Published: September 15, 2024 | Speaker: Chuck Hartman | Series: Romans - Part 50 | Scripture: Romans 9:14-18
Transcript
View Full Transcript →
0:28
9 today we begin to look at a little more depth into uh something that John Calvin called a doctr the doctrine of predestination looking at verses
0:41
14-8 going to read those verses I'd like to ask Tim failer if he pray for the ministry of the word this morning Romans chapter 9 beginning in verse 14 what shall we say then there is no
0:52
Injustice with God is there may it never be for he says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have
1:03
compassion so then it does not depend on the man who Wills or the man who runs but on God who has Mercy for the scripture says to Pharaoh for this very
1:14
purpose I raised you up to demonstrate my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth so then he has Mercy on whom he desires
1:26
and he hardens whom he desires let us for this time in your word we ask that you
1:39
open our eyes and our ears to hear what you have revealed to us teach us
1:49
to wait patiently but know that Revival is in your word Revival is in your ordinances your ordinances are your loving kindness
2:06
thank you for your faithfulness that we can know that Eternal faithfulness and count on that and not have to trust on anything of our
2:16
own and in that confidence we ask that you transform Us by the renew of our minds allow us to be conformed to your
2:26
word and to your will and understand your Purp your Purp this world this in Jesus name
2:40
amen this particular passage always reminds me of my first exposure to the general reception by professing Christians of the doctrine of predestination the doctrine of election it was about 30 years
2:53
ago and uh we we had Wednesday evening small groups at the time and the leader of one of those groups called me during the day it was a Wednesday and asked me if I could fill in he was called out of
3:05
town on business and we're not going to be able to be there it was not a group that that angel and I attended regularly but I said sure uh what passage are you in it was this
3:17
passage looking back I should have jumped out of window uh but my office was on the ground floor so that would have done no good um anyhow showed up uh at the at the house and started read
3:30
read the passage and basically laid out the doctrine of divine sovereignty and election uh one of the one of the women there tried physically to jump down my
3:42
throat and I found out that um I am a lover of controversy and only desire to stir up people's nerves by preaching
3:53
that doctrine that Calvinism I didn't know it was Calvinism at the time it was quite shocking the response I got and after we broke up for Refreshments I still sat in my chair uh somewhat comos
4:05
until the the host came up and he handed me a booklet the booklet was the Five Points of Calvinism and he he explained everything in a very very fatherly way he said
4:17
Chuck you're a calvinist he he said it with sorrow and sympathy in his voice that to kind of makes you wonder is irure I read the booklet and when I
4:29
handed it back I said yeah you're right everything I'm reading here I think the scripture teaches but the most difficult of the
4:41
pedals of the famous tulip the two most difficult you hear a four-point calvinist well four-point Calvinists are the ones who reject the L limited
4:52
atonement the idea that Jesus died only for his sheep that he died for the elect but they also have a problem with the U
5:04
unconditional election and they actually go together two and if you take one of them out then the whole flower
5:16
dies now you're all familiar with the controversy that has raged for 2,000 years regarding Divine sovereignty versus human free will it is known
5:27
pretty much for the last 400 years as Calvinism versus Calvinism versus arminianism but it is not actually a debate between biblical Theology and
5:37
biblical theology it's a debate between Theology and Theology and philosophy why do re recoil from a doctrine that holds that God has
5:49
sovereignty sovereignly elected from eternity those who he will save in Christ the arguments against
6:01
election are primarily philosophical if you read the books you'll read such things as ought implies can in other words if if God commands us
6:15
to obey and He commands us to love him then that implies that we can do that well that's actually a philosophical
6:26
reasoning not a Biblical one biblically we are commanded to obey Our God for he is our maker we are commanded to love him for he is our
6:37
sustainer but the Bible doesn't also tell us that we are able to do either of those things in fact it tells us the opposite especially in Romans chapter
6:47
3 another that you'll read in the Armenian Doctrine is that love is only love if it's willing right coerced love obviously is not love love and so God
7:01
wants us to love him freely and therefore he has given us the freedom of will to do just that well again that's
7:12
philosophy that's not theology the argument is that God does not drag people kicking and screaming into heaven well no he
7:24
doesn't but that that does not mean that man from within himself can find a love for God matter of fact Romans 3 says
7:35
exact opposite to that so we have these philosophical principles by which we have reasoned that God must act a certain way in order for everything to be the way we want it to be he must
7:47
allow us to have free will so that we might choose him rather than he choose us well it's clear especially from Romans 9 that he does choose us so the
7:59
army Ian reasons okay he from eternity past looked into the future and saw that so and so would believe in him through Jesus Christ and on the basis of that
8:11
future belief God In The Eternity past elected that person well once again the the deciding factor in this equation is always the man who believes not The God
8:27
Who elects and that's where the CR of the matter comes in that's what Paul is addressing here because it appears that his people Israel God's people Israel
8:37
are not are not believing and he has chosen them to be his Witnesses on the on the Earth but when their Messiah has come they have
8:48
rejected him so what's up with this we got to keep everything in context what's up with the faithfulness of God if in fact the Jews do not believe
8:59
but even the Gentiles are now coming in has God first of all been unfaithful to his word secondly in rejecting Israel is he being unjust is God
9:13
unjust that is what Paul is addressing here election what is the word here in the Greek is actually transliterated as
9:23
election or election or predestination as it is often known is in fact the only answer that we can find scripturally to the doctrine of
9:36
total depravity that the tea and tulip so you see the the flower is kind of falling apart if we take out one if we pluck one of the petals the rest of them begin to
9:48
fall apart for if we are in fact totally unable to do anything pleasing in the sight of God unable to actually develop
9:58
Faith from within our El or love to God for it is written we love why because he first loved us and he has shed abroad in
10:08
our hearts love through the Holy Spirit we are totally depraved which does not mean as it is often purported to mean that we are as
10:19
bad as we can possibly be clearly some of us are worse than others but it does mean that we are totally incapable of redeeming ourselves elves even through faith in Jesus Christ
10:32
we do not have it within us because of the corruption of sin being so comprehensive in our body and our mind and our soul that the doctrine of total
10:43
depravity is representative of scripture so what what is the answer well the answer is answer is election but in terms of the
10:53
Tulip and how the pedals begin to fall off when you look at the individual letters and reject the doctrines Associated it reminds me of of Mark teaching at one time that the Armenian
11:05
flower is the daisy He Loves Me He Loves Me Not he loves me well most Evangelical Christians don't want to toip and they don't want
11:16
it Daisy either they want a pee perseverance of the Saints once saved always say we're we're fine on that one you go across the whole
11:26
spectrum of Evangelical Christianity and we all believe that once we're in we're in okay well we can't have it that way we can't have the flower that we want we
11:39
can only have the one that God has given us in his scripture election being the only answer to Total depravity is not an easy answer I think we have to admit that
11:50
Calvin was right this isn't this isn't awesome the word terrible doesn't mean it's lousy T meant awesome and fearsome and and one that brings great
12:06
consternation it's not an easy answer nor is it an answer that in any way exalts man it is an incredibly humbling answer because it means that we bring
12:16
nothing to God's altar to sacrifice for our own Redemption and we can claim no merit or participation in that but rely
12:27
only on the grace of God if salvation is considered as by anything other than God's free
12:42
Grace To whom alone he Wills then none will be saved see the argument should not be between election and Free Will or predestination and Free Will perhaps we should consider it
12:54
between free Grace and Free Will is God God's grace his to distribute as he
13:05
Wills Paul says I will have God says I will have mercy on Those whom I will have mercy and I will harden Those whom I will harden I'm not sure you find
13:17
human Free Will in there anywhere it seems a pretty strong statement of the absolute freedom of God in the operation of his own Grace if our hope is grounded
13:30
on our own will we can borrow from Paul and say we are of all men most to be pied but Paul considers that his
13:42
teaching here and how he is recounting the condition of his countrymen according to the flesh might give the appearance of
13:52
appearance of Injustice and this is often leveled against the doctrine of predestination questions are asked do you mean to say that a sinner cannot be saved even if he
14:04
wants to be if he is not among the elect that that's a very common argument or question it's not really a question it's more an accusation that is leveled by
14:15
The Armenian against the reformed that a sinner can want to be saved but if he is not en numbered among the elect then he cannot be saved or the converse of that
14:27
is to say does do God Will Save the elect whether they will or not you see such questions are category
14:39
mistakes this is why they're they're philosophically oriented not biblically oriented to say that that a man cannot be saved even if he wants to be well
14:50
there's the mistake right there there's the flaw in the whole premise who wants to be to be saved now the question is who wants to go to hell
15:04
nobody right you know if you ask who wants to go to heaven when they die everybody see that's that's a wrong way of thinking of it the question is who
15:15
wants to be saved in the manner of Salvation that God has ordained which is entire trust upon his Sovereign Grace and no trust whatsoever in my own
15:29
Worth or Merit oh well that's different that's different and who wants to seek after God so that he alone gets all the glory
15:40
well Paul says None know not one and so when people say you know that that somebody a sinner wants to go to
15:51
heaven well sure they do when they understand the understand the alternative you alternative you know but that is not seeking after God nor is it actually Desiring salvation
16:02
because it's Desiring salvation on your own terms and certainly we are all guilty of
16:16
that so the idea of willing not to be condemned willing not to go to hell yes we can say that men are such but Paul
16:28
writes there is none who seeks for God all all have turned aside together they have become worthless there is none who does good there is not even one for there is no fear of God before their
16:41
eyes so we have as a foundation of this Doctrine the doctrine of total depravity the condition of man according to the Bible is that he has fallen in corruption and rebellious in his heart
16:53
against God and because of that condition he dwells under the wrath of God he abides there there and there is no hope for his self remediation he has fallen into a pit of
17:05
his own digging and he cannot of his own ability get out that's total depravity without the doctrine of
17:15
unconditional election without the reality of limited atonement without the power of irresistible Grace in that ditch in that pit is where every one of
17:26
us will stay for all eternity so is God unjust that's the question here if he grants salvation to some must
17:38
he at least offer it to all they see that's the complaint against the L the idea that Jesus's blood was not shed For All
17:50
Mankind and then we get into the theological nitpicking as to whether or not it was sufficient for everyone's salvation and not efficient for all but
18:00
again you have to understand we are now philosophizing we we're not in the Bible anymore Jesus said I lay down my life for the Sheep he says I have other sheep
18:12
that are not of this fold and then he says to the Pharisees and the scribes you are not of my
18:23
sheep so he makes a distinction between those who were his sheep for whom he laid down his life and those who were not his sheep and by logical extension for whom he did not lay down his
18:34
life perhaps a better uh word rather than limited atonement because all people's atonement is limited it's either Limited in its scope or it's
18:46
limited in its efficiency either if it is shed for all and all are not saved then it is limited in its efficiency is it not it did not
18:58
accomplish all for which it was meant well I don't want to go there personally that anything that God has done would be less than fully efficient that's a
19:10
theological problem to me and so we're left with limited atonement in one way or the other Perhaps it is best as some theologians call it definite
19:20
atonement that Jesus Christ definitely laid down his life for his sheep and then we can switch the argument into what what is it that makes one a sheep
19:31
and the other not is it anything within them is it any Merit is it anything in their in their wool that's better than the other sheep does their bleet sound
19:44
more pleading than the other bleeds no we're all bleeding lost okay we're all the same there's no
19:55
differentiation between any human being child of Adam that justifies God's grace in Salvation And so if he grants salvation to some must he at least offered to
20:06
others what we're talking about here is are we dealing with a birthday party or Halloween are we dealing with gifts that are intended for a particular person or is salvation just a basket that anybody
20:18
can walk up and take what they want those are the it's not very theological but those are the those are the options now the analogy breaks down in
20:28
that that you know theoretically the birthday child does deserve some presents that's not universally the case but and there's event there's an event
20:39
well the gift however is purposeful it's intentional and the parent who buys birthday presents for
20:49
their child is not thereby obligated to buy gifts for the neighbor children as well we we're not obligated to rent a helicopter and just start dropping gifts
20:59
on all the children of the neighborhood there's no there's no even nobody thinks that there's any such obligation gifts given to a particular person are the prerogative of the one
21:12
who gives gifts that are just simply put in a basket outside the front door are for anyone who comes up and wants them but the reality again of the scriptures is
21:24
that if we did put salvation in a basket outside the front door with the true requirement of faith alone in Jesus Christ none would take from
21:37
that basket it would remain full at the end of the day in the end of the evening let's consider in reflecting on God's justice what Justice is by
21:48
definition Justice is recompensing in accordance with what one has done so in a court of law
21:59
Justice is recompensing the defendant according to what that person has done that is why we have a court system
22:10
that is supposedly based on evidence and Witnesses and the impartial determination of a jury if you've ever been on one you know what a farce that is but is there's there's a buildup to
22:24
proving the innocent person guilty and once that is proved proven beyond a shadow of a doubt Justice renders in accordance an eye for an eye a tooth for
22:34
a tooth the punishment fitting the crime that's what Justice is by definition so the question is not whether God must offer to all what he
22:48
gives to gives to some rather the question is why a perfectly just and righteous God should offer to any
22:58
what none what none deserve that's where Paul is heading with all of this he's already said that the Jew back in Chapter 2 chapter 3 the
23:09
Jew by nature of Israel's call did not thereby deserve eternal life the Gentile though overlooked by
23:20
that call does not thereby deserve Eternal condemnation they all deserve that for as Paul writes in chapter 3 that God has
23:31
shut up all under judgment all under condemnation so the justice of God would be to give to each one of us our Just
23:42
Desserts which would be Eternal punishment the parable of the vineyard Jesus says in the mouth of the vineyard owner why is your ey evil because my
23:54
hand is good am I not permitted to do what I will with what is mine that's kind of the heart of Romans
24:04
9 that God is permitted to do with his grace which is his alone to do with his Mercy what he
24:15
wills and that man has no answer to that but when we say am I not permitted to do what I will
24:26
with what is mine the answer of evil man both in theology as well as politics is no we see this and we rail against this in the political fear spere that we're
24:38
not allowed to do with our own what we will but rather the government will intervene this has been the history of government all its days not just our government the government will intervene
24:48
and say no you're not allowed to do what you will with what is yours but then when someone says God is allowed to do what he Wills with what is his we say no
24:58
no no that's not fair that's unjust if you're going to save some you have to save all to which fortunately God is not responded okay I'll save none because
25:09
that would be true justice but justice has been served the psalmist says that that Justice and mercy have met and they have kissed and
25:21
that is golgatha that justice has been served that the just requirement of the law has been condemned in the flesh sin has been condemned in the flesh through
25:32
Jesus Christ Our Lord and so it is not a matter of of the judge Simply Having a a soft heart recognizing the plight of the defendant as being so pitiful that
25:45
instead of meeting out True Justice the judge has compassion and and lessens the sentence no it's a matter of that
25:56
sentence being exact acted in full by full by God upon God upon himself in the true form of man Jesus
26:09
Christ therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
26:23
Jesus I don't want to be misunderstood as saying that an Armenian cannot be a Christian when I say that arminianism is an evil an evil Doctrine I've said before that I do
26:33
believe that Roman Catholics can be Christians that that does not make the Roman Catholic Gospel the true gospel it is not and as Paul says if any man or Angel preach a different gospel than the
26:44
one that they had received through Paul let him be accursed the idea that man has any part to play in his own salvation deprives from the sole glory
26:57
of God God and His grace it gives glory to man and takes from a God who would not share his glory with another that is an evil
27:09
Doctrine but we are told and I have been told many times over the past 30 years that the doctrine of election the doctrine of predestination that's an evil Doctrine that's not my God my God
27:22
wouldn't do that he wouldn't just choose some and not others fortunately it is the doctrine that we're in scripture and your God may not be the God who is going to save you
27:33
because your God is not the true God but the doctrine of predestination has also been handled incorrectly by its Advocates what does it really tell
27:45
us well we can look at it as a zero sum game if God is Sovereign in election then man has no responsibility for his
27:56
own actions Paul's going to look at that a little bit later in verse 19 position of of a an opponent into this dialogue that he's having
28:07
monologue and that opponent is going to say well then who resists God God's power is so great if he has chosen us what choice do we have why does God still find fault in other words we hide
28:21
behind the doctrine of election and we say either in oppon in opposing it or even in advocating it that really you you don't have any choice at all and so
28:33
hyper Calvinism and that's a sad name for it but hyper Calvinism taught that there was really no need for the church to preach the gospel because God had already elected those who would be saved
28:45
so why bother in fact you might find yourself and this was actually taught you might find yourself casting Pearls Before Swine the decision is made then by the church that if you have anyone in your
28:57
country congregation in the pews that is not among the elect then it would be a defilement of the Gospel to present it to them there's no biblical warrant for that but the issue has always come down
29:10
to either or God is Sovereign or man is responsible man has free will there's the dichotomy that has led to the to the
29:21
debate for 2,000 years but also it is a false dichotomy because the scripture teach that God is Sovereign that he is the
29:32
Alpha and the Omega he knows the beginning from the end what he has bent no one can straighten out what he has straightened no one can bend that he is the one who gives light and darkness
29:42
both goodness and evil you just read through the scriptures and God is so incredibly Sovereign over everything that it's amazing that that Doctrine can even be
29:54
doubted but it is equally clear from the beginning all the way through that man is entirely and solely responsible for his own behavior and even his own faith
30:07
though that faith is not of works it is a gift of God yet the command of the Gospel is to do what repent and
30:20
believe I've heard I don't know how accurate this is theologically but I've heard that salvation is like an arch passageway that on one side to enter you read repent and believe and when you go
30:32
through the passage and turn around you read you did not chose choose me but I have chosen you there is a mystery that is involved here which should not surprise us considering that man is
30:44
created in the image of God then that mystery is that while God is entirely Sovereign in election man is fully responsible to repent and
30:54
believe we cannot have one or the other that's the problem people read into the doctrine of doctrine of election the doctrine of human
31:05
irresponsibility that's not part of it archal Alexander said that the doctrine of Free Will and the doctrine of election are like two Sid of one roof the peak of which meets above the
31:18
clouds he says anyone who would choose one or the other has but half a roof over his head that's a very pithy and biblical comment biblical comment we really don't know how the reality of
31:31
divine Sovereign election and the reality of human responsibility orchestrate and
31:43
harmonize Charles Spurgeon was asked to to reconcile the doctrine of divine election with human responsibility and his response was I don't reconcile friends they are both scriptural they
31:55
are both biblical and so we have to be careful that we don't take this Doctrine into areas that it was not meant to go Andrew nigran says the great and
32:09
legitimate service of the concept of predestination is to affirm against all human pretensions that God's grace is really
32:21
free on the part of God beyond that Paul does not go and beyond that we ought not not to not to go I think he's right I don't think we
32:32
should spend our time trying to figure out which is which and which is which stands and which Falls if if push comes to shove and I were forced to choose
32:43
between the sovereignty of God and the Free Will of man I'm going decide with the sovereignty of God because last time I checked he was God and man
32:54
wasn't if push comes to shove and I have to consider consider the doctrine of salvation as to either being the sole work of a gracious God or being
33:05
partially the work of God and yet effectively the work of man who believes I'm sorry I got to side with God because he will not share his glory
33:17
and man will never stand before God and say you you did a lot of good things for me Lord you know sending Jesus that was a that was a big help
33:28
you know and the preaching of the Gospel that was really encouraging but you know when it really came down to it I
33:40
believed God might say depart from me you speaker of iniquity I never knew you because I guarantee no child of God will ever stand before the Lord and say any such thing no one Born Again by the Holy
33:52
Spirit no regenerate soul will ever stand before the Lord and say I I have part of this you know you know let's your name can go first on the sign but really it's God and Me Right
34:05
Incorporated no it's God and to him be all the glory and that is the teaching of predestination this was an issue in the
34:18
early Reformation Martin Luther wrote one of his most famous treatises called The Bondage of the will it's a very good read but it sets forth the fact that human will is in in fact perfectly
34:29
free but it is bound by its nature to do what its nature demands and that is sin the Fallen human nature disables man's
34:39
will from doing that which is truly pleasing to God or salvific for the man all he can do is sin he is in bondage his will is in bondage and until that
34:51
bondage is broken and that nature is changed then man cannot respond to God in any way that God will acknowledge well Luther's counterpart in
35:03
the Reformation arasmus a very very famous and influential humanists of the 16th century wrote a tretis in answer to Luthers and in that Treatise he came up
35:17
with the with the the the principal motto of his philosophy of religion and that is let God be good to with to which Luther responded
35:27
in another article no let God be God God is already good that is part of his being God but God is also Sovereign
35:40
God is also holy he is also just and praise God he is also merciful and he did not do away with his justice so that he might Grant his
35:57
Mercy what we're left with and we must hum humbly submit to is Paul's final word In this passage so then he has Mercy on whom he
36:07
desires and he hardens whom he desires all praise be to God through Jesus Christ let us
36:22
pray father we know that this teaching is rejected by many we also know that by those who support it it is of often misused is misused is misunderstood it is used as an excuse
36:35
for Spiritual laziness or presumption it is an awesome and fearsome Doctrine and yet it is the only
36:45
one that answers to our condition that from before the foundation of the world you have chosen Us in him by your grace through your
36:58
mercy and by no merit of our own either foreseen or actual not even the Merit of belief for that is a gift from you as well all glory all honor all adoration
37:11
and salvation is yours father through Jesus Christ in whose name we pray amen well please stand
37:23
for the for the benediction from Ephesians in chapter in chapter 1 Paul writes blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has
37:35
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he
37:48
predestined us to adoption as Sons through Jesus Christ to himself according to the kind intention of his will to the praise of his of the glory
38:01
of his grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved amen