Romans 9:1-10:21 Is God unjust? Not at all!

The rejection of the Messiah by the bulk of the Jewish nation & God's rejection of them.
Has God broken His promises?  If not, how will they be fulfilled?

Ch 8 is full of triumphant joy.  Ch 9, Paul expresses his sorrow and unceasing pain in his heart.  His desire to see his brothers and sisters come to know Christ and be part of God's election plan is the reason for this.  Do I have a similar desire that men & women I know would also come to know Jesus?

Paul answers the question of whether God's word has failed by saying it has not.  Not everyone who descended from Israel is Israel.  The promise was only for those who were children of the promise.  He uses the stories of Isaac and Jacob & Esau to back up his point.  The birth of Isaac was the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham - likewise, before Jacob or Esau were born, God had chosen Jacob, but not Esau - but this wasn't God being unjust, as this choice was made before they were born or had done anything.

The complete liberty of God to do whatever He wants without compromising His own righteousness and without giving any ground for complaint against Him.

It is God's prerogative to do as He pleases.  He shows mercy anyway & He can do as He please.  We do not have the right as a lump of clay to talk back to the Potter.  However, Paul also draws attention to God's mercy & compassion (v15, 16, 23-26)

The ultimate purpose of God's election is to bring God greater glory through His actions of justice, love and mercy.  Do I see God's glory in the way He deals with me?

2 ways of seeking acceptance with God - by faith, or by a law of righteousness.  Only one will work - that of righteousness by faith.  Righteousness by law will ultimately fail.

10:8-15  Righteousness by faith

It comes by faith in Christ.
It is available for all who believe.
It MUST be verbally proclaimed.

10:14-21

Our responsibility in proclaiming the gospel is that if we want to see people believe, we must let them hear the gospel, we must send people to tell the gospel through the word of Christ.  The gospel must be proclaimed, heard and believed.