All right, if you wish to follow
along, we turn into Romans chapter nine. While you're turning, let
me change something here. All right, Romans chapter nine.
I'll kind of start off reading a verse and where I kind of left
off last time. Romans chapter 9 verse 6 and
we will read down through verse 21. I will not deal with all
of that this morning but I do want to read to at least verse
21 because that verse is pertinent to my message this morning. Romans
9 and verse 6 of course Paul is continuing and now he's giving
the explanation to this thing of the Israelites and their failure,
their utter failure and unbelief And he writes these words, he
wrote these words. Not as though the word of God
has taken none effect. What God says will come to pass. If it looks like it's not coming
to pass, it's only because we are viewing man instead of God. Not as though the word of God
has taken none effect, for they are not all Israel, which are
of Israel. And notice he didn't say they're
not all Israelites, which are of him who was the original Israelite. They're not all Israel. That's
a definitive term. It's an explanation of a people.
They're not all Israel, which are of Israel. In everyday human
language, it is a conundrum at best. It is a misrepresentation
to the flesh. They are not all Israel. which
are of Israel. Neither, now he's going to give
another illustration of this, neither because they are the
seed of Abraham. And I'm taking time to do this
now because I'm not going to do this later. I'm going to approach
this in a little different manner. Neither because they are the
seed of Abraham, neither because they're the physical descendants
of Abraham. That's what he's talking about.
Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all
children." Now, of course the physical seed of Abraham were
children. They were born infants. You understand
that Paul is speaking here in gospel language. He's defining
some of the, or at least one of the great mysteries of God.
Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all
children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is,
now he's going to explain this one. He didn't explain the first
one. He just said they're not all
Israel, which are of Israel. But he gives a brief explanation
of this one. That is, they which are the children
of the flesh, natural descendants of Abraham. They that are the
children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. Now we know that. I didn't make
up what I said about the previous verse. Paul's explaining himself. Just because you're a physical
descendant of Abraham doesn't mean you're a child of God. Now
I think to us, of course, and to others who may hear me, but
we understand that. We've been taught, we understand
it, but in Paul's day, This was an astounding statement to make.
Because most Jews thought they were a child of God just because
they were of Abraham. You remember what one group,
we have Abraham to our father. That is, he says, 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. For this is the word of promise.
And he gives us one brief quote. He could have quoted several
things, several things concerning this promise that God gave to
Abraham in the Old Testament, but he uses a particular quote.
At this time, this is God speaking. Now, this is what God said to
Abraham. At this time will I come. Now, would he come or would he
not? He was going to come. He hadn't come yet, but he would
come. At this time, I will come and Sarah shall have a son. Now, this is astounding when
we remember the fact that Sarah was barren, even as a young woman
and could not bear children. She did not just not have a child. She could not bear a child. And when this took place, when
God did come, she was well up into late 80s or 90 years old. This is the word of promise,
at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, so he's giving
us a third illustration. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, Now he's
going to explain before he goes any further. For the children
be not yet born. And I know there are those who
say, well, the word children is interpolated. And it's true.
It is put in there. But if you read the context,
it's clear he's talking about two individual people. Yes, sir. For the children be not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of
God according to election might stand. In other words, listen
to me now. God being all wise, had he left
anything up to man, it would throw a kink in his purpose of
election. If he left anything up to man,
it would throw a kink in his purpose of election. But God
will not allow anything to kink his purpose of election. According
to the election might stand, not of works, And I will say
this again, emphasize it, evil or good. That's the context here. And this is talking about the
purpose of God in grace. It's not talking about heaven
and hell. Men go to hell because of sin and sins. Men go to heaven
because of righteousness. That still always stands. That's
true. That's true. But of him, not
of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, that is,
it was said unto Rebekah, the elder shall serve the younger
as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but he shall have I
hated. And God meant exactly what he
said. Amen. Yes, sir. But I will say
this, this only about this. Both of these attributes or perfections,
I like that word, these perfection, his love and his hate, both of
them are absolutely holy and right. We could have no assurance
that our hate is right, but we have no assurance that even our
love is right. John talks about a love that's
not of God, now does it not? So when men, and I know in the
age, especially in the age in which we live, boy, hate is a
hated word. Our God hates. He said so. That makes it so, whether I like
it and you like it or not. Jacob have I loved and Esau have
I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Paul knew that man's not different
today. Men objected to this truth even
back then. Yes, sir. That's right. What
shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. Sounds almost very similar to
what God said to Abraham recorded by Paul back in verse 9. At this
time I will come. and Sarah shall have a son, right? Okay. So then, we will sum this
part up. So then, it, what is it? The
election, the purpose, the calling, everything, everything, all of
it. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. I will read on, but let me say
this. It is amazing to me. Our depravity is so deep. that we don't mind being hoodwinked
when we're younger into believing what Paul talks about here has
something to do with a whole different matter other than mercy
and grace and salvation. I was taught this had to do with
who would be in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God
was sovereign in choosing who would be the progenitors of Jesus
Christ. It has nothing to do with that
other than the vision of Israelites whose are the fathers, as whom
concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God bless forever,
amen. He is talking about mercy and
grace and compassion and God's purpose, gracious purpose of
election. Let me move on. For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up. What was
the end of Pharaoh? Exactly. I'm not even going to
mention it. If you're not sure, go look it up. What was the end
of Pharaoh? Whatever it was, God purposed
that exact end. And He raised him up, put him
in power. He was born in the line of the
Pharaohs and became the next Pharaoh after his daddy or whoever
it was was gone. And he came to power. This particular
Pharaoh back, God raised him up. For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I
might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. And Hollywood can't help it.
They still even make movies about God delivering the Jews, the
Israelites, out of Egypt and slaughtering Pharaoh and his
army. Now don't they? They can't help it. You know
why? Because God stuck it in our psyche.
This is what I did to Pharaoh and his armies. Therefore, hath
he mercy on whom will have mercy. And now he comes right out and
just writes it. The spirit of God moves in the
writing. And whom he will, he hardens. Now, again, I will stop. Nowhere in the scripture is it
taught that here's a good man and God hardens him into a bad
man. The problem is we're all born, conceived, born, and live
as bad men and women. We all are naturally hard by
nature. God doesn't have to put something
evil in us to harden us. You know how God hardens us?
I know some people say he leaves you alone. That doesn't make
you hard. You're already hard. You know
how God hardens you? By constantly forcing the truth in your face.
That's what he did with Pharaoh. 10 times. 10 times. Not because it took God 10 times
to do it, but because God purposed 10 times to do it. Therefore
have they mercy on whom will have mercy, and whom he will
he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, why
doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will? Now folks,
there is a very real, absolute sense in which no man or woman
saved or lost, elect or reprobate, enemy or friend of God, is ever
outside of the will of God. Now there are many men, all men
as a matter of fact by nature, revolt against the revealed will
of God in this word. But none can revolt against God's
sovereign purpose because even their revolt is under the control
of God's sovereign purpose. I thought about this while Joe
was preaching. It's not even in my notes. About Peter, what a blessed truth
that is. Think about if the Lord came
and told you tomorrow, before the rooster even crows in the
morning, you're gonna deny me three times. Automatic, you're
gonna be like, what? This is not a happy thing I'm
looking toward. That is it. And then people say,
well, you people give man license to sin. Well, you listen to me.
God Almighty gave Satan license to so tempt Peter that he would
deny him three times. Because Satan had to desire.
He didn't demand it of God. He didn't sneak in behind God
and do it. He had to desire it. Christ granted
to him. They said, Peter, don't let your
heart be troubled. you will utterly fail miserably. But in here, you'll still know
who I am. In here, you'll still know who
I am. Now, I thank God for that. They can call it license to sin
all they want. That's my only hope. Thou wilt
say then unto me, what if he yet find fault for who hath resisted
his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replies against God? He does not try to logically
work this out in human language. He said, such an attitude is
replying against God. Yes, sir. Shall the thing formed
say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Here's
my last verse for this morning. Hath not the potter power? And that includes all that the
word power means. Not just one facet. Power means
right. and might. Hath not the potter
the right and the might over the clay of the same lump to
make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? The answer
is rhetorical. He does have that power. Now, in my text, our brother
Paul the Apostle clearly declares, and this is my message and my
subject, God's distinctive purpose of grace. There is, anybody who
reads this knows what Paul's saying, unless they've been so
brainwashed in false Christianity that they think it means something
else. They have to have been hoodwinked
very early. If you just read this to anybody,
they'd say, whoa. That sounds like God's in charge
of both Pharaoh and Moses and everybody else, doesn't it? Exactly. Even some of these really bad
translations of the Bible, when they get to Romans 9, they can't
skirt of what Paul's saying here. And when they put it even in
their own language, they still declare God's absolutely sovereign. Amen. Now granted, they may take
some things out of it. Let me go on. See, what God has
said, what God has said will come to pass. What God has decreed,
and there are some things, some things that God has decreed that
he's clearly informed us of in this book. There are secret things. There are things he's decreed
he's told nobody about. Yes, sir. And we have no need
to try to delve into them because they are secret. They're secret
to us. They're not secret to God. Let
them alone. Don't delve into those questions.
But if this book tells us God is going to do this, then God
is going to do this. OK? So let's get this. That's
what Paul said. What God has said is never voided,
not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. being born of the man Israel,
that's Jacob originally. Remember his name was changed
to Israel. But God never ceased calling him Jacob sometime. Sometimes he still referred to
Jacob as Jacob rather than Israel even after he changed his name
to Israel. Why? Because those who were born of
God are still what they were before God gave them new birth.
We're still Jacobs even after God makes us Israels. So this
being born of the man Israel never guaranteed one to be spiritually
blessed of God. They are not all Israel. witchery
of Israel. Now here's the point. Israel,
well, let me just go on, I'm gonna jump ahead of myself. Second
illustration, being born of the man Abraham, never guaranteed
one to be a child of God. We just read that, verses seven,
eight, and nine. Never did. It's not that it changed
now because we're in a different dispensation, it never was so. It never was so. I was brought
up that at one time, if you were a Jew, boy, I mean, you were
a shoo-in unless you were really, really, really bad. You know,
you were pretty much a shoo-in. At least I was taught that. There
are those who teach, if you're a Jew, well, bless God, you was
set. That's never, ever, ever been
so. Never, never. Being born of the
man Abraham never guaranteed one to be a child of God. Being
born of Isaac, never guaranteed God's love and God's elective
purpose. Esau was born of Isaac just as
much as Jacob was. As a matter of fact, Esau came
out of the womb first. Yes, sir. And we know we've got
a couple here having their birthdays today. They're twins, but one
of them were born first. That's right. We were just talking
about that a moment ago. Now, again, I don't want to get
ahead of myself. Both John and Paul are clear
on this. Let's read it to you because
I know time is getting away from me here. John chapter 1, listen
to what John wrote. Writing of Christ. He was in
the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew
Him not. He came to His own, 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, which were born. And it had nothing
to do with blood, or the will of the flesh, nor the will of
man. It had solely and wholly to do with God. Paul is clear on this, and we've
already read it and looked at it. For he is not a Jew which
is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which outward
in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the
heart in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not
of men but of God. He just said the same thing John
did, only in a few different words. That's what he said. That's
what he said. Now take note. The Spirit of
God moved our brother to refute in these three examples. Number
one, bloodline. He moves him to refute, number
two, that it has anything to do with the flesh, natural descendancy,
not just bloodline, but natural descendancy and our ability,
our flesh, our fallen selves. He also refutes, number three,
that it has anything to do with man in general. Bloodline. And all three examples, all three
examples, all three examples show it's not bloodline. Isaac
had 12 sons. Right, am I right? Yes, Isaac
had 12, right? Yes, Isaac. 12 sons and one daughter. But nobody ever mentions the
daughter much, do they? Think of it. 12 boys and one
girl. Abraham had Hagar and Ishmael. Ishmael had nothing to do with
it. Matter of fact Ishmael was rejected. Yes, sir Rejected but
then you have not only that you have Isaac having twins Two boys
of the same mama now folks Israel had four wives And I told pity
I was gonna say this and it's gonna go out there he couldn't
keep his britches up I Huh? The man had four wives. And he didn't get to have a child
with his favorite wife until last. And that was Joseph and
Benjamin. This thing of salvation ain't
like insurance sales. Do you see all of the difference?
He had four wives. Certainly, if I got four wives
and 13 kids, 12 boys and one girl, certainly if I keep having
enough, one of them's gotta be a child of God. That's kind of
like insurance sales. They send you out enough leads,
and the more leads you go to, the more likely you are to make
a sale, right? That's the way insurance works.
I did a little bit of it, didn't do very well at it. I'm not an
insurance salesman anymore. No. Salvation is of the Lord. The variety was ordained of God,
but that don't mean it was a pleasing thing to God. God's original
order is, and the two shall become one flesh. Not in the one shall
become one flesh with two and three and four and five. Now
does it? God's original order has always
been, our Lord put it this way, from the beginning, one man,
one woman coming together in marital union. And yet God overrules
our rebellion in spite of ourself. Jacob He was a polygamist. He had hormones that he hardly
could control. And yet God used even that rebellion
against his ordained order to fulfill his sovereign purpose.
I know most churches and preachers are not going to preach and let
that out of the bag, but that's the way it is. It's just like
this thing of, Oh, No, we just want to stop abortion, all these
poor babies. It ain't the poor babies. This
is just my opinion. I figure if that infant's killed
in the womb, and that's what it is, if it's killed in the
womb, God takes that soul to glory. And that soul will be
a mature individual in glory. My problem ain't with the children,
it's with the fathers and the mothers and the doctors and everybody
else who are doing these things. Now everybody, almost everybody
I know, and I've been accused of different, believes babies
that die of infancy go to heaven. Now don't we? So what's wrong
with a short one goes? And I'm not advocating abortion
or murdering your children. But you understand the hypocrisy
and the idiocy that's in the human mind? They want the emotion
of that poor little baby. That baby went to glory as far
as I'm concerned. But I'll tell you this, if that
baby had lived and grown up, that baby male went to hell. It's not bloodline. God wasn't
trying to spice it all up so we could at least have one or
two believe in him. There were 12 boys and one girl
born to Jacob because God ordained it so in spite of Jacob himself. What about flesh? In all three
examples, remember it, Abraham, with Hagar. Isaac and Rebekah,
but yet they had twins. Even there, God was not going
to let his illustration of his purpose of election fall to the
ground. He could have just had Jacob
be born and not even have to deal with this Esau and Hagar
deal. Now could he not? Could he not? And yet God made
of Esau a great nation. He blessed him in that sense,
but Mac, he did not bless him in Christ. Jacob, Israel, his first choice
was Rachel. Remember? He wanted Rachel. But his daddy-in-law-to-be hoodwinked
him into marrying Leah. But he was so dead set on having
Rachel, he served, what was it, another seven years. to get her
to. That's why I said he couldn't
keep his pants up. How many of you worked seven
years for a bride? What about man in all of these
examples? Abraham preferred Ishmael. Did
he not? Oh, that Ishmael might live before
thee. That's a spiritual request, not
a physical request. He was already living before
God. And even when Sarah told Abraham, you put Hagar and Ishmael
out, Abraham gave Hagar a bottle of
water and said, both of you, leave. And God still made of
that boy a great nation. Did he not? But he did not bless
him in Christ. Abraham preferred Ishmael. Isaac
preferred Jacob. Isaac preferred Esau, remember?
He loved the venison, the meat. I can see Esau cook it up now,
it's got that gravy in it. Big old loaf of hot, warm bread.
Isaac preferred Esau, but who did God choose? Jacob. Jacob. Jacob preferred Joseph
and Benjamin. They were the last two sons he
had, and they were by his favorite, first desired woman. And yet
God even confounded that in all the order, did he not? You see,
God's purpose of grace is distinctive according to God's own wise,
sovereign purpose. And I will read it one more time.
And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, And
he's stressing that because both Abraham and Jacob had more than
one wife. Abraham had another wife after
Sarah died. Remember that one? And not only
this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by her
father Isaac, for the children be not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil. If God only chose people who
would do good, then nobody would have been chosen at all. Because
there's none that doeth good. No, not one. And if God had chosen
everybody that done evil, then God would have to let everybody
in the glory because they done evil, because we all done evil. Huh? So see, it has nothing to
do with good or evil, but that the purpose of God according
to election might stand. And God's election will stay
on no matter what you and I think about it. No matter how much
we fight against it? Well, I just don't see God ever
saving that person. It ain't up to me. It ain't up
to me. Well, I know God's got to save
that one. It ain't up to me. Now, let's take note of four
facets. And I'll be quick. Revealed about
God's distinctive purpose of grace. One is by promise, verse
nine. At this time, I will come and
Sarah shall have a son. I'm going to put this in a little
odd language. I realize I know God's eternal. God's not purposing
this now, but when God says, I want a child, he'll create
a child for that purpose. That's what he did with Isaac
through Abraham and Sarah, right? He created a child. Abraham was
past the age of Cyrene. Sarah was barren and past the
age, even if she wasn't barren, of married children. And yet
these two came together and had a boy. Why? Because God determined to have
a people. Particular love. Jacob I loved,
Esau I hated. And I cannot wrap my mind around
that. I still cannot wrap my mind. I know we've come up with
a thing. You know, I can understand how God hated Esau. I can't understand how he loved
Jacob. I really don't understand how
God could hate Esau because I don't want to be hated no matter what.
Do you? Do you really want to be hated?
Oh, God hate me. God, my biggest thing in life
is for you to hate me. Huh? No, sir. I mean, if you
feel that way, you have gone off the lala end. You really
have. Notice again, here's the third
thing. First, it's promise. Second, it's particular love. It's particular love. God's love
ain't worth spit if God don't save those he loves. Amen. What
is it worth? Thirdly, it is despite any human
action. or it's 11, we looked at that.
But even Isaac's monogamy didn't cut it because God had him to
have twins and God chose one and rejected the other, right?
Isaac was the only one that was monogamous for the all three.
Was he not? The only one! But God didn't
say, well, here's a holy marriage, I wanna bless both these kids.
He loved one and he hated the other. You see that? Monogamy don't help. Now I'm
not telling you not to be monogamous, but I'm saying that don't dictate
the sovereign election of God. Even Abraham and Jacob's polygamy
could not thwart the sovereign purpose of God. Even Jacob's deception and Esau's
paternal love, Esau loved his daddy. But God doesn't honor,
listen to me, God does not honor human love because human love
is fallen. It is fallen. Here's another
thing under this. It is despite any human action,
even cultural and institutional customs, don't count it, cut
it. The elder shall serve the younger. That was totally opposite of
the customs of that day. And there are still countries
in this day. And to some extent, U.S. law still has some of this
built into it. The eldest comes first. And then
things work their way down to, that ain't the way God worked
it, was it? Now here's the kicker though.
Here's number four. Here's the fourth facet. And
I want you to turn back to Romans nine if you want to read it.
Verse 21. Hath not the potter power? You see it? The question is rhetorical,
he absolutely does. Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump? Esau wasn't worse than Jacob,
Jacob wasn't worse than Esau. We've all sinned and come short
of the glory of God. of the same love to make one
vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. Amen. Heavenly Father, bow us
to that truth. But Lord, comfort us in the knowledge
and at least some knowledge and understanding of who you are. Help us to stand as our brother
Joe preached. Stand for it. Stand for it. As
Paul preached, stand for it. Stand for it. As Joe preached,
help us to hope in you, in your grace, in your mercy, in your
compassion. And as Paul said, Lord, just bow us down to thy
truth in the person of thy son. We thank you in Christ's name.
Amen.