I just want to read and preach
God's Word to you this morning. As Paul the Apostle instructed
a young preacher named Timothy, he said, preach the Word the
instant, or that is, constant. In season, out of season, that
is, whether it's popular or not, whether anyone else is doing
it or not, you preach the Word. And in preaching the Word, he
said, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. He said the time will come when
they will not endure sound doctrine or teaching the truth. He says
that to their own lust, evil desires or whatever they heap
to themselves, teachers, having itching ears, that is, they hire
men and even women to tell them what they want to hear. And they'll
turn away their ears from the truth, the truth of God's word. But there's one way, one truth,
and they'll turn unto tables, that is, man-made stories. I'm
just reading and commenting on the book of Romans chapter 9. Paul writes and says, I say the
truth in Christ. Christ was the one who called
him and sent him. Paul says, I lie not, my conscience
also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great
heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart I could wish myself
were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according
to the flesh. burden and sorrow for them, although
they professed to be God's people, they were not. They knew not
the truth. They rejected the truth that
the Lord revealed to Paul and that Paul preached. That's what
he said about the religion that was around him, though it was
in the name of God, but it was in name only and not reality.
It is today in my nation and my community. I look around me
and there are people I know and like very much and call themselves
Christian, and yet it's in name only. David one time said in
Psalm 36, he said, the transgression of the wicked saith within my
heart there's no fear of God before their eyes. He said they
flatter themselves. They flatter each other. And
what he was talking about was not the wicked outwardly, immorally,
but all around him, even in religion. There's a religion of flattery. And he said there's no fear.
What they do and say in the name of God shows that there's no
fear of God, no reverence. Jeremiah said, and he was called
the weeping prophet, They say to them that despise God, these
false prophets say to those that hate God, hate the truth, unbelievers,
they say, no evil shall befall you, peace, peace, when there
is no peace. And no, people, that's not the
message to an unbelieving world, an ungodly world. We don't go
around telling people that God loves you, God loves you. That's
the message of false prophets. That's not the message of the
Bible. God didn't say that. No prophet ever said that to
the people. No apostle ever said that to
the people. No preacher stands up before an unbelieving world
and says, God loves you and Jesus died for you. That's false. That's not the message of Scripture. God is angry with the wicked
every day. God's going to destroy this world,
a world full of people. God doesn't love everyone. God
is angry with many. The message of the prophets and
apostles and the Lord Jesus Christ was repentance toward God. Repent
or perish. Cry unto the Lord. Call on the
Lord. Save us, O Lord. Have mercy upon
us, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, O Lord.
We have sinned against Thee. Done this evil in Thy sight.
Have mercy upon us. Well, Paul went on to say there
are Israelites, verses 4 and 5 in Romans 9. There are Israelites
and they have the covenants, the law, the service of God,
the promises and so on. And I look around me See all
the religious paraphernalia. People have their buildings.
They have their Bibles. They have their choirs and programs
and prayer times and this and that and the other, gospel singing.
But Paul went on to say, it's not as though the Word of God
has no effect. They're not all Israel which
are of Israel, neither because they're the seed of Abraham or
God's children. But in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. He went on to say in verse 8,
They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the
children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for
seed. Now, that's true of all who call
themselves Christians. Not all Christians who say they're
Christians. It's not children of the flesh,
not those who made some kind of decision. because we're not
born of blood, we're not into the kingdom of God by blood,
or that is because we're born Baptist or Catholic or not going
to get there by virtue of our parents. It's not the will of
the flesh, the will of man, but the children of promise. That
is, those whom God has chosen, given to Christ, all the promises
of God in Christ. or yea and amen. Now here's the
story. God chose Abraham. Abraham was
a 75-year-old idolater. He didn't know God. He didn't
know the truth. He wasn't seeking the God of
the Bible. But God chose him. And God called him. God revealed
Himself to Abraham. There was no act on Abraham's
part, no act of His will, no choice of Abraham at all. It was all God's choice, God's
call. God chose him when he was 75
years old, well before that, before the world began. But He
called him out of idolatry. and revealed himself to Abraham
when he was 75 years old. He was born of God. Born again. And God promised to Abraham a
son. He promised a son to Abraham,
out of whom would be his chosen people. And out of whom, that
is the seed, there would be a remnant all over the world. Now, Abraham
was old and his wife Sarah. a hundred years old. It's impossible
for a man that age to have children. But God promised it. God promised
it. And Abraham and Sarah, they grew
impatient. So they decided to have a child
their way. And they chose a young woman
named Hagar. And Abraham went in to her. And Abraham and Hagar had a child. His name was Ishmael. Now, all
of this represents how the people try to get into the kingdom of
God by their choice, their way, their flesh. But salvation is
by promise. Salvation is an impossible thing
with man, but with God it's possible, but not only possible, but certain.
It's God's work, God's will, God's choice, God's power. God's
seed, God's Spirit, not man's, not a cooperative effort between
God and man, like Abraham and Sarah, but all of God. Like all people who decide for
God, who decide for Jesus, who decide to believe, accept Jesus,
who let God be their God, let Jesus be their Lord. They're
not saved. Anybody who says that is not
saved. That's an act of the human will. That's not salvation. That's
an act of man. That's man trying to help God
out. Well, God told Abraham. He said, cast that boy out. Cast
Ishmael out. That's not my son. That son didn't
come from me. And no flesh is going to glory
in God's presence. Salvation is His will, His choice,
His work, His power. Christ, the promise was made,
not to Abraham. Now, Paul wrote about this in
Galatians. He said, not to Abraham, but
to Christ who is the seed, the promised Son, the promised Messiah,
the promised Christ, in whom all the people of God are born
and blessed, of whom Isaac represents. Isaac, the son of promise. Promise. God elected a people, chose a
people in Christ, gave them to Christ before the world began. He is called the second Adam,
covenant head, who would come to this earth to redeem his people
from their sin, redeem them from the curse of the law, deliver
them from death. all their lifetime subject to
death by being made sin for them and dying under the curse of
the law. And in dying, he would bring life and immortality to
life through the gospel. Read on now. Here is the story
of Isaac, which is the story of Christ. Now, he said in verse
9, here's the word of promise. At this time, God says, will
I come and Sarah, he's talking about Abraham and Sarah, Sarah
shall have a son. Not only this, but when Rebekah,
that is the wife of Isaac, Sarah's son. Sarah had a son. Abraham
and Sarah had a son named Isaac. And it was of God. It was impossible
for them to have a son, but God made a promise and God's power
created a son, an impossible son, a son of promise from Abraham. This is a picture of Christ formed
in all of his people by the Spirit of God, not a cooperative effort
of man, but by the power and Spirit of God. The chosen Son,
that is Christ. The Son of promise, that is Christ. Read on. Now it says, Rebekah,
not only this, but Rebekah, Isaac's bride, Isaac's wife, who was
also a barren woman. She had two sons, verse 11 says,
the children. Being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of God that calleth, God said
to Rebekah, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. God chose one of
those sons before he was born. Before either one of them had
done any good or evil, God chose Jacob and said, I love Jacob,
not Esau. Now, what is this saying? Is
this talking about a national people, Israel? No. It just said
that, that the children of the flesh are not the children of
God, but the children of the promise. Not all Israelites are
of Israel. No. This is talking about salvation. That God chose the people. If
He hadn't, nobody would choose Him. Nobody would believe Him.
Nobody would come to Him. And gave them to Christ, the
Son of promise, whom He loved. They were loved in Christ. What
shall we say to this? Verse 14. Is there unrighteousness
with God? What do you say to these things?
Paul kept saying that over and over in this chapter and other
chapters. What do you say to these things? Is there unrighteousness
with God? That's not fair, some people
say. Not fair? God forbid, Paul says. He went
on to say in verse 15, he said to Moses, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion. So then, it is not of him that
willeth, Not the will of man, but God's will. Not of him that
runneth, that is, worketh, but of God that showeth mercy. Salvation is by sovereign election,
sovereign love, sovereign mercy. People say, every man deserves
a chance to be saved. No, he doesn't. No one deserves
to be saved. The wages we have earned is death. The wages of sin is death. All
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No one deserves
to be saved but God, rich in mercy, great love and grace. Purpose to save some of these
undeserving people and chose some of them. And he went on
to say in verse 18, he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and
whom he will he hardeneth. He leaves them alone. He leaves
them alone. Is that unfair? Is that unrighteous?
No, it's great mercy and grace that God would save anybody.
What do you say to these things? I hope and pray you will bow
your knee and call upon the Lord to have mercy upon you. Amen.