June 4, 2020
Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 43-46
New Testament Reading: Romans 9

What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law. Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. Romans 9:30-32a

Throughout this chapter the Apostle Paul speaks of the sovereignty of God.  Paul uses the example of God choosing the nation Israel to be His people and rejecting the Gentiles.  He then explains that as the creation we should not question the creator.

What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! For He tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Vv14-15

Far too often Christians have taken passages like this out of the content of the rest of the Bible.  They say God in His sovereignty chooses willy nilly whom He saves and who He doesn’t.  Yes, God is sovereign and yes God chooses to whom He will show mercy and grace to.  But that should cause us to stop and ask the question, so how does God choose?

Paul answers that question at the end of the chapter. God chooses to bestow His mercy and compassion on those who have faith in His son Jesus Christ. The Gentiles who did not pursue God in the past now obtain His righteousness by their faith, and Israel who did pursue God does not receive His righteousness because they did not pursue Him in faith, they tried to earn it by their works. (See vv30-32)

Before the foundation of the world God in His sovereignty predetermined that those who will become His children and spend eternity with him would be those who come to Him in Faith.  And as a sovereign God, He has the right to make that decision.  Abraham, therefore, was not arbitrarily selected to become the father of the nation Israel.  Hebrews chapter eleven states plainly that By faith Abraham obeyed … as did Isaac and Jacob Heb 11:8-9  The writer of Hebrews goes on to say that Sarah, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets all acted by faith.

Even before God made His covenant with Abraham, by faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man. Heb 11:4.
By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. Heb 11:5
By faith Noah built an ark to deliver his family. Heb 11:7

The Apostle Paul can confidently state that God is not unjust in His selection because He uses the same standards for all people. From the beginning of creation until Abraham, God’s chosen people were those with faith in Him.  From Abraham until the time of Jesus, God’s chosen people were not those who obeyed the law by their works, but those who had faith in Him.  Today during the church age, God’s chosen people are those who come to Him in faith.

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast. Eph 2:8-9