What’s the Key?
What unlocks the secret to Romans 9? Some say Romans 9 is not about salvation at all (in contrast to everything in its context); that it’s about which nation God would chose to bring salvation, as though Paul suddenly changed his subject. In our last lesson, “What’s It For,” we saw that’s not true. Romans 9, like the rest of Romans, is about salvation.
Here we see the key to unlocking Romans by looking at the heart of the chapter. A key is a critical, decisive ingredient that is absolutely required to get what you want. Like a line of dominos falling, there has to be one, decisive someone pushing over the first one. Who does that with salvation? Listen:
The Question (9:14)
Paul has answered the question as to why Jacob was chosen and Esau wasn’t. The key is not anything Jacob did or chose. It is that God loved Jacob but not Esau. Many people today assume that God loves all people the same and so the key that sets those who are saved apart from those who are not has something to do with the people, not God. But Paul has already stated that the key is God’s choice to love some, like Jacob, and not love others, like Esau. The critic recoils and accuses God of being unjust for choosing some but not all.
If God’s choice of people is based on nothing in them is that unjust? Some call it “happenstance.” Paul says God chooses people to be His children based purely on His “purpose in election.”
The unsaved get justice. The saved get mercy. No one gets injustice.
Justice is getting what you deserve. If you work an hour, you deserve an hour’s pay. The unsaved, like Esau, get justice. The saved, like Jacob, get mercy. Justice is precisely what they are not saved from. No one gets injustice. For more on God’s sovereign mercy, click on the YouTube message above.
The Compassion (9:15)
There is no injustice on God’s part because, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.”
We don’t get “mercy” by doing the right thing or making the right choice, like praying the right prayer. Only God holds the key to His compassion. In Greek “whom” here is singular so about specific people, not categories. God has “common grace” for all people (Matthew 5:45.) But He has saving grace for only specific people, whom He chooses.
This is all about salvation of particular individuals, about which people get God’s compassion to save them. God hates Esau (9:13) means that God did not choose him and that’s why he isn’t saved. For more on how only God holds the key to salvation, click on the YouTube video above.
The Condition (9:16)
I considered my self an Arminian even after a graduated from seminary with my masters. An Arminian believes that God has given the key of His saving mercy to everyone. In Arminianism, the decisive ingredient you need to get salvation is your choice.
What’s the condition salvation depends on? What is the decisive key to unlock it Salvation does not depend on human “willing.” It’s the common, general word for will or want. Our salvation does not ultimately depend on our will, our choice, our “sinner’s prayer,” our decision. Our will depends on God’s will. Accept that salvation depends on God’s will. For more on how salvation does not depends on our will, click on the YouTube video above.
Either accept that salvation depends on God’s will (not yours) or stop saying you believe the Bible.
Proclamation (9:17)
Now Paul looks at the flip side because that’s what’s really causing the offense. Why aren’t some saved? What offends many people is the idea that someone could not be saved because God did not choose them.
Esau was faithless and Pharoah was hard-hearted and so they got what they deserved. It’s not hardening or not loving that’s the miracle; that’s just letting nature take its course. God let Esau to continue faithless and Pharoah to remain hard-hearted. He didn’t give them the mercy to have faith and repent.
The controversy is: why doesn’t God give everyone the grace to believe and repent? Why doesn’t God give everyone saving mercy? He explains, “that” — for the purpose of “I might display My power in you.” The 10 plagues on Egypt, the exodus, was for the purpose of God showing how powerful He is, so that He would be glorified.
People today are handed over to their own desires so that people can see the difference between those God has mercy on and those He doesn’t. We will see how great is our God and proclaim the name of Jesus to all the kinds of people. For more on how God glorifies Himself in whom He saves, click on the YouTube video above.
The Conclusion (9:18)
“He has mercy on whomever he wills” – same word as in verse 16 for our will. Our will is not key. God’s will is. If He choses to have mercy on us, we’re saved. If He does not chose that, we won’t be saved. Both God’s mercy and His judgment are out of our control. He holds the key, not us.
It’s not as though people don’t chose. It’s that our will isn’t the key. God has mercy and that results in us choosing Him. If God doesn’t push over that first domino, then we’re left in our natural condition, a hard-hearted sinner. For more on how God’s choice determines our choice, click on the YouTube video above.
C. H. Spurgeon:
“The thought struck me, “How did you come to be a Christian?” I sought the Lord. “But how did you come to seek the Lord?” The thought flashed across my mind in a moment: I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. … “I ascribe my change wholly to God.”
Ascribe your change wholly to God! God has mercy. He holds the key.
To unlock Romans 9, listen to the YouTube link above.
Covenant Reformed Baptist Church is Caswell County’s/Danville’s Reformed Church.