Now why does God exercise his freedom in choosing one and not another? Romans 9:14-18. Most of them are simple fishermen. (Psalm 139:16) I would work on coming into rest in the simple everyday opportunities that I found to bless the others, and make that my focus, instead of striving so hard to seek my own will. The first question that comes to mind upon hearing a statement like that is, “Why? As for our brother Nabeel (or, another loved one you lost to sickness), God alone can tell us why he (or that loved one) was not healed. The Bible says that He truly is “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). We need to remind ourselves every day that we didn’t choose Him, but Jesus chose us. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Here’s one of them, a recent email from a listener named Aaron. . On the other hand, if I chose God, does that mean that God isn’t really sovereign? But, I'll give you a basic answer, Ok? Those are usually the two reasons people give for saying, “No, you shouldn’t use Romans 9 to talk about individual election or predestination.”. Check that out.” So I’m going to say it again: verses 22 and 23 are Paul’s most — and I would say the Bible’s most — ultimate answer for why God does what he does in choosing one and not another. So Romans 9:14 asks, “What shall we say then? He is drawing out the application — namely, with regard to Pharaoh. It’s the problem within Israel. People are not saved because they take the initiative or chose to know God [Eph 2:8-9]. As we see multitudes every where guilty of this arrogance and presumption, and among them some who are not censurable in other respects, it is proper to admonish them of the bound of their duty on this subject. That “living soul” was immortal, meant to last forever. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Have you ever noticed how God chooses the people hed send for an important mission? How do you explain this conjunction and its implications?”. I feel like Romans 9 is a watershed of how you view God. Louis Berkhof explains “the biblical idea of election.”, That eternal act of God whereby He, in His sovereign good pleasure, and on account of no foreseen merit in them, chooses a certain number of men to be the recipients of special grace and of eternal salvation. I was filled with wonder when I saw extraordinary favours … But we must come with submissive, teachable hearts. In this study we will look at Israel, God’s chosen people, and why he chose them. More briefly it may be said to be God’s eternal purpose to save some of the human race in and by Jesus Christ. ( Log Out /  God visits everyone in his good time and desires that we all be saved, provided we desire to be saved. I would be occupied with finding the works God prepared for me each day and be awake to use those opportunities to learn to know Him better. We often highlight Abraham's faith that God would give him a child, but Abraham was not perfect in keeping the faith. Because He is God and we are NOT (I Tim. But whether I see another person healed or not, I will continue to pray for the sick and I will continue to proclaim that God is our Healer. The Bible reveals that mankind is responsible for their sins and gives them the freewill to choose what to do, but a hyper-Calvinism would say that God elects some to destruction, but doesn’t that strip humans of their freewill? I mean if Jews — and he’s not talking one or two, but most of them — have a veil over their face, then they’re not seeing Jesus as their Messiah. It was not because Israel was more sensitive to God than other nations. And there is where WE have to … The Calvinist would say that God was guided by nothing but His own good pleasure, His sovereign, free will.” 1. And that brings us to the question that Aaron asked about concerning verses 22 and 23. Then there would be great disputes over how to handle Romans 9, especially verses 1–23. c. An excellence or power granted by God. Then you need to declare, “God chose me, and He planned a great future for me. The what if is asking, “What if he did it — can any legitimate reaction be raised?” And he answers no. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:2–3). The Bible tells us that His choice of Israel had nothing to do with merit. Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16 NKJV). Why would God choose me? Is the language here being used as we would use it today? Only God, who knows the heart, can properly assess a person’s life. After looking at these definitions you may ask yourself, Why would God choose me? “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” – John 15:16. He did it. Why Does God Choose Some and Not Others? Those vessels of mercy are prepared beforehand by God for glory. And there are several reasons, but let me just zero in on one. Everybody should put their ears up when I say that. Isn't it Unfair for God to Choose Some and Not Others? Paul says, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. But God’s Word does remind us of three important truths—truths we easily forget. Those that are saved were predestined to salvation before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him (Eph. But He did not. Ephesians 1 goes on to say, “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (verses 5–6). Is that a feasible interpretation? 9:11. He wants to use me. Instead, God chos… The discussion of predestination–a subject of itself rather intricate–is made very perplexed, and therefore dangerous, by human curiosity, which no barriers can restrain from wandering into forbidden labyrinths, and soaring beyond its sphere, as if determined to leave none of the Divine secrets unscrutinized or unexplored. Part 2, What Do The Biblical Covenants Have To Do With The Extent Of The Atonement? She had faith in God and trusted Him to work things out even though she did not have all of the information. Part 3, What Do The Biblical Covenants Have to Do With The Extent Of The Atonement? You are no different from them. Grace it’s not just that little prayer you say and meal time to thank God for his blessing. Don’t get me wrong, our good works are important. He upholds his glory. He’s saying that individual Jews, kinsmen of Paul, are lost and perishing, and this creates for Paul not only a heart-wrenching personal agony, which he describes, but a massive theological problem: Have the promises of God failed? I have shared the struggle with those who read this chapter and scratch their heads and try to reorient their minds. This question is especially mysterious in our sinful world, where God can at times feel distant. More often than not, these chosen people seem to be the most unlikely ones for the job. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. “If God is as sovereign as you say, Piper, how can man be accountable for his sin?” And eventually in these discussions, I would go to Romans 9 as part of my answer. ( Log Out /  And Paul is restating what he has already said. I don't know. It’s tricky. So what does the Bible say? At one point, he and his wife, Sarah, would doubt God and try to fulfil the promise themselves by having a child through the woman Hagar (Genesis 16:3-6.) Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. How those both work together, I cannot explain. But he wants us to be willing to seek his calling for us. In fact, some of the unhappiest people I’ve known over the years have been people with great wealth — and yet their lives were empty. Honestly, I do not know why God regenerated you, but not other people. First, it reminds us that wealth is not necessarily a sign of God’s blessing. We’re on a mission to change that. Join us every day online at http://www.tdjakes.org/watchnow Where do you stand? 2:8-10; II Tim. Almost implying that God can — but doesn’t necessarily mean he does it? Only God can know whether to heal or not heal will best move the person forward toward His goal of building the mind of Christ in them. I have shared that. The Bible makes is clear that not only is God good, loving, merciful and kind [Ex 34:6-7a] but he is also just, righteous and holy. Why didn't God choose everyone to be saved? So if salvation is by grace, it is no longer the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace (Rom. I had to settle it for myself. I’m not going to listen anymore to this foul garbage from my lying flesh and unrenewed emo tions. The answer is no, that’s not a feasible interpretation. When Paul refers five verses later, in verse 22, to God’s “desiring to show his wrath and make known his power, [enduring] with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,” that’s exactly what he has just done with Pharaoh in verse 17. The Old Testament focuses on Israel as God's chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6). Humans held the quill, but God ultimately inspired their words. 2:10). In other words, Paul answers the problem precisely by pointing out that individual lost Israelites are not really part of the Israel who inherits the promises. I don’t fully know why God restores some people to health but doesn’t do it for others. I was reading Romans 9 today and came across what is known to be a very hard-to-swallow passage and doctrine. 2:21, even these, as foreseen by God, could not furnish such a basis. Or did it have some other explanation? In his absolute, glorious freedom — “I’ll have mercy on whom I have mercy; I’ll be gracious to whom I’ll be gracious” — he makes known the riches of his glory for the vessels of mercy. We Choose God. 1:8-9, Job 38:4). “Hello, Pastor John! I had to settle for myself whether this chapter meant what it seemed to mean, what I was saying it meant. “Hello, Pastor John! While reading John Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion in the chapter titled Eternal Election, or God’s Predestination of Some to Salvation, and of Others to Destruction, one can only come to the conclusion that Calvin was very cautious when speaking of predestination and election. Well, sort of. They are perishing. Out of that nine months or so came the book The Justification of God: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Romans 9:1–23. They are elected to be children of God and heirs of eternal glory. 3, And in a later chapter, Calvin further heeds his warnings…. Well, perhaps just to encourage those who struggle with the message of Romans 9, let me give a little autobiography. Is there injustice on God’s part?” That’s where I started in writing my book: “Is there injustice on God’s part?” And his answer is “by no means.”, The rest of it, verses 15–23, offers support for why there’s no injustice on God’s part. He is author of. But God prepared those good works for His plan (Eph. It was not because she was more numerous than other people in the world; she was the least (Deuteronomy 7:7). Haven’t we been saved by grace (Eph. No, because they are still freely choosing to reject Jesus Christ, even though it is God Himself Who draws men and women and children to Himself (John 6:44). And the basic answer--and I hope you can understand this--the basic answer is: because He got more glory for his own name by doing it the way He did it. However you think of yourself, no matter what others think of you, whatever your position and intellect, God chose you despite who you are and for a particular purpose. It’s not a question of whether it’s going to happen — it did happen. The rest of Romans 9:1–23 is Paul’s demonstration or vindication of the justice of God in the exercise of his sovereignty in having mercy on whom he will. Here’s what that says: “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills” (Romans 9:17–18). This will help you believe that God chose you for a purpose. So God is free to have mercy on whom he’ll have mercy. “Whoa, that’s a big claim. 2. Election does not in any way depend on the foreseen faith of good works of man, as the Arminians teach, but exclusively on the sovereign good pleasure of God, who is also the originator of faith and good works. God's Faithfulness. God does NOT choose his children to salvation because he saw them acknowledge a need of a savior (Rom. Berkhof continues by explaining how election is unconditional. He doesn’t get taken off guard. R.B. The study looks at how Jesus tells us time and time again that each of us has a specific purpose, and about the importance of each one of us in His plan. The point of what I’m saying is that it was a great struggle for me.

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