ROMANS 9

In Bible college I double majored in Bible and Bible Teaching.  My second degree meant I was an education major who was required to student teach to graduate.  Since my advisor knew of my desire to be a student pastor, she arranged for me to be a high school Bible teacher.  For seven of my nine weeks this was an amazing opportunity.  The students liked me and resonated with my teaching.  Things were going so great that my cooperating teacher decided to let me lead the class unsupervised.  

What could possibly go wrong?  Apparently a whole lot if you're teaching Romans 8 and 9.

Unwisely I decided to share my personal beliefs on a subject matter, which was highly divisive.  I didn't teach anything heretical. I didn't teach anything which the school itself doesn't believe.  I didn't teach anything which most of the student's own churches would disagree with.  But I did take a specific side on an in-house debate within evangelical Christianity: Predestination.

An In-House Debate

As you've probably noticed, the Bible is a very large book.  It was written over a span of more than 1,000 years, in multiple literary genres, and answering the deepest of philosophical and theological questions.  It answers all of the most important questions in life. 

As Christians we all believe that The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God.  It informs us that all of mankind is sinful (Romans 3:23) and dead in our trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). When the Bible speaks of our sinfulness, it makes it clear that no one does good and no one seeks God in and of themselves (Romans 3:9-11).  But God rich in grace and mercy sent His son to live the life that we couldn't live, die the death that we deserved, and pay the price that we couldn't pay. In doing so we are offered the gift of redemption and the forgiveness of sin.  This gift is offered by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

If you affirm and believe the previous paragraph, then we agree on the essentials of our faith and you are a brother or sister in Christ.  

However, while we agree on the key essentials, there's a lot of room for us to disagree on the specifics of what that means.  These are in house discussions amongst a family:

• Should we baptize infants?
• What is the proper form of church government?
• Will the Rapture occur pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib? Is there a Rapture at all?
• Was the Earth created in 6 literal days?

These are in-house debates amongst believers.  They're certainly important issues to discuss, debate, and come to an answer from scripture, but these are not issues of whether you are saved or not.

One of the most heated in-house debates is addressed most extensively in Romans 9.

Election & Predestination

When the Bible talks about what is going on behinds the scenes with our salvation, it uses the word, "Predestination."  If you've spent significant time in Christian circles, you're probably aware that "Predestination" is an extremely volatile topic of conversation.

Here's the simple truth:

All Christians believe in PREDESTINATION (Romans 8:29, Ephesians 1:5) . They just disagree on what the term means.

In short, predestination is the belief that God decides in advance who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell.  All Christians believe that God decides who goes to Heaven and who Goes to Hell. However, the discussion is on what grounds God decides the destination of mankind.

Is His decision based off of the decision that we will make or on His purposes and Will?

All Christians turn to the Bible to seek an answer to this question.  For 100s of years men who are much smarter than me have come to different answers to this question. Very intelligent men believe that God predestines those to Heaven based on His foreknowledge of who will place their faith in Christ.  Equally intelligent men believe that God predestines those to Heaven not based on the actions of man, but based off of His selection.

The process by which God chooses is called "Election."

To understand election, you have to start with an understanding that the Bible paints a very bleak picture of our spiritual state without God:

• All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23)
• All of us are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and unable to do good (Romans 3:9-11)
• No one is righteous (Romans 3:9)
• No one seeks God (Romans 3:10)
• Everyone is deserving of eternal spiritual death (Romans 6:23) and God's wraith

It is by God's grace and mercy alone that ANYONE is saved.  Anytime the discussion of predestination and election come up, inevitably someone will argue that it is "unfair" if God has some part in who is elected.  The problem with this argument is that it's totally fair for God to allow ALL of us to face the consequences of our sin.  He doesn't owe us mercy.  He gives out mercy by His grace.

Romans 9

In Romans 9, we are given a little peek as to what is going on behind the scenes with our salvation. Paul is going to give us a glimpse into God's process of election.  It's easy to read Paul's words and take them as emotion-less theological rants, but he starts off with an emotional appeal to make it clear he understands the implications of what he's about to say:

Romans 9

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel.

When Paul stops to consider that some of his fellow Jews may not be ELECTED and therefore not saved, it causes him "unceasing anguish."  As he writes on this subject, it's not as emotionless professor in an ivory tower. He writes as an evangelist with a broken-heart for people.

As he continues he's going to explain why some were ELECTED and others weren't.  He's going to use a heart breaking example.

 6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” *Emphasis added

On what basis does God ELECT some Jews? On the same basis on which God elected Jacob instead of Esau.  And this is the same basis on which He elects some to be redeemed today His purposes and will.  Before Esau or Jacob could earn redemption, God had a plan.  Likewise, before each of us had done anything, God had a plan!

Ephesians 1

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. * Emphasis added

Understandably you might ask yourself, "How is that fair?" Paul is not oblivious to your problems with what he just said.  Paul anticipates that response, and provides his answer.

Romans 9

14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

If we believe that God is all-good and all-loving, then we can trust His choices. While we might not understand how He works, we can trust Him.  

At first it seems shocking that God would say He hates Esau.  But you have to constantly keep in mind, Esau was a sinner who did not deserve God's love, grace and mercy.  Jacob was a sinner who did not deserve God's love, grace or mercy.  God's basis wasn't on performance or works. It came from His own loving character.  I have no idea how that works. It's on my list to ask God for more details when I get to Heaven.  

While in the written form Paul's words may come off as cold, but remember he started this section by confessing his own anguish over his own people who are far from God.  He states all of this as a pastor and evangelist attempting to balance a biblical tension: God is sovereign, but man is also responsible.

• Man is sinful and deserving of the wraith of God.
• God is sovereign and freely gives mercy and grace to those who put their faith in Him.
• No one deserves God's grace and mercy.
• Some are given God's grace and mercy.

Biblical Tension

When it comes to discussing these types of issues, the most important thing is to balance the biblical tension.  Since we are dealing with divine subjects, they are beyond our understanding.  God must condescend Himself down to human language and thinking just for us to be able talk about Him.  Some day in Heaven perhaps we will have a greater understanding how to reconcile some of these subjects, but in this lifetime we must learn to balance certain biblical tensions.

BIBLICAL TENSIONS:

• God desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9), but some are created with His knowledge they are for destruction (Romans 9:22).
• God is sovereign over all, but mankind is responsible for their actions.
• God is just, but God is merciful.
• Man is sinful and deserving of Hell, but God is gracious and merciful to man.

The important thing is that you don't attempt to resolve these tensions by emphasizing one side and ignoring the other.  I had a Bible college professor describe balancing Biblical tension like driving down a street.  Each side of the road is one side of the issue. You might drive on the right side of the road and emphasize what's on the right, or you might drive on the left side and focus on the left side issue.  Either way you're driving on the road.  STAY ON THE ROAD! Don't drive off the road in pursuit of only one half of the tension just to come to an easy answer to a Biblical tension.

Final Thoughts

Romans 9 is one of the most difficult texts to process on a theological and philosophical level. Each of us must wrestle with a very challenging text. What we must not do is allow our personal bias and opinions shape our reading of scripture. Instead we must turn to God to guide our interpretation of the Word.  Don't be conformed to the pattern of the World, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Sean Chandler | Associate Pastor

Sean has been a part of the association of Hill Country Bible Churches for over twenty years. He received Christ as a youth while attending Hill Country Bible Church Austin. He attended Hill Country Bible Church NW from 1989 to 2002. At that time he began attending HCBC Pflugerville. He served as a student ministry intern there for two years. In 2008, Sean graduated from Columbia International University with a double major in Bible and Bible teaching. Sean married his wife, Jennifer, in 2006. Their first child, Liam, was born in 2012, and their second, Chloe, was born in 2014.

He blogs regularly at seanchandler.net.