Romans chapter 9. The verses we're going to look at today is 11 through 13. The verses I'm going to read is 1 through 13. I say the truth in Christ I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have a great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises, whose are the fathers, and of whom are concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all God blessed forever, amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel. which are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called, that is, they which are the children of the flesh. These are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, at this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. You may be seated. I want you to keep in mind that the next coming chapters are really breaking down that not all of Israel is the true Israel. Something that the Jews greatly opposed Paul for. Something even Christian Zionists would oppose Apostle Paul's teaching. This is the benefit of expository preaching or teaching through the Word of God, is that you get to learn the Word of God better. You can't avoid it and cherry pick verses and you create your own theology. And I think that most Christian Zionists, the issue really is, is they're not expository preachers or teachers and they don't know how to go through the Bible and learn correctly. And so they cherry pick a lot of stuff. They fail to rightly divide Old Testament and New Testament, Old Covenant and New Covenant. So keep that in mind. The title of this message today is God's love, not for all, but for his own. Let me give you a breakdown of what we priorly spoke about last week. Church, carry. Last week, we dived in the depths of Romans chapter nine, verses six, through 10. And thus saith the Lord, not all Israel is Israel. For the true Israel, the Israel of God, is not merely a physical lineage, but is a spiritual commonwealth. And that the commonwealth is the church of Jesus Christ. That is what Apostle Paul is breaking down. and proving, and you'll find this in later chapters and in these very verses, the church, dear brethren, is the true Israel, the chosen people of God, the heirs of the promise, for we are the circumcision, not of flesh, but of the heart. We are the children of Abraham, not by natural descent, but by faith in Jesus Christ, and mark this well. God's promise is not broken. Despite the unbelief of the fleshly Israelites, God's promise to Abraham remains intact. His promises are referring to his remnant, God is. and a testament to his faithfulness and sovereignty. But here's the rub. Election is not based on human efforts. The story of Isaac and Ishmael thunders it loud and clear. God's choice is not based on our merits, our works, but on the sovereignty of God's will. and purpose. And thus, dear saints, we see that God's purpose is not thwarted. For in the church, God's election is not limited by human failure or unbelief, but advances his ultimate purpose. Oh, then let us tremble before the sovereignty of God. Let us rejoice in our adoption as sons and daughters of the Most High. Let us walk worthy of our calling. as the true Israel of God. Verses 11 says, for the children being not yet born, neither have done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It's amazing that those who believe in foreknowledge believe that it's referring to God's foresight in future. You have to omit the entire context of previous and present chapters we are looking at right now. For the children not yet being born. He's saying you were born again, God chose you. And He chose you not on the basis of you coming to Him. Are you doing any good? Are you doing any evil? Isn't the basis of God choosing you what He's saying? That the purpose of God according to election, those who believe in election, there's a false view of election out there. A false view is that God's foresight and his foreknowledge looks and sees, oh, these people will come to me, and these people won't come to me, so I'll choose them because I would be able to look towards the future. That is not election. That isn't God choosing, then. What a dangerous position that is. Almost as if there's goodness in man. But God chose us. not of works that we have ever done, but of him that calleth us. In fact, it is impossible for any person in the foresight to ever come to Christ. Like God would need to look in the future and realize none would ever come to him. I want you to notice Paul making a masterful argument. He's building a case brick by brick to shatter the misconceptions of his day. He's able to deal with their questions before they even arise, those questions. He deals with it. Hellman, he deals with the questions that we have today. They question God's sovereignty and make him, well, then that means God's unjust. Passapalle deals with that question already in Romans 9. I want you to notice that salvation doesn't begin in physical birth, nor with circumcision, nor with an ethnic heritage. Salvation begins in eternity past in the sovereign decrees of God. Paul's saying, listen, dear friends, it's not about being born into the right family or undergoing the right rituals. It's not about human effort or merit. He's demolishing the idea that salvation comes through fleshly means. He's driving home the point that God's election is not based upon what you do. but on the sovereign purpose of God, and that the purpose was set in motion before the foundation of the world began. The Jews in Paul's day thought that being born into the nation of Israel, being circumcised, and following the law was enough to secure their salvation. But Paul's saying no, that's not where salvation begins. Salvation begins in the mind of God in eternity past, where he chose a people for himself, not based on their merits, not based on their goodness, but in God's mercy. Oh, the wonder of it all. Let us marvel at the depths of God's sovereign wisdom. and the heights of his grace, for in his eternal decrees we find hope and peace and our salvation. Beloved, the unsaved Jews of Paul's days were blinded by their own self-righteousness and tradition. They thought they were the true Israel. Oh, were they deceived. They thought themselves to be the people of God. They opposed Paul, the apostle of grace, with venom and violence. Acts 13.45, but when the Jews saw the multitude, they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. The enemy today desires to twist the truth of God's word. to blaspheme the Jews today, blaspheme God today. They don't just want to contradict, but they blaspheme the scriptures. We see Christ in the Old Testament. They don't see Christ. And they use scripture in the Old Testament to try to prove that no man can see God, trying to make Christ Not God. I want you to know, Paul would not be silenced. He didn't fear the powerful of his day. He preached the truth, that the true Israel is not of the flesh, but of the spirit. He declared that salvation comes not by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. And what was the response of the false Israel? They were filled with envy and contradicted Paul and blasphemed the name of Jesus. They stirred up the people, assaulted Paul, and sought to kill him. But Paul stood firm, unafraid to proclaim the truth. He knew that he was not pleasing man. But God, he knew that the true Israel is not of this world, but of the kingdom of heaven. As I said in the beginning, Christian so-called Zionism would hate Paul. Hear the Jews speaking against Paul. Acts 21 27 through 31 and when the seven days were almost ended the Jews which were in Asia When they saw him in the temple stirred up all the people and laid hands on him crying out men of Israel help This is the man that teaches all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place and further brought Greeks also into the temple and have polluted this holy place for they had seen before with him in the temple. And Ephesians, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. And all the city was moved. And the people ran together. And they took Paul and drew him out of the temple. And for with the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. The Jews. We're trying to create an uproar against the true people of God, the true Israel. Oh, dear church, let us follow Paul's example. We don't fear man and we're not silenced by men. Let us stand firm against the opposition of men and boldly proclaim the true gospel Not all Israel is the true Israel. Not everyone who's a Christian is a true Christian. Not every believer is a true believer. Not every disciple is a true disciple. Not every brother is a true brother. Not every sister is a true sister in the Lord. Let us not be swayed by the traditions of men. or Zionism, as so many, and so many are deceived today. Let us be built on the foundation of God's word today. For we are the true Israel, the children of God, born not of flesh, but of the Spirit. We are the heirs of the promise and the recipients of God's grace. So let us march forward unafraid and proclaim the truth the world that desperately needs it. Let us be the light in the darkness and the salt in a world that has lost its flavor. For we are the true Israel, and we will not be silenced. Verse 12, the elder shall serve the younger. God's sovereign decree, Jacob. The younger chosen over Esau. The elder, not because of works, but because of grace. God's election is not based on human merit, but on His sovereign pleasure. He chooses whom He will, and it is not up to us to question His ways. Bow down to this reality, dear saints, and tremble before His throne. Acknowledge His dominion over your salvation. Proclaim this truth to a world that needs it. God's sovereignty, God's grace, God's glory, and God's will be done. But now we come to the verse we are going to stay on for the rest of this sermon, verses 13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. We often misinterpret this verse because we mistakenly think that God's love is universal. Citing John 3.16, but what we've misunderstood about John 3.16. is that God's love in that verse is specifically directed towards the elect, the believing, those who would believe and would not perish, but have everlasting life. And in that case, Romans 9.13 makes more sense. Jacob, I loved. Not because of anything in Jacob, but because of God's sovereign purpose to choose him. There are tough questions. Does God love everyone or does God hate sinners? So in the two weeks I will tackle these questions and going to allow the word of God to paint us and give us the proper biblical sound understanding of this. Verse 13 is broken down into three pieces. And I'm gonna look at two pieces today. The last piece we will look at next week. The pieces begin, how it's broken down in verse 13, as it is written. First piece, second piece, Jacob, have I loved? Third piece, Esau, have I hated? Let me give you the breakdown of the first piece. as it is written, as indicates a reference to a previous statement or scripture. It is written as a perfect passive indicative form of the verb to write, indicating that something has been written in the past and remains written. In essence, Paul is saying, just as it has been previously written in scripture. Paul is using this phrase, appealing to the authority of Scripture, indicating that what he is about to say is not his own idea, but rooted in God's word, showing that God's sovereignty in election is not a new concept, but one that has been revealed in Scripture from the beginning. So in this specific context, Paul is referring to Malachi 1, 2 through 3, which says, I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet you say, where has thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother, saith the Lord? Yet I love Jacob, and I hated Esau. By saying as it is written, Paul is connecting the dots between God's sovereign love and hate in the Old Testament in his own teaching on election in Romans chapter nine. So this week we will tackle the two pieces. We see the beginning of the authority, and then we see the second piece, God's love towards Jacob. Let me share some church history quotes of the second piece, Jacob I loved. Augustine of Hippo, 354 to 430 AD, God loved Jacob. Not because anything in Jacob, but because of his own purpose he chose him. Not because of his works, but because of his own grace. John Calvin, 1509 to 1564 AD, the love of God towards Jacob was not founded on his own merits, but on his good pleasure of God. He was loved because he, not because he deserved it, but because God was pleased to love him. Martin Luther, 1483 to 1546, God's love towards Jacob was not based on Jacob's worthiness, but on God's own sovereign will. He loved him, not because of anything in Jacob, but because of his own grace and mercy. John Owen, 1616 to 1683, the love of God towards Jacob was an act of his own sovereign will, not based on anything in Jacob, but in his own good pleasure. He loved him. Not because of his works, but because of his own grace and purpose. Charles Spurgeon, 1834 to 1892, God's love towards Jacob was not founded on Jacob's character, but on God's own sovereign purpose. He loved him, not because he is worthy, but because God was pleased to love him. So I want you to understand, scripture is of no private interpretation. What I'm sharing with you should surely sound from those of a light faith. Here is God loving Jacob because he deserved it? Absolutely not. Jacob surely did not deserve God's love. He was a deceiver. The manipulator, the one who convinced and tricked his own brother out of his birthright. Did he deserve God's love? No. And yet, astonishingly, God still chose him. Not because he is worthy of it, but because God was pleased to love him. Here is God loving Jacob because he didn't deserve it. And that is the scandal of sovereign grace. God gives grace and loves, not on the basis because you deserve it or you're worthy of it, because of his will. That is the mystery of God's ways. that he would choose to love the one who had earned only scorn and rejection. And yet, it is pricely this Jacob, the master of manipulation, who becomes the object of God's unmerited favor. Note how the sentence begins with Jacob, a deliberate emphasis on the one who least deserves it. As if to say, yes, this Jacob, this scoundrel, this trickster, him I have loved. Astonishing, honestly. And yet this is the God we worship. A God who defies our expectations, who shatters our categories, and who loves the unlovable. 1 Corinthians 1.27, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. That's the million-dollar question. Why would God love Jacob, the deceiver, the manipulator? God's love for Jacob, again, is not based upon his character. but God's own character. It is not about Jacob's worthiness, but about God's sovereignty. It's not about Jacob's deserving, but about God's unmerited grace. You see, Jacob's deceit and manipulation only highlight his need of God's grace. And it's precisely in the midst of our sin and brokenness that God's love shines brightest. We do not deserve God's sovereign grace. But while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That while we were rebelling against him, he saved us. We are no better than Jacob. We are no better than any evil person in this world. People are so easily to point fingers to Hitler. Man, oh man, you think you're better? Do declare yourself to be good. The heart of man is evil. And our wrestle isn't against flesh and blood, but about spiritual darkness that manipulates men like Hitler. Sin affected Hitler. Evil and demonic has affected men like Hitler and men and women like us. God is loving Jacob. God is not condoning or justifying his sinful choices. Rather, he's demonstrating his power to transform and redeem even the most broken and flawed individuals. Praise the Lord. What a great example. He's showing that his love is stronger than our sin and that his grace can overcome even the deepest deceit. So in the end, God's love for Jacob is not about Jacob at all. It's about God's own glory, his own nature, his own character, his own person, his own unmerited favor, and that's the greatest wonder of all. Notice the second word, Jacob. Have I loved? I, who is the person of the Trinity? I, the same person of Romans chapter eight. The I is a declaration of the sovereign himself. It's God the Father who is speaking and no one else. the same God who foreknew, the same God who predestinated, the same God who called, the same God who justified, the same God who glorified, as we saw in Romans 8, 29 through 30. It's God the Father who initiates, who acts, and who chooses. And what does he choose to do? To love Jacob. Not because of Jacob's merits, but because of his own sovereign pleasure. Let this sink in. Everything flows from God the Father. His love, his grace, his mercy, and not, it's not the Son nor the Spirit who takes the center stage here. It's the Father, the one who sets the wheels of the redemption in motion. Let us reverence and honor and worship God the Father, who chooses to love a deceitful Jacob, and who chooses to love his people, his elect. Beloved, we find ourselves seeing God's sovereign grace. We see how it is written, Jacob have I loved. And these words shake the very foundations of our understanding of God's love. For here we see that God's love is not a response to our worthiness, but a sovereign act of his will. The word loved, past tense, is not a sentimental feeling, but a deliberate choice. It means God chose to set his affections upon Jacob. I want you to understand something now. God chose to set his affections upon Jacob, to delight in him, to pursue him, and that's what's striking, is that God did so not on the basis of anything good in Jacob's life, because Jacob was a deceiver, a manipulator, a sinner. But God's love is not based on our merits. This is the same theme that began in Romans chapter eight, verses 28, where it is written, and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. It begins here, it opens up to Romans chapter nine. And so we see that God's love is not a general, universal, but a particular, electing love. He chooses to love whom he will. And he chooses to love them not because of anything in them, but because of his sovereign will. It's amazing that God would choose then to love us. Not because we are worthy, because he is worthy. But I want you to understand something I think it's important to notice, a lot of people run to God. God reigns on the just and the unjust. And so what they try to do is muddy the waters of God's love and hate, and start to promote a general love, almost having a hard time to rightly divide a factual love, almost making it equal with all love. But I will break that down. I want to share a quick warning to those who peddle the false notion of God's general love for humanity. You're playing with theological fire. God's love is not vague. It's not a sentimental feeling that he has for everyone. You just misunderstand, then, God's love. His love is a pacific, sovereign, and electing love that he has for his chosen ones. It's a love that chooses, that selects, and that sets apart. The idea of God's general love for humanity is a myth. Not a single scripture even says it. It's a lie, a deceitful doctrine that undermines the very foundation of the gospel. It's a doctrine that said God loves everyone the same. But the Bible says, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. He doesn't. Don't be deceived by the false teachers who tell you that God loves everyone unconditionally. The Bible says, for God so loved the world, they'll say. But it's not talking about a general love. That's what they'll say. But who is John 3.16 referring to? The elect. It is not a general love for humanity. It's talking about a specific love for his elect, his chosen ones. So let us not be afraid to say it. God's love is particular. Not general. It's sovereign. Not sentimental. It's electing, not universal. Anything less is watering down compromised gospel that fails to glorify God. Sovereign and majesty, there is a difference. God's goodness is throughout all creation. And so when they go to Matthew chapter five, they see God's goodness is reigning on the unjust and the just. That's quite different than his effectual love. He created all creation. But his love is only to his own on whom he knows. There's a difference we need to rightly divide. It's not general love, better word is general goodness. That's what it teaches. God shows general goodness throughout all creation, but his love in every single New Testament verse is not towards the wicked who would never come to him, but specifically to his people alone. Here are some quotes from church history against the idea of God's general love. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430, if God loved all men equally, he would not have chosen the Israelites as his special people. Makes no sense, right? Why would God just specifically just love and bless and prepare and promises and make a covenant only for them if God is loving towards everybody? What a great point. How about John Calvin? God's love is not a general love, but a particular love, which he bears to his own. Martin Luther, God's love is not a universal love, but a love that chooses and selects. John Owen, God's love is not a general, indefinite love, but a particular, Definite love, which he bears to his elect. Jonathan Edwards, God's love is not a general love to all, but a special love to his people. Charles Spurgeon, God's love is not a universal love, but a particular love, which he bears to his chosen one. Arthur Pink, God's love is not a general love, but a particular love, which he bears to his love and to his elect, his chosen ones, and the list is massive. Many turn to Matthew 5.45 to believe it's teaching God's general love. Verses states that ye may be the children of your father which is the heaven for he maketh his son to rise on evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. This is a verse that is hijacked. by those who peddled the watered-down gospel. They say it proves God's love everyone equally, but that is a blatant lie. This verse reveals God's common goodness, not his saving love. The sun and rain are not symbols of his redemptive favor, but his general benevolence toward all creation. Don't be deceived. God's goodness and mercy extend to all, but his love and favor are reserved for his elect. It's a theme he clearly is being taught in Romans chapter eight, a theme that is clearly being taught in Romans chapter nine. The sun shines on the just and the unjust alike. But that doesn't mean God loves them equally. There is a chasm between God's general providence and his special favor. Let this sink in. If you are not among the elect, God's love is not on you. If you are not in Christ, God's favor is not towards you. Don't presume upon God's love as so many do. They are the worst evangelist. Those who adhere to that God's love is towards everyone and God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. God loves you, please come to him. He's begging for you to come. What a great misunderstanding of God. No, God's hatred is towards the unbelievers, the wicked, the unregenerate sinner, that God's wrath is upon you, in whom he created a hell, and it's justifying God who will condemn all wicked sinners into his eternal wrath in hell forever. Well, you will not know the God of love, but the God of wrath. in hell. God won't be showing special love towards you in hell. God won't be showing peace towards you while you're in hell. You will be tormented by God. Owen writes, God's love is not to be measured by his general providence, but by his special favor towards his people. The sun shines on all, but God's love is peculiar to his saints. And coming to close, we talked about how the word foreknew or foreknowledge does not mean foresight. It means those whom God previously chose to love. That's what it means. So God's foreknowledge and predestination is referring to God, who he previously chose to love, and all those whom God did not choose, he hates. Which is the very verse that leads to this. That's the exact context. I really don't know how you can go anywhere away from that. That's why it's important to allow the scripture to speak to us the truth. God chose in his foreknowledge to love whom he foreknew. It's hard for people to understand this today. What are they gonna do? God must be unjust. that type of God, and if that is the type of God that I don't want to believe in your type of God, Armenians will say. Blasphemy! Who are you, oh man, to question the potter? God previously chose to love, and that's exactly what foreknowledge means. And to know someone is to love someone in the biblical sense. God does not know those who are not his sheep. He did not choose to love them. He chose to love Jacob, but Esau wasn't part of God's sovereign plan. Keep in mind what is the context he's referring to explaining Israel, the true Israel of God, are not born by the land you are born in or by heritage, but by born of God, circumcised at heart, not of flesh. You're not a child of God if you think because you were born in Israel makes you a child of God. You're not a true Jew, and you're not an Israelite. according to Paul. Romans 9.13 reminds us God's love is sovereign, not sentimental, and he chooses to love Jacob, not because of his merits, but because of his own purpose. And if you're in Christ, take comfort, you are loved, not because of who you are, praise the Lord, but because of who God is. His love is particular, personal, and unwavering. Rest on His sovereign affection. He chose you. He forloved you in His choosing you, which leads us to our close right now. May we meditate on what we have just listened to and begin next week where we will look at the third piece. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. To Heavenly Father, This is something we've all, for most part of us, all struggled with when we first came to our faith. We've all heard God loves everyone, God died for everyone, but God only knows his own. He never knew those who he never foreknew and desired to have a relationship with Oh, Lord, you desire to have a relationship with us today. Your church, Lord, that we are so unworthy, but your love and your character and your purpose show love towards us. And you love us, not because we are worthy, but because of who you are. I thank you, Lord, that you are who you are. Help us to love you, Lord, to surrender to you, Lord. We give you glory. and praise, amen and amen.