God is God- Romans 9:14-24

We have spent 2 post this week studying Romans 9 and applying the Biblical truth from Paul into our lives. The first post we looked at the sorrow Paul felt over his own people, the Jews, as they rejected Jesus for the privileges they felt they had already. Then the following post we looked at the point that Paul made about it is not privileges or rights to salvation but it is the fact God chose to love us and that is why we have salvation. Today we will follow up the same section about God choosing some to love and save while letting others stay in the same sinful state they were born into.

Romans 9:14-24

¹⁴ Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! ¹⁵ For God said to Moses,

“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,

and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”

¹⁶ So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

¹⁷ For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”¹⁸ So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

¹⁹ Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

²⁰ No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” ²¹ 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? ²² 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. ²³ He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. ²⁴ And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

I love this section of verses. Paul is asking us the most obvious question, but a question that we as humans never want to face. As humans we want control. We want control over decisions, rights, salvation, freedom, and even control over death. We as humans want a God who is on our level and a God that is like a big brother, someone who is on our side but we can at some points get the upper hand on. Most humans do not want a God who is in total control and we as His humans have no right with at all. Think about this, reading those verses, we as humans have no right with God, so if God wanted and desired to, He could have sent ever humans ever born to hell to pay for their own sin. Think about that, in light of the previous section of verses (7-13) and this section of verses, God could have chosen to save no one. Hear that, God could have chosen to save no one and provide His salvation to ho one. But He didn't, God chose to save some and provide a way for salvation for those He has loved and chosen. Think about that now, God chose to save you, if you love and have faith in Jesus, and He chose you to love and provide a way of salvation for. Wow, it gives me chills every time I think about that. God chose in His purposes to give me love and salvation. But more importantly as a creation of the Creator, I have no place or foothold to talk back or even question Him. Which is Paul's second point. God is in control, He does what He wants to, He saves those He wants to, and we can do nothing or even get upset about it. How do we have any rights to talk back or get upset at the God who created us. Can the pot get angry at the Potter, can shoe get upset at the shoe maker, can the can the coffee become bitter at the coffee maker? No, and we have no way or any right when it comes to God, we must just follow in faith and love what God says and commands and does, that is Paul's point.

3 Application truths with questions for everyday
#1-God is in complete and total control. Nothing in this world or life can frustrate, surprise, over work, over love, out think, baffle, or over whelm God. This is a great point and should give us great comfort in the fact that if we love God and God loves us we have the best being and the only being that matters on our side. When was the last time you found comfort in knowing God was for you in everything?
#2-We have no rights with God. This means that we must trust God and take Him at His words. We have no room to ever get angry, upset, bitter, and frustrated at what God is doing for and in our lives. God will do what God desires to do and there is nothing we can do about it. That is a lot of "do's" but as the creature the only do that matters is God. Do we remind ourselves every day that God knows best and we need faith and trust, not anger, in that?
#3- God chooses who He wants to save. Just like Yesterday point 3 this is another point that can be hard to understand. But as humans we must realize and trust that salvation is a gift from God and God gives that gift to whomever He wants. When was the last time you were thankful for your free gift of salvation from God and saw it as a gift not something you had to earn?