God's sovereign choice and promise

9:1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 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 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.”

Romans 9:1-29

Today's Bible reading reminded me of my past when i was newly born again. I remembered how much I hated the idea of predestination. Just in case you don't know what predestination means - it meant that God is totally sovereign over His creation and that He predestined some to be saved and some to be condemned. Even describing the word itself I know, that somewhere out there someone is reading this and feeling what I felt a long time ago. The hatred for the word, how despicable it is - how can a good and loving God be so mean!? How can He be so "unfair" to His own creation!? etc2.

But I remembered - the most helpful, gracious and wise reply that i've got from a wonderful sister of Christ once told me: "No one can't convince you to believe anything nor should anyone do so, so you have to prove it for yourself - read the Bible believe what it says. If when you're reading the Bible and you're convinced that predestination is untrue, then believe in it - but if the Bible convinced you otherwise, then don't reject it but listen to it."

And yes i did, i read the whole Bible and I was convinced that predestination is not an unjust and unloving act, but rather a wonderful evidence of God's love and sovereignty. For who would want to worship a loving God who is not sovereign, who holds no power over His own creation, whose will are twisted by the will and demands of His own creation. I wouldn't... that's an idol - not a God!

An idol is something that we created - we defined - we can ask around to do our bidding. But God is different as the verse above said : "20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?" Paul's logic is definitely clear: the "nothing" can't say to the "something" what to do. Can the employee say to his boss to clean his room? If he can, what's the use of the boss for hiriing him? - that's a lousy example i know.. but it's something like that. If we know how to treat humans who are in higher standing than us - we should know how to treat God who is NOT HUMAN (although once He made Himself one so that He could take away our sins) - and how NOT to define what He has to do - for we know not a single thing of His nature except for those that He had told us.

Actually, what i wanted to share today is about the last verse taken from Isaiah:

"And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.”"

When i read that verse, my heart and my mind exploded. It's supercalifragilisticexpialidosciously illogical for me to understand this - to fully grasp God's goodness, love, sovereignty, plans - everything. Why would He want to give pitiful creatures like us a second chance? I do not know. His great purpose I know. But why?!

What's more is that deeply regretted if ever i hated God for predestining me.. because how can the pot say to the potter what to do. The fact that He had left us offspring so that we can continue on living - that's enough reason to praise Him - even if He didn't choose us to be saved (speaking exaggeratedly).

Prayer points:

1. to be thankful in everything - ESPECIALLY when things are not going the way we wanted - because " Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?""

2. To pray that we would be humble enough to let God be God over us