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Romans 9:14-24 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  All right, and amen. Please have a seat and take with me, if you will, as your copy of God's Word.
• 0:29
  We certainly have been excited as we've studied through it over the past year.
• 0:36
  I'm not really sure how long we've been doing this for now.
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  And we've been brought now to three chapters, which I've shared with you previously.
• 0:45
  At moments in the past weeks, I kind of wish didn't exist in the Book of Romans.
• 0:52
  There have been times where I wish we really just could have skipped to Chapter 12 and kept going on.
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  But to be faithful to the letter itself, to not allow the enemy to dictate for us what we teach on on Sunday mornings, here we are.
• 1:09
  And we're dealing with some weighty truths, some things in Scripture that can be hard to understand.
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  As even Peter wrote of Paul's writings,
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  there are some things in them that are hard to understand,
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  which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction as they do the other Scriptures.
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  And so as we approach things like this, we must do so reverently and humbly and maybe with a bit of fear that we handle them properly.
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  And so we've been looking together in Romans up to this point.
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  We've seen Paul make this great case for justification by faith alone,
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  that there's no thing that a human can do before God because we've all sinned.
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  We've all fallen short of the glory of God.
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  And it's by faith in Jesus Christ that we have right standing before Him.
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  And that now we have the Spirit of God which abides in us,
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  that helps us in our trouble, in our distress, in defeating sin.
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  And yet, that struggle exists.
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  That even as Christians, delivered from the bondage of sin,
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  we still carry the weight of our flesh.
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  And we strive against it by the Spirit within us.
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  Not only that, but from the exterior, we're going to experience trouble.
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  Chapter 8, verse 18, Paul says,
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  For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worth comparing
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  with the glory that is to be revealed in us.
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  And so He's lifted our eyes heavenward.
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  He's looking and casting an eternal perspective
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  so that as we struggle with the indwelling nature of sin
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  and with the persecution of the world,
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  even just the illness and the calamity that comes with the fallen world,
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  we might look to eternal things.
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  And then we're going to read, beginning in verse 28 of chapter 8,
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  through the end of chapter 9.
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  I hope that you'll follow along with me.
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  I'm using an ESV, so I'll try to read slowly for you in case you're not.
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  But let's begin in 8, 28.
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  And we know that for those who love God,
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  all things work together for good,
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  for those who are called according to His purpose.
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  For those whom He foreknew,
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  He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
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  in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
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  And those whom He predestined, He also called.
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  And those whom He called, He also justified.
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  And those whom He justified, He also glorified.
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  What then shall we say to these things?
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  If God is for us, who can be against us?
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  He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all,
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  how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
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  Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?
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  It is God who justifies.
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  Who is to condemn?
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  Christ Jesus is the one who died.
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  More than that, who was raised.
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  Who is at the right hand of God.
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  Who indeed is interceding for us.
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  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
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  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
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  or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
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  As it is written,
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  For your sake we are being killed all the day long.
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  We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
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  No.
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  In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
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  For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,
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  nor things present, nor things to come,
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  nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
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  nor anything else in all creation
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  will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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  I am speaking the truth in Christ.
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  I am not lying.
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  My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit
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  that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
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  For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
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  for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen, according to the flesh.
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  They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
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  the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.
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  To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh,
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  is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever.
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  Amen.
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  But it is not as though the word of God has failed.
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  For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
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  and not all are children of Abraham, because they are his offspring.
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  But through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
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  This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God,
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  but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
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  For this is what the promise said,
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  About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.
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  And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man,
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  our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born,
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  and had done nothing either good or bad,
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  in order that God's purpose of election might continue,
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  not because of works, but because of him who calls,
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  she was told, the older will serve the younger.
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  As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.
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  What shall we say then?
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  Is there injustice on God's part?
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  By no means.
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  For he says to Moses,
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  I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
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  and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
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  So then it depends not on human will or exertion,
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  but on God who has mercy.
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  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh,
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  For this very purpose I have raised you up,
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  that I might show my power in you,
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  and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
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  So then he has mercy on whomever he wills,
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  and he hardens whomever he wills.
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  You will say to me then,
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  Why does he still find fault?
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  For who can resist his will?
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  But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?
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  Will what is molded say to its molder,
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  Why have you made me like this?
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  Has the potter no right over the clay
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  to make out of the same lump
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  one vessel for honorable use,
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  and another for dishonorable use?
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  What if God, desiring to show his wrath
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  and to make known his power,
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  has endured with much patience
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  vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
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  in order to make known the riches of his glory
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  for vessels of mercy,
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  which he has prepared beforehand for glory?
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  Even us, whom he has called,
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  not from the Jews only,
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  but also from the Gentiles.
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  As indeed he says in Hosea,
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  Those who were not my people,
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  I will call my people.
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  And who was not beloved,
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  I will call beloved.
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  And in the very place where it was said to them,
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  You are not my people,
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  there they will be called sons of the living God.
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  And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,
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  Though the number of the sons of Israel
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  be as the sands of the sea,
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  only a remnant of them will be saved.
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  For the Lord will carry out his sentence
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  upon the earth fully and without delay.
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  And as Isaiah predicted,
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  If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
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  we would have been like Sodom
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  and become like Gomorrah.
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  What shall we say then?
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  That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness
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  have attained it,
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  that is a righteousness that is by faith,
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  but that Israel who pursued a law
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  that would lead to righteousness
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  did not succeed in reaching that law.
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  Why?
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  Because they did not pursue it by faith,
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  but as if it were based on works.
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  They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,
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  as it is written,
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  Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling
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  and a rock of offense,
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  and whoever believes in him
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  will not be put to shame.
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  Join me in a prayer over our time together.
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  Father, I pray that you will bless
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  the preaching of your word,
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  and I pray that it will be faithful
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  to the text's meaning.
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  I pray that my study, Lord,
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  and the words that you are filling me with,
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  that I pray will come out clearly,
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  will point people to the great truth
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  of the majesty of God
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  and the purpose of salvation
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  to this world.
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  I pray, Father, by your spirit,
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  you will help us to hear and understand
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  and apply
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  and to rightly understand these truths
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  so that we will be wise as we handle them.
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  And I pray this in Christ's name.
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  Amen.
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  So I've broken for you down
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  beginning in verse 6,
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  the end of the chapter,
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  the chapter into kind of four sections,
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  and we're dealing with them in three weeks.
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  to say that the large rejection of the gospel
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  by the nation of Israel
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  does not discredit the gospel
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  because the unbelief of Israel
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  and therefore the subsequent salvation of Gentiles
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  is consistent, number one, with God's promises.
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  We talked about that last week,
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  verses 6 through 13.
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  It's consistent with God's promises.
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  Number two, that it is consistent with God's person.
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  We'll look at that together today.
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  And then three and four,
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  which we'll look at next week.
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  That it's consistent with God's prophecies
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  and with his provision.
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  And so together today,
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  let's look at how
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  the rejection of the gospel by the Israelites
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  and therefore the inclusion of the Gentiles,
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  God's sovereign plan,
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  is consistent with God's person.
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  Let me draw you to the second half of verse 11.
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  This promise has been given here by God
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  to Rebekah
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  for Jacob to be the one who's loved.
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  The promise is carried through.
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  And then Paul writes,
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  in order that God's purpose of election might continue,
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  not because of works,
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  but because of him who calls.
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  The promise was carried by Jacob
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  and the acting that he's referring to,
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  that it not being by works,
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  is simply them being born.
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  Jacob and Esau were twins.
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  Esau was the firstborn.
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  And in so doing,
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  he should have received the favor.
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  He should have received all of the blessing
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  as the firstborn,
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  as these two are twins.
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  But God,
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  so that his purpose of election might stand,
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  gave the promise to Jacob.
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  And we talked last week at length
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  about the doctrine of election.
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  And today we get to look further
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  at how that is consistent
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  with God's person himself.
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  And we see in our text today,
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  verses 14 through 24,
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  two objections.
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  So Paul's laid this case
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  for God's sovereign election of his people.
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  That not all Israel is Israel.
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  That he is saving now the church,
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  which includes us.
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  And there are objections that come up
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  in people's minds.
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  I would imagine that Paul has taught this now
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  a number of times.
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  And these have been common questions.
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  I would propose that it's even questions
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  in his own mind
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  that he's had run through his mind
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  and he's had to deal with
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  with the scriptures.
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  I remind you in chapter 9
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  that he uses 12 Old Testament quotes,
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  nine of which are first person God.
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  We know that all of the Bible
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  is inspired by our Lord.
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  All written by him.
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  But there are cases in the Old Testament
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  where God actually speaks.
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  It's the record of his voice
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  and what he actually says.
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  Nine of them are first person God.
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  Why?
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  This is what I want to say to you
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  to preface all of this.
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  Why does Paul use
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  these particular Old Testament quotes?
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  It is to quiet us.
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  God himself has spoken on these matters.
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  We will not understand all of it,
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  this side of glory.
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  The more I think about that,
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  I'm not even sure we'll understand it,
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  the other side of glory.
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  We may not care to understand it
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  because we'll be in the presence
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  of the Almighty.
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  But this side of glory,
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  we certainly will not
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  completely wrap our minds
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  around God's full sovereignty
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  and control.
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  What Paul is telling us is
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  listen to what the Lord says
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  of these things.
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  So the first objection in verse 14.
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  What shall we say then?
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  Is there injustice on God's part?
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  And Paul's answer
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  is the most emphatic no
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  he could give in the Greek language.
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  You could probably think
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  of some English versions
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  of the most emphatic no
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  that could have been given.
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  It's meginnoito.
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  It's impossible.
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  No, no, no.
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  King James has rendered it.
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  God forbid.
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  It would be blasphemy
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  to say such a thing.
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  This by no means
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  is forceful.
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  No.
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  God has sovereignly chosen
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  who will be saved.
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  Does that make him unjust?
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  No, no, no.
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  Exactly what Paul is saying.
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  And then he quotes
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  verse 15.
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  He quotes what God says to Moses.
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  I will have mercy
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  on whom I have mercy
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  and I will have compassion
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  on whom I have compassion.
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  But before we deal with
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  what's happening
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  with that Old Testament quote,
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  let's look together
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  just at a few texts.
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  Genesis 18.25.
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  Abraham says,
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  Shall not the judge
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  of all the earth
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  do what is just?
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  Zephaniah 3.5
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  says that God
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  does no injustice.
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  Malachi 2.17.
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  Listen to this.
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  You have wearied
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  the Lord
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  with your words.
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  But you say,
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  How have we wearied Him?
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  By saying,
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  Everyone who does evil
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  is good in the sight
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  of the Lord
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  and He delights in them.
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  Or by asking,
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  Where is the God
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  of justice?
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  Malachi says,
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  You have made God
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  grow tired of you
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  because you keep asking,
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  How is that fair?
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  As we look across the world,
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  we want it to be
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  a certain way.
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  God doesn't seem
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  to be working things out
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  the way we think
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  it should be done.
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  Where is the God
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  of justice?
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  Malachi says
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  he's growing weary
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  of those questions.
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  Paul says to us,
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  God's character
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  is not only defined
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  by justice.
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  What if it was?
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  What if God was
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  only completely just?
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  And He is.
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  But what if He was
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  only completely just?
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  And this is the proper
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  perspective we need
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  as we read through this.
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  The original audience
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  of this letter
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  would have had it
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  read to them
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  much the way I read
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  beginning in verse 28.
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  And that took a while,
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  didn't it?
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  But it would have been
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  read to them
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  beginning in chapter 1,
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  verse 1.
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  It would have been
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  a grand sermon.
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  It would have taken
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  hours to sit and listen to.
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  But they would have
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  just recently heard
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  in chapter 3,
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  verse 10,
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  there is none righteous,
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  not one.
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  No one seeks after God.
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  No one does good.
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  Paul has clearly
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  laid that case for us
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  that by no work
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  that we can do
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  will we be justified
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  before God.
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  And it comes to here.
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  They have no room
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  for self-righteousness
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  at this point.
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  Right?
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  They are lamenting
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  their own condition.
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  They know that apart
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  from God's work
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  in their life,
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  they are totally
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  and utterly lost.
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  If God were fully just,
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  if that was all
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  of His character,
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  all of us
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  would be damned.
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  All of us are guilty
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  in the original sin,
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  and we ourselves
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  have committed
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  so much sin.
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  All of us deserve
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  damnation.
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  It's ours.
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  We bought it
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  with our sin.
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  And that's the condition
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  that we read
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  about the glorious,
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  sovereign election
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  of God
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  to us.
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  When we begin
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  to think
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  that we deserve
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  things,
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  look at me
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  and my great life.
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  we begin
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  to read these things
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  in a much different
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  perspective,
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  but we are,
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  were enemies
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  of God
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  apart
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  from Jesus Christ.
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  Praise God
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  that Jesus' character,
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  God's character
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  is not just
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  wrapped up
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  in His justice.
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  Psalm 37.6
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  says,
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  He will bring forth
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  your righteousness
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  as the light
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  and your justice
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  as the noonday.
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  So God is
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  righteous,
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  perfect,
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  and holy.
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  Psalm 97.2
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  Clouds and thick
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  darkness
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  are all around Him.
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  Righteousness
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  and justice
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  are the foundation
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  of His throne.
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  And then add to that
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  Psalm 33.5
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  He loves righteousness
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  and justice.
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  The earth is full
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  of the steadfast love
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  of the Lord.
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  Psalm 89.14
• 18:01
  Righteousness
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  and justice
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  are the foundation
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  of your throne.
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  Steadfast love
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  and faithfulness
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  go before you.
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  So God,
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  being fully
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  just
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  and righteous,
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  must
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  punish
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  sin.
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  There is no sin
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  ever committed,
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  ever has been,
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  being committed,
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  ever will be committed,
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  that will not be
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  punished by God.
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  So for those of us
• 18:32
  that our
• 18:34
  end is not destruction,
• 18:35
  full and final,
• 18:38
  eternal punishment
• 18:39
  for our sin,
• 18:41
  who was punished
• 18:42
  on our behalf?
• 18:44
  Jesus Christ.
• 18:47
  Because God
• 18:47
  is fully
• 18:49
  righteous,
• 18:50
  fully just,
• 18:51
  and yet
• 18:51
  He is love.
• 18:55
  He has shown
• 18:55
  some
• 18:56
  mercy.
• 18:59
  We did not
• 19:00
  deserve it.
• 19:01
  You cannot
• 19:02
  think that way.
• 19:03
  You have become
• 19:04
  a God
• 19:04
  in your own
• 19:05
  mind
• 19:05
  if you think
• 19:06
  you deserve
• 19:07
  the favor
• 19:08
  of God.
• 19:11
  Verse 15.
• 19:13
  I will have
• 19:14
  mercy
• 19:14
  on whom I
• 19:15
  have mercy
• 19:16
  and I will
• 19:16
  have compassion
• 19:17
  on whom I
• 19:18
  have compassion.
• 19:19
  We often
• 19:20
  don't understand
• 19:21
  New Testament
• 19:22
  text because
• 19:23
  we don't
• 19:23
  understand our
• 19:24
  Old Testament.
• 19:25
  We don't
• 19:26
  know
• 19:27
  where Paul
• 19:28
  is quoting
• 19:28
  from in this
• 19:29
  case.
• 19:31
  We know
• 19:31
  he said it
• 19:31
  to Moses
• 19:32
  because he
• 19:32
  says that.
• 19:33
  That might
• 19:34
  be the
• 19:34
  extent of
• 19:35
  our
• 19:35
  understanding.
• 19:36
  The original
• 19:37
  reader knew
• 19:38
  exactly what
• 19:39
  he was talking
• 19:39
  about.
• 19:40
  He knew
• 19:40
  the story
• 19:41
  and the
• 19:41
  condition,
• 19:42
  the case
• 19:43
  for this
• 19:44
  language.
• 19:47
  In Exodus
• 19:48
  chapter 33
• 19:49
  is where this
• 19:50
  comes from.
• 19:52
  We see
• 19:53
  the people
• 19:55
  of Israel
• 19:55
  having been
• 19:56
  led out
• 19:56
  of captivity
• 19:58
  in Egypt,
• 19:59
  crossing the
• 20:00
  Red Sea,
• 20:01
  Pharaoh's army
• 20:01
  destroyed.
• 20:03
  They camp
• 20:03
  at the
• 20:04
  base of
• 20:04
  Mount Sinai
• 20:05
  and Moses
• 20:05
  goes up
• 20:05
  on the
• 20:06
  mountain.
• 20:07
  While he's
• 20:08
  up there,
• 20:09
  in this
• 20:10
  brief time
• 20:11
  he's up
• 20:11
  there,
• 20:12
  they get
• 20:13
  bored
• 20:14
  and they
• 20:15
  say,
• 20:16
  where has
• 20:17
  Moses gone?
• 20:19
  Where's our
• 20:20
  leader?
• 20:21
  This man
• 20:21
  that represented
• 20:22
  God.
• 20:24
  And so
• 20:24
  what do they
• 20:24
  do?
• 20:25
  They melt
• 20:25
  down all
• 20:26
  their gold
• 20:26
  and they
• 20:26
  build a
• 20:27
  golden
• 20:27
  calf.
• 20:29
  Moses
• 20:30
  gets news
• 20:31
  of this.
• 20:31
  God
• 20:31
  informs him
• 20:32
  of it.
• 20:32
  He
• 20:33
  pleads
• 20:33
  their case.
• 20:34
  He goes
• 20:35
  back down
• 20:35
  the mountain.
• 20:36
  This is
• 20:36
  when he
• 20:36
  breaks the
• 20:36
  tablets.
• 20:37
  He's so
• 20:37
  angry.
• 20:38
  He breaks
• 20:39
  the Ten
• 20:39
  Commandments
• 20:39
  at this
• 20:40
  time.
• 20:41
  God
• 20:41
  commands
• 20:42
  that
• 20:43
  3,000
• 20:44
  men be
• 20:44
  killed
• 20:44
  as a
• 20:45
  punishment
• 20:45
  for this
• 20:46
  sin.
• 20:46
  But he
• 20:46
  doesn't
• 20:47
  destroy
• 20:47
  all of
• 20:49
  Israel.
• 20:50
  Moses
• 20:51
  goes back
• 20:52
  up on
• 20:52
  the mountain.
• 20:53
  A couple
• 20:54
  of weeks
• 20:54
  ago we
• 20:54
  talked about
• 20:54
  the parallel
• 20:55
  between
• 20:55
  Paul's
• 20:57
  lament
• 20:58
  for Israel
• 20:59
  that he
• 20:59
  desired that
• 21:00
  he himself
• 21:01
  could be
• 21:01
  cut off
• 21:02
  from Christ
• 21:03
  in order
• 21:03
  that Israel
• 21:04
  would be
• 21:04
  saved.
• 21:05
  And that
• 21:06
  was reflective
• 21:06
  of what
• 21:07
  Moses cried
• 21:08
  out to
• 21:09
  God.
• 21:09
  Moses
• 21:09
  said,
• 21:11
  leave me
• 21:11
  behind.
• 21:12
  If you're
• 21:12
  not taking
• 21:12
  your people,
• 21:14
  leave me
• 21:14
  behind too.
• 21:15
  You can
• 21:15
  count me
• 21:16
  accursed
• 21:16
  if you're
• 21:17
  not going
• 21:17
  to save
• 21:17
  your people.
• 21:19
  God
• 21:19
  promises
• 21:20
  him that
• 21:21
  he'll go
• 21:21
  with him.
• 21:22
  He'll
• 21:23
  deliver the
• 21:24
  people to
• 21:25
  their final
• 21:25
  destination
• 21:25
  to the
• 21:26
  promised
• 21:26
  land.
• 21:28
  And then
• 21:28
  in verse
• 21:30
  18 of
• 21:31
  Exodus
• 21:31
  33,
• 21:32
  Moses
• 21:32
  says,
• 21:34
  please
• 21:34
  show me
• 21:35
  your
• 21:35
  glory.
• 21:36
  Moses
• 21:37
  is amazed
• 21:37
  already at
• 21:38
  what God
• 21:38
  is doing.
• 21:39
  He says,
• 21:39
  please
• 21:39
  show me
• 21:40
  your
• 21:41
  glory.
• 21:42
  And God
• 21:42
  says,
• 21:43
  I will
• 21:44
  make all
• 21:44
  my goodness
• 21:45
  pass before
• 21:45
  you,
• 21:46
  and I
• 21:46
  will
• 21:46
  proclaim
• 21:47
  before you
• 21:47
  my name,
• 21:49
  the Lord.
• 21:50
  And I
• 21:50
  will be
• 21:51
  gracious to
• 21:51
  whom I
• 21:51
  will be
• 21:52
  gracious,
• 21:52
  and will
• 21:52
  show mercy
• 21:53
  on whom I
• 21:54
  will show
• 21:54
  mercy.
• 21:55
  God
• 21:56
  is
• 21:57
  incredibly
• 21:58
  significant.
• 21:59
  Think of
• 22:00
  where we
• 22:00
  are.
• 22:00
  We're on
• 22:01
  the very
• 22:01
  tail end
• 22:02
  of this
• 22:02
  story of
• 22:04
  Israel
• 22:05
  betraying
• 22:06
  God,
• 22:07
  deserving
• 22:08
  destruction.
• 22:10
  Not that
• 22:10
  they had
• 22:11
  ever deserved
• 22:11
  to be let
• 22:12
  out to
• 22:12
  begin with,
• 22:12
  but certainly
• 22:13
  now,
• 22:14
  God could
• 22:15
  have punished
• 22:15
  them.
• 22:17
  Moses
• 22:18
  pleads
• 22:19
  with God,
• 22:19
  and God
• 22:20
  adds to
• 22:21
  his name,
• 22:22
  the Lord,
• 22:23
  I am,
• 22:23
  and says,
• 22:25
  I will
• 22:25
  be gracious
• 22:26
  to whom I
• 22:26
  will be
• 22:26
  gracious,
• 22:27
  and I
• 22:27
  will show
• 22:27
  mercy on
• 22:28
  whom I
• 22:29
  will show
• 22:29
  mercy.
• 22:30
  What a
• 22:30
  great comfort
• 22:32
  this would
• 22:33
  have been
• 22:33
  to Moses.
• 22:35
  It didn't
• 22:36
  cause Moses
• 22:36
  to ask
• 22:37
  questions.
• 22:38
  Moses didn't
• 22:39
  go,
• 22:39
  wait a minute,
• 22:40
  but how
• 22:40
  was that
• 22:40
  fair?
• 22:42
  He said,
• 22:43
  good.
• 22:44
  I am
• 22:45
  glad that
• 22:46
  you are
• 22:47
  the Lord,
• 22:47
  and for
• 22:48
  some reason
• 22:48
  you are on
• 22:49
  our side,
• 22:49
  because we
• 22:50
  do not
• 22:51
  deserve it.
• 22:53
  When this
• 22:53
  name was
• 22:53
  originally
• 22:54
  given to
• 22:55
  Moses,
• 22:56
  chapter 3
• 22:56
  of Exodus,
• 22:57
  verse 13,
• 22:59
  then Moses
• 23:00
  said to
• 23:00
  God,
• 23:00
  if I come
• 23:01
  to the
• 23:01
  people of
• 23:01
  Israel and
• 23:01
  say to
• 23:02
  them,
• 23:02
  the God
• 23:03
  of your
• 23:03
  fathers has
• 23:03
  sent me
• 23:03
  to you,
• 23:04
  and they
• 23:04
  ask me,
• 23:05
  what is
• 23:05
  his name,
• 23:06
  what shall
• 23:06
  I say
• 23:06
  to them?
• 23:07
  It's the
• 23:08
  first giving
• 23:08
  of this
• 23:09
  name.
• 23:10
  God
• 23:10
  said to
• 23:10
  Moses,
• 23:11
  I am
• 23:12
  who I
• 23:13
  am,
• 23:13
  and he
• 23:14
  said,
• 23:14
  say this
• 23:14
  to the
• 23:15
  people of
• 23:15
  Israel,
• 23:16
  I am
• 23:16
  has sent
• 23:17
  me to
• 23:17
  you.
• 23:18
  God
• 23:18
  also said
• 23:19
  people of
• 23:20
  Israel,
• 23:20
  the Lord,
• 23:21
  same Hebrew
• 23:23
  word,
• 23:23
  the God
• 23:24
  of your
• 23:24
  fathers,
• 23:24
  the God
• 23:24
  of Abraham,
• 23:25
  the God
• 23:25
  of Isaac,
• 23:26
  and the
• 23:26
  God of
• 23:26
  Jacob,
• 23:27
  has sent
• 23:27
  me to
• 23:28
  you.
• 23:28
  This
• 23:29
  is my
• 23:29
  name
• 23:30
  forever,
• 23:31
  and thus
• 23:31
  I am
• 23:32
  to be
• 23:32
  remembered
• 23:32
  throughout
• 23:33
  all
• 23:33
  generations.
• 23:35
  This
• 23:35
  is the
• 23:35
  name
• 23:36
  that the
• 23:37
  Hebrew
• 23:37
  people
• 23:37
  won't
• 23:37
  say,
• 23:38
  Yahweh.
• 23:40
  It's
• 23:40
  called
• 23:40
  Y-H-W-H
• 23:42
  in the
• 23:42
  Hebrew.
• 23:44
  This
• 23:44
  is that
• 23:44
  name,
• 23:45
  and it
• 23:46
  contains
• 23:47
  in it
• 23:48
  so much
• 23:49
  amazing
• 23:50
  truth,
• 23:51
  but
• 23:51
  essentially
• 23:51
  what God
• 23:52
  is saying
• 23:52
  is that
• 23:53
  I am
• 23:53
  God,
• 23:54
  and you
• 23:55
  are not.
• 23:56
  I am
• 23:57
  God.
• 23:58
  I answer
• 23:58
  to no
• 23:59
  one.
• 24:01
  Everything
• 24:01
  answers to
• 24:02
  me.
• 24:03
  I like
• 24:04
  this.
• 24:05
  Everything
• 24:05
  plugs into
• 24:06
  God.
• 24:07
  God
• 24:07
  plugs into
• 24:07
  nothing.
• 24:09
  He is
• 24:09
  self-sustaining.
• 24:11
  He is
• 24:11
  self-existent.
• 24:12
  all power
• 24:15
  in the
• 24:15
  universe
• 24:15
  is in
• 24:16
  him.
• 24:19
  And so
• 24:20
  this
• 24:21
  God
• 24:22
  says to
• 24:22
  Moses,
• 24:24
  I will
• 24:25
  declare
• 24:26
  before you
• 24:26
  my name,
• 24:27
  the Lord.
• 24:28
  I am.
• 24:30
  And I
• 24:30
  will have
• 24:30
  compassion,
• 24:31
  on whom I
• 24:31
  will have
• 24:31
  compassion,
• 24:32
  and I
• 24:33
  will show
• 24:33
  mercy,
• 24:34
  to whom I
• 24:34
  will show
• 24:34
  mercy.
• 24:37
  It's not
• 24:38
  really a
• 24:39
  complete answer
• 24:39
  to the
• 24:40
  question,
• 24:40
  is it?
• 24:41
  It's not.
• 24:44
  If you
• 24:45
  think as
• 24:46
  logically as
• 24:46
  I do,
• 24:47
  it's not a
• 24:47
  complete answer
• 24:48
  to the
• 24:48
  question.
• 24:49
  Is there
• 24:50
  injustice
• 24:50
  then on
• 24:50
  God's
• 24:50
  part?
• 24:52
  Paul says
• 24:52
  no.
• 24:53
  Couldn't
• 24:54
  be.
• 24:54
  That's
• 24:54
  impossible.
• 24:55
  You want
• 24:55
  to know
• 24:55
  why?
• 24:56
  Because
• 24:57
  God says
• 24:58
  this is
• 24:58
  how he
• 24:59
  functions.
• 25:00
  Because
• 25:00
  God is
• 25:00
  just,
• 25:01
  and we
• 25:01
  know that
• 25:01
  to be
• 25:02
  true.
• 25:02
  So if
• 25:02
  God's
• 25:02
  doing
• 25:03
  this,
• 25:03
  it's
• 25:04
  not
• 25:04
  unjust.
• 25:06
  That's
• 25:06
  the answer
• 25:06
  that we're
• 25:07
  given to
• 25:07
  this
• 25:08
  question.
• 25:09
  And it's
• 25:10
  yours to
• 25:10
  choose what
• 25:11
  you do
• 25:11
  with that.
• 25:12
  I hope
• 25:13
  that you
• 25:14
  humble
• 25:14
  yourself
• 25:15
  to that
• 25:15
  reality.
• 25:17
  I hope
• 25:17
  that you
• 25:18
  won't stand
• 25:19
  in judgment
• 25:19
  over it.
• 25:22
  So verse
• 25:23
  16,
• 25:23
  he goes
• 25:23
  on,
• 25:25
  so then it
• 25:25
  depends not
• 25:26
  on human
• 25:26
  will or
• 25:27
  exertion,
• 25:28
  but on
• 25:29
  God who
• 25:30
  has mercy.
• 25:31
  For the
• 25:32
  scripture says
• 25:32
  to Pharaoh,
• 25:33
  for this
• 25:33
  very purpose
• 25:34
  I have
• 25:34
  raised you
• 25:34
  up,
• 25:35
  that I
• 25:35
  might show
• 25:35
  my power
• 25:36
  in you,
• 25:37
  and that
• 25:37
  my name
• 25:38
  might be
• 25:38
  proclaimed
• 25:39
  in all
• 25:39
  the earth.
• 25:40
  So then he
• 25:41
  has mercy
• 25:41
  on whomever
• 25:42
  he wills,
• 25:42
  and he
• 25:43
  hardens
• 25:43
  whomever
• 25:43
  he wills.
• 25:44
  That's
• 25:45
  interesting,
• 25:45
  he actually
• 25:45
  juxtaposes
• 25:46
  Pharaoh
• 25:47
  against
• 25:47
  Moses.
• 25:48
  Again,
• 25:49
  contextually,
• 25:49
  think of
• 25:50
  the story.
• 25:51
  So we
• 25:52
  have Moses,
• 25:52
  the adopted
• 25:53
  brother of
• 25:54
  Pharaoh,
• 25:55
  both leaders
• 25:56
  of large
• 25:59
  groups of
• 25:59
  people,
• 26:00
  both
• 26:00
  murderers,
• 26:02
  Pharaoh,
• 26:03
  many Israelites
• 26:04
  were murdered
• 26:04
  under his
• 26:05
  hand.
• 26:05
  You remember
• 26:06
  that the
• 26:06
  reason Moses
• 26:06
  fled Egypt
• 26:07
  was because
• 26:08
  he killed
• 26:08
  an Egyptian
• 26:08
  who was
• 26:09
  being harsh
• 26:10
  to one
• 26:11
  of the
• 26:11
  Israelites.
• 26:12
  Both
• 26:12
  murderers
• 26:13
  neither
• 26:13
  deserved
• 26:14
  the favor
• 26:15
  of God,
• 26:16
  and yet
• 26:16
  one did,
• 26:18
  and the
• 26:19
  other was
• 26:20
  destroyed.
• 26:21
  To what
• 26:22
  end?
• 26:24
  God's
• 26:24
  glorious,
• 26:26
  magnificent
• 26:27
  name.
• 26:29
  That it
• 26:30
  would be
• 26:30
  proclaimed,
• 26:31
  that he
• 26:31
  might show,
• 26:32
  exhibit,
• 26:32
  and we're
• 26:32
  going to get
• 26:33
  here later,
• 26:34
  his wrath
• 26:34
  to the world
• 26:35
  for sin
• 26:35
  as well
• 26:37
  as his
• 26:38
  mercy.
• 26:41
  Now,
• 26:41
  Paul does
• 26:42
  not deny
• 26:43
  the necessity
• 26:45
  of faith
• 26:45
  on our
• 26:46
  part.
• 26:47
  Now,
• 26:47
  see,
• 26:48
  Romans 1,
• 26:49
  16 and 17,
• 26:50
  kind of the
• 26:51
  whole thematic
• 26:52
  verses for
• 26:53
  this book.
• 26:54
  For I am
• 26:54
  not ashamed
• 26:55
  of the
• 26:55
  gospel,
• 26:56
  for it is
• 26:56
  the power
• 26:57
  of God
• 26:57
  for salvation
• 26:58
  to everyone
• 26:58
  who,
• 26:59
  what?
• 27:00
  Beliefs.
• 27:01
  To the
• 27:02
  Jew first,
• 27:02
  and also to
• 27:02
  the Greek.
• 27:03
  For in it
• 27:04
  the righteousness
• 27:04
  of God
• 27:05
  is revealed
• 27:05
  from faith
• 27:06
  for faith.
• 27:07
  As it is
• 27:07
  written,
• 27:08
  the righteous
• 27:08
  shall live
• 27:09
  by faith.
• 27:11
  So,
• 27:11
  our salvation
• 27:12
  is necessitated.
• 27:15
  There's
• 27:15
  necessity
• 27:16
  for faith.
• 27:18
  Ephesians 2,
• 27:19
  8 and 9,
• 27:20
  Paul writes,
• 27:21
  For by grace
• 27:21
  you have been
• 27:22
  saved through
• 27:23
  faith.
• 27:24
  This is not
• 27:25
  your own doing.
• 27:26
  It is the
• 27:26
  gift of God,
• 27:27
  not as a result
• 27:27
  of works,
• 27:28
  so that no
• 27:29
  one may
• 27:30
  boast.
• 27:31
  Is faith
• 27:33
  required on
• 27:33
  our part?
• 27:34
  Absolutely.
• 27:35
  Who works
• 27:35
  the faith?
• 27:37
  God Almighty,
• 27:38
  to His
• 27:39
  glorious praise.
• 27:41
  The second
• 27:42
  objection,
• 27:44
  that was
• 27:45
  amazing,
• 27:46
  the second
• 27:46
  objection,
• 27:48
  You will
• 27:48
  say to me
• 27:49
  then,
• 27:50
  why does
• 27:51
  He still
• 27:51
  find fault?
• 27:53
  For who
• 27:53
  can resist
• 27:54
  His will?
• 27:57
  How many
• 27:57
  of you,
• 27:58
  please don't
• 27:58
  raise your
• 27:58
  hands,
• 27:59
  but how
• 27:59
  many of
• 27:59
  you,
• 28:00
  when first
• 28:01
  dealing
• 28:02
  with
• 28:02
  God's
• 28:04
  election,
• 28:06
  ask this
• 28:06
  question.
• 28:07
  Maybe not
• 28:07
  in this
• 28:07
  exact phrasing,
• 28:08
  but ask
• 28:09
  this question.
• 28:09
  I did,
• 28:11
  but I
• 28:11
  wrestled
• 28:12
  with it.
• 28:13
  I can
• 28:13
  remember the
• 28:13
  first time
• 28:14
  I read
• 28:15
  Romans chapter
• 28:15
  9,
• 28:16
  with that
• 28:17
  question in
• 28:17
  my mind,
• 28:18
  and I came
• 28:18
  to this
• 28:18
  point,
• 28:19
  I was so
• 28:20
  elated,
• 28:21
  because I
• 28:21
  thought the
• 28:22
  answer,
• 28:23
  like the
• 28:23
  real answer
• 28:25
  to the
• 28:25
  question,
• 28:25
  was right
• 28:26
  on its
• 28:26
  heels.
• 28:26
  I thought,
• 28:27
  here it is,
• 28:27
  I'm going to
• 28:28
  work it all
• 28:28
  out now,
• 28:29
  I'm going to
• 28:29
  totally understand
• 28:29
  the universe,
• 28:30
  after I read
• 28:31
  the rest of
• 28:31
  chapter 9.
• 28:34
  We don't
• 28:35
  get the
• 28:36
  answer,
• 28:36
  do we?
• 28:38
  Why does
• 28:39
  he still
• 28:39
  find fault
• 28:40
  for who
• 28:41
  can resist
• 28:42
  his will?
• 28:43
  And I
• 28:43
  love Paul's
• 28:44
  writings.
• 28:45
  I think if you
• 28:45
  read Paul's
• 28:46
  writing,
• 28:47
  dramatically,
• 28:48
  you'll,
• 28:49
  you begin to
• 28:49
  kind of feel
• 28:51
  the sarcasm
• 28:51
  sometimes,
• 28:53
  the rhetoric,
• 28:54
  because his
• 28:54
  response is,
• 28:55
  but who
• 28:56
  are you,
• 28:57
  oh man,
• 28:58
  to answer
• 28:58
  back to
• 28:59
  God?
• 29:00
  Will what
• 29:01
  is molded
• 29:02
  say to
• 29:02
  its
• 29:02
  molder,
• 29:03
  why have
• 29:04
  you made
• 29:04
  me like
• 29:04
  this?
• 29:06
  Now,
• 29:07
  the evil
• 29:07
  is not
• 29:08
  in asking
• 29:08
  the question.
• 29:11
  It is
• 29:11
  okay to
• 29:13
  ask questions.
• 29:14
  It is
• 29:14
  okay to
• 29:15
  wrestle with
• 29:16
  doctrines.
• 29:19
  Please
• 29:19
  seek out
• 29:20
  the truth.
• 29:22
  the problem
• 29:24
  is when
• 29:25
  we answer
• 29:26
  back to
• 29:28
  God.
• 29:29
  When we
• 29:30
  stand in
• 29:31
  judgment over
• 29:32
  him.
• 29:33
  Talking
• 29:34
  back.
• 29:34
  Have we all
• 29:35
  gotten popped
• 29:35
  for talking
• 29:36
  back to our
• 29:36
  parents?
• 29:37
  You know
• 29:38
  the difference
• 29:38
  between
• 29:38
  answering your
• 29:39
  parents,
• 29:40
  having a
• 29:41
  conversation
• 29:41
  with them,
• 29:41
  and talking
• 29:42
  back.
• 29:43
  Much
• 29:43
  different.
• 29:44
  That's
• 29:44
  what Paul
• 29:45
  is correcting
• 29:47
  here, that
• 29:48
  we would
• 29:48
  talk back
• 29:49
  to God.
• 29:50
  And he
• 29:50
  uses this
• 29:51
  analogy.
• 29:52
  And it's
• 29:52
  not a
• 29:53
  specific text
• 29:54
  that he's
• 29:54
  quoting, but
• 29:55
  there are a
• 29:56
  number of
• 29:56
  times the
• 29:57
  same analogy
• 29:58
  is used
• 29:58
  throughout the
• 29:59
  Old Testament.
• 30:00
  So I just
• 30:00
  want to show
• 30:00
  you a few.
• 30:02
  Isaiah
• 30:02
  64,
• 30:04
  verses 6
• 30:05
  and 8,
• 30:05
  says,
• 30:06
  We have
• 30:06
  all become
• 30:07
  like one
• 30:08
  who is
• 30:08
  unclean,
• 30:08
  and all
• 30:09
  our righteous
• 30:09
  deeds are
• 30:10
  like a
• 30:10
  polluted
• 30:11
  garment.
• 30:11
  We all
• 30:12
  fade like
• 30:12
  a leaf,
• 30:13
  and our
• 30:14
  iniquities
• 30:14
  like the
• 30:15
  wind take
• 30:15
  us away.
• 30:16
  There is
• 30:17
  no one
• 30:17
  who calls
• 30:18
  upon your
• 30:18
  name,
• 30:18
  who rouses
• 30:19
  himself to
• 30:20
  take hold
• 30:20
  of you,
• 30:21
  for you
• 30:21
  have hidden
• 30:22
  your face
• 30:22
  from us,
• 30:23
  and have
• 30:23
  made us
• 30:23
  melt in the
• 30:24
  hand of our
• 30:25
  iniquities.
• 30:25
  Don't you
• 30:26
  catch all
• 30:26
  that?
• 30:27
  All of us
• 30:28
  are utterly
• 30:28
  sinful.
• 30:29
  No one
• 30:29
  comes to you,
• 30:30
  no one
• 30:30
  turns to you
• 30:31
  of their
• 30:31
  own accord,
• 30:32
  because you
• 30:32
  have hidden
• 30:32
  your face
• 30:33
  from us.
• 30:33
  But now,
• 30:36
  O Lord,
• 30:36
  you are our
• 30:37
  father,
• 30:38
  we are the
• 30:39
  clay,
• 30:39
  and you
• 30:40
  are our
• 30:41
  potter.
• 30:41
  We are
• 30:42
  all the
• 30:42
  work of
• 30:43
  your hand.
• 30:45
  Jeremiah
• 30:46
  18,
• 30:47
  verses 1
• 30:47
  through 6,
• 30:49
  Arise and
• 30:50
  go down to
• 30:51
  the potter's
• 30:51
  house,
• 30:52
  this is God
• 30:52
  talking to
• 30:53
  Jeremiah,
• 30:54
  and there
• 30:54
  I will let
• 30:55
  you hear
• 30:55
  my words.
• 30:56
  So I
• 30:56
  went down
• 30:57
  to the
• 30:57
  potter's
• 30:57
  house,
• 30:57
  and there
• 30:58
  he was
• 30:58
  working at
• 30:58
  his wheel,
• 30:59
  and the
• 30:59
  vessel he
• 31:00
  was making
• 31:00
  of clay
• 31:01
  was spoiled
• 31:02
  in the
• 31:02
  potter's
• 31:02
  hands,
• 31:03
  and he
• 31:03
  reworked
• 31:04
  it into
• 31:05
  another
• 31:05
  vessel,
• 31:06
  as it
• 31:06
  seemed good
• 31:07
  to the
• 31:07
  potter to
• 31:07
  do.
• 31:08
  Then the
• 31:09
  word of
• 31:09
  the Lord
• 31:09
  came to
• 31:09
  me,
• 31:10
  O house
• 31:10
  of Israel,
• 31:11
  can I
• 31:11
  not do
• 31:11
  with you
• 31:12
  as this
• 31:13
  potter
• 31:13
  has done,
• 31:13
  declares
• 31:14
  the Lord?
• 31:14
  Behold,
• 31:15
  like the
• 31:16
  clay in
• 31:16
  the potter's
• 31:17
  hand,
• 31:17
  so are
• 31:18
  you in
• 31:18
  my hand,
• 31:19
  O house
• 31:19
  of Israel.
• 31:20
  So in
• 31:21
  the positive,
• 31:22
  God can
• 31:23
  take us,
• 31:24
  who are
• 31:24
  utterly
• 31:24
  spoiled by
• 31:25
  our sin,
• 31:26
  and he
• 31:26
  can rework
• 31:27
  us.
• 31:28
  He can
• 31:29
  change us
• 31:29
  because we
• 31:30
  are pots.
• 31:31
  He is
• 31:32
  the potter.
• 31:34
  And then the
• 31:34
  most striking
• 31:35
  one,
• 31:35
  back in
• 31:36
  Isaiah,
• 31:36
  chapter 45,
• 31:37
  verse 9,
• 31:39
  it says,
• 31:39
  Woe to him
• 31:40
  who strives
• 31:41
  with him
• 31:41
  who formed
• 31:42
  him,
• 31:42
  a pot
• 31:43
  among
• 31:43
  earthen
• 31:44
  pots.
• 31:45
  Does the
• 31:45
  clay say
• 31:46
  to him
• 31:46
  who formed
• 31:47
  it,
• 31:47
  what are
• 31:48
  you making,
• 31:49
  or your
• 31:50
  work has
• 31:51
  no handles?
• 31:55
  Are we,
• 31:56
  those people,
• 31:57
  woe to him
• 31:57
  who strives
• 31:58
  with him
• 31:59
  who formed
• 32:00
  him,
• 32:00
  who answers
• 32:01
  back to
• 32:02
  God?
• 32:03
  What are you
• 32:04
  making?
• 32:05
  Or,
• 32:05
  your work
• 32:06
  has no
• 32:06
  handles.
• 32:09
  If you're
• 32:10
  one of these
• 32:10
  people,
• 32:11
  as I have
• 32:12
  been,
• 32:12
  so I'm
• 32:13
  not standing
• 32:13
  in judgment
• 32:14
  over you,
• 32:15
  I have
• 32:15
  been arrogant,
• 32:17
  I have stood
• 32:18
  in judgment
• 32:18
  over God's
• 32:19
  word,
• 32:22
  he's calling
• 32:23
  you really
• 32:24
  silly.
• 32:25
  Does a pot
• 32:25
  ever say
• 32:26
  to the potter,
• 32:27
  how come
• 32:28
  you haven't
• 32:28
  given me a
• 32:28
  handle?
• 32:29
  It would
• 32:31
  be insane
• 32:32
  for something
• 32:32
  like that
• 32:32
  to happen,
• 32:33
  right?
• 32:34
  Paul is
• 32:35
  pointing out
• 32:35
  the insanity
• 32:36
  of you
• 32:37
  standing in
• 32:38
  judgment
• 32:39
  over almighty
• 32:40
  God.
• 32:42
  So he says,
• 32:43
  has the potter
• 32:44
  no right
• 32:44
  over the clay
• 32:45
  to make out
• 32:46
  of the same
• 32:47
  lump of clay
• 32:48
  one vessel
• 32:49
  for honorable
• 32:49
  use and
• 32:50
  another for
• 32:51
  dishonorable
• 32:51
  use?
• 32:51
  What if God
• 32:52
  desiring to
• 32:52
  show his
• 32:53
  wrath and
• 32:54
  to make
• 32:54
  known his
• 32:54
  power has
• 32:55
  endured with
• 32:55
  much
• 32:56
  patience
• 32:56
  vessels of
• 32:58
  wrath prepared
• 32:58
  for destruction?
• 33:00
  So he makes
• 33:00
  a statement
• 33:01
  in a rhetorical
• 33:02
  question.
• 33:03
  God,
• 33:04
  desiring to
• 33:04
  show his
• 33:04
  wrath,
• 33:06
  made known
• 33:06
  his power
• 33:06
  with much
• 33:07
  patience.
• 33:09
  He made
• 33:10
  vessels of
• 33:11
  wrath prepared
• 33:11
  for destruction
• 33:12
  in order
• 33:13
  to make
• 33:14
  known the
• 33:14
  riches of
• 33:15
  his glory
• 33:16
  for vessels
• 33:16
  of mercy,
• 33:17
  which he
• 33:17
  has prepared
• 33:18
  beforehand
• 33:19
  for glory.
• 33:20
  glory.
• 33:21
  This is
• 33:22
  us,
• 33:23
  even us,
• 33:24
  even us,
• 33:26
  whom he
• 33:26
  called not
• 33:27
  from Jews
• 33:28
  only,
• 33:29
  but also
• 33:30
  from Gentiles.
• 33:33
  Remember
• 33:33
  where Paul
• 33:34
  is in the
• 33:35
  book,
• 33:36
  right?
• 33:36
  We talked
• 33:37
  about how
• 33:37
  it seems
• 33:37
  really random
• 33:38
  at the
• 33:38
  beginning of
• 33:39
  chapter 9
• 33:39
  that Paul
• 33:40
  laments over
• 33:41
  Israel.
• 33:42
  Those who
• 33:42
  were given
• 33:43
  many of the
• 33:43
  blessings,
• 33:44
  the privileges
• 33:44
  of God,
• 33:45
  that they
• 33:45
  had turned
• 33:46
  their back
• 33:46
  on the
• 33:47
  Messiah.
• 33:48
  He laments
• 33:49
  over that.
• 33:49
  They're his
• 33:49
  people.
• 33:50
  Right?
• 33:52
  Don't we
• 33:52
  do the
• 33:53
  same sometimes
• 33:54
  when we
• 33:54
  approach the
• 33:55
  doctrine of
• 33:55
  election?
• 33:56
  We lament
• 33:57
  over those
• 33:58
  who are not
• 33:59
  saved.
• 33:59
  Paul's in
• 34:00
  the same
• 34:00
  place.
• 34:03
  Paul's not
• 34:03
  high and
• 34:03
  mighty,
• 34:04
  casting
• 34:04
  judgment.
• 34:06
  God is
• 34:06
  God.
• 34:07
  God is
• 34:07
  wrathful.
• 34:07
  God judges.
• 34:09
  Right?
• 34:09
  Paul himself
• 34:10
  is broken
• 34:11
  over this.
• 34:13
  But like
• 34:13
  Moses,
• 34:15
  he ultimately
• 34:15
  has the
• 34:16
  right
• 34:17
  perspective.
• 34:18
  Verse 24,
• 34:19
  he says,
• 34:19
  even us.
• 34:23
  We're all
• 34:24
  aware of
• 34:25
  how filthy
• 34:25
  and vile
• 34:26
  we are.
• 34:28
  Are we
• 34:28
  not?
• 34:29
  It's really
• 34:30
  easy,
• 34:30
  really easy
• 34:31
  to look at
• 34:31
  somebody else
• 34:32
  and think
• 34:32
  that they
• 34:33
  are polished
• 34:33
  and put
• 34:34
  together.
• 34:35
  To think
• 34:36
  that they
• 34:36
  don't sin.
• 34:37
  Look at
• 34:37
  them.
• 34:38
  They're
• 34:38
  phenomenal.
• 34:40
  We do
• 34:40
  that.
• 34:41
  Very often
• 34:41
  we elevate
• 34:42
  people in
• 34:42
  that way.
• 34:43
  Christian
• 34:44
  artists.
• 34:45
  It happens
• 34:45
  all the time
• 34:45
  with them
• 34:46
  because they
• 34:46
  sing emotional
• 34:47
  songs about
• 34:48
  God.
• 34:48
  They must
• 34:49
  be perfect.
• 34:51
  Preachers,
• 34:52
  that happens
• 34:52
  a lot with.
• 34:53
  I hope
• 34:53
  that I
• 34:53
  talk honestly
• 34:54
  about myself
• 34:55
  enough that
• 34:55
  you don't
• 34:56
  do that
• 34:56
  with me.
• 34:57
  I struggle
• 34:58
  with sin
• 34:58
  the same
• 34:59
  way you
• 35:00
  do.
• 35:00
  I need
• 35:01
  a gracious
• 35:01
  God to
• 35:02
  help me
• 35:02
  live every
• 35:03
  day the
• 35:03
  same way
• 35:04
  that you
• 35:05
  do.
• 35:05
  God is
• 35:07
  so we
• 35:08
  should
• 35:08
  connect
• 35:09
  with that.
• 35:10
  Even
• 35:10
  us,
• 35:12
  the worst
• 35:13
  of sinners,
• 35:14
  he has
• 35:14
  called not
• 35:15
  only from
• 35:16
  the Jews
• 35:16
  but also
• 35:17
  from the
• 35:18
  Gentiles.
• 35:20
  Praise
• 35:20
  him.
• 35:23
  Now let's
• 35:23
  be sure we
• 35:24
  pause here
• 35:25
  as we see
• 35:26
  the potter
• 35:26
  making objects
• 35:28
  of destruction
• 35:28
  and objects
• 35:30
  of glory
• 35:30
  to recognize
• 35:31
  that God
• 35:32
  is not
• 35:33
  the source
• 35:34
  of evil.
• 35:35
  James 1.13
• 35:36
  says,
• 35:37
  let no one
• 35:37
  say when
• 35:38
  he is
• 35:38
  tempted,
• 35:39
  I am being
• 35:39
  tempted by
• 35:40
  God for
• 35:40
  God cannot
• 35:41
  be tempted
• 35:41
  with evil
• 35:41
  and he
• 35:42
  himself
• 35:42
  tempts
• 35:43
  no one.
• 35:45
  And
• 35:45
  Habakkuk
• 35:45
  1.13
• 35:46
  says,
• 35:48
  you who
• 35:48
  are of
• 35:48
  pure eyes
• 35:49
  than to
• 35:49
  see evil
• 35:50
  and cannot
• 35:51
  look
• 35:52
  at wrong.
• 35:54
  These are
• 35:55
  one of
• 35:55
  those
• 35:55
  apparent
• 35:56
  paradoxes
• 35:58
  of
• 35:59
  scripture.
• 36:00
  And I
• 36:00
  say that
• 36:01
  carefully
• 36:01
  because there
• 36:02
  are no
• 36:03
  paradoxes
• 36:03
  in scripture.
• 36:04
  There are
• 36:04
  no
• 36:04
  inconsistencies
• 36:05
  in scripture.
• 36:07
  But it is
• 36:08
  an apparent
• 36:09
  paradox.
• 36:11
  For God
• 36:12
  to be fully
• 36:12
  sovereign over
• 36:13
  all things
• 36:13
  and control
• 36:14
  of all
• 36:14
  things,
• 36:15
  doesn't God
• 36:15
  then also
• 36:16
  have to be
• 36:16
  the creator
• 36:18
  of evil?
• 36:19
  Would the
• 36:19
  scriptures say
• 36:20
  no?
• 36:21
  He is
• 36:21
  not.
• 36:21
  No.
• 36:24
  I have a
• 36:25
  little mind
• 36:26
  and I cannot
• 36:26
  work out that
• 36:27
  in its entirety.
• 36:29
  But I trust
• 36:30
  that the
• 36:31
  Bible is
• 36:32
  true
• 36:32
  and that
• 36:33
  it's
• 36:33
  sufficient,
• 36:34
  that it's
• 36:35
  enough.
• 36:35
  God has
• 36:36
  given me
• 36:36
  all that
• 36:37
  I'm
• 36:37
  supposed to
• 36:38
  know
• 36:38
  and I'm
• 36:40
  finally coming
• 36:41
  to a place
• 36:41
  in my life
• 36:42
  where I can
• 36:43
  just rest
• 36:44
  in that.
• 36:46
  I don't
• 36:46
  have to
• 36:47
  work it
• 36:48
  all out
• 36:49
  all the
• 36:50
  time.
• 36:52
  I want to
• 36:53
  give you an
• 36:53
  example of a
• 36:54
  man in
• 36:55
  scripture that
• 36:56
  wrestled with
• 36:57
  the sovereignty
• 36:58
  of God.
• 36:59
  I want you
• 36:59
  to turn with
• 37:00
  me to
• 37:00
  the book
• 37:01
  of Job.
• 37:02
  We're
• 37:02
  going to
• 37:03
  start in
• 37:03
  chapter 32.
• 37:11
  This is
• 37:12
  bringing us
• 37:12
  to a
• 37:12
  closing for
• 37:13
  those of
• 37:13
  you who
• 37:13
  are getting
• 37:13
  concerned
• 37:14
  about that.
• 37:23
  Now Job
• 37:24
  began his
• 37:27
  great struggle
• 37:29
  in the world
• 37:29
  in a very
• 37:30
  positive way.
• 37:32
  We know
• 37:33
  Job had
• 37:34
  found favor
• 37:34
  in God's
• 37:35
  sight,
• 37:35
  which means
• 37:35
  when you
• 37:36
  read that
• 37:36
  in the
• 37:36
  Old Testament,
• 37:36
  that means
• 37:37
  God had
• 37:37
  given him
• 37:38
  grace.
• 37:39
  Read that
• 37:40
  properly.
• 37:41
  God had
• 37:42
  blessed him
• 37:42
  with many
• 37:44
  children and
• 37:44
  great lands.
• 37:47
  The devil
• 37:48
  came to
• 37:48
  God and
• 37:48
  said,
• 37:49
  I see that
• 37:50
  Job serves
• 37:52
  you, but
• 37:52
  what if we
• 37:53
  stripped away
• 37:53
  the blessings?
• 37:55
  Peace by
• 37:56
  peace, the
• 37:56
  family was
• 37:57
  taken away,
• 37:58
  the land
• 37:58
  was taken
• 37:58
  away, his
• 37:59
  health was
• 38:00
  taken away.
• 38:01
  And he
• 38:01
  begins to
• 38:02
  deal with
• 38:03
  it in a
• 38:03
  very healthy
• 38:04
  way.
• 38:05
  But then
• 38:06
  his friends
• 38:07
  come to
• 38:07
  visit.
• 38:08
  Job in
• 38:09
  the book
• 38:09
  of Job
• 38:10
  has three
• 38:10
  friends that
• 38:11
  come to
• 38:11
  visit him
• 38:11
  to convince
• 38:12
  him that
• 38:13
  this calamity
• 38:14
  has been
• 38:14
  brought on
• 38:14
  him because
• 38:15
  of his own
• 38:16
  doing.
• 38:16
  Because the
• 38:17
  way God
• 38:17
  deals with
• 38:17
  people is
• 38:18
  those who
• 38:19
  do right,
• 38:20
  he shows
• 38:20
  favor to,
• 38:21
  and those
• 38:22
  who do
• 38:22
  wrong,
• 38:23
  he does
• 38:23
  not.
• 38:25
  And there's
• 38:25
  this back
• 38:25
  and forth
• 38:26
  in the
• 38:27
  beginning,
• 38:28
  31 chapters,
• 38:30
  back and
• 38:30
  forth between
• 38:31
  his friends
• 38:32
  and him,
• 38:33
  where they
• 38:33
  basically say,
• 38:34
  there is no
• 38:34
  way you are
• 38:36
  righteous in
• 38:36
  God's eyes,
• 38:37
  because he
• 38:37
  wouldn't deal
• 38:37
  with you this
• 38:38
  way if you
• 38:39
  were.
• 38:40
  And Job
• 38:40
  responds,
• 38:41
  yes I am,
• 38:42
  let me tell you
• 38:42
  all the things
• 38:42
  that I do,
• 38:43
  let me tell you
• 38:43
  how I handle
• 38:44
  my affairs,
• 38:45
  let me tell you
• 38:45
  all these
• 38:45
  things.
• 38:46
  And he
• 38:46
  continues to
• 38:47
  build himself
• 38:47
  up as
• 38:48
  righteous in
• 38:49
  their eyes.
• 38:49
  And then a
• 38:50
  guy comes on
• 38:51
  the scene
• 38:51
  named Elihu,
• 38:53
  who I love,
• 38:54
  and I really
• 38:55
  wanted to name
• 38:56
  Judah Elihu,
• 38:58
  but we
• 38:59
  decided against
• 39:00
  it.
• 39:01
  But Elihu
• 39:03
  comes on the
• 39:03
  scene and
• 39:04
  begins to
• 39:05
  speak some
• 39:05
  sense into
• 39:07
  the situation.
• 39:07
  And if you
• 39:08
  look in
• 39:08
  chapter 32,
• 39:09
  verse 2,
• 39:11
  it says that
• 39:11
  Elihu, the
• 39:12
  son of
• 39:12
  Baharel,
• 39:14
  the Buzite,
• 39:15
  of the family
• 39:15
  of Ram,
• 39:16
  burned with
• 39:16
  anger.
• 39:17
  He burned
• 39:18
  with anger at
• 39:19
  Job because
• 39:20
  he justified
• 39:21
  himself rather
• 39:23
  than God.
• 39:24
  What Job was
• 39:24
  doing was he
• 39:25
  was making
• 39:25
  himself in
• 39:26
  the right at
• 39:26
  the expense of
• 39:27
  God's character.
• 39:29
  He was saying
• 39:30
  to his friends,
• 39:31
  no, no, no,
• 39:31
  but I am
• 39:32
  righteous.
• 39:32
  I am
• 39:33
  righteous.
• 39:33
  And then the
• 39:34
  nagging question
• 39:35
  beyond that is,
• 39:37
  why is God
• 39:38
  dealing with you
• 39:39
  in this way?
• 39:41
  Why is it
• 39:41
  then that
• 39:43
  God is being
• 39:44
  unjust?
• 39:47
  Wasn't that the
• 39:47
  question they
• 39:48
  were asking?
• 39:48
  Is there no
• 39:49
  justice on
• 39:50
  God's part?
• 39:51
  If you're
• 39:52
  righteous in
• 39:52
  his eyes,
• 39:53
  why does he
• 39:54
  deal with
• 39:54
  you in
• 39:55
  this way?
• 39:59
  The Lord,
• 40:00
  God,
• 40:00
  confirms that.
• 40:01
  That's what's
• 40:02
  going on in
• 40:02
  Job's heart
• 40:03
  in chapter 40,
• 40:04
  verse 8.
• 40:06
  He says,
• 40:06
  will you
• 40:06
  condemn me
• 40:07
  that you
• 40:08
  may be
• 40:08
  in the
• 40:09
  right?
• 40:10
  So go
• 40:11
  with me
• 40:11
  here.
• 40:12
  Let's
• 40:12
  listen in
• 40:14
  on what
• 40:14
  Elihu said
• 40:15
  to Job
• 40:15
  beginning in
• 40:16
  chapter 34,
• 40:18
  verse 16.
• 40:19
  Chapter 34,
• 40:20
  verse 16.
• 40:26
  This is
• 40:26
  phenomenal
• 40:27
  stuff.
• 40:27
  Elihu,
• 40:28
  six chapters,
• 40:30
  he speaks to
• 40:30
  Job,
• 40:31
  and then God
• 40:32
  picks up where
• 40:33
  Elihu leaves off
• 40:33
  and keeps
• 40:35
  after him.
• 40:36
  Chapter 34,
• 40:36
  verse 16.
• 40:37
  If you have
• 40:38
  understanding,
• 40:38
  hear this.
• 40:39
  Listen to what
• 40:40
  I say.
• 40:40
  Shall one who
• 40:41
  hates justice
• 40:42
  govern?
• 40:43
  No.
• 40:44
  Will you
• 40:44
  condemn him
• 40:45
  who is
• 40:45
  righteous and
• 40:46
  mighty,
• 40:46
  who says
• 40:47
  to a king,
• 40:48
  worthless one,
• 40:48
  and to
• 40:49
  nobles,
• 40:50
  wicked man,
• 40:50
  who shows
• 40:51
  no partiality
• 40:52
  to princes,
• 40:53
  nor regards
• 40:53
  the rich
• 40:54
  more than
• 40:54
  the poor,
• 40:54
  for they
• 40:55
  are all
• 40:56
  the work
• 40:56
  of his
• 40:57
  hands.
• 40:58
  God,
• 40:58
  righteous
• 40:59
  judge,
• 41:00
  who governs.
• 41:01
  That's what
• 41:01
  Elihu is saying.
• 41:03
  Then
• 41:03
  chapter 36,
• 41:05
  verse 22.
• 41:05
  Behold,
• 41:10
  God is
• 41:10
  exalted in
• 41:11
  his power.
• 41:12
  Who is a
• 41:13
  teacher like
• 41:13
  him?
• 41:14
  Who has
• 41:14
  prescribed for
• 41:15
  him his
• 41:16
  way?
• 41:16
  Or who
• 41:17
  can say,
• 41:18
  you have
• 41:19
  done wrong?
• 41:20
  The charge
• 41:21
  that Elihu
• 41:22
  brings to
• 41:24
  Job.
• 41:26
  And then
• 41:26
  God gets
• 41:26
  on board.
• 41:27
  Chapter 38,
• 41:28
  verse 2.
• 41:33
  God says,
• 41:34
  Who is this
• 41:35
  that darkens
• 41:36
  counsel by
• 41:37
  words without
• 41:38
  knowledge?
• 41:39
  Dress for
• 41:39
  action like
• 41:40
  a man.
• 41:41
  I will
• 41:41
  question you,
• 41:42
  and you
• 41:43
  make it
• 41:43
  known to
• 41:43
  me.
• 41:45
  Where were
• 41:45
  you when
• 41:46
  I laid
• 41:46
  the foundation
• 41:47
  of the
• 41:47
  earth?
• 41:48
  Tell me,
• 41:49
  if you have
• 41:49
  understanding.
• 41:50
  Who determined
• 41:51
  its measurements?
• 41:52
  Surely you
• 41:53
  know.
• 41:54
  Or who
• 41:55
  stretched the
• 41:55
  line upon
• 41:56
  it?
• 41:57
  Or on
• 41:57
  what were
• 41:58
  its bases
• 41:59
  sunk?
• 41:59
  Or who
• 42:00
  laid its
• 42:00
  cornerstone
• 42:01
  when the
• 42:01
  morning stars
• 42:02
  sang together
• 42:03
  and all
• 42:04
  the sons
• 42:04
  of God
• 42:05
  shouted
• 42:05
  for joy?
• 42:08
  You hear
• 42:09
  what God
• 42:10
  says to
• 42:11
  the man
• 42:11
  who
• 42:12
  questions
• 42:13
  him?
• 42:16
  Who are
• 42:17
  you,
• 42:17
  O man?
• 42:19
  To answer
• 42:20
  back to
• 42:20
  God,
• 42:21
  what he
• 42:21
  says.
• 42:22
  Job
• 42:23
  responds,
• 42:24
  chapter 40,
• 42:25
  verse 3.
• 42:31
  Then
• 42:32
  Job
• 42:32
  answered the
• 42:32
  Lord and
• 42:33
  said,
• 42:33
  behold,
• 42:34
  I am
• 42:35
  of small
• 42:36
  account,
• 42:37
  and what
• 42:37
  shall I
• 42:38
  answer you?
• 42:39
  I lay
• 42:39
  my hand
• 42:40
  on my
• 42:41
  mouth.
• 42:41
  I have
• 42:42
  spoken
• 42:42
  once,
• 42:43
  and I
• 42:43
  will not
• 42:43
  answer
• 42:44
  twice,
• 42:45
  but I
• 42:45
  will proceed
• 42:46
  no
• 42:46
  further.
• 42:49
  See Job's
• 42:49
  humility?
• 42:51
  God
• 42:52
  says to
• 42:52
  Job,
• 42:52
  I am
• 42:53
  God,
• 42:53
  and you
• 42:53
  are not,
• 42:55
  and you
• 42:55
  are to
• 42:56
  be quiet.
• 42:57
  What's
• 42:57
  Job
• 42:58
  saying?
• 42:58
  Yes,
• 42:59
  sir.
• 43:00
  Yes,
• 43:00
  sir.
• 43:00
  And the
• 43:03
  Lord responds
• 43:04
  to him,
• 43:04
  chapter 40,
• 43:05
  verse 7,
• 43:05
  dress for
• 43:06
  action like
• 43:07
  a man.
• 43:07
  I will
• 43:07
  question you,
• 43:08
  and you
• 43:09
  make it
• 43:09
  known to
• 43:09
  me.
• 43:10
  God
• 43:11
  says,
• 43:11
  anyway,
• 43:11
  you're
• 43:11
  going to
• 43:11
  answer me
• 43:12
  just the
• 43:12
  same.
• 43:13
  Will you
• 43:13
  even put
• 43:14
  me in
• 43:14
  the wrong?
• 43:15
  Will you
• 43:16
  condemn me
• 43:16
  that you
• 43:17
  might be
• 43:17
  in the
• 43:17
  right?
• 43:18
  Have you
• 43:18
  an arm
• 43:19
  like God,
• 43:19
  and can
• 43:20
  you
• 43:20
  thunder
• 43:20
  with a
• 43:21
  voice
• 43:21
  like
• 43:22
  his?
• 43:22
  And he
• 43:23
  goes on
• 43:24
  for two
• 43:24
  chapters.
• 43:27
  And then
• 43:27
  Job,
• 43:28
  I would
• 43:29
  just be
• 43:29
  trembling.
• 43:31
  God
• 43:32
  were speaking
• 43:32
  to me
• 43:32
  directly
• 43:33
  as he
• 43:33
  speaks
• 43:34
  to Job,
• 43:35
  but God
• 43:36
  speaks to
• 43:37
  us by
• 43:38
  his word
• 43:38
  directly.
• 43:40
  Right?
• 43:41
  Listen to
• 43:42
  Job's
• 43:42
  response.
• 43:43
  Job 42,
• 43:45
  verse 2.
• 43:46
  I know
• 43:50
  that you
• 43:51
  can do
• 43:51
  all things
• 43:52
  and that
• 43:53
  no purpose
• 43:54
  of yours
• 43:54
  can be
• 43:54
  thwarted.
• 43:55
  Who is
• 43:56
  this that
• 43:56
  hides
• 43:56
  counsel
• 43:57
  without
• 43:57
  knowledge?
• 43:57
  Therefore
• 43:58
  I have
• 43:58
  uttered
• 43:59
  what I
• 43:59
  did not
• 44:00
  understand,
• 44:01
  things too
• 44:02
  wonderful for
• 44:03
  me which I
• 44:03
  did not
• 44:04
  know.
• 44:05
  Hear,
• 44:05
  and I
• 44:05
  will speak.
• 44:06
  I will
• 44:06
  question you
• 44:07
  and you
• 44:08
  make it
• 44:09
  known to
• 44:09
  me.
• 44:09
  I had
• 44:10
  heard of
• 44:10
  you by
• 44:10
  the hearing
• 44:11
  of the
• 44:11
  ear,
• 44:11
  but now
• 44:12
  my eye
• 44:12
  sees you.
• 44:13
  Therefore
• 44:14
  I despise
• 44:15
  myself and
• 44:16
  repent.
• 44:16
  in dust
• 44:17
  and ashes.
• 44:20
  So here's
• 44:21
  a man
• 44:22
  who
• 44:23
  questioned
• 44:24
  the sovereignty
• 44:25
  of God
• 44:26
  in all
• 44:26
  things.
• 44:27
  And there's
• 44:28
  where he
• 44:28
  ends up
• 44:29
  repenting
• 44:30
  in dust
• 44:31
  and in
• 44:32
  ashes.
• 44:34
  Where are
• 44:36
  you in
• 44:36
  this
• 44:37
  today?
• 44:40
  Do you
• 44:40
  stand in
• 44:41
  judgment
• 44:41
  over God
• 44:42
  or do
• 44:43
  you humbly
• 44:43
  submit
• 44:44
  yourself
• 44:44
  to his
• 44:45
  word
• 44:45
  which has
• 44:46
  been brought
• 44:46
  down
• 44:46
  from above
• 44:47
  to you?
• 44:50
  Are you
• 44:50
  talking back
• 44:51
  to God
• 44:52
  this morning?
• 44:54
  Or are you
• 44:55
  being quiet?
• 44:57
  I hope
• 44:58
  the latter
• 45:00
  of those two.
• 45:02
  Last week
• 45:03
  I told you
• 45:04
  that the
• 45:04
  doctrine of
• 45:05
  election
• 45:06
  was not
• 45:07
  meant to
• 45:08
  confuse us.
• 45:10
  It wasn't
• 45:11
  meant to
• 45:11
  make us
• 45:12
  feel that
• 45:13
  God's
• 45:13
  character
• 45:14
  has been
• 45:14
  destroyed.
• 45:16
  It's
• 45:17
  meant to
• 45:17
  serve as
• 45:18
  a comfort
• 45:18
  to our
• 45:19
  souls.
• 45:20
  As we
• 45:20
  walk through
• 45:20
  troubling
• 45:21
  times to
• 45:22
  know that
• 45:22
  God is
• 45:23
  fully
• 45:23
  sovereign
• 45:23
  over us,
• 45:25
  our life,
• 45:26
  our final
• 45:26
  salvation.
• 45:27
  As I
• 45:28
  sin against
• 45:29
  holy God
• 45:29
  to know
• 45:30
  that I
• 45:30
  cannot
• 45:30
  lose my
• 45:32
  salvation
• 45:32
  because it's
• 45:33
  all of
• 45:33
  him,
• 45:35
  brings comfort
• 45:35
  to my
• 45:36
  soul.
• 45:38
  It should
• 45:39
  cause us
• 45:39
  to praise
• 45:40
  God.
• 45:41
  We don't
• 45:42
  deserve
• 45:43
  his
• 45:44
  salvation.
• 45:45
  Church,
• 45:46
  do we
• 45:46
  believe that?
• 45:48
  If you
• 45:49
  believe that
• 45:50
  your final
• 45:51
  resting place
• 45:52
  was absolute
• 45:53
  and utter
• 45:54
  destruction
• 45:55
  forever,
• 45:57
  you bought
• 45:58
  it.
• 45:58
  It was
• 45:58
  yours.
• 46:00
  But instead,
• 46:01
  Christ took
• 46:02
  it from you
• 46:02
  and he gave
• 46:03
  you his
• 46:04
  righteousness.
• 46:05
  If you
• 46:05
  believe that,
• 46:06
  it will cause
• 46:07
  you to praise
• 46:08
  him,
• 46:08
  question him.
• 46:11
  And it's
• 46:12
  meant to
• 46:13
  encourage us
• 46:14
  to evangelism,
• 46:16
  to know
• 46:18
  that almighty
• 46:19
  God goes
• 46:20
  with us
• 46:21
  when we
• 46:22
  share the
• 46:22
  gospel,
• 46:23
  that he is
• 46:24
  in control
• 46:24
  of all
• 46:25
  things,
• 46:26
  and no
• 46:27
  one can
• 46:29
  stand against
• 46:30
  the church
• 46:31
  in the
• 46:31
  advance of
• 46:32
  the gospel.
• 46:34
  It is all
• 46:35
  God's
• 46:36
  doing.
• 46:38
  And all
• 46:38
  of these
• 46:38
  ultimately
• 46:39
  are a result
• 46:40
  of our
• 46:41
  affections
• 46:42
  being moved
• 46:43
  toward him.
• 46:44
  We will do
• 46:45
  these things.
• 46:45
  We will
• 46:46
  automatically
• 46:46
  praise.
• 46:47
  We will
• 46:47
  go and
• 46:48
  evangelize.
• 46:50
  Our souls
• 46:50
  will be
• 46:51
  comforted
• 46:51
  when we
• 46:51
  are wrapped
• 46:53
  up in
• 46:54
  who God
• 46:54
  is.
• 46:55
  When we
• 46:56
  are pulled
• 46:56
  from this
• 46:57
  temporary
• 46:57
  place to
• 46:59
  heavenly realms
• 47:00
  and we
• 47:00
  understand who
• 47:02
  we are
• 47:03
  in Christ.
• 47:06
  Charles Spurgeon
• 47:07
  wrote a
• 47:07
  sermon called
• 47:09
  Love's
• 47:09
  Logic.
• 47:10
  It was
• 47:11
  written on
• 47:11
  1 John
• 47:12
  4.19.
• 47:14
  This is
• 47:14
  actually our
• 47:15
  closing.
• 47:17
  So listen to
• 47:17
  this quote
• 47:18
  from that
• 47:18
  sermon quickly
• 47:19
  with me.
• 47:21
  We love
• 47:22
  him because
• 47:23
  he first
• 47:24
  loved us.
• 47:25
  This is
• 47:25
  1 John
• 47:25
  4.19.
• 47:27
  Love to
• 47:27
  God,
• 47:28
  wherever it
• 47:29
  really exists,
• 47:30
  has been
• 47:30
  created in
• 47:31
  the bosom
• 47:32
  by a
• 47:32
  belief of
• 47:33
  God's
• 47:34
  love to
• 47:35
  us.
• 47:36
  No man
• 47:37
  loves God
• 47:38
  till he
• 47:38
  knows that
• 47:39
  God loves
• 47:39
  him.
• 47:40
  And every
• 47:41
  believer loves
• 47:42
  God for
• 47:42
  this reason
• 47:43
  first and
• 47:45
  chiefly,
• 47:46
  that God
• 47:46
  loves him.
• 47:48
  He has
• 47:49
  seen himself
• 47:49
  to be
• 47:50
  unworthy of
• 47:50
  divine favor,
• 47:52
  yet he has
• 47:52
  believed God's
• 47:53
  love and the
• 47:53
  gift of his
• 47:54
  dear son,
• 47:55
  and he has
• 47:55
  accepted the
• 47:56
  atonement that
• 47:57
  Christ has
• 47:57
  made as a
• 47:58
  proof of
• 47:59
  God's love,
• 47:59
  and now
• 48:00
  being satisfied
• 48:01
  of the
• 48:01
  divine affection
• 48:02
  towards him,
• 48:03
  he of
• 48:04
  necessity
• 48:05
  loves God.
• 48:08
  That is
• 48:09
  the place
• 48:10
  where Paul
• 48:11
  writes from.
• 48:13
  Not in a
• 48:13
  place of
• 48:14
  judging,
• 48:14
  not in a
• 48:15
  place of
• 48:15
  asking,
• 48:15
  is that not
• 48:16
  fair?
• 48:17
  But saying,
• 48:18
  I'm glad
• 48:19
  God isn't
• 48:19
  fair.
• 48:20
  If God
• 48:22
  were fair,
• 48:23
  I'd be
• 48:24
  destroyed.
• 48:25
  But he
• 48:26
  loves me.
• 48:27
  And remember
• 48:28
  he's in the
• 48:28
  middle of his
• 48:29
  lament for
• 48:29
  Israel,
• 48:30
  and he's
• 48:30
  going to
• 48:30
  go on in
• 48:31
  the next
• 48:31
  two chapters
• 48:31
  to talk
• 48:32
  about how
• 48:32
  he still
• 48:33
  loves
• 48:34
  Israel.
• 48:36
  And in
• 48:36
  all of
• 48:37
  this,
• 48:38
  at the
• 48:38
  end,
• 48:39
  this big
• 48:41
  dialogue,
• 48:42
  all of it,
• 48:43
  chapter 11,
• 48:44
  verse 33,
• 48:44
  he says,
• 48:45
  Oh, the
• 48:46
  depth of
• 48:47
  the riches
• 48:48
  and wisdom
• 48:49
  and knowledge
• 48:49
  of God,
• 48:50
  how unsearchable
• 48:51
  are his
• 48:51
  judgments,
• 48:52
  and how
• 48:52
  inscrutable
• 48:53
  his ways,
• 48:54
  for who
• 48:54
  has known
• 48:55
  the mind
• 48:55
  of the Lord,
• 48:55
  or who
• 48:56
  has been
• 48:56
  his counselor,
• 48:57
  or who
• 48:57
  has given
• 48:58
  a gift
• 48:58
  to him
• 48:58
  that he
• 48:59
  might be
• 48:59
  repaid.
• 49:00
  For from
• 49:01
  him and
• 49:01
  through him
• 49:02
  and to
• 49:02
  him are
• 49:03
  all things.
• 49:04
  To him
• 49:04
  be glory
• 49:04
  forever.
• 49:06
  Amen.
• 49:07
  That's where
• 49:07
  he goes
• 49:08
  with all
• 49:09
  of this
• 49:10
  conversation.
• 49:11
  And that
• 49:11
  is certainly
• 49:11
  where we
• 49:12
  should go
• 49:13
  as well.
• 49:14
  Let's pray
• 49:15
  together.