Romans 9:1-24; Exposition/Applications #1

Review of God's Sovereignty and Addressing Initial Objections

0:00 The sovereignty of God. It has been several weeks since we were in this study. We have already considered, I believe, ten messages dealing with this theme. Because we have left it for several weeks, I want to take perhaps a couple of more minutes than normal in reviewing and bringing into focus our consideration so that when we pick up the train of thought tonight, it will be in a way that will be intelligent and will be connected with what has preceded this hour.

0:36 What do we mean when we speak of the sovereignty of God? Well, what I mean by that and what I believe the scripture means is this. All that pertains to God as King and Lord of his universe. The God who is working all things after the counsel of his own will.

0:56 As we have studied the pertinence, we have seen that God's sovereignty, the rule of his universe, extends over three general areas. He is sovereign in creation, all that is, in providence, all that comes to pass, and he is sovereign in the realm of grace. Those who are saved are saved, as the scripture says, according to his purpose. And it's in this area of the sovereignty, of God in grace, that there is perhaps the most confusion.

1:32 Most Christians will readily admit that their God is sovereign in creation. As we read in Revelation 4, 11, all things were created by thy pleasure or according to thy will or pleasure. That God is sovereign in providence, that's why most Christians, even the most uninstructed, will quote Romans 8, 28 with some degree of comfort. But we know that all things work together.

1:58 They're for good because they believe God controls all things in one way or another.

2:03 But it's in the area of God's sovereignty in the realm of grace that many professing Christians and true Christians find great difficulty because by nature we are so constituted since the fall of man that we, down at the core of our being, want a God who we can explain and a God who will operate according to the standards that we have set for him. And so if this doctrine is to be received, it must be as we see it clearly taught in the word of God and as the Holy Spirit enables us to embrace it. So we have looked at the key words that teach this doctrine, the word elect or chosen, the word called, the word foreknowledge, and the word predestinate. All biblical words never put in the Bible to be boogeymen to scare us, but blessed nuggets of divine truth to feed us and to instruct us. And yet the very mention of those words in some circles is like crying fire, fire in a crowded building. It just gets people all in a divin. And this should not be, for all scripture is profitable for teaching.

3:13 And now we've been looking at the key passages which teach this doctrine. We looked at three in the teaching of our Lord, John 3, John 6, and Matthew 11. And now we are considering some of the key passages in the epistles. In the writing of the apostles and the inspired writers which unequivocally teach that God is sovereign in the realm of grace.

3:35 By that we mean he saves whom he will save with a salvation that is all of his grace and his purpose. And perhaps the most pivotal passage in the New Testament is the one that we are presently considering, Romans chapter 9, and then of course some references to Romans 10 and 11. The last time we studied this subject together, we considered four or five of the general objections which are made to this glorious doctrine and how those objections are answered within the very passage which teaches this doctrine more strongly than any other passage. There are some who say, why if I believe that men are saved not because they primarily chose Christ but because he chose them and that's why they are saved. Why they choose him. Why that would lead to the place where I'd have no burden for souls. Well we saw that it didn't lead to this in the life of the apostle Paul.

4:39 For the very passage that he's going to teach us, this great doctrine, begins chapter 9, verse 1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not my conscience bearing witness in the Holy Spirit. I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. The same Paul who says a little bit later and we're going to look at his words, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.

5:08 It is not of him that runneth nor of him that willeth but of God that showeth mercy. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and whom I will I harden. The apostle who believed this doctrine firmly never found that it led him to an unconcern. He said, I have a great burden in my heart for my lost brethren.

5:29 So, if you're fearful of this doctrine because you think it would lead to that the apostle would check you and if you believe this doctrine and it's led to that you're not holding it rightly in relationship to other truths. Second great objection is why if I believe that doctrine that God will save whom he wills to save I wouldn't pray and preach. God will save his people, do what I can. It didn't lead to that in the life of the apostle for he says in chapter 10 in verse 1 my heart's desire and supplication to God is that Israel may be saved.

6:03 He prayed and he not only prayed but the greatest missionary passage in the book of Romans is couched right in this section on divine sovereignty. Romans chapter 10 how shall they call on him whom they have not heard how shall they hear without a preacher 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. So anyone who says well if I believe that doctrine it will lead to this they just don't understand how it affected the apostle. Then the third great objection to this doctrine is why if men are saved according to God's purpose then that makes the sinner inexcusable.

6:40 If men don't believe it's because God hasn't chosen them. That's not the way the apostle looked at it for he charges Israel with the sin of unbelief in chapter 9 verses 30 to 32 what shall we say then that the Gentiles followed not after righteousness attained it but Israel following after a law of righteousness did not arrive at that law why? because they sought it by works and not by faith and he lays the guilt of the sin of unbelief right at the feet of the Jews and nowhere else. And then another objection is why if I believe the doctrine of God's peculiar and particular choice of his people the doctrine of election God's sovereignty and grace why once I was assured I was one of the elect I would just live as I pleased I'd become indifferent and careless. Would you? Well if you do then you don't understand the doctrine the way Paul did because he says in chapter 11 in verse 20 by their unbelief they were broken off but thou standest by faith be not high-minded but fear for if God spared not the natural branches neither will he spare thee. He warns them to persevere in the course of obedience and holiness.

7:59 No all of these objections are simply simply smokescreen.

The Proper Response to God's Sovereignty: Worship

8:05 In order to give us some semblance of excuse to keep us from embracing what is to our reason a doctrine that goes beyond us and what is to our flesh a doctrine that shrivels the flesh and makes us realize that our salvation is all of God. Now where should this doctrine lead us? It should lead us exactly to the place that it led Paul. When he finished laying out this doctrine in Romans 9, 10, and 11 in the most thorough way that he's done in any of his epistles you know where it left him?

8:42 I'll tell you where it left him. It left him down on his face lost in wonder awe and worship crying out as we find in the last part of chapter 11 listen carefully verse 33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past tracing out for who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his counselor when did God ever go and ask for a little advice to solve a problem or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed to him again for of him and through him and unto him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever Oh beloved when we've been taught this doctrine by the Holy Spirit it should put us down in our faces lost in the worship of the infinite mind of God and ascribing glory and praise to God and listen carefully as I make the next statement I wouldn't have made this if in six months ago I'm convinced that one of the greatest tests of whether or not a person is worshiping the true God or worshiping an idol is right here there are many people who are to worship a God who is love who is holy who is just but they will not worship a God

10:09 of absolute sovereignty and the moment you begin to declare to them that he is a God not only of love and of mercy and of justice but absolute sovereignty rather than falling on their faces crying out Oh the depth of the wisdom of this God of him and through him and unto him are all things to whom be glory they rise up and clench their fists and say I don't want a God like him beloved this is a great test of the reality of your worship are you worshiping a God carved out of the stuff of human imagination and human prejudice or do you worship the God revealed in scripture as the God who is absolutely sovereign now with those objections I trust adequately cooped up for a bit let us move now to a study of the passage as it is given to us by the Apostle Paul Romans chapter 9 I don't know how far we'll get tonight but the Lord willing there'll be another night to continue where we leave off this evening Paul has just concluded his exposition of the gospel of God's grace coming to that wonderful climax in chapter 8 and what a wonderful exposition of this we heard down at the conference in Willow Grave Grove by Dr. Packer on the first night of the conference Paul is speaking of that wonderful security that is the portion of every true believer who is joined to Christ and his conviction that nothing

Paul's Burden for Israel and the Distinction of True Israel

11:39 will separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus the Lord and if I may sort of try to catch the connection in his thought as Paul thinks of all of those privileges that he and all believers enjoy justification progressive sanctification the sense of acceptance in the midst of inner conflict the wonderful prospect that one day he shall fashion our vile bodies like unto his own glorious body and that in the meantime no matter what comes nothing can sever us from the love of Christ and as he's reached that climax and thinks of all the privileges that are showered down upon all believers of all ages he thinks of his countrymen the Jews and how they were blind for the most part to these great gospel privileges and they crucified the Lord of glory and now they were persecuting Paul his chief servant and wanted nothing to do with the message and he begins the chapter by saying I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart for I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren according to the flesh who are the Israelites whose is 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

13:08 and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh who is over all God blessed forever amen you get the connection he can't think of the personal blessing that has come to him through Christ without being concerned for those who were like him up to that Damascus road experience with all the mighty privileges or the many privileges that a Jew had the word of God was given to them as a nation and to no other nation the promises were made to them as a nation as they were to no other nation the covenants the promises the word of God all of these great blessings and he says in spite of all these blessings so few of them have recognized their Messiah and after expressing his burden having said these are all my privileges but now they are denied so many of my countrymen and I'm burdened it's as though someone would say ah but wait a minute didn't God promise blessing to Israel didn't God promise that in Abraham the world would be blessed and in his seed and then he picks up that train of thought in verse 6 and says but it is not as though the word of God have come to naught he said now don't mistake the general rejection of the gospel by the Jews as any inference that God has failed or that his word has failed he said oh no

14:37 don't for a moment think that though I'm burdened for my countrymen who reject the message though I'm burdened for those Jews who had all those privileges but they did not issue in saving grace he said don't you think for a moment that the word of God has failed or that God has failed and here's the key to his thought now notice for they are not all Israel that are of Israel and he's using Israel in a two-fold way he said you must realize that you are not that not everyone whose name is Finkelstein is a true Finkelstein now I'm not saying that to be fun to make reflection on anyone of Jewish background but I want you to get the meaning he says not everyone who has a Hebrew descent is the true Israel the true people of God and he's going to go on to show what he means notice neither because are they Abraham's seed physically are they all children but and then he's going to show us how in two instances God made a selection within the framework of the literal seed of Abraham we're going to look at two instances in which certain people had Abraham as their father physically but it's obvious that they were not the people of God spiritually now notice the first example but in Isaac shall thy seed be called that is it is not the children of the flesh

Illustrations of Sovereign Election: Ishmael/Isaac and Esau/Jacob

16:06 that are the children of God but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed you remember that as the promise was waiting its fulfillment Abraham and Sarah got their heads together and said well we'll sort of help God fulfill the promise so Abraham went in unto his handmaid Hagar and the result of that union was Ishmael and Ishmael was not the one through whom the promise of God was to be fulfilled now he was a son of Abraham he was a literal son of Abraham after the flesh but it's obvious that he was not the one through whom the promise was to come for he says in Isaac shall thy seed be called that is it is not the children of the flesh that are the children of God but the children of the promise that are reckoned for a seed for this is a word of promise according to that season will I come and Sarah shall have a son now it's as though someone said ah but yeah but wait a minute it's obvious why God chose Isaac and didn't choose Ishmael in the first place that relationship that Abraham had with with Hagar was not ordained of God but that was the result of their scheming together Abraham and Sarah scheming together so because of that it's obvious God couldn't put his seal of approval on it so even though

17:35 Ishmael was a seed of Abraham God would choose Isaac because that union between Isaac and Sarah was of between Abraham and Sarah was of God second reason time obviously proved that Ishmael was the culprit and Isaac was the better man almost as though he anticipates that objection he says but not only so notice now but Rebekah having conceived by one Rebekah having conceived by one meaning one father even by our father Isaac for the children being not yet born neither having done anything good or bad that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that call it it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger even as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated now notice God chose Isaac not Ishmael but someone says yes there was obviously a difference in origin and in character that would move God to the choice all right Paul says what about then God choosing Jacob and not Esau they had the same father they had the same mother they had the same hereditary background they had the same environment but he says before they were even born and having done

19:04 no responsible evil as transgression of one command or another they were involved in the fall of Adam but having done neither good nor bad as far as their conduct qualifying or disqualifying both equally sinners before God same father same mother before they ever came from the womb what did God do God says the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated and what was the reason for God choosing Jacob and bypassing Esau why did he say the elder shall serve the younger notice the phrase that the purpose of God verse 11 the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that call it God says if you look for the answer in Jacob or Esau you'll miss it the answer lies locked up in the heart of the purpose of God beloved what could be clearer than that this is the most perfect illustration that the reason why there is an Israel within an Israel is because God has always purposed to save the children of promise who were made the children of promise not according to works foreseen or accomplished after birth but according to his own sovereign purpose

Answering the Objection: 'Is There Unrighteousness with God?'

20:32 now remember go way back to one of our first studies who is God dealing with when he says Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated is he dealing with innocent people or fallen men Jacob which is he dealing with he's dealing with fallen men Jacob and Esau by nature and practice both deserved what hell neither deserved mercy neither deserved grace and that God should have looked down with favor upon Jacob with an act of pure free grace he could have said of both of them because they are sinners by nature and will be by practice my soul loathes them and I shall cut them both off in judgment and no one could have risen up and accused God of injustice remember God is dealing with fallen men with hell deserving men with rebel sinners who are involved in the fall of Adam and yet God says that according to his own purpose of election he chooses one and bypasses the other now immediately there's an objection look at verse 14 what shall we say then this seems unrighteous is there unrighteousness with God wait a minute this doesn't seem fair this doesn't seem right poor Esau he couldn't help it that he was Esau and the older

22:01 why should Jacob be chosen and loved and Esau hated this doesn't seem fair it doesn't seem right it seems unjust how can you love a God like that you ever hear words like that Paul anticipated and what does he say God forbid is there unrighteousness with God God forbid perish the thought now how does he answer notice carefully he does not say you've misunderstood God saw that Jacob would turn out to be the one who would accept Jehovah as his God and Esau would turn out to be the one who didn't so God foreseeing what Jacob would be and what Esau would be he made the choice based upon what he saw they would eventually become by their own free will so there's really no problem that's the way some would answer the objection but that isn't how Paul answers it how does he answer it listen is there unrighteousness with God God forbid verse 15 for he saith to Moses and then he quotes from Exodus 33 19 where Moses had prayed oh God show me thy glory and when God passed by in his glory he spoke these words the Lord Jehovah merciful and gracious and then he says I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion notice how Paul answers the objection is there unrighteousness with God that he shows mercy to Jacob and he hates Esau

23:29 he said of course not for God is completely free to show mercy to whomever he chooses to show mercy and to show compassion on whom he will have compassion God is not obligated to show mercy to anyone and if he chooses to show it to some who are we to call the ways of God into question that's how Paul answers the objection not by saying that everybody deserves mercy but by showing that God is absolutely free in giving mercy to whom he will give mercy and then he draws a conclusion in verse 16 so then it is not of him that will it it's not that God sees that men will choose him and so because they will he chooses what could be a clearer denial of that terrible terrible perversion of the doctrine of election that God sees that we'll will to choose him therefore he chooses us it's not of him that will it nor of him that run it it's not our works and our doing but of God that hath mercy and then he gives another illustration for the scripture says unto Pharaoh for this very purpose did I raise thee up that I might show in thee my power and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth and then he gives the conclusion again so then he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will be hardened beloved if words mean anything it means that God

24:57 is absolutely sovereign in the display of his mercy and in the withholding of his mercy is there unrighteousness with God of course not the only reason anyone would ever make that objection is because in the back of their mind they think God owes mercy to everybody but the minute I see the only thing God owes anybody is judgment and hell if he chose to show mercy to one sinner the rest of lost humanity would just have to say oh what an act of infinite grace that he should sow mercy to any for none deserved it see his mercy is free his grace is uncaused by anything in us but only that it flows out of his heart and so to answer the objection is there unrighteousness with God Paul brings into focus the principle of verse 15 again enunciated in verse 18 that God wills to have mercy on whom he wills to have mercy and no one can call his willing into account and this brings up a second objection look at verse 19 thou wilt say then unto me why doth he still find fault for who hath resisted his will you mean to tell me that the reason why some men are the objects of mercy is because God chose to make them objects of mercy and the reason why others are passed by and perish is because God

Answering the Objection: 'Why Doth He Still Find Fault?' (Human Responsibility)

26:25 chose to pass them by if everything's determined by the will of God then where do I come into this how can a God like that ever find fault how can he judge me if I'm a captive of his will and his purpose how can I be responsible for my actions you ever hear objections like that Paul anticipated he anticipated now how did he answer them how did he answer them did he say now wait a minute you misunderstood I didn't mean to infer that God's will determines everything he only determined certain things is that how he answered it not on your life how did he answer he said put your hand on your mouth and put your face in the dirt and remember who you are and remember who God is and be still isn't that what he says look but nay oh man who art thou that replyest against God shall the thing formed the creature say to him that formed it why did you make me this way do you see how God Paul answers this objection if everything's determined by the will of God how can I be a truly responsible creature Paul said it's revealed in the word that you are a responsible creature it's revealed with equal clarity that God is absolutely sovereign if you'll just remember who you are and what God is then you're swallowing your question down and be willing

27:54 to wait for some answers till you get to heaven the answer Paul gives is that you remember who you are you know this solves a lot of problems when I just remember what I am what am I I am a creature God is the creator before sin ever entered that means there is an infinite gap between the creature and the creator even before sin entered God could say to Adam my thoughts are not your thoughts heavens are high above the earth so are my thoughts above your thoughts and my ways above your ways but beloved listen we are not only creatures before a creator we are fallen sinful creatures with minds that are darkened by sin with judgments and affections perverted and twisted and warped by sin eyes that are blinded by sin and when I put to the fact that I'm a creature and he's the creator the fact that I'm a sinful creature I'm going to be awfully slow about calling an infinite holy God before the bar of a finite sinful creature's mind and do you know why the doctrine of election finds little root in our generation it's because we have departed from the bible doctrine of

29:23 the absolute depravity of fallen man beloved when I see what I am in the light of the scriptures I'm blind I'm perverse by nature I'm a little creature of the dust and the very breath I breathe I breathe only because it's his sovereign pleasure to give it to me in him I live and move and have my being when I read a passage like this that I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy I'm not going to call that great God who holds my life in his hands to the bar of my puny little judgment I'll say who am I to question God I can't understand it but he said it and there's only one thing for a sinful creature to do when God has spoken that's to fall down and say oh Lord speak and that's the only posture that's fitting for a sinful creature isn't it isn't it so Paul says remember who you are in the second place and I've touched on this he says remember who God is shall the thing form say to the thing that formed it why hast thou made me thus who art thou that replyest against God remember who he is beloved he's the God who by a word of his mouth spake worlds and galaxies and universes out of the

30:52 womb of nothing and with all our modern technology and equipment we've just begun to scratch the fringe of what he's made let alone understand how it's made that's God remember who he is he did an awful lot before you and I ever came on the scene and he did it well and he's going to go on doing a lot after we're off the scene and do it well you just better remember who he is you just better remember who he is that's what Paul says and then the third thing he says you better remember not only who you are and who God is but you better remember God's rights this is the day of civil rights this is the day of states rights some people cry other people cry out about personal rights now Paul is pleading for God's rights notice the next verse listen verse 21 hath not the potter a right hath not the potter a right over the clay from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor and what's the answer if you're a potter some of you fellows now you're going to have that potter's wheel in shape for this summer Don hope so so you'll not only be making some stuff with the molds but maybe we'll get that electric potter's wheel going see now when you stand up at that potter's wheel with a lump of clay at Camp Susquehanna this summer

32:20 and you paid for that at the snack shop there and paid your 50 cents for your clay and the rest who's got the right to tell you what to do with it anybody you paid for it it's your lump of clay you can do what you please with if you want to make a little vase or vase for your mother that's your privilege if you want to make a funny looking fluky thing that nobody will know what it is that's your privilege you have a right when that clay is in your hands to do with it as you please if you want to take part of the clay to make a vase to go on the living room table if you want to make another part of it to make a spittoon to go down in the cellar that's your privilege want a vessel to honor want a vessel to dishonor doesn't the potter have a right to do it that's what he's saying a vessel of honor a vessel of dishonor some to honorable use some to dishonorable use why he said now if a potter has that right he's only a creature with something that God's put in his earth some clay what about the God who's created you and I the creature the answer is obvious Paul doesn't even need to give an answer the answer is so obvious remember God's rights remember God's rights and then he goes on to follow with an example in verse 22 what if God willing to show his wrath to make his power known endured with much long suffering vessels of wrath fitted to destroy destruction that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy whom he afford prepared unto glory even us

God's Purpose in Displaying Wrath and Mercy

33:49 whom he called not only from the Jews but also for the Gentiles you see God has determined in his universe that he will make a full display of all his attributes he wants to make known his mercy so what does he do notice the phrase he prepares some vessels of mercy out of the lump of falling humanity every one of us deserving judgment every one of us deserving hell every one of us deserving wrath God takes some out of that lump of humanity and he shapes them into vessels of mercy that they might be eternal witnesses of the glory of his grace others he leaves in that lump of humanity who will be the vessels of destruction upon whom wrath and judgment will come and will come and will come and will come that God may display to men and angels and to all created beings his holy wrath and his holy judgment so that God will get glory both from the display of his wrath and the display of his mercy now who are you and I to question God as to how he should get glory to himself people ask me why did God ever allow sin to come into the world I think that's an impudent question most of the time the fact is sin is here and the fact is that sin is the purpose that even in spite of sin he'll get glory to himself but this is part of the

35:17 answer God saw that he could get more glory to his name by allowing sin the poison of sin to come into his moral universe it ultimately such glory would come to him that even sin will be his servant for there will be the display of the sterner attributes of God his wrath and his power as well as the marvelous display of his grace and mercy far more brilliantly displayed against the backdrop of human sin than against the backdrop of human innocence and so Paul says if God chooses to make his wrath known and his mercy known who are we to question him hath not the potter of life and so as we face the natural objections and the normal objections of the human heart to the doctrine of God's sovereignty in the realm of grace God's life is to be in the midst of the mediators of the world to make the world a place of ruin and ruin and to make the world a place of power and to make the world a place of peace and to make the earth and the earth a place to live and to build a power to live in and to have what God wants us to live on today and that we serve in the desired purpose in the nature of human calling for that we fill the space of the world with the air of the air of the heart of God and his people to do and I promise and promise to save the seed of Abraham has not been nullified he says there are two Israel's external Israel and there is a

36:42 israel within israel and that inner israel are the elect of god illustrated in the case of first of all isaac ishmael then in the case of jacob and esau this brings an objection that's not right then and his answer is no lord right doesn't enter when it comes to mercy and grace you see nobody has a right to mercy nobody has a right to grace he says you don't understand mercy and grace if once you understand that mercy and grace are free and that god gives and withholds according to his pleasure he said then your problem will be solved you've got to recognize that he's the god who will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and will have compassion on whom he will have compassion but then someone says if everything's determined by the will of god how can i be responsible creature he says just remember who god is just remember who you are just remember god's rights now immediately you see what happens someone says well if that's true why should i wait wait a minute paul still witnessed paul still prayed oh but if that's true then why should i be concerned paul was concerned you see there's that continual itch of the human wine you get everything in

The Proper Posture: Submission and Worship

38:07 little airtight categories that's not your business to get the word in categories it's to embrace it and what should be the result of our having confronted this glorious deep mysterious teaching of the word we should stand back tonight in all if our hearts have been subdued by the grace of god if we have been brought by the spirit to see our sinfulness and we have fled to christ and we find in that one in whom by nature we see no being beauty if we find in him tonight our only hope of mercy if we gladly confess from the depths of our hearts for the need to live is christ to die is gain why is it true that we thus confess him tonight it's because god willed to have mercy upon you so that's why it's not of him that will if nor of him that run if but of god that showeth mercy now the scripture says don't you talk about my decision you talk about his eternal decision to include you in his birth and marvel and wonder and worship fall down in submission before such a great god ah but someone says i'm not sure that i am a christian isn't this the most terrible kind of a thing to preach to me no it's a

39:31 wonderful thing to preach to you because that god of this passage who has a right to do as he pleases with his creature that's the god before whom you'll stand one day in judgment and the more you know about him in truth now the better prepared you'll be to meet him there but you say what mercy is there in this passage it says that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy whom he will be hardened if everything's caught in the vortex and grip of the sovereign will of god what what avenue or opening of mercy is there for me ah the same god said in his word with equal authority come unto me i will give you are you laden down with a sense of your sin you say no well what are you complaining for you don't need mercy why should god give it to you you don't need it why should you complain if you're not included in his mercy if you don't feel the sense of your sin that drives you to despair saying where shall i find forgiveness what are you complaining for why are you complaining ah but you say i do feel my need for mercy i do feel my need for grace ah then he has a word for you come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden i will give you rest

Gospel Appeal and Practical Applications for Believers

40:53 how could you say i don't know if i'm an object are you laboring and heavy laden you say yes well he's told you what to do come and he's promised i'll give you rest and you see that god who's absolutely sovereign can make good that promise a god who is governed by the reigns of human will and choice maybe his promise might fail but a god who says i will have mercy on whom i will have mercy is the same god who says come and i'll give you rest this forms a strong base of gospel appeal a god who saves sinners and bids sinners come as sinners in repentance and in faith some of you say but preacher i don't know how this will apply to me as i go out to witness am i to go out and preach to people romans no that's not the gospel romans 9 but as you go out to preach the gospel that's found in first corinthians 15 in luke 24 christ died christ rose christ is coming christ is judge you go out believing romans 9 that out there amongst all those people you witness to god has some children of promise and he's going to call them by the word of the gospel that'll give you patience won't you

42:14 won't get discouraged you won't lower god's standards then try to lower god's standards you'll say if god has him some of his chosen ones there god saved them on his turn so you'll keep preaching his terms repentance faith counting the cost turning from sin submitting to christ as lord and savior it'll give you patience it'll keep you sticking to the bible message it'll keep you praying as a god who can take the souls of tarsus breathing out threatenings and slaughters against the church he wasn't seeking the lord he was seeking to kill the lord anything that remained him god says well it's time to save that fellow just like that struck him down when it pleased god he said to reveal his son isn't that wonderful to give you confidence some of those hard-hearted loved ones you've prayed you've pledged you've witnessed doesn't seem like anything's happened just get worse isn't it wonderful to know there's a god who if it pleases can bend their wills and change their hearts in a moment of time that's the only hope for me as a parent i read a little track the other day on the biblical basis of child evangelism you know what it said you wouldn't my wife didn't believe me god brought it over she did believe me but she really didn't so i brought it over and i read to

43:38 her it said this it said we must win children to christ while their children because when a person gets older it's only through a deep work of grace and repentance that the qualities of humility and teachableness will be implanted in the heart but children have this by nature humility and teachableness i said i ain't seen much of that in my kids now i don't see that no i see and it grieves me we've snickered a bit and rightly so but seriously now listen i see in my children terrible nature i've passed on to them it's in opposition to god selfish resentful retaliatory what's my hope only one if god pleased to have mercy he can subdue those hearts and bring them to himself that's our hope as parents oh beloved this is helpful doctor this is instructive doctor this is edifying doctrine to saint and sinner may we be found as an assembly with strong faith who gladly confess in a humanistic man-centered age that we believe the scripture teaches god is sovereign in creation in providence and in the future and in the future and in the future and in the future and in the future and in the future and in the future and in the future and in the future and when men throw up their

45:03 objections well why does he have fine fault don't try to explain the ways of god sit down and try to teach people who they are and who lies and then they'll embrace his truth isn't that what paul did isn't that what paul did and when they say but it's not fair that god should choose some and bypass others tell him the minute you talk about fair you've missed it there's only one thing fair but we sinners perish in hell every once it wasn't fair the son of god should go to the cross and bear the brunt of the wrath of god against human sin what was fair about that he did no sin no guile was found in his mouth what was fair about that beloved salvation isn't based on fairness it's based upon grace free grace distinguishing grace grace that is confirmed according to the sovereign purpose of god oh may we worship the god of the bible in all the full or beauty of god of all his attributes of mercy of sovereignty and the grace may we align our hearts in prayer

Prayer of Confession and Thanksgiving

46:11 our father we worship you tonight we confess that in our folly in his past we have sought to bring you to the bar of our own puny sinful judgment oh lord forgive me for those years when i skipped over these verses in romans 9 because they did not suit the predisposed prejudice of my own carnal heart lord forgive me that i've robbed many of your people in other places of the heritage of this truth because of my own pride forgive us lord where we've dared to bring you to the bar of our judgment help us this night to remember who you are and what we are and ever to submit our minds to what you've revealed we thank you for the hope of this doctrine that you will be forgiven and that you will be forgiven and that you will be forgiven you will gather out your church because you've purposed to do so we thank you that there is this

47:30 day a remnant according to the election of grace oh lord as a church grant that we shall gladly embrace and confess these glorious truths of your word we shall stand in a man-centered age and declare that salvation is of jehovah for your blessing to us this day we thank you for your presence tonight we give you praise and now we intercede and suffocate lord that you might be pleased to take us safely to our homes take us out into a confused empty mixed up world so filled with the joy of the lord which is our strength and with the message of the gospel that many of us will be given opportunities this week to proclaim to men saving mercy in jesus christ this end our father dismiss us with your blessing we pray through jesus christ