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In response to: "Re: Fourth Quarter 2017 The Book of Romans"
dedication
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Predestination?


9:17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”

Did God deliberately harden Pharaoh's heart against Pharaoh's will?
What God does is show HIS TRUTH in a compelling way, but when God shows TRUTH-- people react, they either accept it or they go to GREAT LENGTHS to oppose it. Thus one can say that God "did it" but it was THEIR CHOICE and THEIR REACTION.

God didn't "shut down" Pharaoh's receptive abilities to truth, Pharaoh did that himself in his stubborn resistance to the awesome revelations of God's reality.
God didn't "shut down" the minds of the Israelites who rejected Christ as their Messiah-- they shut their own minds down in opposition to compelling revelation of God through Christ.

But the truth remains, WHEN GOD'S TRUTH shines forth in power, those who resist must harden themselves and end up building massive mental walls to keep God's spirit out of their lives.

That's what Pharaoh did, BUT rather than hinder God it only made his power show forth greater.
That's what Israel as a nation did as well. The Messiah, Himself, worked among them yet they would not accept Him and they hardened their hearts against Him. But God's truth still shone forth with power.

When the light is bright, that is when the two camps separate and it can be clearly "discerned between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."

Some may question: If God knew Pharaoh would respond to God's revealed compelling evidence by hardening his heart, why did God allow him to be Pharaoh in the first place?

Others may wonder, IF GOD knew Israel would harden their hearts against HIM, why did He chose them in the first place?
Well, God's power shone through with even greater brightness because of the stubbornness of man.



Romans 9:18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

Well some may question, why did God allow this bright light to come to Pharaoh if he was only to reject it? Because through it God showed His mercy to all who responded to Him!
In the same way we may question why does God shine forth compelling evidence if HE knows people will only reject it and harden themselves?

Yet it is by shining forth compelling evidence that God draws many to Himself, and to these He shows mercy, even though many harden themselves in the process.
Yet God knows what He is doing!

When God's truth shines forth, people respond in only one of two ways-- they harden themselves against it, or they are drawn God.



9:19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?

God is in control of the development of His plan. People ask; "what choice do we have then if God controls everything Why are we still called sinners?


The answer follows: Our choice is to submit to the will of God, to allow Him to fashion our lives according to His plan.

When God's truth shines forth, no person can remain neutral--
they either respond, or harden themselves against God.

Thus it makes a clear distinction between them that serve God and them that serve Him not, and no one will yet say God is unjust.



9:20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it “Why have you made me like this?”
9:21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

People are to submit to the will and righteousness of God. Some will be called to do a humble, common work for the Lord. Some will be called to do a great work for the Lord. Our duty is to submit to our Creator and not "answer" or talk back to God.

Others use the excuse to continue in sin, saying, but God made me like this it's part of who I am.
But evil propensities plague us because we have inherited a sinful body from our ancestors. God is in the business of transforming our hearts and minds. He is capable of transforming even the those most sunk into sinful lifestyles if they are only willing and calling upon Him.

Romans 12.1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
.

So people still question, Lord, if only you had made me a more "honorable" person, I would have responded. If only you had given me more money, or better position---
Why do you question God? "Whosover believeth in Me, shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16" Don't make excuses that you are less honorable, or too honorable and that caused you to harden yourself against God.


9:22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
9:23 And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,


Notice the longsuffering of God with those who HE KNOWS, before they were even born, that they would reject HIM. Yet, His longsuffering with them is astounding. Think of Judas. Christ knew he was a traitor, yet with loving longsuffering He drew Him to Himself, till Judas "went out into the night", and personal destruction." A potter does not create a vessel just so he may destroy it. He creates vessels for useful purposes. Yet many vessels end up in the garbage pile--WHY?
Because they are not plyable, the potter cannot mold them into the desired shape.

The same holds true for people, those who do not present themselves to God, who refuse to be molded by the Master Potter, cannot be kept-- they will be destroyied.

He endured with great patience--these vessels of wrath.
God doesn't throw them away right away. He tries to make something good out of them, but in the end they must be destroyed if they do not submit. Just like a potter will eventually throw out all pottery that does not meet with His standard, even though this was not the reason why he first started making them. Yes, God can still make good come out of things. Even in the vessels destined for wrath because of their own choice, God's power, mercy and justice will be seen.
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