By Pastor Greg
Sometimes it seems to me that there are more people rejecting God than accepting God. I have cousins, former classmates from school, aunts and uncles, former coworkers, nieces and nephews that appear to be turned away from God. And it breaks my heart. I don’t try to pass judgment on their salvation, but I just wish there was some way to convince them to respond to God, something the Apostle Paul wishes as well.
As Paul has taught us, salvation comes from God, and it happens when we believe by faith that Christ died for our sins. But how does that belief process begin? What causes a person to fall on their knees and confess their sin in the first place? I mean, we have all seen this; two people hear the same message yet one turns away while the other turns to God. Why does that happen? Some people believe it has to do with election - God willed the one to be saved but willed that the other would reject salvation. Other people feel that we do the choosing; as if the offer of salvation is presented and we have the freedom to choose or reject that offer.
Whether you believe in predestination or free will, it is essential that you and I realize that God is the One who makes this initial step in a person's life. Election is not a human act or achievement. God is the One who convicts, calls, illuminates the truth in our heart, and enables us to find faith. Whether this initiative is resistible or irresistible is where theologians disagree. John Calvin said it was irresistible. When God initiates this process within a person's heart they will be saved. Jacob Arminius said we still have the freedom to choose. If we were not free, then we could not be held accountable for our thoughts, words, or actions.
So whether grace is irresistible or resistible, the point is that we don't reach up to heaven, God reaches down into our hearts and ignites a spark when we hear the Good News preached. Once that happens, the debate is whether we have the ability to choose (free will) or that we will be saved (predestined or elected). However, the debate between predestination and free will does nothing to reach those who are still lost or those whose hearts remain hard toward God. Making up our mind about predestination will not lead someone to Christ. So it is important that we have a healthy perspective about this debate. About the only thing this theological debate will accomplish is to bring peace to those who grieve over an unsaved friend or family member. And this, I believe it what Paul was trying to address in Romans chapter 9 (Read Romans 9).
Grieved that many of his fellow Jews have rejected salvation through Christ (Romans 9:1-5), Paul points out that God had revealed Himself to them. But even though the People of Israel had been chosen, many still rejected. This is an important lesson. Of all the nations in the world, God elected to reveal Himself to Israel. Yet many of Israel's descendants rejected God. They rejected Him in the Old Testament and here we see them rejecting Him in the New Testament. But Paul is not talking about an individual in this section of Romans (specifically Romans 9:6-13). He is speaking about a nation.
In choosing Jacob over Esau, God was making a choice to fulfill His will through Jacob’s descendants, not Esau’s. God made a choice based upon His divine will and plan, not based upon human achievement or good deeds. In verse 13 Esau was rejected as the one through whom the line to Jesus would continue. It had nothing to do with Esau being rejected as a person. It had nothing to do with God rejecting the descendant of Esau. As a matter of fact the descendants of Esau were present in Jerusalem during Pentecost when God poured out His Spirit into the church. Acts 2:11 says there were Arabs present. They were the descendant of Esau. There is a good chance that some of these Arabs heard Peter's sermon, were convicted, and baptized as believers. So God's election of Israel was a matter of choice. Israel could not boast that they had earned this or deserved this. It was simply part of God's plan. And He worked in ways to fulfill His plan.
Paul gives another example of how God elects people to be the instruments through which His will is accomplished (Romans 9:14-24). God used the Pharaoh and his hard heart to fulfill His plan for Israel. Yes, Pharaoh’s heart was already hard (“There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God” – Romans 3:11). God’s plan was for Israel to leave Egypt and settle in the Promised Land. If the Pharaoh had a soft heart toward the Jews, they would not have had the desire to leave. God used the Pharaoh’s hard heart to accomplish His will. The same could be said about Paul. His heart was hardened toward Christ and toward the gospel earlier in his life. Yet from the stoning of Stephen and Paul’s persecution of the early disciples, we see the Apostles taking the message of Jesus out to other nations. In other words, God desired that the message of Jesus would be spread throughout the world. But had there been no persecution, the disciples of Jesus would have been content to stay in Jerusalem. God chose to use unsaved Paul to accomplish His purpose. Later, God revealed Himself to Paul and chose to use Him for another purpose. The main emphasis here is not on salvation, but being used to fulfill God's plan. Some are used to reveal His glory and some are not. Even the potter/clay reference does not speak about rejecting. Paul is not saying some jars are treasures and some are garbage. He is saying that there is a difference in the way they are used. Neither jar was useless.
The point is that God elects according to His will and His timing (Romans 9:25-29). In the past God did not reveal Himself to the Gentile people. But that did not mean they would stay that way for eternity. As a matter of fact, Paul mentions several Old Testament scriptures that hint at God's plan to include them in on His promises. But just as some Jews would choose to reject God, the Gentiles would be warned not to reject Him as well (Romans 11), even though God has chosen to reveal Himself to them.
The whole point to this section is this: God choses to reveal Himself to some and not to others, but it has nothing to do with whether they deserve this or not. It has everything to do with His will and His timing. Based upon the character of God, we know that He is not mean-spirited, vindictive, or angry. God, as revealed in the Old Testament and as revealed in Christ Jesus, is filled with goodness, justice, fairness, and love. And God has predestined that those to whom He has revealed Himself and who have responded to His invitation, that they might be conformed into the image of the Son (Romans 8:29). This is the heart of predestination. God intended all along that those who respond to His invitation of grace would become justified and glorified.
Predestination speaks of God’s plan to transform believers into the image of Christ. It does not speak of God’s permanent rejection of an individual or permanent acceptance of an individual. And Paul’s life is the perfect example. Based upon his actions, we could have judged Paul as predestined for judgment when we first meet him in Acts 8. Yet here in Romans we see a whole different man. What was a vessel of wrath has become a vessel of honor. And God is praised because of the transformation.
You and I cannot know what God knows. We cannot look into a person’s heart and determine if they are ready to believe or if they ever will believe, even if someone were to rise from the dead. Only God knows this. And we do not know if God is planning to glorify Himself by waiting until a future day to reveal Himself to someone; to transform a common vessel into one of honor and glory. So perhaps what appears to be God's rejection of someone is in reality God simply waiting until the time is right. Or maybe He is waiting for one of us to be His messenger – something Paul will address in the next chapter.
As I think about the people I know who seem to have rejected God or those who simply do not care, I must keep in mind the character of God. I do not believe God purposefully desires that someone be condemned to hell. From God’s own mouth He has said, “As I live!” declares the Lord God, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11). I do believe that God will raise someone up to be used by Him in order to accomplish His will, however, that is completely different that God predetermining their condemnation. So as said before, it’s important that we stop worrying if grace is resistible or irresistible, and instead make a choice to respond when God reveals Himself to us. If you have felt the tug of God within your heart, by all means open yourself up to Him. You will not be disappointed. And for our unsaved friends, continue to pray. Pray that when God does reveal Himself to them that they would be ready for the invitation; when God invites them to enter into a relationship with Him through Christ Jesus the Lord.
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