How do we handle truth?

The Apostle Paul begins today’s text with: “Truth I am speaking in Christ.” He anguishes over his message as he begins to address the spiritual condition of his fellow countrymen. What he says is very true, very tragic and also very difficult to understand. (That is understand as in accepting the words. The words themselves are pretty blunt.)

In fact, Paul anticipates a question from his listeners. Is God unjust? Or unfair?

• (Romans 9:14–16 ESV) ¹⁴ What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! ¹⁵ For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

And sometimes, instead of hearing the clear words in the text, instead of reading the bold print, we read between the lines and try to defend God and spend our time explaining how God is not unfair or unjust.

But in this attempt to “apologize” for the teaching on God’s choices as Sovereign Lord, what we actually do is obscure the text. We try to answer questions that are not answerable, and we blur our vision of God’s great plan.

The covenants, both old and new, are based on God’s promise.

• (Romans 4:13–16 ESV) ¹³ For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. ¹⁶ That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

• (Romans 9:8 ESV) ⁸ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

Message Title: The Children of the Promise

Message Text: Romans 9:1-18

• PDF The Children of the Promise : Romans 9:1-18 : ffc : dave scott : 020115 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF The Children of the Promise : Romans 9:1-18 : ffc : dave scott : 020115 : STUDY SHEET TWO