When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction” (Rom.9:21:22).
So are we to understand that we serve a God who plays favorites? Some school-yard bully randomly choosing up sides for a game of you-go-to-heaven-you-go-to-hell?
“You—yeah, you, the fast one, I’ll take you.”
“And you, yeah, you next to him, you can come too.”
“But not you—are you kidding me…not on my team!”
For many this example brings up memories of being the last man standing. Cheeks-red, ashamed. And even now, after all these many years and accomplishments later, you’re feeling the pain, still— are angry, still—to say nothing of feeling like it was completely unfair!
After all, what’s wrong with me you’ve asked? I’ve got two legs and two feet. I could run fast—heck, I could run faster than him! So why didn’t I get chosen—I am too good enough!
And there it is… Paul’s argument.
Our answer—Election.
God’s Sovereignty.
The topic some pastors dodge, and unseasoned ministers shrink under the weight of. But not Paul. Why do they run and shrink? It’s unforgiving—this topic of election. It doesn’t play well with collection plates and full pews—true statement.
So what do we do with unpopular Truth? Truth too great for finite man to wrap his finite mind around? Do we who have been called to bring His Word, this Truth, into a lost and dying world, water-down the gospel—dilute God, so as not to offend?
I will say as my brother Paul said before me, “God Forbid!”
No, we are called to boldly proclaim the Gospel, boldly speak the Truth. We serve a Sovereign God. He does not serve us…Potter, clay. Divine order.
I’m reminded of a quote I recently came across. “A watered down gospel may fill pews, but it will never lead a sinner to the Cross of Christ.” And we are sinners, of that be sure. All of us. There’s not one of us “deserves” to be on team Jesus.
Not one of us is good enough to have gotten picked for His team…
Who of you reading this, in the light of God knowing your heart can say, “but I am”—good enough that is.
The Word of God itself condemns you. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1Jn.1:8). “All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.…(Rom.3:12).
God is the Righteous Sovereign over the whole world. As such, He, God, has the right to do with anyone or anything He created exactly as He wishes, sees fit —no questions asked..
.And that’s where our backs get up—our necks stiffen…
That’s where we cry, “foul!” That’s where the screaming starts, “but it’s not fair!”
We forget that we serve at His pleasure and His calling. Grateful beyond words to have been called, chosen at all. We are not owed our salvation—quite the opposite in fact. What we deserved is hell… Why do we all try to convince ourselves that we are good? Haven’t we all told a lie before? Haven’t we all stolen something that did not belong to us? Haven’t we all looked with lustful eyes or had sexually perverted thoughts?
Jesus defined looking with lust-filled eyes to be the same as adultery (Matthew 5:28).
You are a liar, a thief and an adulterer and so am I. And there is not one person on this planet that likes liars, thieves, adulterers or murderers…
The reality is you agree with God and you cannot fight something you agree with…
How would you defend yourself when you agree with the very laws you’ve broken?
Romans 9 is God speaking to us in and with His authority. It’s not Paul speaking to us—sharing his opinions. How can we know that God’s promise of salvation will not fail? Paul’s answer is that our salvation is secure because it doesn’t depend on us, rather on God’s purpose according to election.
As the sovereign of the universe, God always accomplishes what He purposes to do. He chooses some for salvation apart from anything that they do, and He rejects others apart from anything they do… “So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (Rom. 9:13).
Think the man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:15. Was He the only one there that day in need of a healing? Why not heal all those gathered? And Why Israel? Why wasn’t Africa or Asia made the Apple of God’s eye—His chosen people?
We need to submit, joyfully, to this truth of Gods Sovereignty. Not question it. It’s God’s authoritative revelation of Himself. And this revelation should put an immediate end to our, “I’m good enough for His team argument.”
Paul knew then, as ministers of the gospel know now, today, that there will always be those who will cry out loudly, “but that’s just not fair!” Why them and not me? I’m a good person, don’t I deserve…
Their failure to see—their shortsightedness, comes from their inability to realize, accept, that God is not bound further than He has been pleased to bind Himself by his own covenant and promises…
In other words, God is bound by His will and Word only. Not be our wills and wants. Not by what we think we should have and deserve. Our screaming, “It’s not fair”, changes nothing…
It serves only to show how little we fear God and how prideful arrogant we actually are—how little we know of submission or humility…
How little we understand—know—about God. About the unconditionality of being chosen by God as a child of promise. “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (vs.16)
He owes His creation nothing. Hard pill to swallow I know. Doesn’t sound like the squeezably-soft God of love, and plenty and forgiveness for all being preached about today. Apostasy! A feel good gospel designed to tickle the ears of those who cannot—will not—hear the saving Truth of the Gospel.
So to answer my opening question, no, God is not some school-yard bully. He is rather an Awesome God, Righteous in everything He does. Sovereign, sinless and pure—perfect in all of His ways—above reproach.
But, as this Righteous Sovereign God He is also free to harden whom He wishes, in order to display His glory…
God could have chosen to be merciful to Pharaoh and the Egyptians by softening their hearts—telling them about the need to put the blood on their doorposts to escape the wrath of the destroying angel. Rather, God chose to harden Pharaoh’s heart for the greater purpose of displaying His glory in power and judgment, so that His fame would spread throughout the earth.
As the Righteous Sovereign over all, God has the freedom to harden sinners for His greater purpose of displaying His glory and power in righteous judgment. “You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? (Rom.9:19-21).
Remember today that you are the clay, not the Potter. “For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me. “I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other” (Isa. 45:4-6).
You must be logged in to post a comment.