Jimmy Engle
New Member
Romans 9:14-16 - What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Salvation doesn't depend on us. It isn't up to us. Salvation is totally and completely a work of God and we can't earn it. It's a gift according to Romans 3:24 and a gift cannot be earned. It cannot be bought or deserved but only received by the giver which in this case is God.The bible tells us why some are saved and why some are not saved (the reasons given by the Bible are very revealing), and the reasons given why people are not saved, it's not because they didn't have a choice.
We can see here that Paul answers the very question that springs up when the idea of God choosing to save some and allowing some to perish is mentioned.
Romans 9:19-24 - You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
Paul is basically saying that God is the potter and we are the clay. Who are we to question Him in how He molds us? Paul also teaches that God prepared vessels for His glory. Some to make known His riches and others were to be vessels of wrath for destruction. We see this with Jacob and Esau and with the Egyptian pharaoh.
It's an interesting topic we are discussing. You should pray about this and read through the book of Romans. I'm sure the Spirit will lead you into truth if you truly want it and are willing to humble yourself and set aside any pride they may keep God from revealing His word to you with clarity. Grace to you!