Rachel Workman: 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.”[g] 18 Therefore God has
mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
If you ever wonder what God’s will for your life is read these
passages. His will is for us to love Him with all our hearts submitting to Him.
And for us to bring glory to His name.
A passage of scripture such as this can be difficult to understand and reconcile in your heart unless you look at scripture as a whole. It is important to understand God's nature and man's free will in relation to a statement such as this. In the context of Romans 9, Paul is teaching that just because Israel was the natural descendants of the covenant made with Abraham, it did not automatically include them in the promise. The offspring of the promise came through faith in Jesus. Mankind is faced with a choice, to believe in this message and be saved or to reject it and be condemned. God has elected those who have chosen him based upon his foreknowledge of their choice ( Romans 9:11 ). But in the same way, his power and mercy will be displayed in those who reject him as well ( Romans 9:23 ). Because in His foreknowledge He knows the end from the beginning and works to bring His plan to fulfillment and to display his power.
A passage of scripture such as this can be difficult to understand and reconcile in your heart unless you look at scripture as a whole. It is important to understand God's nature and man's free will in relation to a statement such as this. In the context of Romans 9, Paul is teaching that just because Israel was the natural descendants of the covenant made with Abraham, it did not automatically include them in the promise. The offspring of the promise came through faith in Jesus. Mankind is faced with a choice, to believe in this message and be saved or to reject it and be condemned. God has elected those who have chosen him based upon his foreknowledge of their choice ( Romans 9:11 ). But in the same way, his power and mercy will be displayed in those who reject him as well ( Romans 9:23 ). Because in His foreknowledge He knows the end from the beginning and works to bring His plan to fulfillment and to display his power.
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John Burnett:
16 So
then it does not depend on the man who wills
or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to
Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised
you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed [a]throughout
the whole earth.” 18 So
then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He
desires. You can see that the world is becoming more and more harden toward
the truth of the gospel. Persecution of Christians worldwide is becoming
increasingly more frequent and it is slowly but surely becoming more prevalent
in the United States. When Homeland Security and the Military, call
Fundamentalist Christians, terrorists in the same breath as Al-Qaeda and ISIS
you know that He has hardened their hearts. This should give us comfort
because we know that His return is getting closer and closer.
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Tomorrow’s reading for Romans 9:19-21.
19 One of you will say to
me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”
20 But who are you, a human
being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,
‘Why did you make me like this?’”[h]
21 Does not the potter have
the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special
purposes and some for common use?
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