Today’s passage: Romans 9:1-18
Helpful thoughts:
- The Apostle Paul has answered other hypothetical questions so far in the letter to the Romans. The next hypothetical question might be stated this way, “If the Gospel is true, why have so many Israelites rejected it?”
- The Gospel is not true or false because people either do or don’t accept it. People do not get to decide reality.
- The Gospel is not a failure if people do not accept it and believe. All who are called according to His purpose will be glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
- Being a physical Jew did not make a person a follower of God anymore than being a child growing up in the church makes a person saved.
- There is a distinction between physical Israel and spiritual Israel.
- All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
- “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated” could also be understood as, “Jacob I chose, Esau I rejected.”
- In their sin, both Jacob and Esau had rejected God. They both were already guilty. In our sin, we rejected Him as well.
- The wages of sin is death. But God has mercy upon whom He has mercy.
- In their sin, both Jacob and Esau had rejected God. They both were already guilty. In our sin, we rejected Him as well.
Questions to consider:
- Knowing all that Paul knew about God’s sovereign election, what was his heart still toward the lost? What can we learn from this? How should we think of others who do not know Christ? What should we still be willing and eager to tell them?
- Sometimes people can be put off by the idea of election, but what would we think of God if there was no election? Does anyone seek for God on their own (Romans 3:11)? Where would we be without God’s unmerited favor (Grace)?
- What would have to be true of us to be able to find fault with God? If we found fault with Him, who would be with sin and who would be without sin? Who would be saving (Or condemning) who? How do these truths result in worship instead of condemnation when we think about them rightly?