Sermon: God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt 4

There are some things we don’t like to talk about or think about.

• Because we don’t like to think about our finances we don’t balance our bank statement for six months — and that tends to make us want to think about it even less!
• We don’t like to talk about conflict — and the sin that causes conflict in our relationships (when I was candidating I was asked, “how do you handle conflict?” I don’t remember what I said, but I remember I was more sure of myself than I should have been).
• We don’t like to have the “birds and bees” talk with our children.
• We don’t like our bosses to say, “come see me in my office.”
• And some of us don’t like it when the preacher says, “this morning’s sermon is on divine election…”

Yet hard conversations are good for us in many ways, and hard truths in Scripture are revealed to us by God so that we will worship Him and have a greater view of His greatness and supremacy.  And that is exactly why we have the extended discussion that we do in Romans 9 on divine election.  It is given to us to make us to be confident in God and His faithfulness to save His children.  He is faithful to His salvation plan for Israel and for us.  That plan, which Paul begins to unfold in Romans 9:6-18, reveals that —

Salvation is always the result of God’s sovereign, merciful, and faithful choice.

In verses 6-18, there are five demonstrations of God’s faithfulness; we looked at the first four previously; we will look at the final one today:

1. God is Faithful — His Promises Don’t Fail (v. 6a)
2. God is Faithful — His Election Doesn’t Fail (v. 6b)
3. God is Faithful — His Election of Isaac is Typical (vv. 7-9)
4. God is Faithful — His Purposes Will Stand (vv. 10-13)
5. God is Faithful — His Non-Election of Pharaoh is Just (vv. 14-18)

Download the rest of this sermon on Romans 9:6-18.

The audio will be posted on the GBC website by tomorrow.