"That's not fair! Why does God allow that? God cannot be good if..."
Rom 9:14 "What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!"
If God is Absolute Love, then to remain who He is demands total freedom to bestow love, to grant mercy, to be gracious based on His determination. This is the essence of His righteousness. His Sovereignty. He is Absolute Love.
Rom 9:15,16 "For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."
If it depended on my place in life or status before God, it would be an exchanging of place. My purpose would prevail, not God's. My glory would be displayed as opposed to God's. Who would be in sovereign control? Me, not God. God's mercy must freely flow from His heart of mercy and love or else He is some kind of cosmic servant. I am master and lord, not God.
This is the ultimate nature of sin, putting ourselves in the place of God. Doing away with our need of His absolute love.
Rom 9:17,18 "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."So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills."
Here is the real difficult part. Is sin my fault, then? Or, if God is sovereign over all, is it His fault that He didn't shower mercy over me.
The cry of the impenitent, unrepentant man.
Rom 9:19 "You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
All kinds of rationalization is given to explain away the responsibility of God and man in this equation.
God's sovereign will stands, He takes full responsibility.
Yet, every person is made responsible also.
"God, you don't have the right!!"
Our very thoughts and defiance convict us. We are without excuse.
Mic 6:6-8 "With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
"Paul's conception of God's righteousness is that it consists basically in His commitment to act always for His own name's sake, that is, to preserve and display his own glory. ... Therefore, since according to Ex. 33:19 God's glory or name consists basically in His sovereign bestowal of mercy... there is no unrighteousnes with God when His decision to bless one person and not anotheris based solely on His own will rather than on any human distinctive. On the contrary he must pursur His "purpose of election" in this way in order to remain righteous, for onlyin his sovereign, free bestowal (and withholding) of mercy on whomever he wills is God acting out of ull allegiance to his name and esteem for his glory."
Rom 9:14 "What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!"
If God is Absolute Love, then to remain who He is demands total freedom to bestow love, to grant mercy, to be gracious based on His determination. This is the essence of His righteousness. His Sovereignty. He is Absolute Love.
Rom 9:15,16 "For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."
If it depended on my place in life or status before God, it would be an exchanging of place. My purpose would prevail, not God's. My glory would be displayed as opposed to God's. Who would be in sovereign control? Me, not God. God's mercy must freely flow from His heart of mercy and love or else He is some kind of cosmic servant. I am master and lord, not God.
This is the ultimate nature of sin, putting ourselves in the place of God. Doing away with our need of His absolute love.
Rom 9:17,18 "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."So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills."
Here is the real difficult part. Is sin my fault, then? Or, if God is sovereign over all, is it His fault that He didn't shower mercy over me.
The cry of the impenitent, unrepentant man.
Rom 9:19 "You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
All kinds of rationalization is given to explain away the responsibility of God and man in this equation.
God's sovereign will stands, He takes full responsibility.
Yet, every person is made responsible also.
"God, you don't have the right!!"
Our very thoughts and defiance convict us. We are without excuse.
Mic 6:6-8 "With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
"Paul's conception of God's righteousness is that it consists basically in His commitment to act always for His own name's sake, that is, to preserve and display his own glory. ... Therefore, since according to Ex. 33:19 God's glory or name consists basically in His sovereign bestowal of mercy... there is no unrighteousnes with God when His decision to bless one person and not anotheris based solely on His own will rather than on any human distinctive. On the contrary he must pursur His "purpose of election" in this way in order to remain righteous, for onlyin his sovereign, free bestowal (and withholding) of mercy on whomever he wills is God acting out of ull allegiance to his name and esteem for his glory."
Piper, John THE JUSTIFICATION OF GOD, An Exegetical and Theological Study of Romans 9:1-23 Baker Book House; Grand Rapids, Michigan 1983 p. 137
No comments:
Post a Comment