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“What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:22-25, ESV)

Pastor Abel’s sermon on this passage is titled, “A Sovereign God and a Broken Heart”.

One thing that is clear from the verses above is that God calls people to himself. What does this mean? Does he call everyone to himself, or only some people?

In the Bible, there are verses indicating that there is indeed a general call of the gospel. For example, Paul himself in Acts 17, in his sermon on top of Mars hill, said, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent…” (v30)

However, in Romans 9, the word ‘call’ is used in a more specific sense to refer to the internal call (also labeled the effectual call) of the Holy Spirit. This is the call of God that pulls us out of our sin into faith in his son Jesus Christ. This call is more like the call of Jesus when he cried out “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43), raising Lazarus from the dead.

The role that this internal call has in our salvation is clear from Romans 8:30: “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (ESV)

Notice that the effectual call of God occurs logically prior to justification. Before a sinner can be made right with God, that sinner, who is dead in sin like Lazarus was dead in the tomb, must be given new spiritual life through God’s powerful call.

In Romans chapter nine, Paul deals with an important implication of this fact. Namely, if God can call anyone, giving them new life and bringing them out of sin, why doesn’t he call everyone? And if he doesn’t call everyone with this same effectual call, how is he just to punish those he did not call?

Paul’s candid answer that we must recon with is: “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” (Romans 9:20-21, ESV)

God is, in other words, the one with ultimate freedom and authority to do with his creatures as he sees fit. Rather than attempting to explain his infinitely complex and deep reasons, which we could never hope to understand, God promises that his purposes are good, and invites us to trust him.

 

Further Study

 

Questions

  • What is your reaction to this message in Romans 9?
  • What questions does this text raise in your mind? How should we handle such questions?
  • What should our heart attitude be when considering the truth that God is free to choose those who are saved?
  • What is the important foundation for common ground between Christians who disagree on heavy theological concepts?