Divine Predestination

Divine Predestination
Romans 9:11-23
A Challenging Question ...
What does the Bible mean when it speaks of God’s predestination of certain events beforehand, even before people were born ?
What is Predestination ? ...
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, …
What is Predestination ? ...
Ephesians 1:5-6 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Individual predestination? ...
Did God handpick certain individuals to make sure those he chose are the ones who end up being saved?
If so, not everyone is predestined to be saved and the majority of people never have a chance …
Inconsistent with God’s character ...
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Inconsistent with God’s character ...
1 Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
Inconsistent with God’s character ...
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
God wants all to be saved ...
That whoever believes may be saved … the choice is ours …
Do we have free will or not? ...
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
What about Romans 9 ...
This and other passages have been taught to teach predestination of individuals to be saved or not …
The Previous Context ...
Romans 1-8 God’s method of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ …
Ch 1-3 We are all guilty and in need of salvation ..
Ch 4-5 God has sent Jesus to die that we might be justified by faith ..
Ch 6-8 We can accept this gift by baptism and live new life in the Spirit, not flesh ..
Problem ... Israel’s rejection ...
The Israelites mostly rejected Jesus and were missing out on the salvation through faith in Christ …
Had God failed them and not lived up to His covenant?
Was there any hope for them?
Paul’s concern for his fellow Jews ...
Romans 9:1-3 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh …

How blessed Israel was as a nation ...
Romans 9:4-5 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Not based on physical descendant ...
Romans 9:6-9 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son."
God’s choice of Jacob ...
Romans 9:10-12 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, …
God’s choice of Jacob ...
Romans 9:11-13 that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

God’s blessed Israel above Edom ...
Malachi 1:1-3 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. 2 "I have loved you," says the Lord. "Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" Says the Lord."Yet Jacob I have loved; 3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness."

God laid Edom waste ...

Was God being unjust in this? ...
Romans 9:14-18 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
Is Salvation devoid of any response ? ...
Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
Why did God harden Pharaoh? ...
Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.
God does not cause evil but uses it ...
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

The Potter and the Clay ...
Romans 9:19-21 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

The Potter and the Clay ...
Romans 9:22-24 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
God chose to save by faith in Christ ...
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, …
The Jews have the choice ...
Romans 9:30-33 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:"Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
The Jews can still be saved ...
Romans 11:22-23 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
How we can be children of promise ...
Galatians 3:25-29 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Divine Predestination
Romans 9:11-23