"The Potter's Prerogative" (Romans 9:19-24)

“The Potter’s Prerogative” (Romans 9:19–24)
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday PM, July 15, 2018

Romans 9:19–24 (NIV)
       ¹⁹ One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” ²⁰ But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ”  ²¹ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
       ²² What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? ²³ What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—²⁴ even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Intro: Have we misunderstood Paul?

Situation and Problem: Israel’s Unbelief: is the problem with God’s Word/Promise?

Proposition: No! God’s Word has not failed (v. 6a).

Major Premise: Not all those descended from Israel are Israel (v. 6b).

Support #1 for major premise: Inclusion in the true Israel is not based on Abrahamic paternity, but on God’s call (vv. 7–9).

Evidence: Isaac and Ishmael were both children of Abraham, but Isaac was the chosen seed of Abraham not Ishmael.

Support #2 for major premise: Inclusion in the true Israel is not based on Abrahamic paternity or meritorious deeds, but on God’s call (vv. 10–13).

Evidence: Jacob and Esau were both the children of Isaac, the seed of Abraham, but before they were born and before they had done good or evil, God chose Jacob to continue the seed of Abraham.

Objection: Is God unrighteous? (v. 14a)

Response: Absolutely not! (v. 14b)

Scriptural warrant #1 for response: To Moses: “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion” (v. 15).

Inference #1: God’s bestowal of mercy is not based on human considerations, but only on God’s nature, an essential aspect of which is to show mercy to whom he pleases, apart from human considerations (v. 16).

Scriptural warrant #2 for response: To Pharaoh: “For this very purpose I raised you up in order that I might display my power in you and in order that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (v. 17).

Inference #2: God has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills (v. 18).

Objection: How can we then be held responsible if no one can resist God's sovereign will? (v. 19)

Response:

1. Remember who you are. You are the creature; God is the Creator.

2. The creature has no right to object or “talk back to” or question (in a judgmental way) the Creator.

3. The Creator has the right to make what he wills to make and do what he wills to do.

4. God is glorified in his right as Creator to do what he wills with his creation.