Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Bible Truth #54 - Romans 9:9-13

9  For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
10  Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac.
11  Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad — in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:
12  not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
13  Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Before the twins were born and had done anything good (e.g. believing, accepting, repenting) or bad (e.g. rejecting the Messiah, rejecting God), in order that God’s purpose in election might stand, not by works but by Him who calls...

God had set His plan in motion long before the twins were born (actually, before the foundation of the world). BEFORE they had done anything good or bad, BEFORE they “chose” to believe or not believe, BEFORE they “chose” to accept or not accept, and BEFORE they “chose” to repent or not repent - all in order that GOD’S PURPOSE IN ELECTION might stand. The whole idea here is that God chose Jacob, period. Is that fair? No? In whose eyes is it not fair? You may think it’s not fair but if you do, it’s because you don’t approve of the way God is running things and are having difficulty with His sovereignty in human affairs.

The same principle of God’s Sovereignty is applied to the Bride of Christ, the Elect, His chosen - i.e. Christians. The sovereign Creator of the Universe is NOT beholden to the creature. He did not wait on us to see “if we would accept Christ,” He did not wait on us to see what we would do before He chose a bride for His Son. He chose a bride, period. He then placed us IN Christ BEFORE the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), and then at a specific point in time in our lives He quickened our dead spirit through faith (without asking us), the faith God gives us (Romans 12:3, Ephesians 2:8).  God simultaneously gave us belief (John 6:29, Philippians 1:29), and repentance (2 Timothy 2:25). He then drew us and ONLY us to Christ.

I want anyone who is Arminian in their soteriology to show me Scripture that negates that. He may show me Scripture where God gives man a choice but he WON’T accompany that with Scripture showing a lost man has the ABILITY to choose right... Because it doesn’t exist.

YES!! Man must choose! But without God FIRST saving a man, the lost man will ALWAYS choose to reject God. WHY? Because every, not most, but EVERY imagination of the thoughts of the heart of a man are only evil, continually (Genesis 6:5), he hates God and he hates the Light. (John 3:20)

Jesus raises up EVERY man God draws (John 6:44), NOT every man who “accepts” the drawing.

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