Who Does God Choose?
The obvious answer to the question, "Who does God choose" is whoever he wants! Today Paul is dealing with the anguish he has over his Jewish brothers, who have received the covenants given to Abraham and the promise of the Messiah through David. But Paul reckons that just because some has descended from a Jewish lineage does not mean they are children of the promise. He uses the example of Rebekah's twins, Jacob and Esau. God chose Jacob to be the child of the promise and rejected Esau before they were born.
This beckons the question to the Roman Christians is God unjust? Then he quotes from Exodus 33:19 the verse, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion". Importantly it does not depend on human effort or desire, but God's mercy. Later, he will say in the chapter that some Jews chose to obey the Law rather than to believe on the promises by faith in Jesus. That is why Jesus became the stumbling block for the Jewish nation. Later it will say that in order to show His mercy God had to prepare objects of wrath. How else would someone know mercy, if they didn't know what they have mercy from.
So how does this affect our mission as a church? Some will say, "If it is all by God's decision then why do we have to do anything?" But many other passages teach us that it is our job to preach the Gospel and make disciples of Christ. Some will receive the Good News of Jesus by faith, and some will reject it thinking they have a better way to control their own salvation. As it is said without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
We know faith in Christ is a gift God chooses to give us. It is not our job to figure out who God has called and who will reject the Gospel. All we can do is to proclaim the Gospel in its purity, and what God has done for us in sending His only Son. Our prayer is that our children are children of the promise and raise them to know God's grace in Christ. In baptism parents makes this promise in the Lutheran church for the raising of their children in the faith,
"To live with them among God's faithful people,
bring them to the word of God and the holy supper,
teach them the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments,
place in their hands the holy scriptures,
and nurture them in faith and prayer."
So at the end of the day we know God chooses us and has mercy on us. Our response is to life by faith trusting in God's promises and sharing the Good News with others in word and deed. It is not our job to figure out who God has chosen.
God’s Sovereign Choice
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.” 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.
Other Readings: Psalm 111, Deuteronomy 3:23-29
This beckons the question to the Roman Christians is God unjust? Then he quotes from Exodus 33:19 the verse, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion". Importantly it does not depend on human effort or desire, but God's mercy. Later, he will say in the chapter that some Jews chose to obey the Law rather than to believe on the promises by faith in Jesus. That is why Jesus became the stumbling block for the Jewish nation. Later it will say that in order to show His mercy God had to prepare objects of wrath. How else would someone know mercy, if they didn't know what they have mercy from.
So how does this affect our mission as a church? Some will say, "If it is all by God's decision then why do we have to do anything?" But many other passages teach us that it is our job to preach the Gospel and make disciples of Christ. Some will receive the Good News of Jesus by faith, and some will reject it thinking they have a better way to control their own salvation. As it is said without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
We know faith in Christ is a gift God chooses to give us. It is not our job to figure out who God has called and who will reject the Gospel. All we can do is to proclaim the Gospel in its purity, and what God has done for us in sending His only Son. Our prayer is that our children are children of the promise and raise them to know God's grace in Christ. In baptism parents makes this promise in the Lutheran church for the raising of their children in the faith,
"To live with them among God's faithful people,
bring them to the word of God and the holy supper,
teach them the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments,
place in their hands the holy scriptures,
and nurture them in faith and prayer."
So at the end of the day we know God chooses us and has mercy on us. Our response is to life by faith trusting in God's promises and sharing the Good News with others in word and deed. It is not our job to figure out who God has chosen.
God’s Sovereign Choice
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.” 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.
Other Readings: Psalm 111, Deuteronomy 3:23-29
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