How do we understand the fact that God can sovereignly chooses whom He will, and yet at the same time reconcile this with our own personal responsibility?

Paul tells us in this chapter that God has sovereignly chosen the Nation of Israel to be His instrument through whom He has revealed Himself to the world. In Deuteronomy we read: “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” (Deut 7:5-9).

As hard as is it for us to grasp, God’s choice is His, free of any obligation. If Gid did not elect, none would be saved. Salvation is of the LORD and His sovereign choice of Israel as His instrument, to whom He made unconditional promises, is not negated through through their disobedience.

Paul gives the example of Esau and Jacob. Jacob was chosen and Esau was hated.  Some may argue: “God is unjust if He chooses one and leaves another”. But the purpose of God goes beyond justice; for if God did only what was just, He would have to condemn all of us! The question is not ‘why was Esau rejected?’, but “why was Jacob chosen?”!

Paul states in regard to God’s sovereignty: “Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” 

However, on account of Israel’s disobedience, God (in His foreknowledge) has made a way for the ‘whomsoever’, both Jews and Gentiles to come to Him.

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The slides used in this study are available for free download.

The post Romans 9 6-33 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

In this study we conclude Romans 8 – one of the most incredible chapters in the Bible!

What does it mean to be saved? How secure is our salvation? Is there anything that can separate us from the love of God?

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The post Romans 8 18-39 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

Genesis 27 serves as a great reminder to ‘trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”! (Proverbs 3-4-5).

Here we see Jacob capitulate to the ungodly advice of his mum – Rebecca – and set about trying to deceive Isaac into giving him ‘the’ blessing. The ironic thing is that God had already declared that Jacob would prevail and rule over Esau. In other words, all of this skulduggery, stress and tension (not to mention the resulting family feud) was absolutely avoidable.

How frequently do we think we have to intervene to help God out?!

Is God on the Throne or not? If He is not, He’s not God!

In this chapter we also face the question: ‘Has God foreordained our destiny’? Did Esau have a choice in being a ‘man of the world’, disregarding the things of God in favour of worldly pleasure? Or was it foreordained by God?

In Romans we read: “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. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid”. (Rom 9:10-14)

Paul is therefore adamant! God is not unjust! Whilst Ephesians tells us that God has “predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Eph 1:5), God does not remove our free will! (Genesis chapter 3 is proof of that!). Esau’s heart was hardened through his own volition. God is outside of time and knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10), so could foreordain Jacob to rule over his brother without violating the free will of either Jacob or Esau.

The tragic conclusion at the end of this chapter is that Jacob will flee from home, never to see his mum again, and to return in fear 20 years later to face Esau. Those 20 years will be filled with yet more deception, intrigue, rivalry, and yet God’s hand will be on Jacob “being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph 1:11).

To be continued…

You can listen to the audio on this web page, or save it for listening to later.  We have also made available the Powerpoint slides (in PDF format) that outline the key points of this study.

We hope and pray this teaching will bless you and encourage you to undertake your own personal study and adventure in God’s Word!

The post Genesis Chapter 27 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.