Romans 9:22-33
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Romans 9:22-33
#romans #apostolic #biblestudy #spartanburg #upstatesc
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Before we begin, I just want to issue fair warning, we are jumping straight into the NASB in our first passage of scripture for the sake of clarity.
Romans 9:22 NASB What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction?
The Message of Romans by David Bernard page 217 says of vs 22;
What if God wants to use various vessels in various ways? We have no right to complain. Verse 22 does not say God is arbitrary (I had to look up the meaning of arbitrary for my personal use here so I will share that with those of you that like me, don’t have that word in our vocabulary! “based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system”)
Verse 22 does not say God is arbitrary in His use of people, but only says “what if.” Before Romans gives any rationale for God’s use of people, it first establishes that we have no right to challenge God in this area.
In actual fact, God is not arbitrary; He has been very patient with the wicked. God desires to demonstrate His wrath against sin and His power over all mankind. As God and Creator, He certainly has the right to do so any time He wishes. Yet in actual fact He has endured with great patience the objects of His eventual wrath. These people are prepared, destined, or designed for eventual destruction. By using a passive participle here, the passage refuses to say God prepared them for punishment. This contrasts sharply with the parallels statement in verse 23. The implication is that they are responsible themselves for their condemnation. God is not responsible for sin, only for grace.
Looking back to verse 17 for the example given here;
Romans 9:17 KJV For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
The passage doesn’t say that God created Pharaoh to be this way, but Pharaoh’s tendencies fit God’s purpose.
Romans 9:23-26 NASB And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon objects of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, (24) namely us, whom He also called, not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles, (25) as He also says in Hosea: “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’” (26) “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’ THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.”
The way the Word of God is taught makes it sound like God bringing salvation to the gentiles is some sort of plan B, but He had this planned out from eternity past.
I’ve used this scripture before, and I’m pretty sure I’ll use it again in the next couple chapters, but let’s look at Genesis again.
Genesis 9:23-27 KJV And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. (24) And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. (25) And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. (26) And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. (27) God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
The Lord knew already that Japheth would dwell in the tents of Shem. Shem being in the lineage of Abraham and therefore being in the lineage of Christ. It was always in the mind of God that there would be one people. It was always in the heart of God that the gentiles would also have a path of salvation!
Isaiah 42:5-7 NASB This is what God the LORD says, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it: (6) “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, (7) To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
Exodus 19:5-6 NASB ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; (6) and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
Matthew 5:13-16 NASB “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people. (14) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; (15) nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) “Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Romans 9:27-29 NASB Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL MAY BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, ONLY THE REMNANT WILL BE SAVED; (28) FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.” (29) And just as Isaiah foretold: “IF THE LORD OF ARMIES HAD NOT LEFT US DESCENDANTS, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE GOMORRAH.”
Romans 9:27-28
The first part of Hos_2:1 (Hos_1:10), quoted in Rom_9:25-26, includes God's promise-originally made to Avraham (Gen_22:17) and Ya'akov (Gen_32:17)-that "the number of the sons of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered." Turning on this part of Hosea's prophecy, Sha'ul cites Yesha'yahu to show that its fulfillment does not, as one might think, imply the salvation of every single Jew, for only a remnant will be saved. This idea has already been expressed in Romans 9:6 NASB But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
, and it will be expanded on at 11:1-6. (Jewish New Testament Commentary)
Romans 9:30-33 NASB What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith; (31) however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. (32) Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though they could by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, (33) just as it is written: “BEHOLD, I AM LAYING IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.”
Because they did not pursue it by faith
This interests me me on a personal level. My wife wears a dress and hasn’t cut her hair in many years. My daughters, even though they are adults, wear dresses and unless I’m forgetting some event that happens behind parent’s backs, they have never had scissors in their hair. I personally wear long sleeves anytime I’m out of the house with the exception of one shirt I have that has ¾ sleeves and that’s just because it has the Apostle’s doctrine described on the back.
From the outside many of us Apostolics and Pentecostal Holiness people appear to be trying to achieve salvation in the same path that they Jews have walked.
Truthfully I have known some people in the Apostolic movement that I believe didn’t understand Apostle’s doctrine and indeed were trying to work their way into salvation.
Salvation by works is a false doctrine!
Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
I understand that in all likelihood I’m preaching to the choir here, but there is not a work we could perform that would lead us to salvation.
Galatians 3:21 KJV Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
I suppose I’m getting to far off into something we will be covering in coming chapters, but righteousness and therefore salvation could not come by the law.
Back to Ephesians that we hear so often those that preach you can living any way you like after you “receive Christ into your heart”, which is another unbiblical doctrine that maybe we’ll deal with some other time.
Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Verse 10 normally gets left out of the conversation when the easy believe-ism preachers are at it. But if it’s by grace then what is the purpose of holiness?
On the surface this is out of context because He’s speaking of false prophets, but let’s look at the Words of Yeshua Himself;
Matthew 7:15-20 KJV Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Let’s pull in another scripture written by the apostle Peter;
2 Peter 1:4 KJV Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Our good works, our holy living, our adherence to His law does not save us, but it does indeed show that our hearts have been remade and we have been made partakers of the “divine nature”
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Colossians 2:9 KJV For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.