Alright, our text this morning
is two verses, but it will take us all over Romans and many other
places as well in the Scripture. Romans 10, verse 20 and 21. And so that you might know, let
me give you the title of my message today. And it is this, Sovereign
Election as Seen in the Calling of the Gentiles. sovereign election
manifested in the calling of the Gentiles. And look at verse
20 and 21, and you'll see that there. But Isaiah is very bold
and said, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made
manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel,
he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto
a disobedient and against saying people." Now, the doctrine of
sovereign election is clearly evident and plainly visible in
several ways in the Scripture. Some examples of the open election
of our God are Abraham and his call. when God, by His sovereign
mercy, called Abraham out of his country and away from his
people, and to go into a land which he had not known. Some
examples again are promised to make of him a great people, that
he would be the father of many nations. We see it again in the
house of Jacob. His peculiar people, they are
called by God. a nation to whom he would give
his ordinances and his worship, and they would know and worship
him. For centuries then, only would
he know all of the families of the earth besides that one that
he had known and chosen through Abraham. Again we see election
in the birth of Jacob and of Esau. In fact, we see here both
election and its counterpart, reprobation. And Paul notes that
in Romans 9, 11 through verse 13. Then, of course, there is
the clear evidence of the election of several prominent characters
found in the Scripture. I've mentioned Abraham, but there
is Jeremiah, there is Paul, and there is the prophet of God. However, in this study, we want
to confine our attention and our subject to the sovereign
election of God from the standpoint of the calling and the conversion
of the Gentiles. And thankfully, to study that,
we are greatly blessed with ample support for our subject out of
the Sacred Scripture. We're not lacking for texts that
speak to us of this manifestation of God's election. And that both
in the Old and the New Testament of a people and of a nation who
would later share in the blessings of God. Before we open up the
text that we have read, let us try, as we might, to get a handle
on the broader context that lies there in the book of Romans. And perhaps this is best done
if we remember that Paul is declaring a very painful and a very offensive
thing unto the Jews as he is writing. Offensive and hurtful
they were unto them, such as the question Why was the gospel
so poorly received among the Jew? Why, like the prophet Isaiah
cried out, have so few believed our report? Notwithstanding their
many privileges enumerated in Romans 9 verse 4 and verse 5,
and in spite of their zeal for God, in Romans chapter 10 and
verse 2. So in the end, Paul will lay
this to the sovereignty of God, that it is all in accordance
with a fixed and eternal purpose of God which He purposed before
the world began. At the same time, Paul also treats
the matter practically, showing why the Jews had not attained
the righteousness of God and why the Gentiles had come to
own the righteousness of God. And the answer is that the Jews
had made a fatal mistake in that they sought righteousness by
the works and by the deeds of the law. They did not believe
the gospel where righteousness is revealed and imputed, while
the Gentiles believed and received the righteousness of God and
were saved." I want to back up to chapter 9, and there are three
or four verses here that I'd like to enter in and read. Verse 30 through verse 33. What
shall we say then? that the Gentiles have followed
not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even
the righteousness which is not of the law, but of faith. But
Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath
not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Why? What is the reason? because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled
at that stumbling stone, as it is written, Behold, I lay in
Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whosoever believeth
on him shall not be ashamed." So the question then put forth
is, What shall we say then? And then he answers the question
in a good way. Now, if we might see a contrast
here in verse 30 and verse 32, in what we might call an enigma
or a mystery, if you will, in that the Gentiles have done a
strange and marvelous thing has happened to them, in that without
them pursuing the righteousness of God, they have attained it. Chapter 9, verse 30. While in
chapter 9, verse 31, Israel which sought it diligently and all
the time had not arrived at righteousness. Now get that. The Gentiles sought
it not and arrived. The Jews sought it not and failed
or fell short. And the question is why? Well, we understand the sovereignty
of God, but we are also speaking practically this morning. And
that is because the Gentiles believed, and the Jews did not. They did not seek it by faith,
but in the works of the law. And this is the practical side
of the matter. This is the practical outworking
of the sovereign purpose of God. Faith as opposed to the works
of the law. And Paul here does another wise
thing which should carry very great weight with the Jews of
his day. What he does is he quotes the
prophet's words on the matter that is under discussion. Why
have so many Jews Why have so many children at seed of Abraham
failed to attain the promise and righteousness? So he quickly
quotes from some of the prophets. Notice here, in Romans 9 verse
25 and verse 26, he is quoting from the prophet Hosea chapter
2 verse 23 and chapter 1 and verse 10. In Romans 9, 27 and 28, he is
quoting from the prophet Isaiah. You'll find that in chapter 10
and verse 22 and 23. In Romans 9 and verse 29, he
quotes again from Isaiah, this time chapter 1 and verse 9. In Romans 10 and verse 8, he
quotes from Deuteronomy chapter 30 and verse 14. In chapter 10 and 11 of Romans,
he quotes from Isaiah 28 and verse 16. In Romans 10 and verse
16, he takes it from Isaiah 53 and verse 1. In Romans 10 and
verse 19, it refers to Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 21. And our text here in Romans 10
20 and 21 references Isaiah chapter 65 and verse 1 and also verse
2. Now the conclusion, therefore,
Paul is doing what any good, sound, wise minister of the gospel
should do, and that is he is proving his doctrine by the Scripture. He is bringing his teaching to
the touchstone of Scripture to show that it is in accord with
the Word of God. And he shows two things that
were contained in their Scripture. Two things that they should not
have missed and should have known. Number one, that Israel would
stumble at Messiah and few of them would believe His report
and espouse Him. Number two, the prophets, beginning
with Moses, spoke of an in-gathering of other people, a great change,
the introduction of the nations into the worship of God. Now, to get at our subject, come
with me to verse 19 of chapter 10, and consider the question,
but I say, Did not Israel know? In verse 18 he asks, What have
they heard? Now the question in verse 19
bids us raise the question, Know what? Did not Israel know? Know what? What should they have
known? What could they have known had
they but been in their prophets and scripture? Why would they
be without excuse for being ignorant and stumbling at this great work
of God? How could they be ignorant, we
ask, of a thing that is so often repeated over and over and set
forth again and again in their sacred Scripture? And that by
such notables as Moses and David and Jeremiah and the statesman
prophet Isaiah. Now, I have to come down on the
side of those such as John Gill and others who understand Paul's
question to refer to the two things stated or suggested by
the prophet. The calling of the Gentiles and
the casting off or the stumbling of the Jews. Now, the context
seems to confirm this. Verse 19, Did not Israel know? For first Moses said, and then
verse 20 and 21, And then too, says the Apostle Paul, Isaiah
is very bold and speaks most clearly upon the subject. What did Moses say? What did
Moses predict? And where can it be found in
the Scripture? Now the reference again is to
Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 21, and that's summed up by Paul
here in Romans chapter 10 and verse 19. Now note, Moses uses
such descriptions as, them that are no people. Them that are
not a people. Not a people of God. And again
he uses the expression, a foolish nation. Moses said, God will
anger you with another nation and a foolish people. Now as
Paul recalls this, this was spoken to Israel by Moses in Deuteronomy
32. For there Moses is standing and
is rebuking the people for their unfaithfulness to God. And here is a close translation
of what he said. told them. He had told them that
another people would be favored over them. And this people would
be foolish and they would be ignorant. They would be a strange
people and a strange nation. They would be such, even as in
their past had been idolaters, worshipers of false deities and
of false gods and idols. Or as John Murray wrote, strangers
and aliens will become partaker of covenant favor and blessings."
And the prediction of Moses was absolutely fulfilled in the conversion
of the Gentiles upon hearing the gospel in the days of Christ
and after. Conclusion, as Nicodemus should
have known about regeneration and the new birth, so the Jewish
teachers, elders, and leaders should have known that God would
call a people from the Gentiles, since they are written up very
clearly in the Old Testament Scripture, one prophet after
another. But in verse 20 of our text,
Paul goes further. Not only has Moses said this,
But now he confirms the same thing by the testimony of the
venerable prophet Isaiah. And if Moses' words seem to appear
obscure or unclear or hard to understand, not so with Isaiah,
for Isaiah is clear and to the point. And he considers Isaiah's
prophecy as being quite bold or very bold. The prophet minces
no words in declaring this, nor does he try to hide the matter
or slip it by even unnoted. He says in Isaiah 65 and verse
1, speaking in the name of God, two things. Number one, I was,
Isaiah says, I am, found of them that sought me not. Secondly, I was, or as Isaiah
says, I am, made manifest unto them that sought or asked not
after me. And then look at the last part
of Isaiah 65 and 1. I said, behold me, behold me
unto a nation that was not called by my name. And let us see that
which we would not expect, nor many Jews expect. I was found
of them that sought Me not." Listen to that. I've been found
by those not seeking Me. I was made manifest to them that
are not inquiring or asking after Me. That is, a people not searching,
a people not asking, not seeking, not hunting God, have come to
know Him in a saving relationship. And while not inquiring after
Jehovah God, yet is Jehovah manifest to them in and through the Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Thus Paul considers it a bold
thing for the prophet to have said or predicted For it is not
expected that God will be found of those not seeking Him. Nor does it seem that God will
manifest Himself in saving salvation to those not interested in knowing
Him. So what is this then that Paul
is saying? This is one, as one expositor
put it, the paradox of being found when not sought indicates
the sovereignty of grace." A paradox now is not two doctors. A paradox
is a statement that seems contrary to one another or contrary to
reality. They seem contradictory. I'm
found of them that sought me not. I manifest of them that
ask not after me. These are, however, statements
expressing the secret election of the Gentiles and the eternal
purpose of God. And as we noted in chapter 9
and verse 30 of Romans, these were people who did not follow
a law of righteousness. In fact, what was the true state
of the Gentiles in time past? before God opened to them the
door of faith and granted them repentance. One of the better
descriptions of their previous predicament and calling is found
from Paul in Ephesians 2. And I'd like to turn there and
just read verse 11 and verse 12 of Ephesians 2. Paul speaks
now to the Ephesian section of that church and he says this,
Wherefore, remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the
flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision
in the flesh made by hands, watch verse 12, that at that time ye
were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and
without God in the world. In fact, Paul shows that their
situation was doubly bad in Ephesians chapter 2 from what they were
first by nature and what they were by nationality. By nature, they were dead in
trespasses and in sin. By nationality, They were outcast
from the worship of God and given over to their idol. But God also
provided them a double cure. If they have a double fault,
there is a double cure. For number one, being dead in
trespasses and in sin, God quickened them. He regenerated them. He put new life and a new spirit
within them by an almighty and a sovereign work. But secondly,
since they were a far off and without hope, being far off by
nationality, being heathens, pagans, and idolaters, yet he
brought them near by the blood and the death of Jesus our Lord. And in verse 12 of Ephesians
2, lays bare their former condition." Let's hear it again. They were
without Christ. They were without God. Literally,
they were godless. It is not that they had not accepted
God, as we hear that language today. It was that they were
without a saving revelation of God. In Romans 4 and verse 8,
when they knew not God, They did service, they literally served
as slaves to them who were by nature no gods. That is, they
were not real gods at all that these people were worshipping,
only so in the vain imagination of the worshipper and by human
superstition. Remember what Paul said, 2 Corinthians
8, verse 5 and 6 to them? There are many lords and gods,
but to us there is but One, the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thus they were also alienated
from the commonwealth of Israel. They were strangers from the
covenants of promise. They were destitute of hope. They did not live under the law
of God. They were not knowledgeable of
the covenants, the promises of God. and therefore were hopeless. Even so, when they were in this
condition, God brought them near by the blood of Christ. And what did He do? He made them
fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God,
again in Ephesians 2. And they are, with the Jews,
reconciled in one body unto Christ. with the Jews, reconciled, built
upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, who is the chief cornerstone,
fitly framed together in the building as living stones of
the holy temple of the Lord Christ Himself, being the foundation. The question at this point might
enter perhaps into our mind, or in the mind of some, was the
calling of the Gentiles and after thought with God. After all these
centuries of dealing with a rebellious gain, saying, rebellious again
and again, Jews, was the calling of the Gentile and after thought
with God. What is the reason why the Gentile,
after so many years in idolatry and following after false gods,
are called into the gospel way of worship. Has God altered His
will and His purpose? Has He changed His providence
in the calling of the Gentiles? Or to put it another way, has
God become over the years, centuries, so frustrated with the disobedience
of the Jew that He has caused the Word of God to be sent unto
the Gentiles. Was it because the Gentiles were
pressing in to the Kingdom of God and inquiring and desiring
to know that way of worship? Now granted, a few Gentiles there
were over the course of history who became proselytes, as we
say, in the gate. But the greater body of the Gentiles
kept unto their idols. They were content to stay and
to worship their idol. They were, says Isaiah and Paul,
not seeking God and not inquiring after Him. So then, what is the
reason for such great drastic change in God's dealing with
people? As we said earlier, there are
two aspects of this. There is of course the practical,
that is by that I mean the unbelief of the Jew, the practical side
of it. Romans 11 and verse 20 said it
was because of their unbelief. And using there the metaphor
of a tree, he says because of their unbelief, they were broken
off. And the Gentiles, wow! olive
branches are grafted in contrary unto nature. Their unbelief,
their stumble at Christ, their rejection of Him. But just like
in the crucifixion of our Lord, men carried it out, but there
was a powerful and secret purpose of God behind it. So that the
ultimate reason for the calling of the Gentiles was the sovereign
purpose of God. These two things can be illustrated,
as I said, in the crucifixion of the Son of God. The instrument
of His death was those wicked men, Pilate, Herod, and the Romans
and such like. The envy and the animosity of
the Jews carried it forward. Their spiritual blindness delivered
Him into the hands of the pagan Romans for the actual crucifixion,
but the ultimate reason is only traceable to, in Acts chapter
2, 22 and 23, the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. Now concerning the purpose of
God pertaining to the admitting of the Gentiles to gospel salvation,
or as it is put in Acts 11, And verse 18, that God to the Gentiles
had granted repentance unto life. Acts 14 and 27, God opened the
door of faith unto the Gentiles. Acts 15 and 14, God visited them
to take out of them a people for His name. And one of the
clearer passages dealing with the purpose of God toward the
Gentiles, carries us again to the Ephesian epistle, but this
time chapter 3. Now if you want to turn, fine. If not, I'm going to read verse
1 through verse 7 of Ephesians chapter 3. Here is a clear explanation
of the calling of the Gentiles. For this calls I, Paul, the prisoner
of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation
of the grace of God which is given me to youward, how that
by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore
in few words, whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge
in the mystery of Christ. which in other ages was not made
known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy
apostle and prophet by the Spirit." And the mystery in verse 6, that
the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body,
and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel, wherefore
I am made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God
given unto me by the effectual working of His power." Now let's
just look over that again scanty quickly. In verse 1, Paul speaks
especially again to the Gentile portion of the church, telling
them in the second verse that a dispensation, or literally,
a stewardship of God's grace was given to him in the behalf
of the Gentile. Verse 3, how to him there was
revealed a mystery concerning the Gentile. We see the word
mystery in verse 3 and again in verse 4. Then in verse 5,
that the mystery was not known in former ages as it came to
be known in the time of the Apostle and of the Prophet. For the very
word mystery here, musterion, used some 20 times in the New
Testament, meaning something that is secret, something that
is hidden, something that is covered until it has been revealed
and the cover taken off. I read that the origination of
this word had to do with some early costs, and they kept it
hidden. They did not let people know
the depths and the degradation of it. So it was mystery. In Ephesians 3 and verse 6, He
names the mystery and tells them that the mystery consists in
the fact, in verse 6, that the Gentiles, or the nation, were
to be fellow heirs or joint heirs in a joint body as well as becoming
joint sharers in the promise of Christ through the gospel. Now, do you ask, is Paul contradicting
himself from one epistle unto the other? For he shows in Romans
10 that the prophets spoke of the nations becoming worshipers
of God. Isaiah and Moses also foretold
it. The Lord Jesus Himself had said
in John 10 and verse 16, Other sheep I have which are not of
this fold, them also I must bring, and there shall be one foal and
one shepherd. Still Paul calls it a mystery
hid in former times. How so if it be written up in
the Scripture can it be called an unknown mystery. Twice in
Ephesians, the third chapter, Paul speaks of this as a thing
covered or hidden or concealed until a certain time. Verse 5, the mystery which was
in other ages not made known. Down in verse 9, which from the
beginning of the world has been hid in God. Remember, all things
are more fully revealed and manifest in Christ than they are under
the types and the shadow. Even though the Jews knew that
the Gentiles would be called, yet they did not know that the
number would be so great or extensive. Not that their number would be
that great, or that Gentiles would ever stand on equal ground
with them as the descendants of Abraham did not think that
they would be regarded with the same divine favor as God regarded
the Jew. Perhaps the Jews thought that
the Gentiles would only become like the proselytes of old and
live as proselytes and practice with them Judaism. Matthew 23
and verse 15. When a proselyte was made, they
accepted the Jewish rituals, including circumcision, and gave
themselves up to it. But to the great surprise, it
was not a matter of Gentiles living as Jews, but it was a
matter of Jews living as Gentiles. If you see another paradox, they
must abandon the law, the Jew must, The Jew must abandon the
law as a means of justification. You see that in Galatians 2 and
14 and 15. Paul said to Peter, look, we
Jews have abandoned the law in order for justification. John
Eady wrote on that passage, quote, to disregard the old distinction
of meats and drinks and race, unquote, is to be brought in.
The believing Gentile were not to be put under the ceremonial
law as the Jews had done the proselyte. Instead, they were
to live in the absolute full liberty of the gospel of Christ
the Lord. Let us think of one of the parables
of the blessed Son of God which He spake, found in Matthew chapter
23 and verse 21, I'm sorry, And verse 33-44, we're not going
to read it. It's long. It's the parable of
the vineyard and the husbandman. The caretakers, or the vine growers. A man made a great vineyard.
He stocked it well. It was the best. He let it out
to vine growers, tenant farmers, and he went on his way to receive
his fruit at the time of harvest. And when he came to receive his
fruit or sent his servants, they beat one, they killed another,
they cast them out. He sent more servants. They did
the same. Finally, he said, I will send
my son. Surely they will reverence Him. And you know what they did when
the son came? They said, this is the heir. Let's kill him and seize upon
the vineyard that it might be ours. Now when they heard that,
the Lord kind of catechizes them, question and answer. The Lord
asks His hearers, how will the Lord of the vineyard deal with
those men when He comes where they are? What will He do to
those evil usurpers? Verse 41, they're answering,
condemning themselves. They say He will do two things. Number one, He will miserably,
utterly destroy those wicked men. And number two, He will
let the vineyard out to some, bringing forth the fruits thereof. He will give it new management,
in other words. And in Matthew 21, verse 43,
the Lord says this to them, The kingdom of God shall be taken
from you, given unto a nation or a people who will produce
fruit unto God. Thus we see that the Lord Himself,
in both open teaching and parabolic form, taught the great change
from the Jew unto the Gentile. The Lord Himself had told that
such would come in the days ahead. Now, one final thought concerning
the enlarged calling of God including the Gentile. That in the wisdom
of God, God's all-knowing wisdom and His sovereign purpose, He
deemed it wise and good that the admission of the Gentiles
to gospel grace and salvation and the proclamation of the gospel
unto them required a special and particular apostle to guide
and to oversee the transition. And that apostle was Paul. The apostle to the Gentiles,
he calls himself. The special one to the Gentiles. You'll see him claiming that
in Romans 11, 13. Acts 9, 15. He was told that
that would be his work. 1 Timothy 2 and verse 7. And 2 Timothy 1, verse 11 all
mention Paul as an apostle unto the Gentiles. And one thing to
admire about Paul, or to admire about the grace of God in Paul,
is that Paul was more quickly and more fully delivered from
the Jewish prejudices than any of the other apostles or prophets
or servants of the Lord. And from the beginning, Paul
stood for free grace. and gospel purity. And he understood,
by special revelation, the purpose of God toward the Gentile, and
that he was that anointed and called apostle. Now, election
was manifested when strange people, idolaters, are brought to Christ
and are saved without the works of the law. brought directly
to God through Christ were the Gentiles, not through the entanglements
of the Mosaic Law. You know, they were not seeking
God, the prophet said, and yet are they found. They did not
ask after Him, but He is manifest. They did not go looking for God,
but they were found of God. I don't know about you, I was
not seeking the Lord when He began or commenced His work in
me. Were you? Were you seeking the
Lord? Nor was Saul of Tarshish seeking
the Lord, but God is found of them that sought Him not. Election
will not and cannot miscarry. It may remain hid until it is
manifest in regeneration, and in conversion, so that Paul could
say to 1 Thessalonians 1, 4, and 5, knowing, brethren, beloved,
your election of God for our gospel came not in word only,
but also in power and in demonstration. 1 Thessalonians 1, 4, and 5. So, Isaiah has made a very bold
prediction. Those not seeking God are found
of Him. Those not inquiring after God
has had Him manifest unto them. This is the wonder of God's secret
and wonderful eternal election of grace. He had chosen whom
He will in Christ before the foundation of the world. And
in due time, in the proper time, yea, in the fullness of time,
in God's time, that will be manifest by their regeneration and by
their calling and conversion unto the Lord. The worst sinner
that we see might be an elect, and the most moral man that we
meet might be a reprobate. We cannot tell by outward appearances
until it is manifest. And it was manifest in the Gentiles,
the election of grace, by their being called to gospel, salvation,
and worship. Thank you much. Let's stand together,
please, for a word of prayer.