Romans 9: 10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”
14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses,“I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” 16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. 17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. 19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”
20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.
it is hard for us to imagine people who are not chosen.. but if we look around.. we all know some... people who never really have a true relationship with God.. they may go to church... but in the end.. they are not interested in knowing God or pleasing Him.. their life is really all about them being happy... funny.. I used to be one of those people... I wonder if that is where the scripture "many are called but few are chosen" come from... maybe I was called at that time... but I didn't really obey the call to be chosen.... idk... I don't pretend to understand everything...
it is hard to imagine that some people's hearts will be hardened.. that some will not be led to Christ.. not because they didn't hear the message.. but their heart was hard against it...
I don't imagine that I understand the why of my being chosen by God... I don't know what would make the Sovereign God look at me.... I am surely not much to look at... yet He did... He showed mercy and compassion and love to me.. above all love... when no one else loved me.. God still did... and I am so thankful.... God wants me.. all the time... even when I am unloveable... and I am so thankful... truly... I could have been Esau.... but somehow I am a child of Jacob....
knowing that I could have been left behind.. makes me all the more ready to give my all to God.. to let go of all of my selfishness.. my desires of the flesh... because God could have chosen someone else instead of me.. and hardened my heart.. but He didn't and for this I will devote the rest of my days in sincere servanthood for Him...
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