Our scripture reading, to which I invite you to turn with me at this time, is found in the epistle of the Apostle Paul to the church at Rome. In the New Testament, you'll come to the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Romans chapter nine. You may recall that last Lord's Day evening, we began a five-part series of messages on the so-called doctrines of sovereign grace. We are not studying these doctrines in the order in which the canons of Dort set forth those five biblical doctrines, Calvinistic doctrines, but we are studying them in the order of the acrostic TULIP, T-U-L-I-P, total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints. Having dealt with total depravity last Lord's Day evening, today we look to the doctrine of unconditional election. And we'll be using the confession by way of commentary on the words of our text in Romans chapter 9. But let us hear then God's Word beginning in Romans 9. We read through verse 29 but I draw your special attention to verses 10 through 29 as they will constitute our text for today Romans 9 beginning in verse 1. Let us hear then the word of the Lord. I Speak the truth in Christ writes Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I am not lying My conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit. I I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons, theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised, amen. It's not as though God's word had failed, for not all who are descended from Israel are Israel, nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. This is how the promise was stated, at the appointed time I will return and Sarah will have a son. Not only that, but Rebecca's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet before the twins were born, or had done anything good or bad. In order that God's purpose and election might stand, not by works, but by him who calls, she was told, the older will serve the younger. Just as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. And I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. does not therefore depend on man's desire or effort but on God's mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me, then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will? But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, why did you make me like this? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath, prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory? Even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles. As he says in Hosea, I will call them my people who are not my people, and I will call her my loved one who is not my loved one. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people, they will be called sons of the living God. Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality. It is just as Isaiah said previously, unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah. Thus far, the reading of God's Holy Word. And as always, dear friends, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as we look to God's Word together today. Dear congregation of Jesus Christ, in his book entitled, The Freedom of God, the Freedom of God, author James Dane writes the following. Listen very carefully, please, as I quote. Sermons on election are so rare that even a regular church goer may never hear one. Through the years, I have asked many church people when they last heard a sermon on election, and with rare exceptions, most answered they could not recall. Many believe that they had never heard one." Friends, why do you believe that is so? Why do you believe that is so? Well, I believe that the great reformer John Calvin gives us at least a bit of an insight into the answer to that question. When Calvin states that when we begin to study or we attempt to understand the eternal decrees of God, Calvin says that we have entered, and I quote, a labyrinth, a complicated maze from which the mind of man can by no means extricate itself, end of quote. Think about that. In fact, let me try to illustrate what Calvin is saying. Friends, let's pretend that you and I are the captain of a Coast Guard cutter. Let's pretend that you and I are the captain of a large naval vessel. And our ship, with us as captain, is sailing the high seas. And suddenly we come upon what seems to have been a A shipwreck and a large cruise ship has sunk and we find that there are thousands upon thousands of people thrashing around in the waters of the ocean. This captain, you and I, immediately order that a select number, a certain number of lifeboats is lowered into the sea. And after those lifeboats are lowered, you and I begin to seemingly randomly select those whom we are allowing to get into those lifeboats. We wait until a certain number are safely in those lifeboats. And then we give the order, surprisingly enough, for our ship to sail. We tell the ship to embark once again on the high seas. And as you probably have already realized, we have seemingly intentionally left any thousands of numbers of people to continue thrashing around in the ocean and to undoubtedly die by drowning. Now you perhaps better understand why Calvin said what he said. Friends, because that illustration, I believe, faithfully reflects, in many ways, the doctrine of unconditional election, I suppose that is why, in the Reformation Study Bible, we read this very insightful commentary. And I quote, again, listen carefully, please. The Reformation Study Bible says, like every truth about God, The doctrine of election involves mystery, and it sometimes stirs controversy. But in Scripture, it is a pastoral doctrine, helping Christians to see how great is the grace that saves them, and moving them to respond with humility, confidence, and praise," end of quote. And that's true, and that's true. But friends, that begs the question then, does it not, what exactly is unconditional election? What do we mean when we posit, we propagate the doctrine of unconditional election? Well, if you want to follow along, I'm going to be reading an article in the first head of doctrine in the Canons of Dort. It's found on page 93 in the back of the Psalter. We're not going to recite it together, but I would encourage you if you would, if you want to just listen, that's okay. But let's follow along in the back of the Psalter, page 93, first head of doctrine, canons of Dort, divine election and reprobation, and I'm going to be reading article 7, page 93. Here we read, election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby before the foundation of the world, He has out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of His own will, chosen from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault from their primitive state of rectitude into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, whom he from eternity appointed the mediator and head of the elect and the foundation of salvation. This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than others, but with them involved in one common misery, got His decree to give to Christ to be saved by Him, and effectually to call and draw them to His communion by His Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification and sanctification, and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of His Son, finally to glorify them for the demonstration of His mercy and for the praise of the riches of His glorious grace. As it is written, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before Him in love. Having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. And elsewhere, Whom He foreordained, them He also called. And whom He called, them He also justified. And whom He justified, them He also glorified. Drop down to article 9 with me if you would please. Same page. This election was not founded upon foreseen faith. Now underscore that. Don't lose your place. Most, if not all, of our Baptist brothers and sisters, they say they believe in election, but in this particular sense, this qualifier. They say that God looked down through the corners of time before time from eternity. And he saw that this one and this one and that one and that one would decide in and of themselves by their own free will, though they are fallen creatures, totally depraved, to choose Christ. They would decide for Christ. They would believe in Christ. And thereby God, for knowing that they would turn in faith to Christ, elected them to eternal life. That's what our brothers and sisters, it's called Arminianism, essentially believe on this score. But friends, that is why Article 9 very pointedly says, But men are chosen to faith, and to the obedience of faith, holiness, etc. Therefore, election is the fountain of every saving good, from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally, eternal life itself, as its fruits and effects, according to the testimony of the apostle. Quote, he hath chosen us, notice, not because we were, but that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love. Ephesians 1, 4, and so on. So friends, now with that confessional information fresh on our minds and hopefully also in our hearts, we turn to the study of the sacred scriptures that set forth for us here in Romans chapter 9. And as we do so, let us seek to discover what comfort and what confidence is here to be found. And what are the reasons why we ought to give eternal thanks and praise and glory to our God when we very carefully and prayerfully consider this doctrine of sovereign grace known as unconditional election. Unconditional election. Well then, as we begin to work our way through our text together and consider why the Christian should be comforted and God should be glorified in view of this doctrine of unconditional election, we find that reason number one is because here we see divine purpose. In unconditional election, here we see divine purpose. For example, look at verse 10 of Romans 9 with me, if you would please. Here we read. Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose and election might stand, not by works, but by him who calls, she was told the older will serve the younger. Just as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. It's a very sobering text, is it not? Just as it is written, Jacob I loved, Esau I hated. Do you understand that? I don't. Most people say, well, how could it be that God hated Esau? That's not the question I ask. I ask the question, why did he love Jacob, this lying, deceiving son? How could God love him? The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous. There is not even one. I understand how he hated Esau, but why did he love Jacob? I don't know. Friends, at times such as these, the Holy Spirit inclines my heart to turn to such passages as Deuteronomy 29, verse 29, where we read, the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. When we read a text like this and we begin to ask those kinds of questions, the Spirit inclines my heart to Turn to such passages as Isaiah chapter 46 verses 9 and 10 where the Holy Spirit inspired prophet says this, Isaiah 46, 9 and 10. Remember the former things, those of long ago. I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say my purpose will stand, I will do all that I please. He is God, we are not. And then finally, a very, very comforting text. Whenever we're going through something in life that we don't understand, that seems to make no sense, that makes us feel as if God has forsaken us, forgotten us, abandoned us, turned on us. Psalm 131 is the Psalm of David, and you think of David, a man after God's own heart, commits adultery and murder. David, a man after God's own heart, his own son Absalom turned on him and tried to overthrow his kingdom. No doubt David asked the question why many times. In Psalm 131, David writes, My heart is not proud, O Lord. My eyes are not haughty. I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me, but I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore, you see. Friends, there is great comfort and confidence to be found. And we certainly need to give God all thanks and praise and eternal glory when we prayerfully and carefully consider this doctrine of of unconditional election. First of all, because it reveals for us divine purpose, it reveals for us divine purpose. Ah, but let's go back to Romans chapter 9 together where we find a second reason as to why the Christians should be comforted and God should be glorified in the doctrine of unconditional election. And that is because it displays power. It displays power. For example, look at verse 14 of Romans 9 and following with me if you would please. Here we read, What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all. For he says to Moses, and he says this to Moses if you're taking notes in the context of Exodus 33 verse 19, right after the worship of the golden calf, after God had delivered his people Israel from slavery in Egypt. That was the context. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. It does not therefore depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy you see. And friends, that is why, in similar fashion, back in the Gospel according to John, the first chapter, verses 10-13, John writes this concerning our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. John 1, 10-13. He says of Christ, He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. Now notice, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God. I'm going to read that verse again. Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God. It is not by human effort. Paul says in Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one shall boast, you see. And so we bring that biblical information to bear back on the words of our text in Romans chapter 9, and let's pick it up again in verse 17 once again. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, I raised you up for this very purpose. that I might display my power, I might display my dunamis, I might display my dynamite in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy and He hardens whom He wants to harden, thereby revealing His mercy and His justice. He is a God of mercy and He is a God of justice. Now, if you wanna turn with me to Acts chapter 13, verse 48, we find here a radical, magnificent display of God's mercy. It says in Acts 13, verse 48, Paul is preaching and it says, when the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and honored the word of the Lord. Notice, and all who were appointed to eternal life believed. I'm gonna say that again. And all who were appointed for eternal life believed. And all who were appointed for eternal life believed. It is all of God. He gets all the glory, and not us. What a magnificent display. And the Gentiles no less. And the Gentiles no less. And if you want to turn with me, we turn also similarly to 1 Peter, chapter 2, and in 1 Peter, chapter 2, verses 6 through 8, the the apostle Peter writes this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 1 Peter 2, 8, 6. First of all, for in scripture, it says, See, I lay in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone. Speaking of Christ and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Now to you who believe the stone is precious, but to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and a stone that causes men to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." Now get this. They stumble because they disobey the message, which is also what they were destined for. They stumble because they disobey the message, which is also what they were destined for. A magnificent display. of God's justice, a magnificent display of God's justice. And friends, when we put together these revelation of His magnificent mercy and the justice of His justice, well, we realize that you and I can find comfort and confidence and that God should be glorified. Well, because here we see God displaying His power, God displaying His power. Well, there's a third and final reason as to why we study today and are blessed by this doctrine of unconditional election, and that is because in it we see very clearly that God deserves praise, that God deserves praise. Drop down to verse 19 of Romans 9 with me, if you would please, verse 19. One of you will say to me, then why does God blame us for who resists His will? That's a very logical question, and probably some of us today are asking that silently in our hearts and in our minds as we're looking at God's Word. Well, then why does God blame us? Some of us might say, well, why does He blame me? For who resists His will? And they fall into sort of what's called a spiritual fatalism. And I've had many people, younger and older, down through the years say to me, well, if it's all mapped out from the beginning of time anyway, what difference does anything make? What difference does it make if I believe or not believe? What difference does it make if I live a sinful life or not live a sinful life? It's all out of my control. Spiritual fatalism. I praise God that in the Canons of Dort, first head of doctrine, Article 13 addresses that spiritual fatalism. And if you want to follow, it's on page 94. But Article 13, page 94, says this. Listen carefully, please. The sense and certainty of this election afford to the children of God additional matter for daily humiliation before Him. for adoring the depth of his mercies, for cleansing themselves and rendering grateful returns of ardent love to him who first manifested so great love towards them. The consideration of this doctrine of election is so far from encouraging remissness, spiritual carelessness, and the observance of the divine commands, or from sinking men into carnal security, that these are in the just judgment of God, the usual effects of rash presumption or of idle and wanton trifling with the grace of election and those who refuse to walk in the ways of the elect. In other words, you want to be very, very careful. I'd want to be very, very careful for allowing ourselves to fall into a defiant spiritual fatalism. And Paul goes on to press that case. Look with me if you would at verse 20. It says, but who are you, O man, to talk back to God. Who are you, old man? Who am I, old man? To talk back to God. Again, the Reformation Study Bible notes, and I quote, it is unreasonable and irreverent for anyone to question the rightness of God's ways. That's true. And that is why Paul goes on to give a very powerful and practical and personal example of what he has just said. Look with me at the second part of verse 20, please. Paul says, shall what is formed say to him who formed it, why did you make me like this? Ponder that just for a moment. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, why did you make me like this? Speaking of the potter and the clay, as we'll see in a moment, I got to thinking about that. And I took from my desk at home this piece of pottery made by one of our children. Now, I'm going to just take a minute to explain. I didn't know which of our children made this. In fact, it's hard to tell what it is. In the fellowship hall, it's going to be very hard. I don't know, guys, if you can zoom in on this to let them see what is this, if you can zoom in and show that. This is an ocean, blue. And this is a fishing pole. And these are little people on this piece of pottery. And it says down here, cares, cares. And so I got to thinking, well, one of my children, somewhere during the early school days, was trying to convey the spiritual text, the biblical text, the spiritual principle of casting our cares on the Lord, because He cares for us. Now, just bear with me. I didn't want to use this without the permission of that child, but I didn't know who made it. So I sent out a group text. And I said, hey, everybody, I've got this piece of pottery on my desk, and I explain what it is. Who made it? Well, I first heard from Matt down in North Carolina. He said, it wasn't me. I hope that helps narrow it down. And we're talking about twins here. Well, then his twin sister, Jenny, texted me from Pennsylvania and said, it sure wasn't me. And then Mandy texted me from down in Prospect Park, and she said, I wish it was me, but it wasn't. She said, it sounds like Kelly, that's her twin sister, because Kelly was very, well, Mandy called her a nervous Nelly. Kelly dealt with a lot of anxiety issues growing up, and worrying, and she said, it's probably Kelly. So then Greta was nowhere to be found, she's in California. Bethany was up in New York State at school, and she wasn't even born when this was made. Ben was silent at the time. And all of a sudden, Mandy noticed something that I didn't see. Way down here, there's a K and a K. You see that? Right there. I hadn't noticed that. I sent a picture. I expanded my technological horizons. I took a picture of it. I sent it to the kids. I was so proud of myself, and Mandy noticed on the picture that there's a K and a K down here. Well, she sends that out, and right away, Ben responds by saying, that's me, I've mistakenly put a K for a B, and I actually did this, I didn't believe that for a second. Well, late at night, Kelly pipes in, and I'm going to quote to you what she wrote me, she's in Colorado, and she says, ah, yes, Sorry for the delayed response, but that beautiful piece of pottery, a piece of luxury pottery, was indeed made by these hands, one of my finest pieces, if I do say so myself." That was Kelly. Well, at least we knew who did it, and then I texted her and asked her if I could use it, and she said, by all means. I told her she'd become famous and everything. But boys and girls, I do this primarily for the boys and girls. Boys and girls, what would you think if this piece of pottery spoke to Kelly while she was making it and said, what do you think you're doing? Why are you making it blue? Why are you putting the people where you place them? Why do you even need a fishing pole? And what's with the word cares? Kelly, you have no idea what you're doing. This is ridiculous. Boys and girls, would this piece of pottery have a leg to stand on speaking to Kelly who's making it that way? No, no. The pottery couldn't say that to the potter, and neither can we say that to God, you see. In fact, the text goes on to say that very specifically, does it not? Show what is formed, say to him who formed it, why did you make me like this? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath, prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory? Even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles, as He says in Hosea, I will call them My people who are not My people. I will call her My loved one who is not My loved one. And it goes on in verse 29 and says, it is just as Isaiah said previously, unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah. Friends, think about that. The molding and shaping and saving of a chosen, holy, set-apart people for himself made out of a sin-cursed lump of humanity. Think of this. Every one of us deserves an eternity in hell. Yet in His grace and mercy, He takes this lump of sin-cursed humanity and He molds and He shapes and He saves out of it a people unto Himself. Is there any reason why you and I and every Christian on the face of this planet ought to be incredibly comforted and confident in our salvation when we believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? And is it not true that we ought to give God eternal glory for such amazing grace and such magnificent mercy? Oh, my dear, dear friends in the Lord, I suppose that when we put all this together, we ought not wonder why the sacred songwriter said this. I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew He moved my soul to seek Him seeking me. It was not I that found, O Savior, true. No, I was found, was found of Thee. It was not I that found, O Savior, true. No, I was found, was found of Thee. Thou didst reach forth Thy hand, and mine enfold. I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea. T'was not so much that I on Thee took hold, as Thou, dear Lord, on me, on me. T'was not so much that I on Thee took hold, as Thou, dear Lord, on me, on me. I find, I walk, I love, but, O, the whole of love is but my answer, Lord, to Thee. For thou wert long beforehand with my soul, always, always thou lovest me. For thou wert long beforehand with my soul, always, always thou lovest me. And so again, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, what incredible confidence, what incredible comfort is to be found. And oh, how we must give God all great and eternal glory. upon our prayerful and careful consideration of this doctrine of sovereign grace known as unconditional election. Amen. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together in prayer. Lord our God, as another songwriter has said, "'Tis not that I did choose thee, for, Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse thee, hadst thou not chosen me. Thou from the sin that stained me hast cleansed and set me free. Of old thou hast ordained me that I should live to thee. O faithful father, by your sovereign saving grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, We thank and praise you for the incredible comfort which is ours, and the great glory which is yours, simply because of the biblical doctrine and blessed spiritual reality of unconditional election. Hear us, O faithful Father, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.