Okay, now we're going to try
to look at Romans chapter 9, and we want to try to look at
verse 6, down through verse 13. Verse 6 of Romans 9, down through
verse 13. I trust we'll get that far. Now in these few verses, the
Apostle Paul is going to set forth before us the sovereign
mercy, sovereign love, sovereign grace of Almighty God. Included in that is the sovereign
will of God. His will is absolutely sovereign. His will is absolutely almighty. The Jewish people But that being
a natural born son of Abraham, being the physical seed of Abraham
guaranteed their salvation. They said, you remember John
chapter 8, Abraham is our father. And the Lord said, if Abraham
were your father, you would believe me or the father wrote about
me. And then later on, those Jews
said, well, God is our father. This is from John chapter eight.
You can go over there and read it sometime. Then they said,
well, God is our father. And he said, if you were, if
God were your father, you would believe me for I came from the
father. And then the Lord said to them
these very strong words. He said, you are of your father,
the devil. So being a natural born son of
Abraham, being a Hebrew of Hebrews does not guarantee salvation. It's much like people say today,
well, I've made my decision, I've joined the church, I've
done this, and I've done that. Saying those things is no guarantee
of salvation. Being in Christ, looking only
to Him, that is salvation. Now, the Apostle Paul says, not
as though The Lord Jesus Christ came of the seed of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, and David, but not as though the word of God
hath taken none effect, for they are not." And this must have
been a shocking statement to those Jews. Now remember, Paul
was writing to the Roman church, the church at Rome, mostly made
up of Gentiles, but there were no doubt some who were Jews.
And Paul makes this astounding, startling statement, for they
are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Now, what does that
mean? The Apostle Paul here declares
that not all the natural sons of Abraham are the true spiritual
Israel of God. They are not. Look over at verse
27 of Romans 9, Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel, Though the
number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a
remnant, a remnant shall be saved. And then over in Romans 11 verse
five, turn over there, even so, then at this present time, also
there is a remnant according to the election of God's grace. Now, here's the question. Does
the wholesale rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah
by the Jews make the promise and purpose of God without effect? Does this mean that the Word
of God given to Abraham has not been fulfilled? Well, God forbid. God's elect does not consist
of a physical seed of Abraham, but rather a spiritual seed of
Abraham. The true sons of God, and talking
about the elect of God, the true sons of God are made up of a
nation who are a nation of sinners, who were born in sin, shaped
in iniquity, who were called out of spiritual darkness, redeemed
by the blood of Christ, and regenerated by God the Holy Spirit. It's God who has saved us, it's
God who has delivered us, He translated us out of the kingdom
of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. The Apostle
Paul in Philippians 3 describes the true Israel of God, and he
is talking about the elect of God, those chosen in Christ before
the foundation of the world. And he says, we are the true
Israel who worship God in the Spirit, who rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and we have no confidence in the flesh. The elect of God
are made up of those chosen of God in that eternal covenant
of grace, and they have just one hope. They sang a new song,
saying, thou art worthy to take the book to open the seals thereof,
for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, tongue, people, and nation, and has made us under
our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth with
him." So there, God's elect are made up of every kindred, nation,
tongue, and people under heaven. These are chosen of God in that
eternal covenant of grace and given to the Lord Jesus Christ.
He said, all that the Father hath given to me, they shall
come to me. And those that come to me I will
in no wise cast out. Now, Look at verse 7, Romans
9 verse 7, neither because they are the seed, talking about the
physical seed, the physical sons of Abraham, are they all children,
but, now there's that key word, B-U-T, it's a big word in scripture,
but in Isaac, shall thy seed be called." Now Isaac is a picture
and type, a personal type, of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's saying
here and declaring, in Christ they shall be called, in Christ
they shall be blessed. God promised Abraham that he
would bless a multitude of sinners in Isaac through the seed that
would come through Isaac, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?
If you look back at Romans 9 verse 5, concerning the flesh, yes,
he was of the tribe of Judah, family of David, but who is over
all, that is, he's the sovereign Lord. The word was made flesh
and dwelt among us, but he is God-blessed forever. Because the Lord Jesus Christ
is God-blessed forever, those in him, you know what? They too
are God-blessed forever. We are blessed with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ, according
as he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy without blame before him in love, having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself. Now, those are not my words.
Those are God's words. This is recorded in Ephesians
chapter 1. In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Now, I want you to look at these
references because it will help us here. Hold your place in Romans
9 and turn to Galatians 3. Galatians chapter 3. So, there
are not all Israel which are of Israel, but in Isaac shall
thy seed be called. Now, Galatians chapter three,
look at verse six. Even as Abraham believed God
and it was accounted or imputed, reckoned to him for righteousness.
Now, that's Christ. Know you there for that they
which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
They are the children of faith. And the scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before
the gospel unto Abraham saying, in thee shall all nations be
blessed. That is in Christ. So then, verse
9, they which be of faith blessed with faithful Abraham what a
blessing it is to believe the gospel now stay right here in
Galatians 3 notice verse 16 now to Abraham and his seed notice
that say seeds where the promise is made he saith and to siege
and he saith not and to siege as of many but as of one and
to thy seed which is Christ. That promised son is the only
begotten, well beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now right across
the page in Galatians 3, look at verse 26. For you're all children
of God by faith in Christ. Oh, how precious is the gift
of faith that we have obtained through the righteousness of
Christ. For as many as you, many, of you has been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ. That is, we've confessed Christ.
We've joined to Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek.
There's neither bond nor free. There's neither male nor female.
You're all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, then are
you Abraham's seed. And heirs according to the promise. Now that's pretty clear, is it
not? Heirs according to the promise. What is that promise? The promise
of grace, the promise of the eternal covenant in Christ. Now look back at Romans 9 verse
8. 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." Again, the apostle
repeats this blessed truth. Every believer is a son of God
made so by His electing love, His sovereign grace, and made
heirs of the eternal covenant, the covenant promise given in
Christ before the foundation of the world. Look back at Romans
chapter 8 verse 14. Romans 8, 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 to fear, but
you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children,
then heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, it so be that
we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together with
Him. We've been made sons of God by
His electing love. Let me just read this to you
in Romans 4 verse 16, Therefore it is of faith that it might
be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed,
not to that only which is of the law, but to that which is
the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. So we are
made sons of God, children of God, according to His promise. Not according to our works, but
according to His mercy. Not according to our doing, but
according to His promise. And the promise and purpose of
God cannot change. Not by the deeds of the flesh
are we justified, not by the deeds of the law are we justified,
but rather by the sovereign promise and purpose of Almighty God. But the children of the promise
are counted for the seed. Now look at verse 9. For this
is the word of promise, that at that time will I come and
Sarah shall have a son. God made a promise to Abraham
that his barren wife, Sarah, who was ninety years old, shall
have a son by a miracle by the power of Almighty God. I love this language where God
says, I will come, notice verse nine, I will come And Sarah shall
have a son. Now look back to Romans chapter
4, we saw this before. Romans chapter 4 verse 18. Romans 4.18, who against hope
believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations,
according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being
not weak in faith, Romans 4.19, he considered not his own body
now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness
of Sarah's womb, she was ninety years old, she was barren, she
never had any children, He staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief that was strong in God, strong in faith, giving glory
to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he
was able to perform, therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed
to him, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe
on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who delivered
for our offenses and raised again for our justification." You remember
that covenant language of the promise of God found in Jeremiah
32, Jeremiah 31, and 32, and 33, he said, I will be their
God and they shall be my people. There is no other conclusion. Even though Abraham had an older
son by, you remember the handmaid, Hagar, The promise was not through
Ishmael, the son of Hagar, even though that was Abraham's firstborn.
The promise of God to bless a multitude of sinners was in Isaac. And that is all a picture of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Ishmael and Isaac represent two
things. Ishmael and his birth represent
an attempt of salvation by the deeds of the flesh." Remember
they got a little bit impatient about waiting for that special
son and Sarah suggested, well why don't you just go into my
handmaid, the younger Hagar, and have a child, a son, by her. Ishmael was born of Hagar by
Abraham, but that is a picture and type that represents the
way of salvation by the deeds of the flesh. Isaac, in his miracle
birth by the power of God, represents and shows to us that salvation
is by the grace of God alone. Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael is
the flesh. Isaac is that spiritual man born
and begotten of God. It's like that of Cain and Abel.
Cain represents the way of works. He brought the fruit and labor
of his hand. And Abel brought the blood sacrifice
typical of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can sum all religion up in
those two categories. It doesn't matter what you call
it, what you name it. All religion can be summed up.
It's either in the camp of works, deeds of the law, works of the
flesh, or by the grace of God alone through faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Thank God that salvation is by
His grace or we never would know anything of His saving mercies,
not at all. Now, look at verse 10. He gives
another demonstration of the sovereign I will and you shall. Not only this, not only is this
true that I will come and Sarah shall have a son by the power
of God, by the promise of God, by the purpose of God, but when
Rebecca, now remember Rebecca was that special chosen bride
for Isaac. Rebecca also had conceived by
one, even by our father Isaac, for the children being not yet
born, verse 11, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God, according to election, might stand, is not
of works, but of him that calleth. It was said to her, to Rebecca,
the elder shall serve the younger. The firstborn, who was Esau,
shall serve the younger, which is Jacob, as it is written, Jacob
have I loved." Now look at this verse carefully. Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated. Now, it is saying a whole lot.
The Apostle brings another strong argument to declare unto us that
salvation is altogether the sovereign grace of God and choice of God
alone. Isaac and Rebekah had twin boys,
conceived in the same womb, at the same time, by the same Father,
and the Lord in His sovereign mercy chose one, Jacob, and passed
by his brother Esau, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand. The natural man and the natural
thinking of the carnal flesh that does not receive the things
of God would say, well, that's not fair. That's not right. Paul answers that argument down
here in a later part of this chapter where he says, who are
you to reply against God? hath not the potter power over
the clay, to make one lump unto honor, and one lump unto dishonor. One, he made a vessel of mercy,
and the other he made a vessel of wrath. And all this works
according to God's sovereign purpose. Now look at verse 11
carefully. For the children, here is Rebecca
with twins, being not yet born, neither having done any good
or any evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, as it was
said to her, the elder shall serve the younger." The purpose
of God according to election, will it stand or will it fall? Does the purpose of God according
to election stand upon the will of the creature? God forbid. If we were left to our own fallen,
sinful, wicked will, we'd never believe the gospel. I don't want
to be left to myself. Thank God He makes us willing
in the day of His power. The purpose of God according
to His electing love, electing grace, shall stand. He works all things out of the
counsel of his own will. Now here we learn the important
lesson that election is unconditional. Election is unconditional. Would
Jacob any better than Esau? Was Esau any better than Jacob? No, they were both conceived
in sin, shapen in iniquity, and when they come forth from the
womb of Rebekah, they were both sinners, both of them. But the
purpose of God according to election might stand. Jacob have I loved,
Esau have I hated. The sinner meets no condition
in order to be elected. Now there is that wrong theory
that God The election is according to his foreknowledge. People
who hate the Bible doctrine of election try to explain it away
by using that verse over there in 1 Peter 1.1 where they say
the election of God is according to foreknowledge. And I've given
this to you before. That is, they think that God
looks down through this telescope of time and sees what the sinner
will do and then elects that sinner. That makes election based
upon your will rather than God's sovereign choice. You see how
subtle things, but when you're rooted and grounded in the purpose
of God according to election might stand. You know that election,
we use that T-U-L-I-P, tulip, right? T, total depravity, U,
unconditional election. Jacob didn't meet a certain standard
than God seeing. God seeing his faithfulness then
said, well, I'm going to choose him. Not at all. Jacob was just as evil and conniving
and sinful more so than Esau was. But the purpose of God according
to election might stand, God chose Jacob and passed by Esau. It was said to her, it was said
to Rebekah, the elder shall serve the younger. Now why is this
so? Because it pleased God that the
purpose of God according to election might stand. Now, as it is written,
Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Jacob was chosen and
loved by God before he was conceived in the womb, before he had done
any good or any evil, by the eternal will and purpose of God,
God made the choice. Esau was left alone, passed over
because it pleased God to do so. One, as it says over here
in verse 22, look at Romans 9, 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, that He might make known the riches of His glory
on the vessels of mercy which He had aforeprepared unto glory? There we see vessels of wrath
like unto Esau, there we see vessels of mercy like unto Jacob. Hath not the potter power over
the clay, to make of the lump of clay as it pleases him? This was all done according to
the written will of God, and that's given to us in Genesis
25, 33, the Lord declared to Rebecca, that the younger brother Jacob
shall have dominion over the older brother Esau, the greater
shall serve the lesser, as it says there in the marginal reference."
This is a way of grace. This is a way of God. Now, take
a good look at verse 13. And next time someone says to
you that God loves all men everywhere without exception, and that the
love of God is unconditional. You know, the love of God is
not unconditional. I beg you pardon. The love of
God does have conditions upon it. The love of God is in the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's the condition. As it is
written, God loved Esau as much as he
did Jacob. That's not what that says. Jacob
have I loved, Esau have I loved less. That's not what it says. Jacob have I loved. Why would
God love Jacob? He was a cheat. He was a conniver. He was a sinful man. Why would
God choose Jacob and pass by Esau? Because the Word of God
says, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Hated, get a hold
of that word. The foolish shall not stand in
his sight, thou hatest all the workers of inequity. I remember
a story I've heard years ago of a young man who asked his
wise father, said, well I don't understand how how God could
hate Esau, and he said, He said, well, I can understand how God
could hate Esau because he was a sinner, born in sin, shaped
in iniquity. But the old wise father said,
here's the mystery of God and the power and glory of God. It's
easy to understand how God could hate Esau, but the mystery and
glory of the gospel is this, how God could love Jacob. Now
that's the mystery, that's the power, that's the glory of God. Those who have right understanding
of the holy character of God can understand how God could
righteously hate both Jacob and Esau, both were sinners. But
God's love for Jacob as well for all the elect of God is found
in Christ, because we're chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. God loved Jacob in Christ, according
as he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.
God saved Jacob in Christ. When was Jacob saved? Before
he was born. According to the, you remember
that verse over in 2nd Timothy 1.9, it's God who saved us and
called us, which comes first. God saved us in that eternal
covenant of grace. God saved us when Christ justified
us with his blood. And then he calls us by his grace. God saved Jacob in Christ in
that eternal covenant of God. God blessed and redeemed Jacob
in Christ. And that's true of all the elect
of God. Let me give you two verses and
I'll be done. Isaiah 41, 14, fear not thou worm Jacob, And you men of Israel, I will
help thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. And then this scripture, Malachi
3, 6, For I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob. I want to be a son of Jacob,
made so by the grace of God. Fear not thou worm Jacob, for
I am the Lord, and I do not change.