Well, this morning we're gonna,
as you can see, the title of the message is God's Distinguishing
Grace. We're gonna speak on the subject
of God's grace this morning. The scripture that we'll be dealing
with is Romans chapter nine, beginning at verse nine, going
through verse 13. This grace that we're talking
about here, this distinguishing grace, It's not the same grace
that you hear in most of the professing Christendom today,
the religions that come in the name of Christianity that talk
about grace. The grace they talk about is
a grace wherein they have a God that loves everybody without
exception. He loves everybody without exception. But yet and still, multitudes
of those of which he loves winds up in eternal torment. What kind
of love is that? What kind of grace is that? And
they also have a Christ, a Christ that came to this earth and died
for every single person without exception. He shed his precious
blood for every single individual without exception. the whole
world. But yet multitudes of those that
he shed his precious blood for winds up in eternal torment. What kind of Christ is this?
What kind of grace is this? And what does that say about
the precious blood of Christ that was shed on the cross of
Calvary that done no more for those that are saved by his grace
than for those that wind up suffering eternal misery. But the grace
that we're going to speak on this morning is not that same
grace. And so I'm going to begin reading
here. I'm going to go back a little
bit and start at verse six this morning to kind of give you a
good, a little context. on where we'll be heading in
verse nine. In verse six, as we read Romans
nine, verse six, beginning there, it says, not as though the word
of God had taken none effect, for 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, 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. Then verse nine, the verse that
we'll begin our study this morning, says, for this is the word of
promise. At this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. And
not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even
by her father Isaac, For 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 him
that call it. It was said unto her, Rebekah,
the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. Before we begin verse nine, I
study, I'd like to say a few things concerning the doctrine
of election. since that's what we're going
to be speaking on this morning. It's clear in God's word that
he has a particular, particular people. These individuals are
the subjects of his special favor, and they are his own dear children. These children have been adopted
into God's family. They are heirs and joint heirs
with Christ, God's dear son. Look at Romans 8, beginning at
verse 14. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received
the spirit of bondage, again the fear, but you have received
the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bared witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children,
then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. In scripture,
Christ and his apostles describe these people, God's elect, in
various ways, and they are often described and designated by the
following terms, of which the following scripture testify.
And I'm gonna take a few minutes in order to show you just a few
of the few scriptures here that speak of God's elect. In the
book of Matthew, Matthew says, in verse 24, chapter 24 verse 22 and except
those days should be shortened there should no flesh be saved
but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened now of
course this is speaking on uh here in the book of Matthew and
that whole chapter 24 starts out with the beginning of sorrows,
and this is Christ, they ask Christ about the last days and
what was gonna happen. And he talks about the destruction
of Jerusalem, and he goes all the way to the end of chapter
24, he even talks about Christ's second coming. But he said, but
for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Also in Matthew
24, verse 24, for there shall arise false Christ and false
prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that
if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect. Matthew
also says in Matthew 24, verse 31, and he shall send his angels,
and with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other. Then the book of Luke here, Luke 18, verse seven, It reads, shall not God avenge
his own elect, which cry day and night unto him? Also the
apostle Paul in Romans 8 verse 33, who shall lay anything to
the charge, to the account of God's elect? Paul also inspired
by God says in Romans 9 verse 11, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand. And then Paul says in 2 Timothy,
chapter 2 and verse 10, I endure all things for the elect's sake. And then Apostle Paul says in
Titus 1.1, the faith of God's elect. There are many more scriptures
here and passages that could be quoted, but these are more
than sufficient to clearly show that God has an elect people.
God himself says he has in scripture, and that's what we need to be
looking at, is what does God say in his word? As we begin
with the first verse that we'll deal with this morning, let's
take a look back a couple of previous verses that we left
off with in our last study, Romans 9-7. The Apostle Paul says that
neither because they are the seed of Abraham are, neither
because they are natural descendants of Abraham, are they all children,
children of God, but in Isaac, the promised child, shall thy
seed be called. Then Paul further elaborates
by saying in Romans 9 verse 8, that is, with further explanation
of what he just said in verse 7, 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. Now, as we begin our
first verse here in verse nine that we'll start with this morning,
we read it as it says, for this is the word of promise. At this
time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. Paul is simply referring
back to Genesis 18.10 where he says, I will certainly return
it to thee, this is God speaking here, according to the time of
life and lo, Sarah, thy wife shall have a son. God speaking
to Abraham about this promised child, the child that Sarah was
gonna have. The son that Sarah had was Isaac.
You also remember that Paul had referred to Isaac back in verse
7 when it said, in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Remember,
Isaac was Abraham and Sarah's miracle child of promise, not
conceived or born in the power of the flesh. This scripture,
which contains the promise concerning the birth of Isaac, who was the
product, not of a natural birth, like Ishmael, who was born of
Hagar, the handmaid, the handmaid of Abraham and Sarah, but Isaac
was a product of divine grace and power. Isaac's birth was
typical of the regeneration of God's elect, in that our regeneration
and new birth is something that takes place not by our doing,
but by God's power and his grace alone. All of God's elect, just
like Isaac, are children of promise. Look at Galatians where Paul,
writing to the church there at Galatia, the Galatians here in
chapter four, verse 28, Paul says, now we, brethren, speaking
to fellow believers, as Isaac was, are the children of the
promise. Just as Ishmael was a type of
them that are born after the flesh and after man's efforts,
Isaac was a type of those who were born after the Spirit and
a spiritual man. Ishmael was also a son of Abraham,
but he was not a son of Sarah. He came from Agar the handmaid
and was born of the flesh, or he was born of man's efforts. And y'all remember the story
about Abraham and Sarah as it relates to Ishmael and how that
Sarah talked to Abraham about having that child. She noted
he had promised her a child, but she knew how old she was.
Her and Abraham both was up around 100 years old. And she spoke
with Abraham about going into Hagar in order to have a child.
That child, of course, was Ishmael. It was, as we just see it here,
it was a product of the flesh. It was a product of man's efforts,
unlike the birth of Isaac. If physical connection with Abraham
guaranteed salvation, then of course Ishmael would have been
saved. The Jews could argue against
this by claiming that they were descendants not only of Abraham,
but of Sarah also, which connected them to Isaac. We'll see in the
next few verses here where Paul begins to answer this objection
by showing that Jacob and Esau had the same father and the same
mother. They had Isaac and Rebekah, yet God loved Jacob and he hated
Esau, scripture says. Remember also that the main issue
of Isaac's birth was connected to the promise of God to send
Christ, the Messiah, into the world to save all Israel. all
God's covenant people, save them from their sins. Abraham and
Sarah were both around 100 years old, as I said. So this birth
here was something that human efforts could not have
produced it. It had to be a miracle by God
alone to cause this to come about. Now, in beginning at verse 10
here, 10 and 11 it says, and not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by her father Isaac, for 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 him that calleth. Paul begins this
verse with, and not only this, which has meant this example
of Ishmael and Isaac, excuse me, is not the only example which
proves that Abraham's natural seed, the children of the flesh,
are not all the children of God. He goes on to give the example
of Jacob and Esau, who were born not only of the same father,
Isaac, but they both had the same mother, Rebecca. Jacob and
Esau, they were also twins. God's distinguishing grace between
these two boys was based solely on God's sovereign and electing
love, His grace alone. Nothing outside of God himself
had anything to influence his choice in the matter of these
two boys. Nothing done by either Jacob
or Esau had any influence on God's sovereign choice, for verse
11 says, for the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or any evil, God's choice of Jacob was solely based
on the purpose of God according to election. It was not of works,
but of him that calleth, of God that calleth. This destroys the
false notion that some people have of election, most of so-called
Christians of today, that God, this false notion that God looked
down through a telescope of time and he foresaw who would do good
or who would do evil, or who would believe and who wouldn't
believe, and then he'd make his choice based on this foresight
as he looked through that telescope of time. This kind of false doctrine
dishonors God. It dishonors God in so many ways,
but mainly it makes God subservient or submissive to man's will. and it totally ignores God's
sovereignty in all things, especially his sovereignty in salvation.
Believing that God saves according to what man does or does not
do, it also denies God's grace. He is free in unmerited favor
towards sinners, not based on their works, but based entirely
on God's grace alone. Believing this way also exalts
the flesh, and it gives the sinner an opportunity to deboast in
themselves. The sinner could say, it was
my faith that made the difference. No, my friend, the truth of the
scripture is that the only cause of a sinner's salvation is God's
free, unconditional, sovereign, electing love. And the only ground
of our salvation is Christ's blood and his imputed righteousness
alone. God's electing love in that from
old eternity, from old eternity, before the foundation of this
world, God determined to save a people. And he elected the
people, the people of his love, his everlasting love, and he
gave them to his son, his dear son, in that covenant of grace,
everlasting covenant of grace. Christ became their surety, their
representative and surety, He came to surety to, in time, come
to this earth and pay their debt. He stood in their place. He came
in time and did. He paid the debt in full, every
jot and tittle. And all those that he represented
in time, the Holy Spirit comes and regenerates and converts
them and brings them to this gospel here that we're talking
about, a gospel of God's grace alone as having anything to do
with our salvation. Paul then begins to give the
conversation between God and Rebekah here in verse 12, where
it says, it was said unto her, God said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger. God spoke to Rebekah and he told
her that the elder son, that is Esau, shall serve the younger
son, Jacob. This is taken from Genesis 25
and verse 23, where it reads, and the Lord said unto her, said
unto Rebekah, two nations, are in thy womb, and two manner of
people shall be separated from thy bowels. And the one people
shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve
the younger." The elder son, Esau, had the right and authority
and blessings in the family, but God chose the younger son,
Jacob, to receive this authority and this blessing. This servitude
spoken of here in this verse is to be understood in a spiritual
sense and not a physical sense. This statement in verse 12 of
Romans 9, the elder shall serve the younger, speaks of Esau's
exclusion from the favor of God and the blessings of grace. It
is also meant by Esau being rejected from inheriting the blessing,
the blessing which was given to Jacob. Eternal salvation is
God's sovereign choice, not man's supposed free will. God chose
the younger to receive mercy, and he left the elder to his
own fleshly desires. He just left him alone, and that's
the way he went, and that's the way all of us will go by nature.
When Esau sold his birthright, he evidenced in his own evil
heart that he had no regard for the things of God and no interest
in the salvation God had promised by the coming Messiah, who would
come and establish righteousness for his people. Jacob was no
better than Esau in his character and conduct. Scripture's clear
there. In fact, you might even say that
he was a little bit worse. By nature, Jacob had no interest
in the things of God, no more interest than Esau had by nature. Yet God showed mercy toward Jacob.
Why? Why did he show mercy toward
Jacob? Well, it's because of God's sovereign, elect, and predestinating
grace in Christ. Why did God not save both Jacob
and Esau? Why did not God damn both Jacob
and Esau? We have no biblical answers for
these questions of why God chose one over the other. We do know that all sinners,
by nature, we deserve God's eternal wrath. We do know, however, what
our Lord stated in Matthew 11, verse 26, though, where it says,
even so, this is Christ speaking, Father, for so it seemed good
in thy sight. We cannot know and grasp all
the reasons why God does what he does all the time. We do know
that all things done in heaven and earth, they're for his glory
and for the good of all those that he chose and give to Christ.
And that's according to Romans 8, 28, where it reads, and we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are called according to his purpose. God does not
tell us his reasons. But he does show us his justice
in damning Esau and his mercy in saving Jacob. He shows us
that his mercy for sinners is only found in Christ on the cross,
shedding his precious blood to put away our sins. He commands
us to come to Christ for all of salvation, righteousness,
and eternal life, and to repent of our own works and our own
efforts. He shows us that if he left any
of us, just left any of us to ourselves, as did Esau, we would
all be justly damned forever. He shows us that we're no more
deserving of salvation and eternal blessings than Esau or Jacob. And he reveals even, he reveals
enough to us to cause us to repent from our sins and run to Christ
and beg for mercy. In Romans 9.13, it says, as it
is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. It was written in the first chapter
of Malachi that God loved Jacob and he hated Esau. Let's look
at those verses here in Malachi 1, beginning at verse 2. Where it reads, I have loved
you, saith the Lord, yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother?
Yet, saith the Lord, yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and
laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the
wilderness. Some want to soften this to say,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I loved less. Such reasoning
comes from self-righteous men who assume that we deserve to
be loved by God. And that would be unfair. It
would be unfair for God not to love all of us without exception.
This is man's reasoning, not God's. By nature, we wonder how
God could hate Esau. Why shouldn't we think this?
We're told it by our parents, and most preachers of the day
tell you that. Don't they tell you, smile, God
loves you? God loves everybody, the whole
world without exception. Yet he sends multitudes to eternal
torment. What should truly amaze us is
that God should love Jacob or any sinner for that matter. God's
redemptive love can only be found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. This is where this love for the
sinner resides, is in Christ. If you're in Christ, God loves
you. As we think about the two brothers, both Esau and Jacob,
They were both born in sin and both sinned in Adam, just like
we all did. Both were sinners who deserved
nothing but God's hatred and his justice against sin. Both
would have continued in rebellion had not God intervened and brought
Jacob to repentance and faith. There is no reason outside of
God himself why he should love any of the natural descendants
of Adam. We need to understand that God's
love and his hatred, they're not emotional love and hatred. We need to understand that God's
love and hatred are not emotional, that his hatred is his justice
against sin. And God's love is his purpose
to save in Christ. God's purpose to save Jacob with
no consideration of a contribution from Jacob's deeds under the
law, as explained in 1 John 4 and verse 10, where it reads, herein
is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent
his son to be the propitiation and satisfaction for our sin.
On the other hand, God's purpose to leave Esau to himself. Esau
acted like any sinner would act if left to himself and to ourselves,
we will rebel against God and his way of salvation. We will
choose, if left to ourselves, if left to ourselves, to attempt
to work our way to heaven, and we'll perish eternally. Because
by the deeds of flesh, no sinner can be justified and made righteous
before God. Let's look at what the book of
Galatians says about this. Turn to Galatians 2 in verse
16, where it reads, knowing that a man is not justified by the
works of law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, the faithfulness
of Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ that we might be justified by faith of Christ, the faith
of Christ, and not by works of law. For by the works of law
shall no flesh be justified. God acted in strict justice toward
Esau and in sovereign mercy toward Jacob. Both Jacob and Esau were
natural descendants of Isaac. Both were part of natural Israel,
but only Jacob was a citizen of spiritual Israel. Concerning
spiritual Israel, God said, all Israel shall be saved. Not one
of them will perish. Now let's look at some scripture
here. that should give every one of God's children of His
elect, those He loved from eternity, that certain and sure hope of
salvation and of final glory, all based on God's grace in and
by the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at John 6, beginning at
verse 37. It reads this, all that the Father
giveth me, this is Christ speaking, shall come to me And him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from
heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent
me. And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that
of all which he hath given me in that everlasting covenant
of grace, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the
last day. And this is the will of him that sent me. that every
one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting
life. And I'll raise him up at the
last day. Then it says the Jews then murmured at him, because
he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they
said, is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and
mother we know? How is it then that he saith,
I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and
said unto them, murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to
me except the father which has sent me draw him. And I'll raise
him up at the last day. And then over in John 10, beginning
at verse 11, Christ speaking here also, I
am the good shepherd. The good shepherd give us his
life for the sheep. But he that is in hireling, and
not a shepherd, whose own sheep are not, seeing the wolf coming,
and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catches them, and
scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because
he is in hireling, and cares not for the sheep. But then Christ
says, I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am known
of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father. and then I laid down my life
for the sheep. And other sheep I have which
are not of this fold, of this Jewish fold, them also I must
bring and they shall hear my voice in regenerating power of
the Holy Spirit and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.
Now also look at John 10 beginning at verse 26. But the Pharisees hear, he's
talking about, but ye believe not because ye are not of my
sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give
unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them
me in the everlasting covenant of grace is greater than all
and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and
my Father are one. And lastly, some of these comforting
verses for the believer. In John 17 beginning, this is
verse two. This is Christ's prayer to the
Father after he had had the Lord's table with his disciple. And
it reads, as thou has given him, as the father has given Christ
power over all flesh, that he, Christ, should give eternal life
to as many as thou has given him. All that the father gave
to Christ in the eternal everlasting covenant of grace have been redeemed
by the blood of Christ. And in time, in each successive
generation, they will all be born again by the Holy Spirit. this miraculous new birth. Christ's
righteousness alone ensures the salvation and final glory of
all of spiritual Israel, all of spiritual Israel. All others,
like Esau, who refused to believe God's promise of a salvation
in Christ alone, based entirely on what Christ did alone, not
based on our works in any way, and repentance from dead works
and former idolatry, all those that fail to do that, fail to
come to that position, shall perish. So the promise of God
is not ineffectual due to the fact that the majority of the
nation Israel refused to believe and repent. What is the lesson
of this for us? It is that we, like Esau and
Jacob, are sinners who deserve God's wrath by nature. There
is no hope for us, for any of us, to be saved by our works,
works of law. Salvation is based entirely on
the crucified and risen Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. We
must run to Christ and we must beg for mercy, as did blind Bartimaeus
over in Mark chapter 10 beginning at verse 46. It reads, and they came to Jericho,
speaking of Christ and disciples. And as he went, as Christ went
out of Jericho with his disciples, and a great number of people,
blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side
begging. And when he heard that it was
Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, thou
son of David, have mercy on me. Well, as the blind Barnabas called
out to Christ for mercy in the case of his physical sight, may
God in his great mercy call some poor sinner today to call out
for spiritual sight. I know one thing. If God chooses
to give that sinner spiritual sight, it'll be because of his
distinguishing grace, God's distinguishing grace, which he bestows on each
and every one of his elect, not because of any works that they've
done, but because of his great love and his great mercy. Amen.