Election Rom. 9:10-33 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In Rom 9:11 Paul states, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.  It is vital that we see that election doesn’t stand on works, but on what God said… on the way he calls it.  God chose Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, Jesus and even Gentiles.  But not all Israel, who was chosen as God’s son [Ex 4:22], and not all Gentiles, to whom the gospel was opened when Israel rejected Jesus [Rom 9:24, 11:11-12], are saved.  The Calvinists would have you to believe that the Jews and Gentiles who are saved were chosen before the foundation of the world to be saved and all the rest were damned.  But that’s not so as we will see n this lesson.  Every time God made a choice, the ones who benefited are the ones who believed him.  Just look at the following:

Abraham – Election – in Gen 12:1-3, God promised blessing and cursing.  In Gen 12:7-8 God promised a seed and land.  Abraham believed God – in Gen 15:5-6 Abraham believed in the Lord and righteousness was imputed to him.  In Gen 22:15-18 God confirmed his promises because Abraham obeyed God’s voice.  Do you see?  By faith Abraham believed God [Heb 11:17-19; Jn 8:56].  His election was not of works, but it did involve faith.

Isaac – Election – in Gen 17:15-21, God promised and chose Isaac and promised to make his covenant with him.  In Gen 21:12 God confirmed this promise.  In Gen 26:2-5, 24-25 God confirmed his covenant.  Isaac believed God – by faith Isaac willing submitted to being offered [Gen 22:9] and blessed Jacob [Gen 27:28-29; 28:3-4; Heb 11:20].

Jacob – Election – in Gen 25:23, God chose Jacob and appeared to him in Gen 28:10-15 promising him what he promised Abraham and Isaac.  Jacob believed God.  In Gen 28:16-22 he named Bethel and took the Lord as his God.  By faith he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh [Gen 48:3-4, 15-16; Heb 11:21].

Israel – Election – in Ex 4:22 and 19:3-6, God chose Israel.  See also Num 24:2, 9; Deut 1:6-8; and Is 45:4].  But not all Israel believed God [Rom 9:30-33].  They tried to obtain the benefits of their election by works and election is “not of works.”  But all Israel did not believe God.  Unbelief is what prevented them from receiving the promise of their election [1 Pet 2:6-10; Acts 28:24-28; Rom 10:16; Rom 11:19-20].  The reason that even some of them [the remnant, the seed, Rom 9:25-29] are saved is that the Lord is faithful [Mal 3:6] and some of them have believed and will believe [Rom 9:25-32].

Jesus – Election – we Jesus the elect in Is 42:1; Matt 3:17; and 1 Pet 2:6. And Jesus obeyed God.  We see that Jesus was absolutely, 100%, obedient in everything that his Father commanded and that the law demanded [Jn 8:55; Rom 10:4].

Gentiles – Election – in Rom 9:24 and 10:17-20, as in other places, God chose that he would save Gentiles, as well.  But, as in all these other cases, belief is the key to becoming a recipient of the promise.  Those Gentiles who believe God are elect.  In Rom 10:8-13; Col 3:10-13 and Rom 9:30 we got in on salvation and Gentiles continue to get in by faith.

Conclusion: while election is “not of works,” it is certainly not exclusive of faith.  Without faith in what Jesus has already done for you on Calvary you cannot get in on God’s election of Gentiles.  You see, God didn’t choose who would be saved and who would be damned before the foundation of the world.  He chose, before the foundation of the world, that “whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed,” [Rom 9:33].  “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” [Rom 10:13].  That’s God’s call.