Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to today's broadcast. My text for this morning, I just have one verse, and my text for today is from Romans chapter nine and verse 18. This is what the Apostle Paul wrote, Romans chapter nine, verse 18. Speaking of God, the Apostle Paul said these words, therefore, hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth. such an astounding statement by my brother Paul, the Apostle, as a statement concerning the majesty and the character and the might and the right of God Almighty to do as God Almighty pleases. The truth declared here by the Apostle, I'll put it this way, this is my title, this is my subject, if you will, for today's broadcast, mercy or hardening by God's prerogative. Do you hear that? Mercy or hardening by God's prerogative. This is no novel doctrine. This is not something concerning or from the Apostle Paul himself. The scripture is replete with this truth declared. This is no new thing. God has this testimony throughout his word, and I'm gonna give you several verses. I'll just read the verses and make a few comments as I go along, but I wanna read a few verses. But just note this, that when I read these verses, I am but scratching the surface. These are but just a few among hundreds of examples of this, that God has mercy on whom he will have mercy. Listen to what Moses wrote in Exodus. And we read that in Exodus chapter 33. Let me turn to that and listen to what Moses wrote. And Moses is actually, what he wrote here is he's recounting a conversation that he had with God. And this is what is recorded by Moses, Exodus 33, and we'll begin in verse 12. And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, my presence, this is what God said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, if thou, if thou, if that's what Moses said now, and he said unto him, if thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. Now listen to it, here it is. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, Moses said, and he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Now listen to God's response. And God said, and he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee. and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Do you hear that? Listen to the 115th Psalm. Listen to what the 115th Psalm says about God. Psalm 115, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, where is now their God? Here it is, this is what the psalmist says. But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Do you see it? Now listen to 2 Chronicles. Listen to 2 Chronicles. Let me turn to that, 2 Chronicles chapter 20. And listen to what is recorded in 2 Chronicles chapter 20. We read these words, 2 Chronicles chapter 20 in just two verses, verse five and six. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court, and said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven, and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thy hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? The answer's clear. None can stand before God does as he pleases. Listen to the 75th Psalm. An amazing passage there. Psalm 75. And listen to Psalm 75, just a couple verses there. 75, six and seven. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge. He putteth down one, and setteth up another. This is testimony that when the Apostle Paul wrote this concerning God, therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth? This is testimony replete throughout the scripture that this is exactly who God is. Listen to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ himself. and is recorded by Matthew in Matthew chapter 10, or I'm sorry, or I'm sorry, let me look. Matthew chapter 20, I believe it is. Listen to Matthew chapter 20. And listen to what the Lord Jesus Christ himself said. Matthew 20, just two verses here. Verse 15 and 16. This is what the master himself said. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? We're all his creation. He created it, the Lord Jesus Christ himself created it. He's the creator, he's creator God manifest in the flesh. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine an evil because I am good? So the last shall be first and the first last for many are called. but few are chosen. Do you see that? Listen to the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, and listen to what John wrote in Revelation chapter 17, and just a few verses there. Revelation chapter 17, and for the sake of time, I'll read from verse 11 to the end of the chapter. Listen about it, listen to it. Remember, this is no new doctrine. God has mercy on whom he have mercy, and whom he will, he hardens. Listen to Revelation 17, 11. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition, that is, utter ruin. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, listen, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called and chosen and faithful. And He saith unto me, the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked. and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. But then listen to this last verse, last two verses, I'm sorry, 17 and 18 of chapter 17. For God, do you see this? For God, this is what the book of God says. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, the antichrist, if you will, unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled, and the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth. So again, I say, mercy and hardening are by God's sovereign prerogative. This declaration, In Romans 9, verse 18, this declaration concerns two things here. Two things. Who God is. Who God is. Not what men think Him to be. You hear me? Who God is. not what men think him to be. According to Hebrews 11, verse six, the scripture puts it this way. And let me turn to that. I want to read it. I do not want to misquote that one. Hebrews 11, verse six. But without faith, it is impossible to please him. That is, to please God. You'll see that's the context. but without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is. Do you see that? That he is. Certainly this means that he exists, that he actually is, but it means this, that he is who he says he is. You see, you and I don't have the prerogative to choose what we think about God. God has revealed himself in the pages of Holy Scripture, and God declares, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will harden whom I harden. Secondly, this declaration in Romans 9, verse 18, it concerns this, what God does It declares this, what God does, not what men say He's allowed to do. Listen to the words of our Lord Himself. Listen to the Master. Matthew chapter 11, this is what He said about God. God the Father. Matthew chapter 11, it's recorded by Matthew, and these are the words of our Lord. Verse 25. At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee. He's thanking God for this. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and has revealed them unto babes. Do you see that? God has mercy on whom will have mercy. God hardens whom He will. He can take some and just hide it from them, not give it to them. He can take others, it still must be revealed to them, but He reveals it even to whom He will. He hides it from the wise and prudent and has revealed it unto babes. And what was the master's reply to this? Even so, Father, for so it is. It's seen good in thy sight. Do you hear that? Those are the master's words himself. So this declaration, Romans 9, 18, concerns who God is, and it concerns what God does. It's not about, it's not about what, I know what I think about God. That doesn't matter. What matters is what God says about himself, and do I believe it? Do you believe it? It concerns what God does. It's not what we think he ought to do, might do, should do. It's what God does. Do I believe him or do I not? But also, we see something else in this passage, Romans 9 verse 18. This declaration in Romans 9 verse 18, excuse me, concerns two other things. Listen to me. This declaration in Romans 9, 18 concerns who are true Israelites. Who are true Israelites? We see a lot in the news about that country over there called Israel and those people over there called Israelites. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in this same chapter, the chapter of my text, Romans chapter nine. Look at what Paul writes, Romans chapter nine and verse six. He's writing concerning Israelites after the flesh, people who were Jews, people who were Hebrews. Look what he says. Think about that. They are not all Israel which are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, or in other words, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Do you see that? So this passage in Romans 9 verse 18, which says, God has mercy on whom will have mercy, and God hardens whom he will, it concerns who are true Israelites. And also in this same chapter, this verse, Romans 9, 18, concerns God's right to choose one individual. You hear what I'm saying? Listen to what I'm saying. It concerns God's right to choose one individual and not another individual. Look at it, Romans chapter nine, we will read on. Verse nine of Romans nine. For this is the word of promise, at that time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. God chose and purposed who that son would be and God was the one that brought it to pass. Abraham was passed producing a child and Sarah was passed the ability to conceive a child, but God made sure it happened. Now look, and not only this, verse 10, and not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the children, she had twins in her womb, she had twins in her womb, for the children, listen, 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. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. This is who God is. He has mercy on whom he'll have mercy, and whom he will, he will harden. So we see that this verse, just this single verse, Romans 9 verse 18, he has mercy on whom he will, he hardens whom he will. This concerns who are true Israelites. And it concerns God's right to choose one individual and not another individual. That's his sovereign prerogative. But there's something else. that this declaration in Romans 9, 18 says. One, one, three things here. One, it shuts out man's will and man's efforts. Do you hear me? I said it shuts out, it completely obliterates man's will and man's efforts, man's decisions and man's doings. Robins chapter 9 and verse 11, I'll read it again. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil. Do you see that? Both of those are true. They weren't even born yet, neither had they done good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. Do you see that? Now look at Romans chapter nine and look at what it says in verse 15, 15 and 16. For he saith to Moses, now, Paul is quoting what I read to you earlier before back in Exodus. For God said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Listen, listen to the conclusion of this. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. It's not up to you. It's not up to me. It's up to God. He shows mercy on whom he will show mercy, and he hardens whom he will. That's what this Romans 9, 18 declares. It shuts out man's will, it shuts out my will, it shuts out your will, it shuts out my efforts, it shuts out your efforts, and declares that it's all according to the sovereign will, the sovereign prerogative of God himself. Secondly, It includes, thank God for this. Romans chapter nine, same chapter, Romans chapter nine, verse 24. It includes, this includes, that is this mercy, this compassion that God shows us He will. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, I'll harden whom I will. It includes both Jew and Gentile. Listen to it, verse 24. Even on us, whom he hath called, and the context here is God's mercy. The mercy mentioned in verse 23. Even us, whom he hath called. You realize God's got to call you. God's got to call you. It's not about you calling on him, though call on him you must. It's about him calling you first. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, oh, here's something I'm glad for, but also of the Gentiles. Isn't that wonderful? I realize some people say, I don't like that. I hate that. I understand, I do. But I no longer hate that. I love it. God Almighty has been pleased by His free and reigning grace in Christ to open my eyes and my ears and my heart to hear the truth of who He really is and no longer despise it and malk it and dislike it, but rather to love Him for who He is. Remember, this declaration in Romans 9, 18, it shuts out man's will and man's efforts. It includes both Jews and Gentiles. That is this mercy and this grace. But I will also say that this hardening includes both Jews and Gentiles as well. He has mercy on whom will have mercy and whom he will, he hardness. Thirdly, it includes both destruction and glory. Do you hear me? Destruction and glory at God's prerogative. Same chapter, Romans nine, two verses, 22 and 23. What if God, and I'm gonna put it this way, what is it to us? It's not our business. God is who he is. God does not condescend down and make us like, make himself like us. Oh no. We were created in his image, but we fail in the garden. We fail. Listen, what if God willing, do you see that? What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath? Do you see it? The vessels of wrath, the vessels of hatred, the vessels of hardening. All those phrases are used in this chapter. The vessels of wrath, but look, fitted. Do you see it? Fitted to destruction. Fitted to destruction. all upon whom God's wrath resides, they're fit for it. They deserve it. It's the way it must be. Again, I say, this declaration, simple declaration in Romans 9, 18, it shuts out man's will and man's efforts. It includes both Jews and Gentiles. It includes both destruction and glory, for he goes on to say, and that he might make known, verse 23, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath afore prepared unto glory. And then I'll read verse 24 again. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. You see, when God hardens, when God hardens, and he hardens whom he will. He says it in his book. When God hardens, and he hardens whom he will, he does not harden some good people. Because Paul is clear about this in Romans chapter nine, it says this, Romans three, I'm sorry, Romans three verse nine, what then? Are we better than they? That is, is the Jew better than the Gentile? The Jew had all of these? advantages over Gentiles. What then? Are we better than they? No and no wise, for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. You see, God doesn't take a good person and harden them and make them bad. No sir, look, look. As it is written, there is none righteous. No, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together becoming profitable. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. So when God hardens, he didn't take a good person and make them bad. We're all bad by nature. And all really God's got to do to harden us is just leave us to ourselves. Not show us mercy is Him hardening us. Him not taking the prerogative toward us in grace and mercy and compassion will harden us. As a matter of fact, apart from the work of God in your soul, the more you hear the truth, the more you'll hate it. and the more you'll despise it, but we're told to keep on preaching it anyway. Listen, listen. They're all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher. With their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of asp is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. That's me by nature. That's you by nature. And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. So again, I say this. When God hardens, and He hardens whom He will, He does not harden some good people. But even so, there are none good for Him to show mercy to. The very fact that He must show mercy is because we're not good. We're not righteous. We don't seek after him. He must seek us. He must show us mercy. And he has mercy on whom he will, and whom he will, he hardens. Fourthly, It includes, that is this Declaration of Romans 9, 18. It includes God's sovereign right and God's sovereign might over all. Verses 18 through 21. Therefore hath he mercy on whom I have mercy, and whom he will he harden? Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replyest 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 unto honor and another unto dishonor? That's right. Here's a fifth thing. God, God, God the Son, I ask you the question, God the Son, has God the Son, God made flesh, God the Lamb, the Lamb of God as the dispenser or withholder of all things? This reveals Him. Listen to what Paul wrote in Colossians. And this is an astounding, astounding passage. Listen to Colossians chapter one. Quickly, listen to what it says. Giving thanks unto the Father, verse 12, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. You see, this is all an act of God. It's all a work of God, it's not up to us. It's a work of God. In whom we have redemption through his blood, that's Jesus Christ, even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, for by him were all things created that are in heaven. Remember I told you, Jesus Christ the Lord is the creator. that are in heaven and that are in earth, whether they're visible or invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. Do you see it? Mercy or hardening is by God's prerogative. This is God the Father. This is God the Son. This is God the Holy Spirit. And these three are one, the book says. I can't explain it. I just preach it. These three are one. This is God the Father. This is God the Son. This is God the Holy Spirit. Believe Christ as he is, then God's been showing mercy to you. Believe him as he is, God's been showing mercy to you. Reject him as he is, God is hardening you, and hardening you, and hardening you. The book of God says it. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy? in whom he will, he hardeneth. Amen.