Romans chapter 9, verse 24, Romans
9, 24, and we'll try to get down through verse 33. Even us, even
us. That's an amazing, amazing statement. When we consider who we are,
what we are, where the Lord found us, even us, whom He hath called. He called us. He loved us. We only love Him because He first
loved us. We only call upon the name of
the Lord because He called us out of darkness unto His marvelous
light. Not that the Jews only, the Lord
called a multitude of Jews, but also the Gentiles. Now, the Lord
our God has chosen a people. They're called a chosen generation. They're called a royal priesthood
who have been called out of darkness into this marvelous light. Peter
calls them a holy nation. That is what God makes them in
Christ, a holy nation. They're called a peculiar people.
Not that they're just, the word they're peculiar doesn't mean
they're weird. That word peculiar there means
they're purchased. They're purchased, they're bought.
And they do, Give the Lord our God all the honor and glory for
the salvation of the Lord. As Paul said, we thank God for
you, brethren. He has called us out of darkness
into His light, translated out of the kingdom of darkness into
the kingdom of God's dear Son. He did it all. He called us.
Among the mass of fallen sinful humanity, Jew and Gentile, there
are just two kinds of sinners. vessels of mercy, vessels of
wrath, those saved by the grace of God, and those who are lost,
dead in sin. Sheep, chosen, blessed of God,
and the goats. There is the elect of God, and
there is what we call the reprobate. All humanity is summed up in
two groups. In Adam all died, in Christ shall
all be made alive. The Lord has justified, saved
His church with His own blood and will call them out with the
gospel. These are called, as it says
in the preceding verses, vessels of mercy, that He might make
known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy which
He had aforeprepared unto glory. The Lord has always determined
to save a people from all eternity in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
in verses 25 down to verse 23, Paul reinforces what he has already
declared by citing eight different passages of Scripture from the
Old Testament in Hosea and in the book of Isaiah. He could
have truly used the whole Old Testament But he limited himself
to these eight scriptures that God had given to him, showing
that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. So let's look at verse 25 and
verse 26. As he also saith in Hosea, and
this is Hosea chapter 2 verse 23, Hosea chapter 1 verse 10,
and I love this statement, God said, I will call my people. I will call my people which were
not my people, that is outwardly speaking, the Gentiles were not
considered the people of God, and I will call her beloved,
I'll call her beloved which was not beloved, and it shall come
to pass. that in the place where it was
said unto them, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called
the children of the living God." Now notice this covenant language
as we've studied in the book of Jeremiah and there's an article
on the back of the bulletin about the covenant of grace from Jeremiah
31 where the Lord said, I will call them my people I will and
they shall be called the children of God." Now, let me give you
this exact quoting from Hosea chapter 2. He says, I will say
to them which were not my people, thou art my people, and they
shall say, thou art my God. Now that's the only reason that
we say that he is our God is because he has called us. The
Gentile world That is, the non-Jewish world were born in sin, shaped
in iniquity, raised in idolatry, by nature loving darkness, hating
light, by nature haters of God. Yet the Lord had determined by
His choice in eternal election and by His electing love to make
some of those vessels of mercy to make some of those people
fallen, sinful, and guilty, children of the living God, sons of God,
and make us accepted. Now, it doesn't say He makes
us acceptable. We are accepted in the Beloved. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse
6, we have here a clear declaration of the sovereign mercy of God
Back in verse 18 of Romans 9, Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy, and whom he will, he will harden. I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. Now look at verse 27. Here we
see the calling out of God's elect among the Jewish nation. He has a people out of every
kindred, tongue, tribe, nation under heaven, both Jew and Gentile. And this is from Isaiah chapter
10 verse 22. And from Isaiah 28, 22, Isaiah
also crieth. That's what preaching is. It's
crying, behold, behold the Lamb of God. Isaiah was bold, crying
out concerning Israel, though the number of the children of
Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved,
for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,
because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." Verse
29, Isaiah said before, except the Lord of Sabaoth, the Lord
of Hosts, had left us a seed, we have been as Sodom and been
made like unto Gomorrah. Now the calling out of the elect
among the Jews, and this is given from Isaiah 9, excuse me, Isaiah
1, verse 9, Isaiah 10, 22, and 23, Isaiah 13, verse 9, Isaiah 28, 22. Now I give those
references so the people who go back and listen to the message
can look up the references if they so desire to do so. Though
Abraham's physical seed were a multitude of millions of people,
only a remnant will be chosen, only a remnant will be justified
and saved in Christ. Now if you turn one page to Romans
11, Romans 11 verse 5. Romans 11 verse 5. Even so, then
at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the
election of grace. You can't get away from this
thing of God's electing love, God's electing grace and calling
grace. Verse 6. And if by grace, then
it's no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if
it be of works, then it's no more grace, otherwise work is
no more work. So, he's saying it's either all
of grace or all of works. It can't be a mixture of both. And we know that salvation, as
this book teaches, is all of grace. Now notice again, verse
28, Romans 9, 28. He said, I will finish. I will finish the work." Now
that's exactly what the Lord has done. He said upon Calvary's
tree, it is finished. I will finish the work. It's
His work to finish salvation. You remember He prayed in John
17, Father, I finish the work You have given Me to do. Now
glorify Thou Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I
had with Thee before the world was, for He will finish the work. It's His work, and He will cut
it short, that is, make it certain and sure, and He'll do it in
a righteous manner. He'll do it in righteousness. Everything God does, it must
be right, just, and holy, because a short work, a sure work, will
the Lord make upon this earth. It's His work. As we've said
over the years, salvation is of the Lord. The Lord will finish
His work upon the earth in calling out His people, and He will do
it righteously and justly through Christ. He's going to save His
people, but He's not going to violate His justice, His holy
law in doing so. He's going to save His people
justly and honor the law of God at the same time. It is His work,
and it's called here a short work. In the light of eternity,
it's a short work, isn't it? I mean, the Lord was here upon
the earth just 33 years. His public ministry was just
3 years. In that short period of time,
in the fullness of God's time, He came and finished the work,
but in the light of eternity, it is a short work. that endures
to everlasting, to everlasting. It's also, we know this work,
it's a finished work, it's a short work. We know this, it's a sure
work too. As David said, ordered in all
things and is sure. All the promises of God in him
are yes, and in him, and amen, unto the glory of God by the
Lord Jesus Christ. Look at verse 29. Isaiah said
before, except the Lord, except the Lord, except the Lord be
pleased to choose a people and to redeem them in Christ, except
the Lord of hosts. That word there is not Sabbath,
it's Sabaoth, which means the Lord of hosts. He's the Lord
of His people. The Lord of His people. except
the Lord had left us a seed, left us a remnant, chosen His
elect. We had all been as Sodom and
have been made like unto Gomorrah, except the Lord had called us
out and chose us by His grace. The wages of sin is death That's
exactly what we deserve, that's exactly where God found us in
our sin, but except the Lord had made us to differ. Remember,
Paul asked that question, who made you to differ from another?
What do you have that you did not receive? We can say with
Paul in another place, he said, by the grace of God, I am what
I am, except the Lord had left us a seed, made us His people,
made us the children of the living God, sons of God, heirs of grace,
and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. We would be just
like all those people in Sodom and Gomorrah upon which the righteous
judgment of God fell. We deserve that exact same thing. God punished our sin in our substitute,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And He has had mercy upon us
because it pleased Him to do so. We're not deserving. We are
not one whit better. None whatsoever. What shall we
say then? Verse 30. What shall we say then? What shall we say then? to these
things." Remember, he uses that quite often, what shall we say
to these things? Look back at Romans 8 verse 31,
when he talks about those whom he predestinated, those whom
he called, those whom he justified, those whom he glorified. Romans
8 verse 31, what shall we say then to these things? of God
before us, who can be against us. And then he uses this same
phrase here, what shall we say then? What shall we say then? Well, I'll tell you what a believer
says, thanks be unto God who has given us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. What shall we say then? Well,
here's what Paul says, the Gentiles, those who are without God, without
hope and without Christ, the Gentiles, dogs, the ungodly,
the vile, the wretched, which followed not after righteousness."
They knew nothing about righteousness. Born in idolatry, raised in idolatry,
heathen, they have obtained, they attained to righteousness
even the righteousness which is of faith." How did they attain
a righteousness that's the righteousness of faith that justifies the ungodly
before God Almighty? How did they attain it? Even
the righteousness which is of faith. Now, and we can truly
put it this way, the righteousness which is of Christ. Because He is the Lord, our righteousness. Who obeyed the law of God for
us? The Lord, our righteousness.
Who put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself that justifies us
before God? The Lord, our righteousness. Even the righteousness which
is of faith. Faith. Remember how many times
we read in Scripture, the just shall live by faith. We don't, and we're not justified,
remember in Chapter 3, by the deeds of the law. shall no flesh
be justified." No one was ever justified by their personal obedience
to the law of God. Paul said of those Jews, they
being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish
their own righteousness, had not submitted themselves to the
righteousness of God. And Romans 10 verse 4, look at
it. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone that believeth. Believing God and looking to
Christ, we have a blessed, perfect righteousness that has been freely
given unto us. You remember Romans chapter 4
verse 6? Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness
without works. What shall we say then that the
Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness by His sovereign
purpose and by His calling grace, His electing grace, have attained
to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith, and that is
Christ, who is the Lord our righteousness, but Israel, verse 31, but Israel,
which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained
to the law of righteousness. Verse 32, wherefore, why? Because
they sought it not by faith, But, as it were, by the works
of the law, therefore they stumbled upon that stumbling stone of
God's free grace. Israel, that Jewish nation, they
missed the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember He said to them,
you are they which search the Scriptures, and in them you think
you have eternal life, but they are they which testify of Me,
and you will not come to Me that you might have life. He came
unto his own, and his own received him not. The Jewish nation missed
Christ, because they were going about to establish a righteousness
by their personal obedience to the law. They thought they could
be justified by their personal obedience to the law of God.
Remember, our Lord said to them, this is one of my favorite scriptures,
especially in the book of Luke, You are they which justify yourselves
before men, but God knows your heart. And he was talking to
these Pharisees. These Israelites, they went about to establish
their righteousness by their own doing. They would justify yourselves
before men, but God knows your hearts. That which is highly
esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Because
they sought it not by faith, They sought it not by Christ.
Saving faith only looks to the Lord Jesus Christ, but as it
were, by the works of the law. They stumbled. They stumbled
at that stumbling stone. Now, hold your place right there
for a minute and turn just a few pages of 1 Corinthians chapter
1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Look what
he says, verse 22. 1 Corinthians 1, 22. For the
Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. There's
the Jew, and there's the Gentile, the Greeks. But we preach Christ
crucified unto the Jews. It's a stumbling block. Unto
the Greeks it is foolishness, but unto them which are called
Here's that call, even us who he hath called. But unto them
which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. By nature
we'll stumble over the gospel. It is a rock of offense. The
carnal mind receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
But Israel, look back to the text again, which followed after
the law of righteousness, hath not attained to that law of righteousness,
they could not. The bar, God set the bar too
high. Wherefore, because they sought
it not by faith, they sought it not by Christ, the Lord has
honored the law of God for us, magnified it and made it honorable.
He said, I didn't come to destroy the law, I came to honor the
law. But as it were, by the works of the law, they stumbled at
the stumbling stone, and the stumbling stone is Christ crucified. Look at verse 33, as it is written,
as it is written, this is from Isaiah 28, 16. God said, I lay
in Zion, A stone, you remember, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone. I think we've got time to find
that. Let's see if we can find Isaiah
28 verse 16. Isaiah 28, this is what God has
laid in Zion for us. And we'll stumble over this unless
the Lord is pleased to teach us the gospel. Isaiah 28 verse
16, Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold, I lay in Zion
for foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone,
a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make
haste, shall never be forced out, shall never be ashamed,
shall never stumble. Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling
stone, a rock of a fence. You see that? and whosoever believeth
on him shall not be ashamed." The Lord has just one foundation. The Lord has just one way of
saving sinners. Know the name of the heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. The Lord said, I'm the
way, the truth, the life, The Lord has laid just one way of
salvation. Other foundation can no man lay
than that which is laid, which is the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Now, I want to spend a little
bit of time on this last statement right here. Whosoever believeth
on him, shall not be ashamed." We're going to see again over
here in Romans chapter 10 verse 13, "...whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Now, when we preach
sovereign grace and sovereign mercy as this chapter so clearly
has laid forth, that God will have mercy on whom He will have
mercy. And then when you read this statement, whosoever believeth
on him, some people would come to the conclusion there's a contradiction
there. There's no contradiction at all.
If there's a contradiction, it's because of our puny, finite thinking. Whosoever is a big, wide word,
but that word does not indicate that sinners are saved by their
free will. It doesn't indicate that at all.
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whosoever, and here's the key
right here. Everybody quotes John 3.16. For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that
whosoever believeth. And they think, well, there's
salvation by free will. Whosoever believeth. And they
camp on that word whosoever. The key is whosoever believeth,
whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord, whosoever believes
on him shall never be confounded, shall never be forced out, shall
never be cast out, shall never be ashamed. Now this word does
not indicate that men of their own volition and will believe
the gospel. We know that's not so because
men are dead in sin. But what he's saying is this,
whosoever believeth. Now, I've got these three questions.
Believes what? Believes what? People all the
time will say, well, just believe, believe, believe. Believe what? The gospel is the power of God
and the salvation. Whosoever believeth the gospel,
whosoever believeth Him who is Lord God Almighty. Whosoever
believes the gospel, you see, the gospel of Christ is the power
of God unto salvation. Secondly, believes who? Believes
who? Well, whosoever believeth on
him, the one who is the absolute sovereign Lord of heaven and
earth, who says, I've hid these things from the wise and prudent,
and revealed them undebated, even so, Father, it seems good
in your sight." So whosoever believes what? The gospel. Whosoever believes who? the Lord
Jesus Christ. You remember in 2 Timothy 1.12,
Paul said, I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded that
He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against
that day. And then the third question I want to ask, what,
who, how? How does one believe on the gospel? Well, only by the working of
His mighty power. Remember from Ephesians chapter
1, we only believe according to the working of His mighty
power. Left to ourselves, we'll never
believe the gospel. No way. Now, that's not to say
we won't take up religion. Cut my teeth on religion. What's
religion? A lot of you grew up in religion. What's religion? It's not to
say that we won't be religious. I'm saying the only way we really
believe the gospel of the grace of God is by the power of God. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sin. A man doesn't believe to be born
again. He believes because He has been
raised from the dead. 1 John 5 verse 1, Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. So then, it is not of
him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. Does this sound
familiar? Romans 9 verse 16, Not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth
mercy. whosoever believeth." Thank God
that faith, where did you get that faith? It's a gift of God,
isn't it? Faith is a gift of God.