Romans 9:24-29 For more on the context of these verses, click here. The Call …even us whom he has called… This word, call, sums up Paul’s whole meditation on God’s sovereignty in selecting some for salvation in Romans 9. It is God’s call that makes the difference, not ethnicity or morality or any other human […]
The Call, the Called, the Calling Read More »
Romans 9:22-23 The Forest and the Trees Studying Romans is like hiking through a forest full of fascinating trees. We’ve been studying individual trees one-by-one for weeks in chapter nine: God chose Isaac, not Ishmael; God chose Jacob, not Esau; God has mercy on whomever he wills and hardens whomever he wills, etc. Before looking at another
God’s Sovereignty: Acceptance and Understanding Read More »
Romans 9:19-21 Romans 9 presents God’s sovereignty in extremely stark terms, which raises many objections. Paul addresses two potential objections in 9:14-29. Last week we looked at objection #1: It seems unjust for God to embrace some and reject others. This week, we’ll look at objection #2: You will say to me then, “Why does he still find
We’ve been thinking a lot about God’s sovereignty over who becomes a Christian and who doesn’t (the doctrine of election) as we work through Romans 9. Let’s pause and consider three reasons that election is good news:* 1. Election means his love is unconditional and secure. If he based his love on our will or exertion, it would come and go. (Actually, it
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We already addressed whether this verse refers to Jacob and Esau as individuals or as representatives of their respective nations (Israelites and Edomites). This post will address the word ‘hate’ in Romans 9:13: As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” This Greek word that all the major Bible translations render as
Loving Jacob, Hating Esau 2 Read More »
Romans 9:14-18 I’ll be posting more thoughts on 9:13 this week. But for this sermon, we moved on into verses 14 through 18; which shed light on what we’ve covered so far. Let’s take it verse-by-verse. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! Note how Paul’s perceived objections
God is Sovereign, Just, and Merciful Read More »