Audio:
2007-09-23 PM Wrath and Mercy - Romans 9 Part 2.mp3

Wrath and Mercy

Romans 9:19-10:4

Dr. Edwin P. Elliott

I. Why Should People Try to Please God?

A. How do God’s final authority and man’s responsibility relate to each other? “Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?” (Romans 9:19)

1. Some questions inherently insult God. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” (James 1:13)

2. Other questions do not relate to life; the answers do not relate to the present life and they will be obvious in their proper time. “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?” (1 Corinthians 15:35)

B. The conundrum has obvious problems; the maker inherently has determining authority over what is made. “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” (Romans 9:20)

1. Some lines of thought lead to unsatisfactory results. “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” (Romans 2:1)

2. God does not go out of His way to make the Christian life obscure. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)

C. In common experience the question answers itself automatically. “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Romans 9:21)

II. Take a Closer Look at What God Has Done

A. Evil serves the larger purpose of salvation and revelation; election displays the overcoming mercy of God. “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,” (Romans 9:22-23)

B. Grace, not judgment is the astounding doctrine; from all kinds and categories of people, God has chosen a people to be redeemed. “Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:24)

C. Hosea explained what God was doing. “As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.” (Romans 9:25) [Hosea = Hebrew / Osee = Greek]

D. Apart from any consideration of election, God always said only a remnant would enter eternity with God. “Esaias also crieth 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.” (Romans 9:27-28)

E. Only grace explains the salvation of anyone when all people deserve eternal damnation. “And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.” (Romans 9:29) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

III. Election Explains Grace

A. Since works inevitably and universally fails, only election leads to grace. “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;” (Romans 9:31-32)

B. Isaiah foreshadowed this insight and the implications for people who reject election. “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 9:33) “Therefore thus saith the Lord, even the Lord, Behold, I lay for the foundations of Sion a costly stone, a choice, a corner-stone, a precious stone, for its foundations; and he that believes on him shall by no means be ashamed.” (Isaiah 28:16 LXX)

C. Paul reassured readers that he had no conflict with Israel and genuinely wanted these non-believers to be saved. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” (Romans 10:1)

D. Zeal is no substitute for knowledge of the truth. “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:2-3)

E. Christ and salvation by works can never fit together; Christ accomplished what only grace can. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Romans 10:4)