Divine Election: God's Sovereign Plan for New Humanity

 

Summary

In Romans 9:6-13, Paul addresses the profound truth that not all who are descended from Israel are truly Israel. This passage challenges the assumption that God's promises are universally applicable to all descendants of Abraham. Instead, Paul illustrates through the examples of Isaac and Jacob that God's promises and purposes are fulfilled through divine election, not human effort or lineage. The key point is that God's choice is sovereign and independent of human actions or merits. This divine election is not arbitrary but is rooted in God's eternal will and purpose.

The Apostle Paul emphasizes that God's purpose is carried out through a process of election, ensuring that His plans are infallibly fulfilled. This is not a matter of selecting individuals from a mass of humanity but rather producing a new people for Himself. This new humanity is born not of the flesh but of the Spirit, as exemplified by Isaac and Jacob. The natural process of birth is used by God, but it is through His supernatural intervention that His purposes are realized.

Understanding this concept is crucial for comprehending the broader narrative of salvation. God's plan is not merely to reform the old humanity but to create a new one in Christ. This new humanity is not a selection from the fallen race of Adam but a new creation in Christ, the second Adam. This perspective shifts the focus from human effort to divine grace and sovereignty.

Key Takeaways:

1. Divine Election and Sovereignty: God's choice is entirely free and sovereign, independent of human actions or merits. This election is rooted in God's eternal will and character, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled. Understanding this helps us appreciate the depth of God's grace and the assurance of His promises. [15:29]

2. New Humanity in Christ: Salvation is not about selecting individuals from the fallen race of Adam but about creating a new humanity in Christ. This new creation is born of the Spirit, emphasizing the transformative power of God's grace. This perspective highlights the positive and proactive nature of God's redemptive plan. [27:02]

3. The Role of the Natural and Supernatural: God uses the natural process of birth but intervenes supernaturally to fulfill His purposes. This interplay between the natural and supernatural underscores the miraculous nature of God's work in creating a new people for Himself. [28:21]

4. Manifestation of God's Eternal Purpose: The events in our lives, such as conversion and spiritual growth, are manifestations of God's eternal purpose. These occurrences in time reveal the spiritual reality that God has ordained from eternity. This understanding encourages us to view our spiritual journey as part of God's grand design. [32:40]

5. The Assurance of God's Promises: God's purpose and promises are certain and sure, carried out through His sovereign election. This assurance provides believers with confidence in their salvation and the fulfillment of God's plan. It reminds us that our security lies in God's unchanging nature and His faithful execution of His will. [14:02]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to Romans 9:6-13
- [01:19] - The Argument of Not All Israel
- [02:48] - The Doctrine of Election
- [04:00] - Importance of Understanding Paul's Argument
- [05:16] - The Challenge of Difficult Scriptures
- [06:42] - Understanding Paul's Intent
- [08:20] - Drawing Conclusions from Isaac and Jacob
- [09:10] - God's Promises and Purpose
- [11:44] - The Process of Election
- [13:12] - Assurance of God's Purpose
- [15:16] - God's Sovereign Choice
- [18:41] - Viewing Election Correctly
- [23:38] - The New Humanity in Christ
- [32:40] - Manifestation of God's Purpose
- [40:27] - Summary and Final Thoughts

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 9:6-13
- Galatians 4:28-30
- Ephesians 1:3-5

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Paul mean when he says, "not all who are descended from Israel are truly Israel"? How does this relate to the examples of Isaac and Jacob? [00:11]

2. How does the sermon describe the process of divine election as it relates to Isaac and Jacob? What key point does the speaker emphasize about God's choice? [02:48]

3. According to the sermon, what role does the natural process of birth play in God's plan, and how does God intervene supernaturally? [28:21]

4. What is the significance of the phrase "the purpose of God according to election might stand" in the context of the sermon? [11:59]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of divine election challenge the assumption that God's promises are universally applicable to all descendants of Abraham? [01:19]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's plan for salvation involves creating a new humanity in Christ rather than reforming the old humanity? [26:00]

3. How does the sermon explain the interplay between the natural and supernatural in God's plan? What does this reveal about the nature of God's work? [28:21]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the assurance of God's promises and how they are fulfilled through His sovereign election? [14:02]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on the idea that God's choice is sovereign and independent of human actions. How does this understanding affect your view of grace and your relationship with God? [15:29]

2. The sermon emphasizes the creation of a new humanity in Christ. How can you actively participate in this new creation in your daily life? What changes might you need to make? [27:02]

3. Consider the role of the natural and supernatural in your own spiritual journey. Can you identify moments where you have seen God's supernatural intervention in your life? [28:21]

4. How does understanding God's eternal purpose and the manifestation of His will in your life change the way you view your spiritual journey? [32:40]

5. The sermon discusses the assurance of God's promises. In what areas of your life do you need to trust more in God's unchanging nature and His faithful execution of His will? [14:02]

6. How can you apply the concept of divine election to your understanding of community and fellowship within the church? How does this perspective influence your interactions with others? [11:44]

7. Reflect on the idea that God's plan is not arbitrary but rooted in His eternal will. How does this impact your understanding of events in your life that seem random or challenging? [15:29]

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Sovereignty in Election
God's choice is entirely free and sovereign, independent of human actions or merits. This election is rooted in God's eternal will and character, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled. Understanding this helps us appreciate the depth of God's grace and the assurance of His promises. God's sovereign choice is not arbitrary but is a reflection of His perfect wisdom and love. It challenges us to trust in His plan, even when it is beyond our understanding. [15:29]

"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him." (Romans 14:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust God's sovereign choices? How can you begin to surrender these areas to His perfect will today?


Day 2: New Creation in Christ
Salvation is not about selecting individuals from the fallen race of Adam but about creating a new humanity in Christ. This new creation is born of the Spirit, emphasizing the transformative power of God's grace. This perspective highlights the positive and proactive nature of God's redemptive plan. It shifts the focus from human effort to divine grace, reminding us that our identity is found in Christ alone. [27:02]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding yourself as a new creation in Christ change the way you view your daily life and interactions with others?


Day 3: The Interplay of Natural and Supernatural
God uses the natural process of birth but intervenes supernaturally to fulfill His purposes. This interplay between the natural and supernatural underscores the miraculous nature of God's work in creating a new people for Himself. It reminds us that while we live in a natural world, God's supernatural power is at work, bringing about His divine purposes in ways we may not always see or understand. [28:21]

"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: Can you identify a situation in your life where you have seen God's supernatural intervention? How did it change your perspective on His involvement in your life?


Day 4: Manifestation of God's Eternal Purpose
The events in our lives, such as conversion and spiritual growth, are manifestations of God's eternal purpose. These occurrences in time reveal the spiritual reality that God has ordained from eternity. This understanding encourages us to view our spiritual journey as part of God's grand design, giving us confidence that our lives have meaning and purpose beyond what we can see. [32:40]

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." (Ephesians 1:11, ESV)

Reflection: How can you begin to see your daily experiences as part of God's eternal purpose? What steps can you take to align your actions with His divine plan?


Day 5: Assurance in God's Promises
God's purpose and promises are certain and sure, carried out through His sovereign election. This assurance provides believers with confidence in their salvation and the fulfillment of God's plan. It reminds us that our security lies in God's unchanging nature and His faithful execution of His will. In a world of uncertainty, we can rest in the knowledge that God's promises are steadfast and true. [14:02]

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23, ESV)

Reflection: What promise of God do you need to hold onto today? How can you remind yourself of His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises?

Quotes



The promise and the purpose of God have respect only to certain people. This is as true of the nation of Israel as of anybody else. Now that's just another way of saying they are not all Israel that are of Israel. That was the Fatal wrong Assumption of the Jew. [08:35]

These people to whom the purpose and the promises of God apply, they are and they become what they are not because of anything in themselves. They are the people of God, they are this seed that Paul talks about, not because of their birth, not because of their nationality. [09:23]

God's purpose, in other words, is being carried out and always has been and always will be by means of this process of election or selection. Now that's of course stated quite clearly in the 11th verse for the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil. [11:36]

God does bring his purpose to pass and Carry It Out by means of this process of selection and election for one reason only. It is this: it is the only way which guarantees that his purpose and his plan will certainly and surely and infallibly be carried out and brought to a final fruition. [12:40]

God's choice is absolutely free and Sovereign. It is quite and entirely independent of us, of anything we are or anything we do. God's choice is determined by one thing only and that is by God's own character, his own nature, his own being, his own Eternal will. [15:26]

God's electing and selecting is not a matter of an arbitrary selection out of a mass of humanity. It isn't the case of God looking at a number of massive people and choosing some out of them and rejecting others. Now I'm sure that many have always thought of it like that. [19:00]

What God does is to produce a people for himself. Now I showed you that it was God who produced Isaac. It was a miraculous birth. It wasn't the case of Isaac and Ishmael being born and God looking at the two and saying I'm going to take this one and not that one. [20:23]

God's way of Salvation is to produce a new Humanity in Christ. Did you realize that? Here's the whole key: Humanity has fallen in Adam. What's God's Plan of Salvation? Oh, not to take some of those and reform them. No, no. God is doing something entirely new. [26:09]

God does not do away with the natural; he uses it, but he intervenes in it in a supernatural manner. Both the cases cited proved that. You remember the case of the birth of Isaac, don't you? Abraham was 99, Sarah was 90. The question of having a child was a sheer impossibility. [28:21]

The natural is used by God in this way, and what Paul is trying to get us to see here is this: that we mustn't look at it from our natural angle in terms of the time process. We must learn to look at it from eternity in the purpose and the plan of God. [33:20]

The purpose and the promises of God apply only to those people whom God has produced for himself by a spiritual birth. That's what the Apostle says. He leaves it, he leaves his evidence at that point. He could have gone on; he just gives us the two cases. [40:27]

God is producing a new Humanity, and he does so by making use of the natural processes of birth but of so intervening supernaturally in that that he guarantees the production of this people, this seed, so that at the end there will be a perfect Humanity. [44:18]

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Transcript
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