Thoughts From Romans 9 - Part 4

 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea:

“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
    and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,” and,

      “In the very place where it was said to them

       ‘You are not my people,’

         there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel 

       “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,

        only the remnant will be saved 

           For the Lord will carry out

          his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”

29 It is just as Isaiah said previously:

“Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.”

       When I was in a reformed church, the Westminster Confession was required reading if you were to become an elder or deacon. I remember one part of it that comes specifically from this passage and it has to deal with double predestination. That's a doctrine where God prepares in advance one group of people(the objects of mercy) who will be saved and the other approximately 90-95% of the population (the objects of wrath) to be damned, and if you think that is unfair, see the preceding verses like who are you to question God; He can do whatever He wants to do. Just be eternally grateful He picked you to be in the 5-10%. Although I see how they make their case and yes, if it is true, He can do whatever He wants, it seems to go against so many other sentinel doctrines in the Bible and the character of God that I have to think there is another meaning to this passage.

         What I think Paul is saying here goes along with what Peter was saying when he says that the reason God is "slow" to judge the Earth and "slow" to return again. Peter says that He tarries because when He comes back the time for salvation is over and He doesn't want people to go to Hell. I think Paul would add to that, the people who have chosen not to follow Jesus and the resultant carnage of their lives resulting from that decision, should help encourage people to choose Christ. Just look at the messed up lives of people in Hollywood as examples. They have chosen fame over Christ and their private lives have been decimated.

        Paul will relate this to Jews and Gentiles. The Jews have rejected Christ and the fact that God is now "loving on" the Gentiles is going to provoke jealousy, conviction, and eventually mass repentance. The "objects of wrath prepared for destruction" are those people who reject Christ. He could take them out to immediate judgement but rather He lets them live among us century after century as warning signs not to follow down their path.

            It seems Gen Z has a common desire and that is to be an "influencer". What a great word! Most are part of the "objects of wrath" trying to influence you that their way is desirable. Look deeper into their lives. There is nothing desirable in rejecting Christ. Let them influence you not to follow them. Open your eyes!