God's Grace Makes People Christians (Romans 9:1-18)
John Parker, 11th September 2016Part of the Study of Romans series, preached at a Fordham Sunday Service service
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9:2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
9:3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race,
9:4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.
9:5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
9:6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
9:7 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."
9:8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.
9:9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."
9:10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac.
9:11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand:
9:12 not by works but by him who calls--she was told, "The older will serve the younger."
9:13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
9:14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!
9:15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
9:16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
9:17 For the 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."
9:18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
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