Our Heavenly Father, we do praise
you for your wonderful blessings. We praise you, Lord, for your
desires, for your wants, for all of your desires and all of
your wants are fulfilled. The word want means like we're
waiting for something to be accomplished. That is so in some cases, Lord,
but everything you want, everything you desire shall be accomplished. And we praise you and thank you,
Lord, that you have placed upon our hearts, you have revealed
your truths of your word to us, shining the light of truth in
our hearts that you are sovereign in all things. You are the potter,
we are the clay. That's what we'll be looking
at in this morning's Bible study. Lord, we ask that you would bless
us for your son's sake. Open our eyes and our minds to
the words and the truths that we're about to see. We ask in
Christ's name, amen. We continue in our studies of
the book of Romans chapter nine. And in our last study, the subject
of the Lord's sovereignty was declared in the act of election. It says in verse 11 of chapter
nine, for the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to
election. People think that we've made
up this thing called election. Those who, feel that God died
for everybody and that he's wanting his people to come to him, that
he desires not to lose any of mankind, mankind at whole. And that's not God's word at
all. That's people who take a piece of God's word and interpret it
to their own destruction rather than taking it in the whole counsel
of God. Paul said he was, He was not
ashamed of the gospel and that he had presented the whole counsel
of God. The whole counsel of God is from
cover to cover of this book we call the scriptures. This book
that God has given us, this love letter to his people, declaring
that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, gave himself for a people
that we would be with him for an eternity. They hate elections. But yet
our Lord says very clearly that these two children, speaking
of Jacob and Esau, 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 him that calleth. But we looked
at that last week on how God chose Jacob and hated Esau. We
who have been given an understanding of the truth of our sin, we see
clearly the reasons for God hating Esau. Sin is an abomination to
his righteousness. I know this in my heart, that
what I am is an abomination. What I am in this flesh is an
abomination to my creator. It's an abomination to his righteousness.
It's an abomination to his holiness. Our creator is so holy, he cannot
even look upon sin. What's difficult to understand
about what we read last week is how could he love sinful Jacob? But here's the hope I have in
that, if he could love Jacob, maybe he could love me. I'm the chief of sinners. Jacob,
oh yeah, he did some things wrong, I can tell you, I know what I've
done in my life. You know what you've done in
your life. You know what you do today. We're all the chief
of sinners, aren't we? We look at Jacob and we say,
God, how could you love Jacob? But better yet, Lord, how could
you love me? I'm way worse than Jacob was. How could you love me? The religions of man hate election. The election takes salvation
out of the man's capabilities, and it places it in the sovereign
hands of God Almighty, where it truly is anyway. Salvation
is of the Lord. After giving us a plain and clear
picture of election, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to emphasize
election to emphasize that election is
a clear character of the sovereignty of God. Look with me if you would
at verses 19 through 23, Romans chapter nine. After telling us that the Lord
would have mercy on whom he would have mercy and how the Pharaoh
was raised up for that, in verse 19, we read these words, thou
wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? Why does God
find fault with me if he's made me thus? For who hath resisted
his will? Nay, but O man, listen to this
answer. Oh, who are you to question God? Nay, but O man, who art thou
that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel
into honor and another into dishonor. You know, let's stop there for
a moment before I read 22 and 23. Our God blesses you and I with this word
grace to no end. Everything we read in scripture
about who our savior is, everything we read in scripture about what
he's done, everything we read in scripture about him choosing
a people and not leaving them to themselves, all points to
our Lord's grace, his mercy to you and I. Everything we read,
and these words we just read, hath not the potter power over
the clay, the same lump to make one vessel under honor and another
under dishonor? Doesn't that just bless your
heart with grace that we weren't left to ourselves to be a vessel
of dishonor? We sure were walking that path
at one time, weren't we? Just like everybody else is.
Who maketh us to differ? Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ maketh
us to differ. Verse 22, what if God willing
to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with
much long suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to discretion?
What if God loves us so much, not only did he give his only
begotten son, but he's long-suffering with the vessels of wrath, waiting
till that last day when the last one for whom the Father has given
him should come into this world and be given the light of Christ
in his heart. Verse 23, and that he might make
known. If you weren't a vessel of wrath,
if you weren't walking as a vessel of wrath at one time, could you
really truly understand the depth of God's grace? I mean, we don't
understand the depth of it, that's for sure, but we get a little
sprinkling idea, don't we? Knowing that we deserve the wrath
of God, just as all men do, yet by his grace, he saved us. By his grace. and His grace alone, that He might make known the
riches of His glory on the vessel of mercy which He had aforeprepared
unto glory. In these verses, the Apostle
Paul gives us three distinct answers to the objections of
man for God's sovereign authority to choose whom He will. These
answers will not satisfy the natural man but they will be
for every believer who receives the word of faith, they will
be sufficient. Over in Romans 9, verse 20, Paul
says, oh man, who are you to dispute with God? Who are you
to question God's providence or hope to understand God's ways? God's ways are above our ways,
folks. Who are you to dispute with God
or to understand His ways? How foolish and arrogant for
a finite creature to sit in judgment on God's mercy and His justice.
The answer to why God does what He does is found in Himself,
not in our natural wisdom. Why? I was asked. I think it was the Friday Night
Bible, so why do you think the Lord did what he did for us in
giving himself? And I told the answer to this,
and this is the answer that, this is the only answer that
man can give to a question about why does God do something. It's
because it pleased him to do so. Didn't that blow your mind,
Roger? Didn't it blow your mind that
God was pleased to save you Absolutely, brother. Me too. Me too. All of God's people are completely
blown away by that. God was pleased to save me? Secondly, over in Romans chapter
nine, verse 21, the word of power here denotes the right, the privilege,
or the authority. This is how God does what he
does, by the power, by the right, By the privilege and by the authority,
God has a right to do with his own what he will. But it's more
than that. God's power is always exercised
in a way that is consistent with his righteousness and glory.
The chief end of man is to glorify God. Even the wicked will glorify
our Lord in the day of judgment. Therefore, God has the right
to do what best serves his glory, does he not? And thirdly, in
verse 22, God is determined to make known to the universe. Isn't
that why he raised up Pharaoh? Isn't that what he says over
there back in verse 17? Look at verse 17. For the scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised
thee. Folks, you realize that God put
Pharaoh on top of all the world at that time. All the world at
that time looked to Pharaoh. In fact, he was so high up in
mankind, he sought himself to be God. I know we do, but not in the
sense that he did. He had all power of earth under
his authority. Yet God says, I raised you up. Why? I raised thee up that I
might show my power in thee that my name might be declared throughout
all the earth. He's determined to make known
to this universe, to all that is in, make known that his wrath,
of what his wrath against sin will be, and he'll make known
the riches of his grace and glory in some. Isn't that why the world
hated Israel? Isn't that why they looked to
Israel and said, these folks, you know, let's take them out
when we can, when their God is not looking? Because God definitely
was looking upon them and favoring them and the world at one time. that the riches of his grace
and glory might be shined in the heart of his people. God
had endured these vessels of wrath with much patience as he
did the old world before the flood. Pharaoh, before he cut
him off, and Sodom before it was destroyed. These unbelievers
have light which they hate and the means of grace which they
despise. The vessels of mercy receive
his mercy, receive his love, receive his grace. and we know
it for what it is, not because we're any better or any wiser
than others, not because we deserve it in any way, but because God
chose to reveal his grace in us and to make us objects of
his mercy from eternity past. Martin Luther wrote these words.
He says, it is not wise for the novice to meddle in too much
with divine purposes and mysteries. Nothing has a greater tendency
to confound the understanding and to harden the heart and to
take strong meat too early. Let us not talk of these matters
too lightly. Hidden things belong to God.
Things that are revealed belong to us. Touching the Almighty,
we cannot find him out, but he is excellent in power, judgment,
and grace. He will not afflict without cause. Let us rejoice that the great
truth of divine grace is written in the word of God and revealed
to us in Christ Jesus, Martin Luther. Now look at verse 24
through 28 of our text, Romans chapter 9, 24. We read this,
even as us whom he hath called, not the Jews only, but also of
the Gentiles, as he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my
people, which were not my people, and her beloved, which was not
beloved. And it shall come to pass that
in the place where it is said unto them, ye are not my people,
there shall they be called the children of the living God. Isaiah
also cries concerning Israel, though the number of children
of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved,
for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness.
because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. Now
the promise of eternal life was not made to the natural seed
of Abraham, but to the true seed of Abraham, Christ Jesus the
Lord. And all who by grace are in him,
whether Jew or Gentile, are the seed of David, are the children
of promise, as we've read already back in Romans chapter eight,
or at the beginning of chapter nine. The calling of the Gentiles is
prophesied throughout all the Old Testament. This prophecy
is in Hosea 2, verse 23. Listen to the words here. And
I will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy
upon her that hath not obtained mercy, and I will say to them
which are not my people, thou art my people, and they shall
say, thou art my God. The Jewish nation was typically
the spouse of God. But when the Christ shall come,
he will reveal his true seed and call her beloved, which was
not beloved, and that is the Gentiles. Look over at Ephesians,
chapter two. Hold your place in Romans. Overlook
over at Hebrews real quick. I mean, I'm sorry, Ephesians. Chapter two. Ephesians in chapter two, we
read over in verse 11, wherefore remember that ye, being in times
past Gentiles in the flesh, who were called uncircumcision by
the witches, called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of the promise.
They had all the oracles of God. The Gentiles had nothing. having
no hope and without God in the world. Verse 13, but now in Christ
Jesus, ye who were sometimes were far off of made nigh by
the blood of Christ. So here we see that we're made
nigh, we are made of Israel. We are joined with the Israel,
the spiritual Israel of God through the blood of Christ. Though the
descendants of Abraham number in the millions, only a small
number are true of Israel. We know in God's word, it says,
not all Israel is of Israel. They thought that because their
blood was from Abraham, that they were descendants from Abraham,
that they were the people of God. And when the Messiah would
come, yet when the Messiah came, they rejected him. Look over
at John chapter one. John chapter one. Verses 10 through 11. John chapter
one, verses 10 through 11. It says, he was in the world
and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. Now
here's where it's talking about Israel. And he came unto his
own. He came unto the people of Israel and his own received
him not. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name. So we see that the people of Israel rejected
him, and then after hundreds of years of long suffering, the
wickedness and the idolatry and the rebellion of Israel, God
made a short work of them and has blinded them till now. Listen
to Matthew 11, 25. And at that time, Jesus enters,
and he said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and the prudent, and
hast revealed them unto babes. Now back in our text in verse
29. And as Isaiah said before, except
the Lord of the Sabbath, except the Lord of Sabbath had left
us seed, we had been as Sodom and Gomorrah. and been made like
under Gamora. I think I got my tie too, no, it's my
tie. It's tickling on my, I'm sorry
about that. Folks, the doctrine of election
seems harsh and cruel to the world. But to a believer, to
you and I, is the cause of rejoicing, is it not? If we don't rejoice
over election, then we haven't had the truth of God's word revealed
to us. Election is from beginning to
end. Everything in God's word has
to do with election. He chose, he chose between Abel and Cain. He chose,
yes, Abel came, or Cain came with the works of his hands,
but the Lord chose to reject that, to ignore that, and to
accept the offering, because the offering that Abel brought
was a picture of his son, the Lord Jesus. You know, the only reason Abel
brought that offering was because the Lord God made a work in his
heart. Otherwise, Abel would have done
the same thing that Cain had done. All of us would. It seems harsh and cruel, election
does, but to you and I, it's a cause of rejoicing. For if
it had not been God choosing to save some people, either Jew
or Gentile, neither of us would escape the wrath to come. We
would all have been destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah was. Now
look at verses 30 through 33. What shall we say then? that
the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have
attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of
faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness,
have not attained the law of righteousness. Verse 32, wherefore,
because, because thy sought it not by faith. Did you catch that? Because they had sought it not
by faith. They thought they were doing
everything right, folks. They just didn't believe. They didn't
believe the grace of God in everything that the prophets had told them
of old. They sought it not by faith as
it were, but by the works of the law. For they stumbled at the stumbling
stone as it is written, behold, I lay in Zion, a stumbling stone,
a rock of a fence, and whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed. What is the result of everything
we've discussed in this ninth chapter? Well, number one, it's
pointed everything, pointed us to the sovereignty of God. That's
gonna be my message next hour. All about the sovereignty of
God. Every message I stand before you and bring before you has
to be about that. God's sovereignty in choosing
a people, A people who didn't deserve, a people who are worthy
of God's wrath, God's sovereignty in sending his son to be the
only propitiation, the only a payment, the only atonement, the only
a righteousness, the only sanctification for God's people. His sovereignty
in raising his son from the dead to sit on his throne and whom
he will, he will intercede for. The conclusion of the whole is
this, that those Gentiles who were chosen of God, called by
the Spirit and redeemed by Christ, have obtained the righteousness
of Christ by faith. Though they did not even seek
it, and were abandoned to evil. While
Israel, who had all the advantages of the law, all the oracles,
all the writings of the old prophets, sought acceptance of God, they
found it not. Why? Because Israel, as all natural
mankind, sought righteousness by the works of their flesh,
and not by the grace of God, by the deeds of the law, and
not by faith. Israel stumbled at Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. Instead of looking to Him who
fulfilled all the tithes and the promises of sacrifices, they
rejected Him altogether. What they didn't know is they
were fulfilling God's purpose even then. Had they understood
the prophets, they would have embraced Christ. Therefore, they
were offended by His words, they were ashamed of His cross, and
they crucified Him. And you and I would have been
right there with them. stand with me if you would