The sovereignty of God

• Introduction…
  • Romans 9:14-23 are some of the most misinterpreted / misunderstood verses in the Bible
  • There are many who take these verses to say man has no choice when it comes to salvation
    • God is completely sovereign – to the exclusion of the free will of men – which is not true!
    • It is a dangerous idea that removes the responsibility of man for sin and salvation…
  • We need to look at these verses in their context – the negative example of Israel (flesh)
  • As well as the history of the examples Paul gives to illustrate his point (Pharaoh)…

• Is God unrighteous (unfair)… vs. 14-16
  • Paul stated in vs. 13 – God chose Jacob and hated Esau before they were even born!
  • Prompting the obvious question – is it fair that God gets to choose…
    • Does God choose who goes to heaven and to hell – or do we choose…
      • An important question – with implication on how we are saved – Paul answers…
      • God will have mercy on whomever He will have mercy –Exodus 33:19 – God chooses!
    • So wanting to get to heaven – or running (trying hard) to get to heaven does not work…
      • Only those on whom God shows mercy – He chooses – get to go to heaven…
      • That seems unfair to us – if God makes the choice – it seems unfair He judges us too…
      • If God chose to hate Esau before he was even born – then it is not Esau’s fault…
      • Should Esau have been punished – just because of a choice the God made…
      • It would be like telling your child go and play – then punish them for playing!
    • But we need to remember ‘how’ God chooses – Romans 8:29
      • Whom He ‘foreknew’ – God knows who will choose Him…
      • God is eternal – that means He has no beginning or end – Revelation 1:8
      • It doesn’t mean God has an endless amount of time – it means God is outside of time!
      • God sees all of time – from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 at once – Isaiah 46:10
      • In a sense God ‘cheats’ – He knows every ones choice before they every make it…
      • Since God sees EVERYTHING – He knows exactly who will believe in/receive Jesus…
      • So He chooses those who He knows will choose Him!
        
• The example of Pharaoh… vs. 17-24
  • Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart…
    • Pharaoh was the king of Egypt – the nation that had made slaves out of Israel…
      • God sent Moses to set them free – bringing 10 plagues on Egypt to convince Pharaoh…
      • After a plague happened we read – ‘Pharaoh hardened his heart’ against God…
    • Whom God wills – He hardens…
      • Only after the 6^th plague did ‘the Lord harden Pharaoh’s heart’…
      • That does not mean God ‘overrode’ Pharaoh’s choice – in means God confirmed it
      • 5 times Pharaoh had chosen to harden his heart – now God affirmed his choice
    • The important question to ask is what hardened Pharaoh’s heart in the 1^st place…
      • Hardens – skleruno – only used 6 times in the NT – 4 of them in Hebrews…
      • Hebrews 3:13 – “Exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
      • Sin is devastating – if we refuse to repent of our sin – it will harden our hearts…
      • That does not mean God does not keep fighting for us – but there will come a point…
      • When we continually (like Pharaoh) choose sin – hardening our heart towards God…
      • Genesis 6:1 – “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever…”
      • When God will give us what we want – He will give us over to our sin
  • Does that make God unfair…
    • Paul goes back to the question – if no one can resist God’s will – His choice…
    • Then why does God get to judge us for what we are – He made us that way…
    • Paul’s answer – who are you to question God – Isaiah 29:16
    • Can the thing formed say to him who formed him – why did you make me like this…
      • When you built anything – you use various building materials…
      • You have wood / nails / hollow blocks / cement – that can be used to make anything…
      • If you take those supplies and build a CR – not the most honorable of purposes…
      • Can the hollow blocks and cement complain – why did you make us a CR…
      • Couldn’t you have made us into a kitchen – a bedroom – something more honorable
      • The obvious answer is no – the builder has complete control over the materials
      • The same way God has compete control over our lives…
    • Paul’s uses the example of a potter to explain…
      • The potter is God – we are the lumps of clay ready to be made into something…
      • God has every right to make one man godly – another ungodly
      • God is in complete control – He can do whatever He wants – which is true…
      • It still seems unfair to us – not that we can question God – but somehow not right
      • It does not seem to be very loving – it seems more like cruelty – and God is love
      • I John 4:16 – “We have known and believed the love God has for us. God is love…”
    • The answer to this dilemma lies again in the example of Pharaoh…
      • God – seeing ahead of time what would happen – knew what Pharaoh would do…
      • God hardened Pharaoh’s heart – because Pharaoh had chosen to harden his heart
      • Pharaoh chose to harden his heart 1^st – then God confirmed his choice
      • Exodus 8:15 / 8:22 / 9:34 – Pharaoh hardened his heart – ‘dulled his heart’
      • Exodus 9:12 / 10:20 / 10:27… the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart – ‘set in place’
      • God love us – and does not want anyone to perish – but He honors our choice…
      • II Peter 3:9 – “The Lord isn’t willing any should perish but all come to repentance.”
      • Romans 10:13 – “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
      • So how do we know if we are ‘chosen’ by God – or if we are ‘hardened’ – choose
      • If we choose to follow the Lord – God knew our choice – and we are chosen!
      • If we choose not to follow the Lord – harden our heart – then we are not chosen…
  • A purpose for both – vessels of honor / vessels of dishonor…
    • The result of Pharaoh’s hard heart – the Egyptians and Israel got to know the LORD…
      • Exodus 9:16 – “But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
      • If God wanted – He could have wiped Egypt out- there wouldn’t have been anyone left
        • For certain that would have been one way to ‘redeem’ the people of Israel…
        • But God did not want to destroy the Egyptians – He wanted them to know Him…
        • God would do that by showing His power through the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart
      • If Pharaoh had let Israel go the 1^st time Moses asked…
        • Israel would not have had confidence their God was the ‘God of the impossible’…
        • The Egyptians would have continued worshiping all their false gods…
        • The world would never have heard about the AWESOME power of God…
      • It was through the plagues – hardships/problems – they got to see God do a work…
        • When we have no money – and we see the Lord provide for all our needs
        • When we are sick – and we see the Lord miraculously heal
        • Its when we face the trials & problems of life that we get to see the power of God
        • If there were never any challenges – we would never get to see God do a work!
    • Therefore choose to be a vessel of honor…
      • God is sovereign…
        • It is true that God knows what choice we will make – believe in Jesus – or harden
        • No matter what our choice – believe or harden – God will use it for His glory
      • The choice is ours…
        • Joshua 24:15 – “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…”
        • Do not choose to be like Pharaoh – hardened by the sin in our lives…
        • Better to choose to be a vessel of honor -repenting of sin – not hardening our heart
        • II Timothy 2:21 – “If anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”
        • No longer full of sin – but full of Jesus – ready to be used by Jesus – to serve God
        • II Corinthians 4:7 – “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

The contrast – Israel & Gentiles… vs. 24-33

God’s children – called to be the sons of the living God!

Choose to be the called…

The gentiles who were not my people – Hosea 2:23… vs. 25-26, 30

In the days of Hosea – northern tribes of Israel had hardened their hearts towards God

God had Hosea marry a prostitute (Gomer) – as a picture of God’s bride Israel…

The nation of Israel had played the harlot by worshiping other gods…

God had then prophesied through Hosea using the names of his two children…

Lo-ammi – ‘not My people’ / Lo-ruhamah – ‘not My beloved’

The nation of Israel were God’s chosen people…

But because of their hard hearts – because of their sin – they were not chosen…

They became ‘not My people’ and ‘not my beloved’….

Yet the gentiles who were not called God’s people – would become God’s children!

The gentiles (not the Jews) will be called the Sons of the living God – Hosea 1:10

Those who did not ‘seek’ after righteousness – seek after God – were chosen!

They were made righteous by faith in the finished work of Jesus at the cross

While only a remnant of Israel will be saved – Isaiah 10:22… vs. 27-29, 31-33

The children of Israel – numbered as many as the sands of the sea – Genesis 32:12

But only a remnant – small portion – of them would be saved – go to heaven…

Meaning there were those who would be chosen – but only a few from Israel…

Keep in mind all of the Apostles were Jewish – as were all the believers up to Acts 10

But today in Israel only about 15,000 of the 5 million Jews believe in Jesus!

If it were not for the remnant – they would have been as sinful as Sodom & Gomorrah

Israel today is openly supportive of homosexuality / abortion / divorce…

61% of all Israelis support same sex marriage…

19,500 legal abortion were performed in Israel in 2003…

They have a big problem with teen pregnancy, drugs, and alcohol…

3000 women are sold yearly into sex slavery in Israel – 3 billion peso a year industry

If not for the remnant who believe – Israel would be like sinful Sodom – Genesis 19

Israel was not chosen – because they sought to be righteous by the Law of God…

But it was impossible to be made right by the Law – so they remained unrighteous!

Galatians 2:16 – “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ…”

They stumbled at ‘the Rock’ of offence – Jesus…

I Corinthians 1:23 – “We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block…”

The Jews wanted to work for their salvation – earn their way to heaven…

They could not accept that salvation was a free gift of God by faith…

They wanted a Messiah who would give them this world – not eternal life…

They would not accept a crucified messiah/savior – they would not believe in Jesus

Who are we – like Israel looking to get to heaven by doing our best – trying to be good

Are we looking for a Messiah who will give us a better life here on earth… not chosen

Or are we like the gentiles – perhaps the very last people you’d ever think be saved

Knowing we are sinners – and by faith believing in the one who takes away our sin!