In Romans 9, the apostle Paul addresses a crucial question: If God is a saving and justifying God, why have His covenantal people, the nation of Israel, largely rejected Jesus as the Messiah? That’s what Paul answers in Romans 9—and he sets out to explain that they haven’t believed in Jesus because of a divine, sovereign election.
In Romans 9, the apostle Paul sets out to explain why the nation of Israel had largely rejected the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though they are the people of God through the line or seed of Abraham, many of them had not embraced Jesus Christ for salvation but rather rejected Him.
The doctrine of divine election is often misunderstood and caricatured, so much so that its true teaching is often obscured or disregarded. If we aren’t careful, we can allow inaccurate and inadequate explanations of this doctrine to cloud our understanding to the point that we outright reject it altogether.
To build his case for the doctrine of divine election, the apostle Paul goes to the Old Testament for evidence and support. To begin, he demonstrates that God’s plan of redemption, including justification by faith alone, wouldn’t be through Abraham’s son with Hagar, Ishmael, but would be through Abraham’s firstborn with Sarah, Isaac.
Many people think the doctrine of divine election works this way: because God is all-knowing and knows who will and who won’t believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, God elects those whom He knows will believe. But is that what the apostle Paul teaches in Romans 9? Pastor Tom argues from Romans 9 that divine election isn’t like that at all, and he uses the Old Testament to make his point clear: divine election is a sovereign work of the Almighty God.
Is the doctrine of divine election based on the good works of any man or woman? According to the apostle Paul in Romans 9, election isn’t based on works, merit, or efforts but on the sovereign grace of God. Put this way, Paul teaches that election isn’t God’s response to His knowledge or understanding of what any person has done or will do in the future, nor is He coerced by man’s actions or will.
Those who profess to be part of the Christian faith agree that it was God’s decision to provide salvation to lost and rebellious sinners. Scripture makes it clear that God has initiated such a plan of salvation. And Scripture is equally clear: not all people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
The doctrine of election, which teaches that God has elected some—not all—people to salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, does not contradict the fact that God loves all people and desires for them to be saved. In fact, Scripture makes it clear that God desires that all sinners repent, turn from their sins, and trust in Christ for salvation. Both the Old and New Testaments speak of God in this way.
As Paul writes Romans chapter 9 and explains divine election, he understands that the truths he’s trying to convey are difficult to understand and grasp—and that they, at first glance, don’t seem fair. So Paul himself brings up logical objections in order to provide a series of answers to help his teaching on election make sense to his readers—and us today.
One of the greatest stories in the Old Testament is God’s dealings with Moses, Pharaoh, and the 10 plagues. That great story from the book of Exodus pictures God’s redeeming work of saving the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt. But why did God choose to redeem Moses and not Pharaoh?
Alongside the doctrine of divine election is the doctrine of reprobation, which holds that God passes over some sinners, resulting in their receiving the justice that they fully deserve. When studying Romans 9, it is crucial to understand the distinctions between those two doctrines. The apostle Paul anticipates another objection, so he sets out to demonstrate that election and reprobation are completely compatible with the character of God.
The doctrine of divine election is necessary for salvation because human beings are radically depraved, which means that we would never choose God apart from divine intervention. Election teaches that our only hope is in a good, generous, and gracious God who is willing to save rebels through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Romans 9, the apostle Paul explains the great doctrine of divine election. In doing so, he teaches that all men are equally deserving of God’s justice. But God has the sole right to decide who gets the justice that they have earned by breaking His law and sinning against Him and who gets the mercy they have not earned, which is a demonstration of God’s grace.
In Romans 9, Paul uses the illustration of a potter and His clay to show the sovereignty with which God has over those whom He has elected for salvation and those whom He has passed over. The potter illustration provides two key lessons that will help bring clarity to the doctrine of election and how Christians should only respond in adoration and worship of our sovereign God.
The doctrine of divine election is often misconstrued to say that God creates people to then destroy them. But that isn’t what the apostle Paul teaches in Romans 9. Rather, God decided to create mankind in His own image, in His glory, for good, as an expression of His own character, and then He allowed them to fall into sin.
One of the profound implications of the doctrine of divine election is that it demonstrates the patience of God—that He is willing to allow sinners to rebel against him—and then, at an appointed time, He is also willing to call sinners to Himself through the offer of his Son, Jesus Christ.
A common question that arises in regards to the doctrine of election is this: How do you know if you are elect? The fact is, only the Triune God knows who He elected, but it is possible to know if you are elect if you have repented of your sins and trusted in Christ.
As Paul begins to conclude his explanation of the doctrine of election, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he feels it is necessary to quote, three times, from the prophet Hosea to further strengthen his teaching on divine election. But why does he quote from Hosea, and what does this mean for us as Christians today?
At the end of Romans 9, Paul narrows his focus on why God has only saved a remnant of the nation of Israel. Paul first explains that God decided to pass by most of Abraham’s physical descendants, leaving them to suffer the divine justice that their sins had earned, just like He does with the rest of mankind. And second, God decided to choose only a small remnant of the physical descendants of Abraham that He would spiritually rescue by His grace alone, just as He does with the rest of mankind.
As we conclude our study of Romans 9, we need to ask: Why does Paul spend time developing the doctrine of divine election to Roman churches, most of whom were Gentile? Primarily, because it helps us understand God and elevates our view of Him. Divine election matters and is worthy of study because it reminds us of God, that He stands alone—that He is unlike any of us.
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