Subject: Thoughts on Romans 9 |
Bible Note: Thanks Robert First, I agree, our minds are puny when we try to understand the largeness of God. Second, by no means do I want God to do what is "fair" for in this we are all condemned! My question is not so much " why this, or why that"... rather, it goes to "what is the nature of our relationship with God?" I ask this question because I believe that God is relational, and that He does want us to understand our relationship with Him (which goes something like this: God BIG, me little). I believe that the purpose of Scripture is exactly that, ie God communicating the nature of His relationship to us. Regarding the John 3 verses, I think it remains (in my mind) a question of this: can we believe unless God puts it on our heart to believe? Is it grace plus, or grace alone? Isn't our ability to believe an issue of faith, and isn't faith a gift from God? I think of Paul. He did not seek God, in fact God said to him "Why are you persecuting Me?". He was not being faithful. Yet God chose Paul and saved him from his sin. It was not God plus Paul, it was God in spite of Paul. By the way, this has been true in my life as well. Likewise, the fact that God chose Israel, by necessity, means He did not choose another people group. In this, I can only conclude that God is sovereign (I mean really really really sovereign) and can choose whom He pleases. To bring it down to a personal level, I'll ask you to consider a rhetorical question... In your own life, do you believe that your salvation was secured by God plus your desire for Him, or by God, in spite of you? In other words, if God hadn't reached out and grabbed you, would you have been saved? Did He put the desire in your heart, or was it inherently in you? Still pondering too Curt |