blameworthy and a guilt issue. 9, 30 to 32. What shall we say then?

23:52 That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel that followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.

24:12 For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. He says the guilt is laid at their feet because they did not seek righteousness in a way of faith, but rather in a way of works. Notice 10 in verse 3. For they, speaking of Israel, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

24:40 They are guilty, they are blameworthy for their refusal to believe the message that promises righteousness as God's free gift. So, the guilt of men is not alleviated. Their unbelief is their fault even though faith is God's gift. You say, well, I can't understand that.

25:02 Who asked you to? Did God ever ask you to understand it? Did He? I don't find a verse in the Bible that says I have to understand it.

25:11 I do find I've got to believe it and obey it and preach it. I find that. Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. Whatever He's proclaimed, believe it.

25:22 He doesn't tell me I've got to understand everything. And apparently a mind as great as the mind of Paul was willing to live with some of these unresolved sins. With these unresolved apparent contradictions, insolvable riddles. For he says in those verses that we'll study in some detail, the Lord willing, next week, that back behind this acceptance and rejection of most of the Jews rejecting a few, accepting the message is God's eternal purpose being worked out with unswerving accuracy.

Guideline 4: Divine Sovereignty Does Not Destroy Free Offers of Mercy

25:56 And yet when he comes to that crowd that rejected, he says it's not God's fault you've rejected, it's your fault. You wouldn't submit to God's righteousness. Unbelief is a blameworthy issue. Fourth guideline, this doctrine rightly understood does not destroy the free offers of mercy.

26:15 I've heard people say well if I believe that God has chosen some to life and in His secret purpose has not chosen to bring others to life, how could you preach the gospel freely? Well I could do it because He told me to do it. That's all the reason I need. If God told me to preach the gospel, I would preach to trees.

26:33 That's all the reason I need, to preach to trees. Even though I know not one tree in all the world ever gets saved. If God told you to go out and preach to turtles, you better preach to it. You better get right down on your hands and knees and get him to stick his little head out of his shell and you better preach the gospel to him.

26:54 Just to get him down on your knees would be good for some of us, wouldn't it? You see, the measure of my obedience is not what I understand and the longer I live as a Christian the more I see that's a terrible thing. To have a Christianity that only goes as far as my understanding goes. And God told Abraham, go on out of your country and your land and get.

27:16 Where am I going Lord? None of your business, just get. So he get. He get it.

27:22 He went. Not knowing whither he went. That's a stupid thing to do. Yeah it is.

27:28 But God says by faith he went out. Just did what God said. Now God says go kill your son. Well Lord, that's stupid.

27:35 You promised that son. I waited 25 years for that son. You told me you'll bless the world through that son and now you tell me to kill him. Now God, you gave me a good head.

27:44 You gave me a little common sense. I'm not stupid. I wasn't born yesterday. Now Abraham didn't do that.

27:51 He just said come on son. We're going for a walk. Laid him up there on those pieces of wood and got the knife up ready to kill his own son. Why?

28:00 Because God told him to do it. That's the only reason God told him to do it. Now has God commanded us to preach his offer of mercy to all men indiscriminately even though he's revealed that he's purposed to save a people? Yes, he's commanded us to do it.

28:17 And the Apostle Paul in these very chapters gives us in the midst of this context of teaching God's sovereignty, loving Jacob and hating Esau, choosing some and bypassing others some of the richest free offers of mercy found in all the word of God. Look at them. First of all in chapter 10. Very familiar passage.

28:40 Chapter 10. Verses 12 and 13. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's pretty general free offer of mercy, isn't it?

29:06 The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's God's promise. That's God's promise. And then God himself descends to a human figure in the latter part of chapter 10.

29:27 Notice. But to Israel he saith, All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and a gainsaying people. To men whom God in his secrecy hath eternal purpose hath not included in the number of his elect he stretches out his hands all the day long. Isn't that what it's saying?

29:56 The free offer of mercy. And then of course this same Paul saying that he would seek the verse we looked at earlier in chapter 11 verses 13 and 14 that he sought to provoke his own countrymen to jealousy that he might by some means win them. And so in the mind of the apostle Paul a belief that God as a chosen people does not destroy the basis of the free offer of mercy I offer the gospel freely to all men because God has commanded me to do it. Because his promise is sure that whosoever will call will be saved.

30:33 No sinner ever called and found a God who turned and said I'm sorry you're not in the number of my elect you'll have to go perish. Whosoever calls finds that in calling there's a merciful savior. Isn't that God's promise? And that's the basis of the gospel call.

30:52 Listen to me dear one. The basis of calling men to repentance is not that God has purposed in his secret counsels to save all men. It's that God commands me to preach to all men that in Jesus Christ there is a sufficient savior a willing and an able savior and all who come unto him will be saved. And that's what I'm to preach.