Sunday Morning: March 28, 1999
Text: Romans 9:10-13
"And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;It was known that twins were already in the family before the election process took place. This is foreknowledge of who would be in the family.
2 Timothy 1:9
"Who hath saved (Esau and Jacob already in the family) us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace "God knows who will be saved even from the foundation of the earth. The knowledge who will be saved allows him to call those in the family according to His will and purpose. Salvation comes first then the calling according to his own purpose and power.
Romans 8:29-30
"For whom he did foreknow (those who would be in the family), he also did predestinate (those who would reign) ... 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: "The process of election is further confirmed in Romans 8:29-30 where those who are foreknown are predestinated to glory.
1 Thessalonians 2:12
"That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory."The calling is not for salvation but that the elect would walk worthy of God and enter into the coming kingdom and glory of the Lord.
Romans 9:11
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)The purpose of God in election is that those who were chosen from before the foundation of the world would in that day be placed in the position of a first born son.
Ephesians 1:9
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:"His will and purpose is a mystery. Just as the kingdom of heaven is a mystery. These mysteries have to be revealed to those to whom they are addressed. This mystery of his will is not the salvation of man but that the elect in Christ will one day become sons.
Ephesians 1:11
"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"Foreknowledge, predestination pertain to those who have been called to inherit the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is an inheritance that is provided to those who produce fruit by a worthy walk. Election is not based upon a worthy walk but the outcome of election is based upon a worthy walk.
Ephesians 3:11
"According to the eternal [agelasting] purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:"The purpose of election is millennial in scope. His purpose is for the coming age, which is the millennial reign of Christ and our positions in that kingdom as sons.
Matthew 25:34
" , Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"Romans 9:12
"It was said unto her, The elder [greater, firstborn] shall serve [be in bondage, Gal. 4:9) the younger [lesser, not in line for the birthright]."From this verse it is clearly shown that election is not who is going to be in the family but who is going to be in charge in the family. Esau was the greater being the firstborn. He was to be in charge of the affairs of the family, but God chose Jacob to take Esau's place. Jacob did not deserve this blessing being second born, but his life style also would not make him a worthy choice. Jacob was a schemer.
Hebrews 11:20
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come."Things to come is a reference to our agelasting inheritance in millennium.
Hebrews 9:11
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, "Christ as our high priest has become the executor of His will and purpose with those in the family. This is confirmed in verse 15 of Hebrews 9.
Hebrews 9:15
"And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that they which are called might receive the promise of eternal [agelasting] inheritance."As our high priest he is providing mercy and grace for us to obtain our inheritance for the coming millennial age.
Hebrews 12:16
" Esau, sold his birthright."When Esau sold his birthright he sold the honor and glory that a firstborn son would enjoy in the family. Esau responded to the lust of the flesh and the knowledge he had of the right of the firstborn.
Romans 9:13
"As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."This verse does not make John 3:16 null and void. For God so loved the Esau's as well as the Jacob's that he gave his only begotten Son to die on the cross for their sins. Love and hate in this verse is that of preference.
Luke 14:26
"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."We are commanded in the Ten Commandments to honor our father and mother. Jesus provided for his mother when he was crucified by giving her to John to be cared for. When it comes to choosing between being a disciple of the Lord and our family, we should prefer the Lord. Even our own lives should be hated when comes to serving the Lord as found in John 12:25 as well as other passages.
Matthew 19:19 "Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (John 12:25)
Romans 9:14-26
"What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.Preference is not wrong. God is not unjust when he chooses one of his children to be over another of his children. This is born out in the following verse.
Matthew 20:15-16
"Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16. So the last (lesser, Jacob) shall be first (greater), and the first (greater, Esau) last (servant): for many be called, but few chosen."When it come to rewarding those who serve the Lord, he can pay his servants what he wants. He owns the vineyard and he can establish the pay scale. Even in this parable of the labors and the vineyard we see that it is closed with a ver that confirms that the Jacob's will be placed first when they should be last; and the Esau's will be placed last when they should be first.
The problem is with us. Our eyes become evil because we do not think it is fair that he should chose some one else when we think he should be choosing us.
John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd, and know [present active] my [mine own] sheep, and am known [present active] of mine [mine own]."
Who are the elect in type, the sheep. They are his own and he is knowing them, present tense. They are knowing him, present tense.
Romans 9:15
"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.This verse is a reference to the time that Moses wanted to see the glory of the Lord. The elect are the ones who will behold his glory because they are vessels prepared unto glory as we will find in verse 23.
Exodus 33:18-19
"And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. 19. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, ; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."The goodness of the Lord is his grace. Ephesians 2:7 "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness [goodness] toward us through Christ Jesus."
1 Chronicles 16:27 "Glory and honour are in his presence "
The first born sons will enjoy His glory and honor being in His presence.
Romans 2:7 "To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality [incorruption], eternal life:"
We are told in Romans 2:6 "Who will render to every man according to his deeds:" If we expect to have glory and honor and incorruption we must patiently continue in good works. If we continue in a worthy walk by good works we will have agelasting or kingdom life.
Romans 9:16
" So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit (that will qualify you to enter the kingdom of heaven), and that your fruit should remain: ..."
Romans 9:17-18
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.When God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, it was not hardened toward being saved but toward letting the nation of Israel leave his land. God wanted to use Pharaoh to make his name know through out the whole world.
Ephesians 3:10-11
"To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11. According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:"Today the Lord is making his eternal or agelasting purpose known to all that are in the heavenlies. He is doing this through those who have been chosen, the Church. Not all that are saved are part of the Church.
Romans 9:19-20
"Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?We are told that the elect are not chargeable in Romans 8:33-34 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." In resisting his will we are condemning God. We are not to ask why He has us this position in His the family. It is in His resurrection that that He is our high priest concerning good things to come, our agelasting inheritance.
Ephesians 2:10
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."Romans 9:21
"Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel (Jacob) unto honour, and another (vessel, Esau) unto dishonour?The key to understanding election is that it takes place in the same lump. The same lump is a reference to the body of Christ. If you are saved you are part of the body of Christ. Not all the body of Christ are the elect. As in Adam only a rib was taken to make Eve, a type or picture of the chosen.
2 Timothy 2:20 "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour."
In the house of God both types of vessels are needed. At the banquet, vessels of earth being vessels of dishonor are not placed upon the table, yet those vessels are needed before, in preparation, and after the meal, in cleaning up the scrapes.
Romans 9:22
"What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering (in Exodus) the vessels (Pharaoh house) of wrath fitted to destruction:Exodus 10:7 "And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?"
Romans 9:23
"And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,The elect are vessels made by the potter from one lump of clay to be a vessel of glory.
John 17:24 "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me..."
Romans 9:24-25
"Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25. "As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.1 Peter 2:10-11 "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, "
Romans 9:26
"And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children [sons] of the living God."Revelation 21:7 "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
Hebrews 11:13,14,16 "These all died in faith they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country." "16. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."