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The verse to consider today is from Romans 9:21-24
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
There are vessels of mercy, and there are vessels of wrath. Considering anything regarding God is weighty and should fill the saved and the non-saved with awe and humility. But to really consider His work of judgment should bring to mind the famous comment attributed to martyr John Bradford,"There but for the grace of God go I".
Here is Scottish pastor Robert Murray M'Cheyne preaching on the Romans verse. In my opinion, it's brilliant. I'll post M'Cheyne's point 3 tomorrow, Lord willing. Part 1 is here. Part 3 here.
M'Cheyne's full sermon is here.
I come now to the second reason why any are left to perish--it is, that God may show his power. "What if God, willing to make his power known?" We are frequently told in the Bible of the power of God. He said to Abraham, "I am the Almighty God." We are told in the ninety-third Psalm, that "the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters; yea, than the mighty waves of the sea." We are frequently told of his almighty power; and not only so, but we have brilliant examples of it.
The first upon record is creation. "God said, Let there be light: and there was light." "He spake and it was done - he commanded and all things stood fast."
Another example of the same thing is, the constant providence of God. "In him we live, and move, and have our being." He rides on the swift wings of the wind.
Another example of the power of God is, his restraining and bridling of the wicked. "Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with the bit and bridle." - Psalms 32:9. This is the way in which God holds the wicked.
Another way in which God makes his power known is, in the conversion of souls. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." This is said to be "the wisdom of God and the power of God." I believe the converting of a soul is something greater than the making of the world.
Brethren, there is one exhibition of divine power that yet remains - it is, the destruction of the wicked. "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?" I believe, dear friends, that the reason why God has raised up Pharaohs is to show his power in them. He said to Pharaoh, "For this cause have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee." No, I say, in regard of those of you in this congregation who will die unsaved, that God has raised you up, to show his power in you. Thus, it is said in Isaiah 62, "I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment." And then in Revelation 18, "She shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." And we are told by our Lord in Matthew 10:28, to fear God, "who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." You will notice in this passage that he says, "God is able to destroy"; and therefore, brethren, it is plain that there must be some great power exercised in his destroying the wicked; and I think it is to consist in this - God will destroy their well-being, but not their being. Here, then, is another exhibition of the power of God.
When lately in the north of Scotland, I stood on the sea-shore, and saw the rocks standing out of the sea. It was very remarkable to stand and see the mighty waves dashing upon the rocks. There were two things remarkable in it: first, the greatness of the rocks on which the waves dashed: second, the rocks remaining unmoved - no force of the waves could move them. Brethren, this scene is an emblem of what will be witnessed another day, when God shall pour out his wrath on the wicked. Ah, brethren! will it not be fearful to see God put out his power upon the wicked - to see him upholding them with one hand, and pouring out his wrath upon them with the other? Surely, brethren, the power of God's wrath is very great. If any of you have seen a great furnace, you will have seen the power that the fire has; but fire is God's creature. What must his power be who is the Creator?
--------------------------------
Further Reading
Predestination means people are elected as vessels of wrath, too. Part 1
Jesus' Predestined Life
Is Predestination biblical?
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
There are vessels of mercy, and there are vessels of wrath. Considering anything regarding God is weighty and should fill the saved and the non-saved with awe and humility. But to really consider His work of judgment should bring to mind the famous comment attributed to martyr John Bradford,"There but for the grace of God go I".
Here is Scottish pastor Robert Murray M'Cheyne preaching on the Romans verse. In my opinion, it's brilliant. I'll post M'Cheyne's point 3 tomorrow, Lord willing. Part 1 is here. Part 3 here.
M'Cheyne's full sermon is here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Vessels of Wrath Fitted to Destruction
I come now to the second reason why any are left to perish--it is, that God may show his power. "What if God, willing to make his power known?" We are frequently told in the Bible of the power of God. He said to Abraham, "I am the Almighty God." We are told in the ninety-third Psalm, that "the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters; yea, than the mighty waves of the sea." We are frequently told of his almighty power; and not only so, but we have brilliant examples of it.
The first upon record is creation. "God said, Let there be light: and there was light." "He spake and it was done - he commanded and all things stood fast."
Another example of the same thing is, the constant providence of God. "In him we live, and move, and have our being." He rides on the swift wings of the wind.
Another example of the power of God is, his restraining and bridling of the wicked. "Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with the bit and bridle." - Psalms 32:9. This is the way in which God holds the wicked.
Another way in which God makes his power known is, in the conversion of souls. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." This is said to be "the wisdom of God and the power of God." I believe the converting of a soul is something greater than the making of the world.
Brethren, there is one exhibition of divine power that yet remains - it is, the destruction of the wicked. "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?" I believe, dear friends, that the reason why God has raised up Pharaohs is to show his power in them. He said to Pharaoh, "For this cause have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee." No, I say, in regard of those of you in this congregation who will die unsaved, that God has raised you up, to show his power in you. Thus, it is said in Isaiah 62, "I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment." And then in Revelation 18, "She shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." And we are told by our Lord in Matthew 10:28, to fear God, "who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." You will notice in this passage that he says, "God is able to destroy"; and therefore, brethren, it is plain that there must be some great power exercised in his destroying the wicked; and I think it is to consist in this - God will destroy their well-being, but not their being. Here, then, is another exhibition of the power of God.
When lately in the north of Scotland, I stood on the sea-shore, and saw the rocks standing out of the sea. It was very remarkable to stand and see the mighty waves dashing upon the rocks. There were two things remarkable in it: first, the greatness of the rocks on which the waves dashed: second, the rocks remaining unmoved - no force of the waves could move them. Brethren, this scene is an emblem of what will be witnessed another day, when God shall pour out his wrath on the wicked. Ah, brethren! will it not be fearful to see God put out his power upon the wicked - to see him upholding them with one hand, and pouring out his wrath upon them with the other? Surely, brethren, the power of God's wrath is very great. If any of you have seen a great furnace, you will have seen the power that the fire has; but fire is God's creature. What must his power be who is the Creator?
--------------------------------
Further Reading
Predestination means people are elected as vessels of wrath, too. Part 1
Jesus' Predestined Life
Is Predestination biblical?
I think non-predestiny is somewhat fundamental. All the way to Adam and Eve. Eve had a choice (even a choice of different trees' fruit) and it wasn't necessary for her to stumble first or at all really. Free Will is our authority and purpose even if it is corrupted. To downplay our humanity and personality too much degrades our Dominion and the reason we are here.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Eve had free choice. If you read the link above, "Jesus' Predestined Life" we see that just because God is sovereign and makes choices it does not mean we have no choice. Jesus said "I lay down my life, no one takes it from me". John 10:18. Jesus knew every decision God would make ahead of time according to His plan, and Jesus STILL chose righteousness and not selfish gain. He had that choice, He was not a robot.
DeleteThat is one of the misnomers of predestination. None of us are robots. His sovereignty by no means erases our individual choice. Though we cannot reconcile our choice to freely enact our decisions vs. His sovereign plan, God can and He does. That should satisfy us.
Man only has "free will" towards sin. No one has a will toward righteousness. Therefore, God had to do what is impossible with man by works or will and predestine some of His creation to salvation. We are not here for ourselves. God places the emphasis on His purposes and His glory, not the importance of humanity. God has already degraded and downplayed humanity in scripture by telling us that our hearts are corrupt and sinful. He had to accomplish for His elect what we could not do for ourselves.
DeleteThink this through. I would argue that it was preordained of God that Eve would stumble. He was sovereign over the situation. He could have banned the serpent from the garden, for example. The prophets foretold in detail of Christ coming in the flesh and suffering and dying. Names were written in the Lamb's book of Life before the foundation of the world. God provided a people to be redeemed for the glory of His beloved Son for all eternity. All these things and more were established before the foundation of the world. Scripture had to be fulfilled. If Adam and Eve had not sinned, then think how much of scripture would not have come to pass and God would be made a liar. Not to be! And the argument that God looked ahead in time and foresaw events and then responded with a solution is totally denying God's sovereignty over His universe and His right to do as He pleases with His own creation to magnify His name.