WHAT ABOUT ROMANS 9

What about Romans 9

            I heard Evangelist Rolf Barnard once on this chapter.  He was a man loved by many and also hated by many.  When he came to the pulpit, he started out like this.  I give it as close to exact quote as I can remember.  He said, "Turn in your Bibles to the 9th chapter of Romans.  I have yet to find the man who fully understands the 9th chapter of Romans.  The Old Puritans understood it better than anyone else, but they knew nothing about the church." 

            I certainly would not propose that I fully understand the chapter.  It does not give me the trouble that it seems to give a lot of  others, however.  I just take it for what it says.

            It starts off with Paul's passionate desire for the salvation of his people, the Jews.  Such passion for souls is not expected by some as coming from those who believe the doctrines of grace.  History, however, will show that many of the greatest soul winners were such believers.  He very quickly then enters into the subject of election.  He used the example of Rebecca and the birth of Jacob and Esau.  When God said to her that the elder would serve the younger (Esau serve Jacob), He was determining it by divine election.  He did so in order that the purpose of God might stand not of works but of Him that calleth.  His decree concerning Jacob being served by Esau was made before the boys were born, so neither of them had done any good or evil.  Paul was here establishing the fact that God works according to His election of Grace.  His statement that He would have mercy on whom He would have mercy, and that He would have compassion on whom He would have compassion) was to underscore the fact that salvation is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy.  Salvation is not by the will of man or by his efforts however strong; it is by the sovereign purpose of God.  He is the potter and we are the clay.  He has full authority to do with us as He pleases just as the potter does with the clay.

            He goes on then to speak of the new people whom God would bring in (the Gentiles).  Again it is by God’s divine purpose.  He says that except the Lord had left them (the Jews) a seed, they would have been destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrha.  This Seems to say, except for election no one would be saved.

            There is so much more, but this will give a synopsis of what this chapter is saying.