Romans 9:14-16, 30-32 (ESV)
[14] What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no
means! [15] For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and
I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” [16] So then it depends not
on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
[30] What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue
righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; [31]
but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not
succeed in reaching that law. [32] Why? Because they did not pursue it by
faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling
stone,
There is a mystery in this chapter. Paul argues strongly for election but
ends with faith and unbelief. This chapter has divided people over the issue of
whether God chooses those who will be saved or whether we choose. Some read
this chapter to mean that God has chosen who will go to Hell and who will go to
Heaven, sometimes called double-predestination. How we read this chapter must
not divide the Body of Christ. I have friends who get extremely angry toward
those who hold a different understanding of this chapter than they do. That is
wrong. We are all wrestling to understand a mystery. The intersection of God’s
election and mankind’s choice is always beyond our comprehension. God is
sovereign. People make choices. To say that God’s sovereignty is based on a
person’s choice is to essentially remove sovereignty. To say that a person’s
choice is based on God’s sovereignty is to essentially remove choice. Both
positions attempt to remove the mystery and explain the unexplainable. To
divide the church over such things is reprehensible.
We cannot forget that Paul’s statement about the potter creating one vessel
for honorable use and another for dishonorable is written in the context of the
first three chapters that establish the guilt of all people. Romans 2:1 says
that all are without excuse. Romans 3:11 concludes, “No one understands; no one
seeks for God.” Salvation is an act of mercy no matter who you are. Romans 9:16
says that salvation “depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has
mercy.” Literally salvation does not depend on “the one willing or the one
running.”
As the Bible Knowledge Commentary says about this verse, God “is not under
obligation to extend mercy to anyone.” No one is saved by wanting to be saved. No
one is saved by being a good person. No one is saved by trying hard. No one is
saved by keeping God’s law. Those who are saved, are saved because they have obtained
“a righteousness that is by faith” (Rom. 9:30). Those who are lost, are lost because
“they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.” (Rom.
9:32). “I’m a good person” will not get you anything in the eyes of God. That
is like a child saying, “I’m a good painter.” Yes, for a four-year-old they
might be a good painter, but they are nothing compared to Michealangelo. Being
a good person in our eyes gains nothing when we stand in the presence of the One
who is truly good.
Paul’s conclusion to Romans 9 is that salvation is an act of mercy received by faith. It is nothing more and nothing less. Trust God. Embrace the mystery. Rejoice in God’s mercy. Celebrate the fact that anyone gets saved when no one seeks God. Worship God who loves deeply those who have rebelled and rejected their creator. Salvation is a mystery and a wonder. Come to him by faith. Worship him in wonder.
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