My Reality LA notes 2/14

D.A. Carson may come for an event in the fall

Romans 9 is controversial. The bible teaches God's sovereignty and Man's responsibility

Today is about election. The text is about Israel not election. Today will be a cliff hanger.

Romans 9:4-13

How can I trust God's promises?
-we are tempted to assume God is unfaithful to us
-has the word of God failed?
-those who were in were out and those who were out were in
-Israel (the chosen people) weren't guaranteed anything
-gentiles included, jews reject jesus
-what happens to God's calling to Israel?

God's promises transcend human expectation
-expected all ethnic israel to be saved
-answer in verse 6b: there r 2 israels
-one is physical one is spiritual
-in chapter 2: circumcision comes from the spirit
-not all physical israel will be saved
-The Remnant: trust in the living God

Isaac v Ishmael
-Abraham is called that His seed will the world be blessed
-Jesus the true seed
-abraham 100 sarah 90
-abraham sleeps with handmaid hagar to produce ishmael to try to fulfill the promise
-but God meant Isaac (physical and spiritual according to God's promise)
-both have offspring
-"its grace and not race that counts"
-salvation is not a birthright
-God owes us Hell
-John 8
-there is a visible church and invisible church
-we don't know who is saved (though evidence exists)
-the promise of God exceed human power or exertion

Transcend Human Exertion (TOTAL DEPRAVITY)
-God's initiative by supernatural means
-Salvation is supernatural
-spiritual birth has nothing to do within us
-we rebel by nature and choice
-john 1:12-13
-promise of god seem impossible because seen through lens of human ability
-seen through mary's virgin birth
-the whole christian life is an impossibility
-cant be perfect but possible by grace
-Moses called to speak, god made his mouth
-we are rightly humbled by our inability
-god gives us power for obedience
-no room for boasting
-no room for disobedience
-trust in human ability is futile
I REALLY HOPE BRAD COMES NEXT WEEK

Transcends human selection
-ishmael came from different mother as objection
-Isaac had twins: jacob, esau
-same origin
-jacob younger
-not for anything they had done
-not based on works but on God's call (UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION)
-works are general human activity
-Jacob not a better person than Esau
-God choice an act of grace
-Grace is a central factor or nothing would happen
-man is responsible but not contingent

Jacob v Esau: Love v hate
-nations or individuals
-jacob is israel: Esau is Edom
-in the Old testament, refers to nations
-in romans, refers to individuals
-Hate not an emotion but an action
-hebrew idiom for preference
-love steak, hate chicken: no emotional wrath for chicken
-love v hate refers to preference
-Jesus uses word in this matter
-Luke 14
-God Sovereignty never mitigates Human responsibility
-no claim on God except God's justice
-no duck, duck, damn
-question is not why not save anyone but why save anyone at all?
-God's election is based on grace and not us.

Charles Spurgeon (I LOVE SPURGEON)
What was there in you to suggest a motive why God should call you? Oh, Beloved, we can hardly ask you that question without tears rising in our own eyes—

"What was there in us that could merit esteem,
Or give the Creator delight?
'Twas even so, Father!' we ever must sing,
'Because it seemed good in Your sight.'"

Some of you were drunkards, were profane, were injurious. Many of you cared neither for God nor man. How often have you mocked at God's Word! How frequently have you despised God's ministers! How constantly has the holy name of the Most High been used in a flippant, if not in a profane manner by you! And yet for all that, He fixed His eyes upon you and would not withdraw. And when you spurned the Divine Grace that would have saved you, still He followed you, determined to save, till at last, in the appointed time, He got the grasp of you and would not let you go until He had made you His friend, turned your heart to love Him and made your spirit obedient to His Grace!

I think, throughout eternity, if we had this problem to solve—"why did He call me"—we should still go on making wrong guesses! We could never arrive at the right conclusion unless we should say, once and for all, "I do not know."

LORD, MAY YOU CONTIUE TO HUMBLE ME BY THE MYSTERY OF YOUR TRANSENDED DIVINE GRACE AND PURPOSE. I AM DEPRAVED NOR WORTHY YET YOU CHOSE ME AND CHANGED ME. I DESERVED HELL AND YOU SAVED ME. FOR THAT I WILL ALWAYS GLORIFY YOUR NAME.

RealityLA.com

ALL CAPS ARE MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS
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