Romans chapter 9 verse 16 this
morning, Romans 9 16, so then, it is not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. The words so then indicate that
the rest of the verse is a conclusion drawn from the previous statements
in this chapter. Seeing that God declares his
eternal love for one of these twins, Jacob and Esau, twins,
born at the same time. And God said, I love Jacob and
I hate Esau. Before either were ever born,
regardless of any good or evil that they would do, and seeing
that God has declared to Moses and to all the world that he
will exercise his sovereign right to bestow mercy upon whom he
will and harden whom he will. Seeing that, seeing those things,
we can only draw one conclusion. So then, Salvation and blessing from God
do not come by the will of man, as man supposes, as religion
supposes, as they teach. It doesn't come that way. It
is not of him that willeth. Salvation does not come by running
either, which original word there, running, means to spend one's
strength in performing or attaining anything. You can't attain it. You can't
perform what is required of you. You cannot earn it. So then, you don't get saved
by making a free will decision. And you can't do anything. in order to be saved. Does this not agree with the
words of our Lord Himself in Matthew 19? Look there with me.
Matthew chapter 19, verse 16. Matthew 19, 16, And behold, one
came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall
I do that I may have eternal life, and he said unto him, why
callest thou me good? And we see why he said that to
him, don't we? Because he obviously thinks that
mere men can do good. He said, what good thing can
I do? And so our Lord says, wait, stop right there. Why are you
calling me good? The only way I'm good is if I'm
God. You see what he's teaching him
there? And why? Obviously he needed that teaching,
didn't he? And so do we. The only way I'm good or you're
good or anybody good is if they're God. But if thou will enter into life,
keep the commandments. Are you God? Then you're not
going to keep the commandments. Are you God in human flesh? Then
you're not going to do it. That's what he confronted him
with. That's what he's teaching him here. Thou shalt do no murder,
thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt
not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother, and
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. In other words, be
good. And he just got through saying, there ain't nobody good
but God. Now you be good, and I'll save
you. Is that what he said? The young
man said unto him, all these have I kept from my youth up,
what lack I yet? We're all liars, aren't we? Hypocrites. Look what we've done. Yeah, God's
looking at what you've done. That's why you're going to hell
if you don't have mercy from him in Christ. The young man
said unto him, all these of our captains, Jesus said unto him,
if you'll be perfect now, you're going to be good. There ain't
nothing good but God. You're going to be good. You're
going to be perfect. Go sell all that you have and give it
to the poor. And thou shalt have treasure
in heaven, and come and follow me. You've kept all the commandments. Let's see you keep the first
one. Don't have any other gods before me. Go sell them, go get
rid of them, and come follow the one true God. He couldn't
even begin to commence to get started to keeping the commandments,
could he? And that's what our Lord taught him here. But when
the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful. See,
he didn't know what keeping the commandments was. He had no idea
what it was, to have no gods before him until the Lord taught
him. And when he did, he went away
sorrowful for he had great possessions. He couldn't do it. He couldn't
do it. And then said Jesus unto his
disciples, verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly
enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again, I say unto you, it
is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for
a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Something supernatural
is going to have to happen if you're going to enter, if you're
getting in. Something that defies nature is going to have to happen.
And when His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed,
saying, Who then can be saved? We're all goners, I guess, because
there's not anybody good but God, and the only way to be an
heir of eternal life is to be good. And Jesus beheld them. Wondered at that language. Why
doesn't it just say, and Jesus said unto them, he says, he beheld
them. Can you, can you imagine, can
you picture the son of God looking into your face and saying with
men, this is impossible, but with God, a camel can go through
the eye of a needle if God puts it through there. With God, all things are possible. How then can a man be saved?
Who then can be saved? If you can't get there by willing
it, and you can't get there by anything that you do, who then
can be saved? It is of God that showeth mercy. That's how. Now how does a sinner
say? You say, well, everybody knows
how a sinner say. Do you have any idea how few people in this
world know what we just saw in God's Word right there? How few.
Few there be that find this. Salvation is God showing mercy
to a sinner. It is of God. Jonah learned it. He's one of
those few. Are you? He said salvation is
of the Lord. That word of right there in our
text is key. It is of God that showeth mercy. First Corinthians
one 26 for you see your calling brethren. How that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called,
but God has chosen. the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of
the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things
of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen."
You see those words over and over. God hath chosen, he hath
chosen, hath God chosen. Yea, things which are not, to
bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in
his presence. Next verse, but of him are ye in Christ Jesus. It is
of God that showeth mercy. He chooses whom He will. He chooses
the weak and the base and the foolish. Of Him are ye in Christ
Jesus who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. Are you saved, Brother Chris?
Yes, I am. I am. How? Christ is my wisdom,
my righteousness, my sanctification by his precious blood, my redemption,
redeemed by his blood and redemption. Christ is all that to me and
more. How did that happen? God put
me in him and he in me. He just flat had mercy on me.
He did it because he wanted to. And now Christ is all to me by
his everlasting, sovereign, free, wonderful grace. That according
as it is written, he that glorieth, you don't have to glory in him,
aren't you? Let him glory in the Lord. In verse 17 in our
text, 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. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and
whom he will, he hardeneth. This is that same doctrine that
caused many of the Lord's disciples in John chapter six to leave
and want no more with him. He taught them there that they
have no power to come to Him unless the Father draws them
to Himself. He taught them there in John
chapter 6 that salvation is not up to them. That's what religion
loves to say. God's done all He can do now.
It's up to you. No, it's not. No. Salvation It's
not a decision that man makes. It is a decision that God made
before you were ever born. Before either were ever born
or had done anything good or bad, God said, Jacob have I loved
and Esau have I hated. Salvation is of the Lord. This truth of God's free electing
grace in Christ It's not what many religionists call family
doctrine. In other words, you can discuss
this with your family, but don't talk about it outside of your
house because it's too offensive. It's not family doctrine. It's
Bible doctrine. It's gospel doctrine. It's good
news. The good news is that God is
going to have mercy on sinners. in his son Jesus Christ by his
life and sin atoning death. God's going to have mercy on
sinners. It's not good news to tell sinners
that everyone who exercises their free will and produces faith
will be saved. That's not good news. That disqualifies
me. That's not good news to me. That's
bad news for a real sinner, because as he taught in John 6, you cannot
come to me. No man can come to me except
the father which hath sent me. Take him from where he is and
pull him to somewhere else. Draw him. You do not have the ability to
love God. You do not have the ability to
submit to God. You do not have the ability to
believe God. 1 Corinthians 2.14, but the natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. So if some
preacher, so-called preacher somewhere tells me, all you got
to do is receive Jesus, that counts me out. I can't be saved. All you got to do is exercise
your faith. I'm disqualified. No hope for
me. He receiveth not, a man as he's
born into this world, naturally, in sin and depravity, receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness
unto him. The Lord said to Nicodemus, if
you're going to receive them, if you're going to see them,
if you're going to enter in, you're going to have to be born
all over again. Neither can he know them. because they are spiritually
discerned. No man can. With men, this is impossible,
but bless God, he has mercy on whom he will. That's good news,
my friends. No man can, but God does as he
pleases. With him, all things are possible.
His will is absolutely free. He's the only one that has a
free will. Nebuchadnezzar said in Daniel
four, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing.
And he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and
among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand
or say unto him, what doest thou? You can't stop him. You can't
even question him. he doeth according to his will.
But what if man resists his will? He doeth according to his will.
What if my will is opposed to his will? He doeth according
to his will. And what are you? You're nothing.
The inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. You can't
stop him. You can't even question him.
He does as he pleases. And he said, here's what I want
to do. I want to have mercy. You can argue, but you can't
stay his hand. You can rage, but you cannot
stay his hand. He will receive glory from destroying
you as he did Pharaoh. He said, I've raised you up for
this purpose. That I might show my power in
thee. He's glorified in his almighty power. and drown in Pharaoh in
the Red Sea with all of his great army. Or he will receive glory
by plucking you as a bran from the fire in sovereign mercy and
love. But he's going to receive glory,
and you're not. I'm not. And by his almighty grace, we
like it like that. We wouldn't have it any other
way. And here's what this God, the one who does as he pleases
and before whom you can do nothing, here's what he says to you this
morning. Come now and let us reason together, saith
the Lord. Not the Jesus of religion, not
the God who's trying and can't and wants to, if you'll let him.
saith the Lord, who saves whom he will and damns
whom he will. You come and let's reason together
now, saith God Almighty. Though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow. And though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool. How many times did God say to
Pharaoh, let my people go before he gave Pharaoh what he deserved?
Will you hear God? Will you submit to God? No man
can, but with God, all things are possible with God. And today he says to you, submit. Come as the publican, saying,
God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Come as the leper, saying, Lord,
if you will, you can make me clean. This God can make you
clean. He said, I'll have mercy on whom I will. And nobody can
stay his hand. And he's plenteous in mercy.
He delights to show mercy. And he said, come. If you will, you can. You can
make me clean. It is all that the Father giveth
him that shall come to him. But I tell you this from his
word on his own authority as his ambassador, you come to him
and he won't cast you out. Salvation is of the Lord. There's
mercy with him that he may be feared. Let's bow in prayer.