I did choose thee. Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. If you could follow along in
a Bible with me for this message, I think it would be helpful.
I've entitled this message Romans 9. Romans 9 has been said to
be the most controversial passage in all the scripture. That's
because there are statements like God saying, Jacob have I
loved and Esau have I hated. And his statements with regard
to his absolute sovereignty in salvation and divine election. But what I'd like to say is if
it's in the Bible, it's not controversial. It's true. But if you can get
your Bibles and follow along with me, I think it would be
helpful. I'm not going to talk about the first 10 verses in
detail because time won't allow us, but Paul began this message
saying that he wanted his brethren, the Jews, to be saved to this
extent. He said, I would be willing to
be damned if they would be saved. What love this man expressed
toward these people. And in the midst of his angst
with regard to his Jewish brethren, he says in verse six, it's not
as though the word of God has taken none effect. For they are
not all Israel, which are of Israel. I want them to be saved,
but that doesn't mean God's purpose and will is not being done. God's
will is always done. He says in verse seven, neither
because they're the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in
Isaac. should thy seed be called." Now he's referring to what took
place in Genesis chapter 16. God had promised Abraham and
Sarah a child. Years pass and the child is not
Come, Sarah is still barren. She says, well, obviously God's
promise will not take place unless we do our part. So you go into
Hagar, this young woman, and she's of childbearing age, she'll
bear us a son, and then God's promise will take place. They had a son. His name was
Ishmael. God never acknowledges Ishmael
as a son. He's the son of the flesh. There
was nothing supernatural about the birth of Ishmael, but there
was something supernatural about the birth of Isaac. Verse nine,
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 our father Isaac, Now he had
been talking about two boys that had the same father but different
mothers. Now he's talking about two twins with the same mother,
the same father, coming out of the same womb. And listen to
what the scripture says with regard to these two boys. Verse
11, for the children being not yet born. That's what God's word
says. 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. Now these two boys, before they
were born, they didn't have any good works to recommend them,
they didn't have any evil works to disqualify them, yet God made
this choice. It's called election. Before
time began, God chose who would be saved. Now, verse 12, his
purpose is that salvation might not be of works. It's not dependent
upon what we do, but upon him that calleth. Salvation is utterly
predicated on what God does. Verse 12, it was said unto her,
the elder shall serve the younger. The firstborn, the one that came
out of the womb first, is gonna be servant to the one who came
out second. Esau came out first, Jacob came out second. By rights,
Esau should have the rights of the firstborn privilege. The
Messiah was to come through him. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger, opposite. Esau served Jacob, and then God
makes this statement, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. That's God speaking in the first
person. This is a quotation from Malachi
chapter one. God says, Jacob, have I loved? But Esau, have I hated? Now this makes the teaching that
God loves all men a lie. He did not love Esau. Now I want us to remember that
God's hatred is not like our hatred. Our hatred is sinful. It's vindicative. Someone does
us wrong, we want revenge. We may express hatred toward
a certain demographic. Our hatred is always evil. It's
never right. But God's holy. And this man
Esau, he didn't care about God. In his birthright, the Messiah,
the promised seed would have come through him, but that wasn't
worth a bowl of soup to him. He became hungry and said, I'll
die if I don't get something to eat. He sold Jacob his birthright
for a bowl of soup. He despised the birthright. He didn't care anything about
God. And God was absolutely just and
righteous. His perfect, just, holy hatred. What is amazing is that he loved
Jacob. He said, Jacob have I loved.
Jacob was a deceitful man. Jacob was a deceiver. Jacob was
a scoundrel. In many ways, Jacob was a fraud.
Yet God says, Jacob have I loved. Now, instead of being amazed
by Esau, have I hated, we ought to be amazed by Jacob, have I
loved. Oh, the love of God. Now, Paul
anticipates the objection that he knew would come from this
after he said, as it's written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. What should we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair? It doesn't seem right that he
would love one and hate the other. It doesn't seem right that he
would elect one and pass by the other. This does not seem fair. This seems unrighteous on God's
part. Perhaps you were thinking that.
I've thought that before. How could it be fair for him
to hate Esau and love Jacob? How is that right? That's the
way we think. I thought that way. You may be
thinking this way right now, but look at the way Paul answers
this question. Is this fair? Is this unrighteous?
He says, God forbid. God forbid that we should even
think such a thought. That is a thought that comes
from a depraved mind. A sinful mind that doesn't look
at anything from God's perspective, but only looks at things from
man's perspective. And so he quotes Exodus chapter
33, verse 19, this is after Moses said, To the Lord I beseech thee, show
me thy glory. God's answer, I'll make all my
goodness pass before thee. I'll proclaim the name of the
Lord before thee." Now, that doesn't simply mean he's going
to articulate his name to Moses. His name is the person behind
the name. His name is his character. His
name is his attributes. That's his name. I'll proclaim
the name of the Lord before thee, and I will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious. And I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion. You see, God's grace is sovereign
grace. He doesn't give his grace to
somebody because he owes it to them, but because he's gracious. And he is gracious to whoever
he's pleased to be gracious to. So then, this is Paul's conclusion
from this, so then, it is not of him that willeth, Nor of him
that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." Isn't salvation, doesn't man's
free will have any room? No, it's not of him that willeth. Now let me say this about free
will, or man's free will. There's no such thing. Your will's
controlled by your nature. Men have an evil nature, therefore
their evil nature is what controls their will. And if I say my will
is free, I say it's free of God's sovereign will, and that's not
the case. It's not free of God's sovereign will. I love the way
Paul concludes from all this. It's not of him that willeth.
You're not saved because you will to be saved. If you're saved,
it's because God willed your salvation. It's not of him that
willeth nor of him that runneth. Somebody says, well, I put so
much effort into this. I have worked hard. I've read
the scriptures. I've tried to do battle against
sin. The scripture says our righteousness is. The things we think God would
be pleased with, our righteousnesses, are as filthy rags, Isaiah 64,
6. So it's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. God delights in mercy. And my dear friends, it's sovereign
mercy. Now, this doesn't hold anybody out of the kingdom of
heaven. There's no one that's going to be able to say, well,
I sought mercy and the Lord turned me down. That's never happened.
If you're not saved, it's because you refused to be saved God's
way of salvation. You had no desire for God. You can't say, well, I wanted
to be saved, but God wouldn't save me. Anybody who comes from
mercy will be saved by the mercy of God. But understand this,
salvation is by the sovereign mercy of God. For the Scripture
saith the Pharaoh, verse 17. I love this. The Scripture hadn't
been written, but the Scripture says to Pharaoh. Well, God said
this to Pharaoh, I know, but what the Scripture says is what
God says. Oh, the Holy Scripture. The Scripture
saith to Pharaoh, and this is what God said to Pharaoh, even
for this same purpose have I raised thee. You know why Pharaoh was
on the throne? God put him there. Whatever leader
there is in any nation in the world, there's one reason why
they're there. God put them there. Who's going
to win the presidential election? Whoever God has determined to
win. God says with regard to Pharaoh,
Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up." I love it
when Moses comes to Pharaoh and says, let's say the Lord let
my son go, speaking of Israel. And Pharaoh replied, who is the
Lord? that I should obey him. And I
love to think of Moses thinking, you're getting ready to find
out. And indeed he did. God said for this same purpose
have I raised thee up that I might show my power, my authority in
you and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore, Here's Paul's conclusion,
therefore, hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom
he will, he hardens. God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Now the only thing the Lord has
to do to harden my heart or to harden your heart is to leave
us alone. Nothing else needs to be done.
Just leave us alone. But He has mercy, listen, He
has mercy on whom He will have mercy. Now, if you object and
say, that's not fair, you're saying God owes someone mercy. All God owes is wrath. Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardens. This is God being God. This is God on the throne. This is the sovereign God. Now
Paul anticipates the objection once again. He says in verse
19, Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For
who has resisted his will? Pharaoh could have said, how
can he hold me responsible if he's the one who hardened my
heart? If he hardened my heart, how can I be held responsible
for my sin? I can't resist God's will. Why
does he yet find fault? How could this be right for him
to find fault with me when he's the one who hardened my heart?
It's not my fault that he did that. Now, here's Paul's answer. Verse 20. Nay, but O man, Who are you to reply against
God? Who do you think you are? Now, is your heart raising up
an objection with regard to how God saves sinners? Are you thinking
this is not fair? How can he find fault? Who are
you? Do you really think that you're
such a moral authority that you can sit in judgment on God and
say, I don't agree with this? I don't think it's fair. I don't
think it's right. Who are you to reply against God? You don't have the ability to
do this. You don't have the wisdom to
do this. Everything God does is right. And you're saying what
he's doing is wrong. God is right, man is wrong. God is true, man is a liar. Whatever God does is right. Who are you? Who do you think
you are to reply against God, to set in judgment on God, to
express your moral outrage against Him? What base hypocrisy on my
part and your part if we Judge God in that manner. I love the
way it says, who are you, old man, to reply against God? You're in a place you have no
business being, is what Paul is saying. Now, deal with it.
Who are you to reply against God? Shall the thing form, say
to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? You can't
do that. Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and
another unto dishonor? Now if a potter is making pots
with his clay and he makes one to put food in and another to
put garbage in, you can't question him. Hath not the potter power,
authority over the clay to make one vessel unto honor and another
unto dishonor? Of course he does. Paul says
in verse 22, what if God, willing to show His wrath and to make
His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels
of wrath, fitted to destruction? Now this is God's Word. Bow before it. It's best Whether
you see it or not, this is the word of God. And he talks about
God in long-suffering, enduring with much long-suffering, the
vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, that he might make known the
riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy. which he had aforeprepared
unto glory." Do you remember what the Lord says on Judgment
Day to the sheep, the one sitting on his right? Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Everyone that was saved was aforeprepared
unto glory, even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only,
but also of the Greeks. He doesn't call everybody. Now
somebody says, is this teaching double predestination? That some
are predestinated to be saved and some are predestinated to
be damned? Now if by double predestination
you mean some are predestinated and some are not, yes. Yes, absolutely. But understand this. If you're
predestinated to be saved, it's an act of God's grace. If you
go to hell or if I go to hell, it's all our fault. It's because my sin. God doesn't
predestinate someone simply arbitrarily to be damned. Somebody's damned. Somebody goes to hell because
of their sin. They're getting what they deserve. They're getting what they earned.
But if I go to heaven, it's all God's fault. As he saith, verse
25, As he saith also in Hosea, I
will call them my people, which were not my people. And her beloved,
which was not my beloved. You may be unlovable, but if
God calls you beloved, you're beloved. You see, he doesn't
have to find a reason in you to love. The reason is found
in his son. If you're in his son, you deserve
the love of God. You're beautiful to God in Christ. The scripture says as he is,
so are we in the world. Verse 26, and it shall come to
pass that in the place where it was said, you're not my people,
there shall they be called the children of the living God. Oh, what grace on God's part. Verse 27, Isaiah also crieth
concerning Israel, though the number of the children of Israel
be as the sand of the sea, a remnant A small number shall be saved. In Romans 11, it's called the
remnant according to the election of grace. Now, at any given time
on the earth, God's people are a great minority. It's a small
number. When God flooded the earth, eight
people were saved. The Lord said, broad is the gate,
and wide is the way that leads to destruction, and many there
be that go in thereat, but straight is the gate, and narrow is the
way that leads to life, and few there be that find it. Now, instead
of worrying about that, I think of what the Lord said, you strive
to enter in the straight gate. Somebody said, are there few
that be saved? Whether there's few or many, you strive to enter
in the straight gate. Don't you worry about anyone
but yourself. Now, verse 28 says, four, he
will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because
a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. The Lord will
carry out his sentence on the earth quickly and with finality. The finality of these glorious
words, it is finished. The salvation of the elect is
accomplished. And Isaiah, he quotes Isaiah
again. Isaiah said before, except the Lord of Sabaoth had left
us a seed, wouldn't be as Sodom, and then made like unto Gomorrah.
Now you remember Sodom and Gomorrah, that grotesquely immoral city
that God rained down fire from heaven and destroyed them, all
of them, and delivered Lot out of that place. Isaiah said, we're
no different than they are. We're just as bad, we're just
as evil by nature as they are. And unless God made a difference,
we would have had the same end as them. He's attributing salvation
to the sovereign grace of God. Now he draws a conclusion to
all this. He says, what shall we say then?
What conclusions do we draw from what has just been said? What should we say then? Well,
that the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness. They were happy to not know God.
They were happy to continue in their rebellion and their sin.
They had no desire to know the living God. They followed not
after righteousness. They could care less about righteousness.
What should we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed
not after righteousness, have attained a righteousness. even
the righteousness which is of faith." Well, how could that
be fair if they weren't even looking for righteousness and
didn't care about righteousness, yet they attained a righteousness,
the righteousness which is of faith? It's because God's gracious. These people who had no desire
for righteousness, God by His grace made them righteous and
gave them the righteousness which is of faith, which is nothing
less than the righteousness of Jesus Christ that faith relies
on. Right now while I'm talking to
you, I'm relying on the righteousness of faith, the righteousness and
perfect merits and obedience of Jesus Christ as being mine.
My sin became his, that's why he died on the cross. His righteousness
becomes mine. That's the righteousness of faith. But Israel, he says, in verse
21, which followed after the law of righteousness, They sought
to obey the law, to earn God's favor. They demonstrated, so
they thought, great respect for the law. In reality, they didn't
understand the law, or they wouldn't have sought to be saved by their
works. They would have sought to be saved by Christ. But they
thought they had respect for the law, and they followed after
the law of righteousness, but they've not attained to the law
of righteousness. Paul said, how come? because
they sought it not by faith. but as it were by the works of
the law. They didn't seek to be saved
by Christ. They sought to be saved by their
own works. Paul put it this way in Romans
chapter 10 with regard to these same people. He says, I bear
them record. They have a zeal of God. They're religious, but
not according to knowledge. For they, going about to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto
the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of all
for righteousness to everyone that believeth." These people
sought to be saved by their works and they demonstrated by that
they had no knowledge, true knowledge of God or themselves or they
wouldn't have come this way. They stumbled at that stumbling
stone The gospel, they said, you mean to tell me that I cannot
be saved except Jesus Christ give me his righteousness? I
cannot be saved except God elect me? That God give me life? I'm
totally without the ability to save myself? Why, I find that
offensive. I find it offensive then because it's the truth.
They stumbled at that stumbling stone as it's written, behold,
I lay in Zion. This is God speaking. I lay in
Zion, a stumbling stone and rock of offense." That's talking about
the gospel. Men are offended by the gospel.
They always have been. And I love the way he ends this
chapter. Whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. Now, I love this word, whosoever.
I'm a whosoever. Do you fit in that category?
Whosoever. I don't care what your background
is. Whosoever. Whosoever believeth on him. What does it mean to believe
on him? Well, when I go into a plane, I have a pretty good
idea that'll probably get me to the other side, but it's just
a probability. When I believe on Christ, it's
the certainty that He is altogether able to save me without my works. Whosoever believeth on Him shall
not be ashamed. He won't be ashamed on judgment
because he'll have nothing to be ashamed of. He stands perfect
in Christ and he's not ashamed of the gospel he believes. Whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. This is Todd Nyberg praying that
God will be pleased to make himself known to you through the preaching
of his gospel. That's our prayer. Amen. To receive a copy of the
sermon you have just heard, send a request to todd.neibert at
gmail.com or you may write or call the church at the information
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