Good morning everyone. I'll keep filling you in about Jen, but most of you know pretty well what's going on. I did want to say one of the most important things that Jen wanted me to ask or convey to people is, and she was in serious pain, And very shocked, but the most highest priority was that you people would be praying for us. She really wanted me to really ask. And I guess I was just moved because, you know, that's what the Lord does. He brings trials in our lives and he uses them for a purpose. There is a purpose of God in all things. And in Romans nine, we're talking about the purpose of election. And God reveals those purposes to us in spite of our fleshly opposition.

James 5.16 says the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Now, first thing you have to understand is there's only one righteous man, the Lord Jesus Christ. There only ever was one righteous man. No matter what we do, no matter what we want, the Lord Jesus Christ is that righteous man. But his people are righteous in him. That's what's being referred to here. And they were righteous from the foundation of the world. Our God doesn't change. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. If he was in union with people at any time, He's always been in union with those people. Now the only issue with that is flesh, after the fall.

But when James says the effective fervent prayers, these are just not normal prayers. Often we pray and we don't think. Often we pray and we go through the motions. Often we don't think seriously enough about who we're praying to and why. But prayers become fervent when trials come into our lives, don't they? Things become serious. And reality comes crashing down on us at times.

And for the Lord's people, we have a comforting saviour, And he promises to draw near to us. He promises to get alongside us, to not give us more than what we can bear. And amazingly, by a myriad of miracles, he stands us up on our feet in some way, sufficient other things of today. And our God's got this. Jude, as Angus showed us last week, he speaks of sanctification and salvation, and they're one.

They're an activity of God. They're an activity of God in drawing His people to Himself, in revealing His gospel to them, making them holy, making them right and proper for union with the Holy God. It's a salvation that must be applied by God, not by us, by God continually if he's to show favour to any of us.

So do you see it's a matter of just two religions in the world? One declares a sovereign God, who's done all things necessary before this world was created, has made his people right and perfect and fit to be in relationship with him. And no matter how we feel in Adam, no matter how much we reject our God in our own natural unbelief, He's always faithful to his truths. So there are two religions in the world, one that declares a sovereign finished work by God alone, and the other one declares a progressive, incomplete, uncertain activity of men that's guaranteed to fail.

And he tells us about that. You know, 2 Timothy 1 tells us that we were saved before time. It's crazy, isn't it? It's such an effective delusion of Satan to have this world thinking that they can do something to polish a work of God, to complement it, to complete it. What a distraction.

I love Paul's writings. I love the way Paul writes. My dad was similar in the way he spoke to me about certain things, being a policeman. But in Romans, Paul walks a hallway in a sense, figuratively. He begins at God and God's at the end of that hallway. And as he goes along, it's like he closes doors left and right, the doors of worldly opposition, the doors of Satan's deceptions, and especially the doors of our own unbelief. And we haven't got time, but please go and read it because you can summarize it in the categories and the ways he walks through that hallway and the doors he closes. And it's no different here in Romans 9. So let's read some of Romans 9. Lord willing, I won't take up too much of your time.

Paul says, I say the truth in Christ, I lie not. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. He's sincere. That I have a great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. He loves souls. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

Who are, and this is a description of the finest people in the world under their own will and their own activities. But these people were chosen of God and they were used as an illustration to us. But again, that deception of Satan fouled the waters, didn't it? Look what he says, For I could wish that I myself were a curse for Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen, according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises, whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. And now we've mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ, so let's just define him a little bit. Who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.

And then we come to one of these doors. It's a bit of a subtle one, this one. Verse six says, So often, If we don't see evidence, if we don't feel evidence, we somehow come to the conclusion in unbelief that God didn't do it. And so it is a subtlety, but it is something that comes from the fool and from our flesh and from our unbelief.

But look what Paul says, for or because they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Look at this word of, Angus has been telling us about origin, it's just prolific in this section here. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham. They are all, sorry, are they all children? But, in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And he explains, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, that origin again, these are not the children of God, but the children, again origin, of the promise are counted for the seed.

And he gives us a definition of that promise. For this is the word of promise, at this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. See, God comes when he likes to those he chooses, and he works in their hearts what he wants to work, and he does it all in his time. What part of us is in that? And yet such is the deception. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father, Isaac. Now just hold yourself there because Paul does this a lot and I love this.

He just defines more clearly a situation. Verse 11, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil. See, it's not about our will. It's not about our walk. It's about the purpose of God, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand. Not of works, origin again, but of him that calleth.

So like I said, just follow on from that section there. But when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even our father Isaac, it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Such is this choice of our God. to make those He chooses perfectly righteous in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, perfectly fit for union with Him. Such is that choice, that He loves those He chooses and He can righteously love them.

There's no sin in our God. And here's the next accusation slash opposition. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Don't you love how Paul just brings these questions to the surface and then deals with them. God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then, this is the conclusion of that.

It's not of him that willeth, origin again, nor of him that runneth, works, but of God that showeth mercy. This mercy was established in eternity, but he comes to us in time and he shows these things to us, to his people. And they bring such amazing comfort to us. So he silences another accusation of the flesh, which suggests that it's unrighteous for God to pass over someone. Paul's already told us in Romans 3, there's none righteous. We've all fallen short of the glory of God. We're all sinners. We're all rebels. We're all enemies of God by nature. He could leave us all and remain perfectly righteous.

But look how he explains why he does what he does. Verse 17, for or because the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, now Pharaoh is a great representation of Satan. He's been using the scriptures a number of times to represent Satan. He represents all our enemies, all the bondage, all the difficulties, all the trials, all the things that would rise up against us in our lives.

Now we've got a situation with Jan, I know, and I thank you for your prayers and your hearts, but you know what? Every human being's got a situation from Genesis 3. Everything was set against us. But every believer's got a situation because the Lord reveals them in time. And in a sense, he makes it known who they are in this world. And you can read Job and the things, the resources that Job's allowed to use. But you also read in Job that it was God in control from when he even suggested Job.

And what was the result? Salvation. What was the result? A testimony of the glory of God in his salvation of his people. The greatest testimony of the glory of God was at that cross. I mean, this whole world testifies of the gospel in one way or another, but the greatest testimony? was at that cross.

So he says, for, because the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Satan, our enemies, our difficulties, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up. Whatever the trial is, it's been raised up by God. It's been given power by God. And it's for a purpose, even in the lives of those he loves with an everlasting love. That I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore, and this is the working, the outworking, the result of it, therefore, Hath he mercy on whom he will, have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth. God elects some to reveal his sovereign glory to every individual, to the world, to Satan, but more importantly, to every one of his chosen people. There's a greater purpose in all these things.

And verse 19, the third opposition of flesh. This is a progressive argument against God, can you believe it? And it's true to every one of our natural states. Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will? We actually believe by Satan's poison that we have rights before a holy God. Rights before the God we constantly reject. We insult his son. We rebel against him. We take the amazing grace that we live in every day and we take it for granted.

When Adam fell, he didn't know his saviour. He was in relationship with him, but he didn't know just how much our saviour loved him. And it wasn't until the trial of the fall. It's not till we're crushed in this world. It's not till we're overwhelmed, we're weak and we're pathetic, but we think we're great. And it takes a big blow to knock you down sometimes. And when we're weak, he's strong.

Thou will say unto me, why doth he yet find fault? Hath not the potter power Oh, sorry. Nay, but O man, who art thou to replyest against God? That's a, just take that on board. 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? Humanity's a lump. To make one vessel unto honour. Who's doing the making here? Who makes saints? And another unto dishonour.

What if God, willing to show His wrath and to make His power known, these are the purposes of God, endureth with much longsuffering? It's grace to just endure them. and they accuse you of unrighteousness. Longsuffering is the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, and that he might make known, this is an intimate knowledge, an experienced knowledge, make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath afford A fall prepared unto glory.

That's that 2 Timothy 1 line again. Saved from before time. These enemies are raised up by our God. They're given enough rope to hang themselves, but also to disrupt our lives and to buffet us and trial, give us trials and difficulties. And if they're not in people and they're not spiritual creatures, they're just this world around us full of thorns and officials and briars and difficulties. And all these things are raised up. that He might defeat them before our very eyes and reveal His perfect love of us, His perfect care of us, His perfect provision of all things in our lives. And there's an us, even us, verse 24, whom He hath called. He's gotta do the calling. He makes alive.

Not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. This is back to that same theme. It's not our worldly heritage. As he saith also in Hosea, and you should read it. Hosea 2 is an incredible chapter to read, but summarized, I will call them my people, which were not. My people, people think that they're already in God's hands and they're going to work a bit harder and impress God and God almost owes them a favour. We were not his people and he called us his people, his calling.

And her beloved, which was not beloved, How can you love sinners? You've got to put a robe of righteousness on them. And he loved us from eternity. So when was that robe put on? And who can take it off if the Lord put it on? And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, there shall, you gotta love the shalls, they be called the children of the living God.

Salvation is all of God's work. What a deception to think otherwise. Verse 27, Isaiah, also crieth, this struck me this morning, he's still crying to you, if you're a believer, right now. The ETH, Angus has explained it, it's continual. God's word remains, he crieth concerning Israel, though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall, another shall. from our God shall be saved.

Why? For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness. Because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. You know, I loved looking up some of these definitions, you know, in a sense, but the best I could put it together with all I had and summarise it was as a sudden Complete work with an overflow of righteousness.

Isn't that just, isn't that the cross? And as Isaiah said before, Is God unrighteous in leaving some? No, we deserve it. Is His grace amazing? It's saving some. Thankfully we have eternity to just praise Him for it. But it's in those praises and it's in that activity of God in our lives here that brings forth the testimonies that glorify Him in this world. Great trials. Well, they produce great testimonies of our Lord's glory, of our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ.

See, at the end of the day, the choice is God's alone. Men think they can help with that choice, make that choice. There's a world full of this deception. It's God's prerogative to choose. But he does choose that there shall be a seed under his glory. We all deserve punishment. Salvation is by grace alone. And I just pray he keeps, I don't know, teaching us what grace really is, because we don't know very much. We're deceived in so many ways ourselves in everyday life.

Isaiah 64.6 says that we are sinners and that's why even the best things we do is only sin.

We need a great Saviour. We need Him to come to us. We need Him to reveal Himself over and over again, to comfort our hearts, to strengthen our faith. Salvation belongs to God Almighty alone. And the sooner we get that through our heads, the better our lives will be. So he gives us a conclusion in all this.

The righteousness which is of faith is the righteousness of God himself imputed to his people. There is just one righteousness, really. All the rest of them just fade into the dark compared to our Lord Jesus Christ and his righteousness and the righteousness he covers us with, the righteousness that allows us to be in relationship with him and to enter his presence. But look at the contrast. but Israel and they represent the very best of worldly religion. All our efforts, all our will, whatever you want to label your religion is, it's a works religion and it's an offence to God and it rejects His saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's a contrast, isn't it? They followed after the law of righteousness and hath not attained to the law of righteousness. And why, wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. Legalism, religion, man-made fleshly religion, activities, wills of men.

No wonder the Lord says in Hebrews 4, labor to rest. The work's finished. And it always has been. Don't get caught up in the debate as to whether it has or hasn't. Just try and encourage each other to look to the one that did finish the work for maternity. And remind each other that we're righteous in Christ. We're righteous. And these things, they'll buffet us, but they're nothing. They've come from the hand of our God, not our enemies.

And he says in the end, for or because they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written, behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whosoever believe on him. It's not a lumber rock out in, it's a person. It's our rock, our saviour, our security.

These trials cause us to look to where the only place that we do have true assurance and security of salvation, and that's in a person, our Lord Jesus Christ. Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. And that's not talking about him before me or in this world. This is when you meet a holy God and there's nowhere to hide. And there's not one thing for the Lord's people to ever be ashamed of before him.

That's gotta be a work of God, an eternal work of God, a perfect eternal work. May our gracious God make us to know intimately his salvation in his precious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ alone. Michael said, great trials produce great testimonies. Amen, let's pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you that in the midst of A life that often goes on in pride and complacency. You arrest us again and again and again, just like you did before. You pull us off that high horse and you put our face in the dirt and you remind us that we have someone who loves us so very, very much. Someone who is so capable and so in control. someone who deserves all the glory and salvation. Father, thank you that you bring us back to that same place, that you cause us to know you in your Son, intimately and personally, and all the wonderful things that come from your presence in our lives, Heavenly Father, the comfort, the energising, the strength, the myriad of miracles that seem to surround us and reveal themselves when we're down.

Father, thank you that you promised never to give us more than what we can bear, and that you use even our difficulties for a most glorious work of your testimony in this world. Father, use that testimony. Use it in our hearts to continue to strengthen us. Use it in your hearts to call them to yourself. Father, only you can make the difference. You cause us to differ, not just in our gifts, You cause us to differ from the rest of this world. You've drawn us out to yourself. Please, Father, don't let us get caught up in that deception of Satan.

Help us to know that you have saved your people forever before they ever were. And I'll be one with you. They were one with you before time, they're one with you through time, and they'll always be one with you, Heavenly Father. Please use this world to remind us of just how much you love and care for us. In Christ's name, amen.