ROMANS

Romans 1:1 “Paul…called to be an apostle and separated to the gospel of God.”

Paul begins this magnificent treatise to the Romans with a clear statement about God’s calling and choosing. Paul knows that he was not looking for Jesus when Jesus appeared to Him. Rather, he wanted to eliminate that holy Name from the lips of all Jewish people. He certainly was not seeking to be an apostle of this Jesus, one who is commissioned to spread the story of the Galilean to the ends of the earth. Yet in retrospect Paul sees that it was God Who called, God Who had chosen, God Who had separated him. In other words, pure grace.

Romans 8:28-30, 33. “…those who love God…are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified…Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?”

Here is the classic passage on the subject at hand. This one is the Rosetta Stone to some, the defining verse of election and predestination. Indeed, it is difficult to get around the notion that it is God doing all the choosing, all the calling, all the predestinating, all the justifying, all the glorifying. What part does man have in it all, viewing the eternal purposes of God from this passage?

So where’s the opposition, the seeming conflict? The Paul vs Paul? It all starts in chapter 9. Please read both of the following passages carefully, and see if you can pick up on these contradictory ideas.

Romans 9:13-23. “…it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated’. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God Who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ Therefore, He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’ But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to Him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”

Pretty powerful, no? God has mercy on anyone that He chooses. It’s not a matter of trying to be a child of God, running and proving I am worthy. God either saves me or hardens me.

But, same chapter, same author:

Romans 9:30-33. “… Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith but … by the works of the law… as it is written,… “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

So, the Gospel goes out. If I believe it, I am saved. No mention of election here. It all seems to be up to me. I can take it or leave it. God is not forcing me to accept Him. I have my free will. As long as I do not try to be saved by my works, and I trust wholly in Christ, I will make it.

Ok, synthesizers. Put it together. Here’s my attempt:

1. Thesis: God has mercy on whomever He wills. It’s all up to God.

2. Antithesis: I can be saved if I approach God by faith. It’s all up to me.

3. Synthesis: God wills for me to have the faith that saves.

It’s true that faith comes by hearing the Word of God and that that faith saves us. It is also true that it is God working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Step back. Look at the whole scene. God wills, and then I will. There is no accident about my believing. God’s mercy singled me out and placed saving faith in my heart. He did it in such a way that it was my faith, my desire, my will. Let all that Arminius preached be believed, then let it be connected to the will of God spoken of by Calvin, and you have the whole picture.

Not convinced? Take a hard look now at chapter 11.

Romans 11:5-8, 11, 25-26, 29, 32-34 “…at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace… Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. As it is written, ‘God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day… through their fall, to provoke [Jews] to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles… blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so, all Israel will be saved… for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable…For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on them all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?’...”

Once more, a slam dunk in favor of predestination, election, God’s will being done on earth, and all the rest. God chooses and calls, and nothing can change His perfect will. God gives people a spirit of “stupor”, actually blinding their eyes! Then has mercy. How can man be said to be a part of all this? Who put this whole plan together, you? Me? I think not.

But, wait, not so fast. Looks like things can change after all:

Romans 11: 17-22. “If some of the branches [Jews] were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree [a Gentile], were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.’ Well said, because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.”

Wait a minute! Too many “if’s” in that passage. How can Paul be so rock-ribbed sure in one breath and in the very next say “if”? You mean I can be cut off of the tree even though I once was grafted into it? What if I don’t continue “in His goodness”? What if I fall away? Can I fall away?

Here is a clear look at Paul vs Paul. Not that he really opposes himself, but that it looks like he does. Calvinists jump for joy reading that first collection of chapter eleven Scriptures. Arminians ignore all that and base their faith on the latter verses. How in the world do we put it all together? Surely Paul is not confused! But we are. And divided, for no reason!

First, does it seem probable to you that a God who calls a Gentile to grace will at a later time not call him to grace? If the gifts are irrevocable, can He revoke them based on our disobedience? Is salvation based on works after all?

Second, is it not possible that Paul is speaking to Gentiles as a body, and not to individual believers? All believers will persevere. But some Gentiles are not truly believers, will turn away, will lose whatever faith they seemed to have, will be cut off, though they were offered salvation.

Many Gentiles in this Roman church. Paul addresses them as a unit. Yes, Jews were taken off of the tree so that Gentiles could come in. Many Gentiles will come in with saving faith and experience the irrevocable call of God on their lives. Many Gentiles will be good church members for a while, outwardly conforming to Christ and His ways. But nothing on the inside. Never truly called and chosen from the foundation of the world.

So, try Hegel's dialectic on this one:

Thesis: God chooses some, hardens others. His gifts are irrevocable.

Antithesis: Many “called” Gentiles can fall away if they do not continue in faith and the goodness of God.