Epistles of Paul 80

In the first eight chapters of Paul covered a portion of God's plan of salvation. That's obviously the first eight chapters of Romans. God's plan to redeem man from the wages of human sin.

At the end of chapter eight, we saw Paul describing God's work of his spirit, of his power in us, and how the old creation eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of God. We have access to the Father through Christ by one Spirit, by God's power, and nothing can separate us from God's love for us. Now in chapters nine through eleven, these three chapters in a sense go together as a block, as a group, as a section, and Paul explains further understanding, or he gives us further enlightenment regarding God's plan of salvation by showing how God is dealing or has dealt with Israel and his loving concern for them. In chapter nine, the emphasis of this chapter that we're covering now, is on Israel's past election because they were chosen as God's people. They were the ones that were chosen to do a specific job in order to a specific purpose. However, they failed in that mission, in that purpose that they had. Now the emphasis on chapter 10, which we'll cover next time, is Israel's present rejection. And chapter 11 is what God is doing to have the final and future restoration of Israel. And because God does not discriminate, it also means that he will extend that wonderful step of his plan of salvation to all nations, not just to Israel, to the Jew first and to the Gentile. So this chapter nine is one of probably the most, one of the most important or another one of the most important chapters that give us a deeper understanding of God's plan. You know, this is chapter nine, ten and eleven. So once again, the emphasis on chapter nine is how Israel has had a past election or selection. They were chosen and they failed. And the point that we learn from these chapters is that God did not base his election on pure physical descent, neither on who is the first born, because we saw, as we saw in previous weeks, that it was based on promise, was not the first born. For instance, Isaac was not the first born from Abraham, and Jacob was not the first born. Israel, in a sense, was the first born. So it was based on a promise, on a choice by God, with the intent of him carrying out his plan, his purpose. And so God knew which individual he wanted to use, some of the personality or characteristics that he wanted, and maybe it was just to show us that it is by promise, not just by physical descent. So it is in the end, according to God's will, according to what he wants to do, not according to our will or our desire. And likewise, today, the situation is very similar. A number of us may say, why me, Lord? Why am I called now?

Because it's not according to who is better or who is intellectually superior. It is according to God's calling and election, according to his will. So we see Paul demonstrating through these chapters, God's faithfulness, God's righteousness, God's justice, and God's grace. And so in first place, this demonstrates God's faithfulness to his promise, and we went through that last week.

Then in verses 14 through 18, we find God's righteousness being described. And so let's just start reading in verse 14 of chapter 9. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not. So Paul starts with the question, is there unrighteousness with God? Now, let's look at an example how, for instance, a God would be unrighteous. God would be unrighteous if God had chosen some for salvation and condemned others to the lake of fire. In words, this concept of predestination without giving everybody a chance for salvation. So this concept of predestination, as it is understood by some, that some are predestined for salvation and some are predestined for condemnation on the lake of fire, it is not what God has chosen. It's not righteous. It's not God's plan. Because if God were to do that, he would be showing favor to some, and in other words, he would have favorites. But we in the church, we understand, we understand that there are different judgment periods and that today is not the only day of salvation. God will grant an opportunity for salvation to everyone in his own time. So what is predestination then? Predestination has to do with all men will have a chance for salvation. And secondly, it has to do when that chance or that opportunity is extended. It is when God calls you, when he opens your mind or our mind. And so the matter that he chose some now and or that he chooses some now and others later seems to indicate to some that God is unrighteous. But that is because they don't fully comprehend God's plan of salvation, God's purpose. And therefore this chapter is difficult to some theologians to explain.

Why? Because they try to defend God, but they don't understand, for instance, the white throne judgment, the second resurrection, and what will happen then.

So they try to defend God by saying everyone as now in this life is having a chance in this life, and therefore they say when you die, that's it, your chance is gone, you've had it. But when people ask them about Phoenicists, all the children have died without ever knowing Christ. When people ask them about maybe certain tribal groups of people that never knew Christ, or even post civilizations that never knew Christ, they don't have an answer. They don't have an answer. And so God's plan is beautiful because we have a choice.

We have a choice. Now maybe we could deviate very briefly and talk about people that grow up in the church, young people, children, because we know that not everyone that grows up in the church remains in the church. Let's just look at 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 14. In 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 14, we read, For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. Our children are set apart.

It shows you when one parent is in the church, the children are holy. They are not cut off from God.

That means by virtue of having one parent in the church that understands the truth, those children are not cut off. Those children can come to God and it's up to them to respond. It's a different category in a sense, like a third category.

And so they can choose.

You know, they are called and they can choose because of their parents, or one of them at least, understanding and being in the church. You see, children of parents in the church have access in a sense, in an analogy, it's like saying they have access to both threes, the three of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. And it is as if saying, for instance, children in the world only have access to one tree because they haven't been taught and they haven't learned the other things, but the children of parents in the church, they are holy, they are set apart, they are called. Their minds are able to understand the truth if they choose to apply it. For instance, they come to church, they hear messages, they go to the feast, and they see and experience God's way of life in action. And so they can respond if they desire to do so. You see, once again, it's an important principle that God works through families. We've seen in many cases families in the church and God works through families.

And these children of ours have an opportunity now.

You know, many are called without, it says, many are called. And quite often we, we, maybe we, we use the word calling, and maybe sometimes with a little bit of misunderstanding. Because the calling in a sense is like, the calling goes out, is like a phone solicitor, is like, it's a, a calling goes out. And for instance, you contact 100 people, but only one responds. You see, the invitation is extended, but do many people respond? No. So it is called and chosen. Quite often we just use the word calling, but it implies that people are called and then are chosen. They selected. We kind of imply that, but obviously we do understand that calling and being chosen are two different things. But quite often just in, in our common speaking language, we just use the word calling. So the four children in the church, they are called because they've heard that calling. And in a sense, it's like in their minds, the ground is more fertile for them to be able to respond. Look at Acts chapter 2 verse 39. That's Peter there on the day of Pentecost. And when the people, when he gave his lecture and the people realized that Christ was the Messiah in 238, and then he said to them to repent and then they will receive, you know, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And they have to receive God's Holy Spirit. But then verse 39 says, For the promise is to you and to your children. It's very specifically says the promise is to you and to your children. And yes, and to all who are afar off as many as the Lord our God will call. But you see there is this category of your children also. So it's not that God is favoring one or the other, but God, because if God was favoring that would be unrighteous, but it is their choice to respond. And so if we look back to Romans chapter 9 verse 14, Romans 9 verse 14, is there an unrighteousness of God? Certainly not.

You see, this election, calling an election or calling as we just normally stated, but it's just calling an election. That means that they respond and therefore they elect it. It's always a matter of grace. If God only acted on the basis of righteousness, nobody would be righteous and nobody's called. So it's not a matter of righteousness or one's goodness or one's nationality. It is a matter of God's calling and the people responding to it.

And so there's no unrighteousness in God. And then in verse 15, For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy and I'll have compassion on whomever I'll have compassion. Now yeah, Paul is quoting Exodus 33 verse 19. Let's just look at Exodus 33 verse 19.

Exodus 33 verse 19.

He says, Then he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I'll proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I'll be gracious, and I will come. I have compassion for whom I have compassion. It is according to what God is working now. And therefore he shows mercy according to his plan, and he knows who to show mercy now, who shall mercy to everybody in their own time. Look at verse 16. So then it's not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. And so the calling of God and the conversion is up to God, not up to you and I when we decide it's up to God and he's mercy. And so what we have here is a fundamental truth, a fundamental understanding, or let's call it a back bound of understanding of God's plan, that God will give the opportunity to salvation or for salvation to everyone. God will call everyone, but the timing is up to him. You see in the let's call the first six thousand years from Adam to Christ's second coming, which will be about six thousand years, I'm not saying it's exactly to the year. We don't know exactly when those years started anyway. Some people say was one year more, let us say a few years more, a few years less. Anyway, that's not the point. In average the spirit of about six thousand years, he only calls those that he names or either sides to be, they'll be the first fruits of the Spirit, and those that remain faithful to the end will be the first fruits at Christ's coming. And so he only calls a small group of people. Let's now look at verse 17. For the scripture says to the Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you, raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that by my name may be declared, and that my name may be declared in all the earth.

And so Egypt as a nation would be an example to other nations of God's power, of God's might, so that when Israel would come out of Egypt, all nations would fear God, would year and fear God. And even as we know 40 years later when Israel came to the promised land, nations still feared because they heard the miracles that God had done in Egypt. And I'll continue now in verse 18. Therefore he has mercy on whom he woes, and whom he woes he hardens. It is according to God's will. Now let's just briefly look at two examples. The first example I want to turn to Exodus 8 verse 15. Exodus 8 verse 15. And and now we read Exodus 8 verse 15.

And when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said. So Pharaoh hardened his heart. Look at also at verse 19. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, this is the finger of God, but Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said. And then look at verse 32. But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go. And so we see in these three examples here in Exodus 8, we see that Pharaoh hardened his heart. Now look at another example which is in Exodus 9 verse 12. In Exodus 9 verse 12 says, so in the previous three examples we saw Pharaoh hardened his own heart. But now let's look at Exodus 9 verse 12. But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses. And look at chapter 10 verse 1. Now the Lord said to Moses, go into Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine before him. And look at verse 20, also in chapter 10 of Exodus. It says, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go. And also in verse 27, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. And so we see that there were times that Pharaoh just became stubborn, hardening the heart. That's what it means. He was just stubborn, stubborn, and rejected the pleading of Moses. And also the way times when God hardened his heart, in other words, both occurred. So we can see, going back to verse 18, therefore he has mercy on whom he was, and of whom he was he hardened. You see, so it is God's will. Now we move to up to YAH. Paul has been talking about, as I mentioned, about God's, in the first section was God's faithfulness. And now from verse 14 through 18, he's talking about God's righteousness. But now we move on to verse 19. Verse 19, because now from verse 19 through verse 29, Paul now asks the next question, and he's basically talking about God's justice. And the next question in verse 19 is, who will say to me then, why does he still find fault?

For who has resisted his will?

Now the logical argument is, if God hardens somebody's heart or mind, how can he, God, find fault with that person? Because it was God who hardened that person's heart.

And so we can see that both situations happen, like in the case of Pharaoh. We have a part in the hardening process, and God also has a part in it when the person has that hardening heart. And God kind of is like it says, you know, God gave them up to a reprobate mind. Do it times. Moses said to Pharaoh, let my people go. And what did Pharaoh say? Okay, let them go. They can go. But then Pharaoh reconsidered and thought, well, I'm going to let all my laborers go, all my labor force, all my slaves. And then he will become stubborn and gain. The point is, the important point here is, who are we to argue against God and about what he's doing? You see, that's what I say here. Verse 19, you will say to me, why does he still find fault? For who has resisted his will? You know, we can't argue against God and for what God is doing. God's got a purpose. And in some cases, he will allow certain things to happen. You'll allow certain hardening, and he may even harden it further. Look at verse 20, but indeed, our man, who are you to reply against God?

Who are you to tell God how to carry out his plan and his purpose? We have no right to tell God how to carry out his plan and his purpose.

Let's read the rest of verse 20 and verse 21. The rest of verse 20 says, will the thing formed say to him who formed it? Why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay for the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another lump for dishonor? Well, we can see that prophesied or stated in Isaiah 45 verse 8. Let's look at Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45 verse 8. Isaiah 45 verse 8.

But now verse, bigger part of verse 9. Isaiah 45 verse 9. 45 verse 9. Well, to him who strives with his maker, like the potter strive with the potter of the earth, shall the clay say to him who forms it, what are you making? Or shall your handiwork say, he has no hands? The new international version puts it this way. Well, to those who quarrel with their maker, those who are nothing by the potcher, but potcher among the potcher on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, what are you making? And does your work say the potter has no hands? So basically, what we see in Isaiah 45 verse 9, and let me stick to the New King James version because I prefer it. But what it's basically saying is, you know, how can you strive with God? How can you argue with God? I mean, who are those that are nothing, they're just pots on the floor? In other words, can the clay say to the potter, what are you making? What are you doing? Why have you done? You know, we have no right to do that. We have no right to say, to say, you know, why do you make me the way you make me? You see, God has devised a plan of salvation, and He has made this physical. And if God does not call everyone today in this age, God has a very valid reason for that. Another structure that, or another prophecy that covers that is also in Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 18 verses 1 through 6, the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I'll cause you to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was making something at will. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. So he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me and saying, oh, as of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter? Says the Lord, look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. You see, so God has a plan of calling and election, and God decides who to call and when. And God will call us when it is the best, let's call it, opportunity or possibility for you and I. For instance, one possibility that we could reason is if God would extend salvation to everyone, it is very probable that more would be lost or that ultimately would reject his way.

We believe, I believe, that one of the reasons why God, and there are other reasons, but one of the reasons why God is just calling some today is because he's allowing human beings to live a physical life, experience their own way, go the wrong way, suffer the consequences of their wrong way, and then later when God calls them or calls mankind and reveals them the correct way, the right way, God's way, that individual has the opportunity to choose those two ways because he's already lived the wrong way and he says, I don't like that wrong way, I don't want to go back to it. And so when God reveals the right way, there will be, I believe, the probability that more will choose to go the right way. The final outcome is that more people would be saved, and that is God's justice. Now maybe sometimes we, as ministers, we come to a person which is older, and then this older person is called at an older age, and this older person may say, why did God call me when I was younger? But who's to know? Maybe if God had called that person when that person was younger, maybe over time, maybe that person would reject. And so God in his wisdom knows when it's the right time to call people. The same sort of question, people in in the second resurrection could be asking the same thing, why didn't God call me earlier?

Well God in his wisdom knows, he knows when it's better to call us. That is his justice.

Also we need to understand that God is only calling a small handful. He's only calling a few today. Why? Because you and I are being prepared to be the teachers. You know, as the kings and priests and the king of kings and the Lord of Lords, and we are being prepared in a sense to be teachers. You see, when we go to school, we need to have teachers. Teachers who know what it's all about, we can teach teachers that can have empathy and sympathy for the students because they know the material they've been through it. And likewise, in a resurrection, when we will be immortal, because we have been human beings ourselves, we will then have the opportunity to deal with other human beings, and we will be able to extend to them empathy and sympathy because we've been there. It will not just be theory, like for instance an angel that has never been a human being. We have gone, or we would have gone as in a resurrection, as spirit beings, as immortal spirit beings, we would have gone through the same struggles, difficulties, troubles, whatever, problems that those other human beings are going through. And so we will be able to show empathy and sympathy towards them. And that's in a sense why Jesus Christ is compassionate and He's loving as our high priest because He lived in the flesh. He suffered. He had the same temptations and trials. He had to resist. Therefore, He Christ can have very special compassion towards all of us. In an analogy or figuratively, as we can see it in the Bible, it says Christ being a husband, He was in the flesh. And as the wife, the bride, the first fruits that have been in the flesh at that time, the first fruits now of the spirit, but then changing the spirit beings as the first fruits, we then will be figuratively or in analogy married to Christ. And therefore we as the bride help the husband in bringing many children to glory.

And so all those in the millennium and also those in the second resurrection, that is part of that part of the white throne judgment, in a sense, those people in the millennium and in the white throne judgment, in a sense, not literally, of course, but in a sense, they'll be our children in the faith because we have helped them. And we would have helped them to be in the faith and to grow and to be in a way as a result of our teaching and our example.

So God, in a sense, has a very logical progression to His plan and His purpose. Now, obviously, there may be many other reasons why God is doing it this way. And by no means am I limiting God that it's only these reasons because we just don't understand everything. God surely has or could very well have many other reasons because in His greater wisdom He can see this is better for us. And now let's continue reading in Romans 9 verse 22 through 24. What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known and juror of such with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction and that's in this first age, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy which He had prepared before and for glory.

Verse 24, even us whom He called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles. You see, God has a plan. He has in His plan, in His physical life, He has some pots, quote unquote, as the master potter that He's using to, you know, for wrath. And He has some pots that He has used for mercy, but He will eventually extend mercy to everybody upon repentance. And all this was prophesied, all this is prophesied, and in the next few verses Paul now quotes from Isaiah, from Isaiah, examples that this was prophesied. Let's read verse 25 and as he also says in Isaiah, now this is as Isaiah 2 verse 23, I will call them my people who were not my people and her beloved was not beloved.

In other words, I'll call the Gentiles which were not my people and and I'll call them beloved who were not beloved. You know, it was the Gentiles. Look at verse 26, and it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, they shall be called sons of the living God. That's in Isaiah chapter 1 verse 10. In other words, the Gentiles get were not God's people as physical Israel, God's people as converted, as changing to spirit beings, they'll be sons of the living God, much more than just physical Israelites.

So this is all prophetic how God is working this out. Look at verse 27, Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel, so it's not just Isaiah, he's in Isaiah and he now he quotes Isaiah 10 verse 22 through 23, slightly different words than what it is in Isaiah but it is the meaning and he says, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved.

You see, even though the Israelites, they were a lot of people, only a small remnant of Israelites in this life will be saved. The others, yes, in the great white throne, in the resurrection, they'll be saved but in this life only a small remnant will be saved. Verse 28 which is continuing from Isaiah 10 22 to 23 verse 28, For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.

So God will make that work and that's something that people don't understand because there will be a time, there will be a time of complete national conversion of Israel, but it's not now, it's not now, it's not in this age. Let's just jump a little bit forwards to Romans chapter 11 verse 25 and 26. Romans chapter 11 verse 25 and 26, For I do not desire brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved.

And so this is part of God's plan, part of his at a moment only a remnant will be saved, but ultimately everybody will be saved. And look at verse 29 of Romans 9, Romans 9 verse 29, and it said, And as Isaiah said before, yes said before Isaiah 10, because this is quoting Isaiah 1 verse 9, as Isaiah said before, earlier in his book, unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left as a seed, that is a few survivors, a remnant of the Israelites, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.

You see, so all this was prophesied that God will show mercy to everybody, obviously those that ultimately would respond and remain faithful. And so yeah, we can see that this is God's plan, his faithfulness, his righteousness, and his justice. You see, so Paul through these verses here, he's been defending in a sense the character and the purpose of God by showing God's faithfulness in those few verses from verse 6 through verse 13, showing God's righteousness in verses 14 through 18, and God's justice in verses 19 through 29.

So basically what we have here is Israel's rejection of God's election, or of God's calling, only proves God's faithfulness. It only proves God's faithfulness, in other words, God's character, faithfulness to his purpose and faithfulness to his character. And that's what we see in Romans, just turn back to Romans chapter 3 verse 3 and the first part of verse 4.

It says, for what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not. Indeed, let God be true. There was faithful, but every man a liar. You see, so it doesn't matter if Israel is faithful or not, because God's purpose stands.

And all this, as I mentioned, was prophesied. And so in the last few verses here of this chapter, 30 to 33, we see how God's grace is abounds. And here we see in verse 30 and 31, what shall we say then? Again, starting with a question. That Gentiles will do not pursue righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness of faith. Yes, this is God's grace. The Gentiles did not have, in a sense, God's law, but they attained God's righteousness, even the righteousness of faith. But verse 31, but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness here, Israel, they had a law.

They had a commandments, but they did not obey. You see, they have not attained to the law of righteousness. They did not obey. They disobeyed. And now verse 32, why? Because they did not seek it by faith.

You see, but as it were, by works of law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. They sought it by works. They sought that they were justified by works. And that's why Paul continuously is explaining, for instance, in Galatians and others, that we are justified by faith, by trusting Christ. Now, obviously, it doesn't mean that we don't have to do our part. Of course, we have in return. But you and I are made right with God by what Christ has done, not because of what we have done. But Israel did not believe, did not trust. You see, for they stumbled at the stumbling stone, which is Christ. They did not trust, believe Christ, and therefore they stumbled. Because when we continuously told by Paul, you know, that we gotta believe and trust in what God has done for us through Christ. So Israel did not believe, did not trust Jesus Christ. And therefore they were put to shame. Look at verse 33. As it's written, Behold, I'll lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, which is Christ. And whoever believes in Him, trusts in Christ. And by trusting and believing, it means they are going to obey. They're going to do what He says, will not be put to shame.

So Israel's rejection of Christ does not deny the faithfulness of God.

That just shows the plan and purpose of God. It shows God's grace and mercy, as we saw, because as we read briefly a moment ago, are of Romans 11, 25 and 26. So all Israel ultimately will be saved. And so God will carry out His plan. He is faithful and righteous, just and gracious. And you and I, we can depend on God's promises.