{"id":49181,"date":"2018-10-17T17:03:35","date_gmt":"2018-10-18T00:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?p=49181"},"modified":"2018-10-17T18:27:30","modified_gmt":"2018-10-18T01:27:30","slug":"romans-9-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/","title":{"rendered":"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2018-10-17T17:03:35-07:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT35M35S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"What does Paul mean about divine election in Romans 9 when he writes about God loving Jacob and hating Esau, making what he wants from clay, and hardening Pharaohs heart? This article answers these questions from Romans 9, and also looks at what Romans 11 teaches about divine election.\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/one_verse\/feeds.soundcloud.com\/stream\/515969208-redeeminggod-132-what-romans-9-really-teaches-about-election-romans-910-24.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"65.6\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_3585\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-49181-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/one_verse\/feeds.soundcloud.com\/stream\/515969208-redeeminggod-132-what-romans-9-really-teaches-about-election-romans-910-24.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/one_verse\/feeds.soundcloud.com\/stream\/515969208-redeeminggod-132-what-romans-9-really-teaches-about-election-romans-910-24.mp3\">http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/one_verse\/feeds.soundcloud.com\/stream\/515969208-redeeminggod-132-what-romans-9-really-teaches-about-election-romans-910-24.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p>In a previous post I introduced the concept of <a href=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/election-is-to-service\/\">what the Bible means when it talks about election<\/a>. You will want to go read that post, or listen to the podcast, before you read this post, as it forms the foundation for the ideas presented below.<\/p>\n<p>And if you really want to learn more about what I discuss in this article, you will want to get my book,(#AmazonAdLink) <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2RU8dWR\"><em> The Re-Justification of God<\/em><\/a>. It provides more information about how to understand Romans 9:10-24. (And yes, I know the title is strange and the cover is boring, but you can find out the reason for WHY by using the &#8220;Look inside&#8221; feature at Amazon. This will allow you to read the Author&#8217;s Note and the Preface to the book, which explains more.)<\/p>\n<p>(#AmazonAdLink) <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2RU8dWR\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-49182\" src=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/The-Re-Justification-of-God-An-Exegetical-and-Theological-Study-of-Romans-9-10-24-J-D-Myers-Shawn-Lazar-9781939992499-Amazon-com-Books-570x204.png\" alt=\"The Re-Justification of God\" width=\"570\" height=\"204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/The-Re-Justification-of-God-An-Exegetical-and-Theological-Study-of-Romans-9-10-24-J-D-Myers-Shawn-Lazar-9781939992499-Amazon-com-Books-570x204.png 570w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/The-Re-Justification-of-God-An-Exegetical-and-Theological-Study-of-Romans-9-10-24-J-D-Myers-Shawn-Lazar-9781939992499-Amazon-com-Books-768x275.png 768w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/The-Re-Justification-of-God-An-Exegetical-and-Theological-Study-of-Romans-9-10-24-J-D-Myers-Shawn-Lazar-9781939992499-Amazon-com-Books-300x107.png 300w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/The-Re-Justification-of-God-An-Exegetical-and-Theological-Study-of-Romans-9-10-24-J-D-Myers-Shawn-Lazar-9781939992499-Amazon-com-Books-100x36.png 100w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/The-Re-Justification-of-God-An-Exegetical-and-Theological-Study-of-Romans-9-10-24-J-D-Myers-Shawn-Lazar-9781939992499-Amazon-com-Books.png 945w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here are the texts about election from Romans 9 that we want to briefly consider here:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, \u201cThe older shall serve the younger\u201d (Romans 9:11-12).<\/p>\n<p>For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, \u201cFor 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\u201d (Romans 9:17).<\/p>\n<p>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 \u2026 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? (Romans 9:21-24).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Brief Overview of Romans (for Context)<\/h2>\n<p>It is first of all helpful to recognize the overall message and meaning of the book of Romans.<\/p>\n<p>Despite what some think, Paul\u2019s letter to the Romans is not about justification, or even the righteousness of God. It is not about how great God is or how to go to heaven when we die.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-small wp-image-49187\" src=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Romans-9-300x200.png\" alt=\"Romans 9 in context\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Romans-9-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Romans-9-570x380.png 570w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Romans-9-100x67.png 100w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Romans-9.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Instead, Paul&#8217;s letter to the Romans is about how the gospel \u201csaves\u201d believers and unbelievers alike (Romans 1:16-17) from wrath. This becomes clearer still when we recall that the word \u201csaves\u201d does not mean \u201cjustifies\u201d but \u201cdelivers\u201d (see <a href=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/saved-most-misunderstood-word-bible\/\">my study on the word &#8216;saved&#8217;<\/a>) and &#8220;wrath&#8221; does not mean &#8220;go to hell when you die&#8221; but refers instead to the devastating and destructive consequences of sin<\/p>\n<p>Paul\u2019s letter to the Romans is about how the gospel not only delivers people from the eternal and spiritual consequences of sin, but also from the temporal and physical consequences.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Romans 9 fits squarely within the second part of this theme.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Up to this point in Romans, Paul has argued that although sin is a universal human problem (Romans 1\u20133), God has a divine purpose and significance for all believers, so that if we live in light of our justification (Romans 4\u20135) and walk by faith (Romans 6\u20137), God will bless us and work with us to accomplish His will on earth (Romans 8).<\/p>\n<p>In the last part of Romans 8, Paul sets out to encourage his readers that nothing can get in God\u2019s way of accomplishing His purposes (Romans 8:28-39).<\/p>\n<p>Yet there is one main problem with Paul\u2019s logic up to this point.<\/p>\n<p>Though Paul says that nothing can get in God\u2019s way of Him accomplishing His purposes in us, the biblical record seems to indicate that something got in the way of God accomplishing His purposes for Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Israel too was God\u2019s elect, but by all appearances, God \u201cset them aside\u201d and turned to the Gentiles instead. So<strong> if God\u2019s purposes failed with Israel, how can Paul say that God\u2019s purposes will not fail for the church?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Romans 9\u201311 contains Paul\u2019s response to this objection.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In Romans 9\u201311, Paul explains that God\u2019s purposes for Israel did not fail, and for the most part, Israel herself did not fail.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, if we understand what happened to Israel, we will then be better able to protect the church from something similar happening to us.<\/p>\n<h2>Jacob and Esau in Romans 9<\/h2>\n<p>In the first part of Romans 9, Paul uses three biblical examples to show that God\u2019s election of people and groups is to service.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-small wp-image-49186\" src=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626-300x163.jpg\" alt=\"Jacob Esau Romans 9\" width=\"300\" height=\"163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626-570x310.jpg 570w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626-100x54.jpg 100w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg 639w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>The first example is Jacob and Esau, and it is important to note that both Jacob and Esau were elected, or chosen, by God. It is often assumed that only Jacob was chosen by God, but Paul clearly indicates that God chose the older brother, Esau, to serve the younger brother, Jacob.<\/p>\n<p>This once again proves that <a href=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/election-is-to-service\/\">election is to service. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Through the way Paul structures his argument and Old Testament quotations, he indicates that that while Isaac and Jacob were chosen to be recipients of the promise, Ishmael and Esau were still chosen by God, but for other purposes and tasks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>God\u2019s choosing and election in Romans 9 is not to eternal life, but to vocation, mission, purpose, and service. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Esau\u2019s election certainly was a different service than the one to which Jacob was called, but it is clearly a call to service nonetheless.<\/p>\n<p>This call to various forms of service was not only true of the individuals, Esau and Jacob, but also to the nations that came from them, Edom and Israel. Just as Israel was chosen to perform a particular type of service to the world, so also Edom was chosen to perform a particular type of service to Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, just as Paul is not saying that all Israelites have eternal life, so also, Paul is not saying that all Edomites (the descendants of Esau) are destined for eternal damnation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The passage is not about eternal destinies at all. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Any Edomite has just as much opportunity to believe and receive eternal life from God as any Israelite. God chose Israel so that they might be a blessing to the surrounding nations, and God chose Esau and the Edomites to help Jacob and Israel in this task.<\/p>\n<h2>The Hardening of Pharaoh&#8217;s Heart in Romans 9<\/h2>\n<p>The same truths are then applied by Paul to why God raised up Pharaoh during the Exodus events.<\/p>\n<p>The way Paul structures his argument in Romans 9:14-18, Paul shows that Pharaoh too was chosen, or elected, by God. But this says nothing about Pharaoh\u2019s eternal destiny.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Romans 9:14-18\u00a0is not referring to where Pharaoh will spend eternity. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-37953\" src=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/harden-pharaoh-heart.jpg\" alt=\"did God harden Pharaohs heart\" width=\"313\" height=\"161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/harden-pharaoh-heart.jpg 313w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/harden-pharaoh-heart-150x77.jpg 150w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/harden-pharaoh-heart-300x154.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 313px) 100vw, 313px\" \/>Instead, God raised up Pharaoh and solidified the proud and stubborn rebellion that was in Pharaoh\u2019s heart so that those who witnessed and heard of what happened in Egypt would know that the God of Israel alone was God. Could not God, in His gracious sovereignty, do such a thing with Pharaoh without affecting whatsoever Pharaoh\u2019s ability to believe in God\u2019s promises and thus become part of God\u2019s redeemed people?<\/p>\n<p>Of course He could!<\/p>\n<p><strong>The hardening of Pharaoh\u2019s heart, whether it is done by God or Pharaoh, or by some symbiotic combination of the two, has absolutely nothing to do with Pharaoh\u2019s eternal destiny.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even if the Exodus account laid all the responsibility for the hardening of Pharaoh\u2019s heart upon God Himself, and none upon Pharaoh, this still would tell us nothing about whether or not Pharaoh concluded His life as one of God\u2019s redeemed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pharaoh\u2019s eternal destiny is not under discussion in Exodus or in Romans<\/strong>, and so Pharaoh\u2019s heart can be hardened so that God\u2019s purposes are achieved, while still leaving plenty of room for Pharaoh to believe in God\u2019s promises and become one of God\u2019s people.<\/p>\n<p>When Pharaoh\u2019s kingdom came crashing down around him through the Ten Plagues and the destruction of his army in the Red Sea, one wonders if Pharaoh learned the lesson God had sought to teach him, and had returned back to his empty throne room where he threw himself upon the mercy of the One True God, recognizing God\u2019s sovereignty and power over all\u2014even over Pharaoh himself.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible does not say this happened, but we can hope.<\/p>\n<h2>The Potter and the Clay in Romans 9<\/h2>\n<p>Paul uses the image of the potter and the clay from Jeremiah 18 as his third example of how election works. There are numerous interpretive issues with this portion of Paul\u2019s argument, which I explain in more detail in my book, <em>(#AmazonAdLink) <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2RU8dWR\">The Re-Justification of God<\/a>. <\/em>In that book, I propose that the following translation of Romans 9:22-24\u00a0best summarizes Paul\u2019s point:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>What if God, wanting to reveal wrath for what it is and make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of dishonor which were headed for destruction, so that He might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of honor\u2014which is the plan He has prepared beforehand for glory\u2014and He did this not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-small wp-image-49188\" src=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/potter-and-the-clay-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"potter and the clay Romans 9\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/potter-and-the-clay-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/potter-and-the-clay-570x380.jpg 570w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/potter-and-the-clay-100x67.jpg 100w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/potter-and-the-clay.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Read this way, God does not create two classes of people, one to destroy and one to bless. God does not create vessels for dishonor, but instead, endures with patience those who are dishonorable in the hopes that they would see His mercy <em>and become<\/em> vessels of honor.<\/p>\n<p>God is longsuffering toward those who are in rebellion so that He can display His grace and mercy to them, with the hope that the vessels headed for destruction might instead become vessels headed for glory.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, God\u2019s creative wisdom enables Him to use honorable vessels for honorable purposes and dishonorable vessels for dishonorable purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Once again, <strong>this has nothing whatsoever to do with the eternal destiny of these vessels, but instead concerns their role, function, and purpose within this life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Romans 9 and Election<\/h2>\n<p>So Paul believes that election can be both corporate and individual, and that election is not to eternal life, but to service in this life.<\/p>\n<p>Paul illustrates this teaching on election by pointing to Jacob and Esau and the nations that came from them, the hardening of Pharaoh\u2019s heart, and God\u2019s choice to use both honorable and dishonorable vessels to accomplish His purposes of blessing, reconciling, and redeeming the world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Romans 9 is not about some strange act of God whereby He chooses some to receive eternal life while others get damned to hell by God\u2019s sovereign eternal decree. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No, the point of Romans 9 is that God sought to bless the entire world by raising up Israel to be a light and a blessing to others. Having completed this task, God did not set Israel aside.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, He transitioned from having an elect group of people in part of the world to calling all people in the world to join Him in the new elect people. So although Israel was elect, she fulfilled her task and became a non-elect nation so that the non-elect world could become elect.<\/p>\n<p>This is what Paul continues to explain in Romans 11 as he answers the objection about how God\u2019s promises and purposes do not fail even if God\u2019s elect people do.<\/p>\n<h2>Romans 11 Supports this Reading of Romans 9<\/h2>\n<p>Paul returns to discuss election in Romans 11. Here are the pertinent texts:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace (Romans 11:5).<\/p>\n<p>What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded (Romans 11:7).<\/p>\n<p>Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers (Romans 11:28).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As seen in the discussion above about Romans 9, the entire discussion in this part of Romans is about how God\u2019s promises to the church can be trusted, since God\u2019s promises to Israel seem to have failed.<\/p>\n<p>Since Paul argued near the end of Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from God\u2019s loving plan for us, the natural objection to this is, \u201cBut what about Israel? Weren\u2019t they separated from God\u2019s plan due to their sinful rebellion and failure to serve as a blessing to the world?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paul\u2019s initial response in Romans 9 is that election is not to eternal life and glorification, but to service in this life.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-small wp-image-49162\" src=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/divine-election-300x157.jpg\" alt=\"divine election\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/divine-election-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/divine-election-100x52.jpg 100w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/divine-election.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Having made this point, Paul goes on to argue in Romans 10 that Israel did not fail, but actually succeeded, and in fact, can continue to be elect by joining the elect people of God in the church. This is why Paul calls the church to proclaim the gospel to the Jews as well.<\/p>\n<p>If the church does her job of proclaiming the gospel, any Israelite who believes in Jesus will become elect and join God\u2019s plan and purposes in this world. This is what Paul goes on to describe in Romans 11.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The church has not replaced Israel in God\u2019s plan for the world, but has been grafted in to supplement God\u2019s plan, which, as it turns out, was God\u2019s plan from the very beginning.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even within Israel as a whole, there is always a remnant of believers who carry on the original task and purpose which God gave to the people of Israel (Romans 11:5). Though most of Israel is blinded, those Israelites who believe in Jesus for eternal life are thus part of the church and elected to participate in God\u2019s purposes for this world (Romans 11:7).<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, a day is coming when Israel will return to her true calling, thereby bringing about the resurrection of the world (cf. Romans 11:12-15). Though many Israelites are antagonistic to the gospel, they nevertheless continue to serve role in God\u2019s plan, and will do so in the future as well. In this way, though they are \u201cenemies\u201d to the gospel, they are beloved friends regarding election (Romans 11:28).<\/p>\n<p>Note that, once again, <strong>nothing in this part of Romans 11 has anything whatsoever to do with people\u2019s eternal destinies. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Paul is not talking about whether or not people can lose their eternal life. He is talking about positions of service in God\u2019s plan for the world. God wants to bless the world, and while He chose Israel for this purpose, He now seeks to do it through the church, until ultimately all will be blessed by God (Rev 21:23-26; 22:2).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Just as God elected Israel to serve His purposes in the world, God chose the church for similar purposes. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>God\u2019s election of Israel and the church is not His choice of who will receive eternal life, but His choice of who will serve Him by being a blessing to this world.<\/p>\n<p>Such an understanding helps make sense of some of the notoriously difficult verses in Romans 11. For example, Paul writes in Romans 11:17-21\u00a0that the elect branches were cut off so that non-elect branches could be grafted in, which in turn will lead to the elect-which-became-non-elect to be re-grafted back in and become re-elect.<\/p>\n<p>If Paul is referring to eternal life when he speaks of election, none of this makes any sense. How can a people or a nation whom God elected \u201cto eternal life\u201d before the foundation of the world go from being elect to non-elect and then re-elect?<\/p>\n<p>Romans 11:17-21 makes perfect sense, however, when we recognize that election is not to eternal life but to service. God wants to bless the world through His people. Israel accomplished their role in this, which led to the birth of the church.<\/p>\n<p>But this does not mean that the church replaced Israel in God\u2019s plan, but that God grafted Gentiles into His overall plan, and now invites all Israelites to be included in this ongoing plan, just as God invites all Gentiles as well.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-small wp-image-49189\" src=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/grafted-tree-romans-11-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"branches grafted in Romans 11 election\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/grafted-tree-romans-11-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/grafted-tree-romans-11-570x428.jpg 570w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/grafted-tree-romans-11-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/grafted-tree-romans-11.jpg 638w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>In this way, when Paul writes about branches being cut off so others can be grated in which will lead to the cut off branches being grafted back in again, he is not talking about people losing and regaining eternal life, but about losing and re-gaining places of privilege and purpose in God\u2019s plan for this world. God\u2019s plan of redemption started with Israel, shifted to the church (consisting of both Jewish and Gentile believers), so that \u201cof Him and through Him and to Him are all things\u201d (Romans 11:36).<\/p>\n<p>Israel, the elect nation, became non-elect once she had completed her task of bringing Scripture, the Messiah, and the elect church into the world.<\/p>\n<p>God now joins believing Gentiles with believing Israelites together to form the church so that as the elect people of God, they will be a blessing to the world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>God\u2019s plan did not fail, but simply transitioned from one group (Israel) to another (the church), so that the second group (the church) could be a blessing to the first (Israel) as well as to the whole world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Election, Romans 9-11, and the Theme of Romans<\/h2>\n<p>This understanding fits perfectly with Paul\u2019s overall theme in Romans about the gospel as the power of God unto salvation for all believers.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, <strong>salvation is not about believing in Jesus for eternal life (though that is a central part of the gospel), but is also about living with purpose and significance as members of the new creation in this life. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is Paul\u2019s message in Romans, and Romans 9\u201311 fit perfectly into this overall theme. The gospel is good news for all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile.<\/p>\n<p>It tells believers that our God is on the move in and through us; that His plan is moving forward. If we follow Him in faith, we will play a thrilling part in His plan for this world.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/courses\/gospel-dictionary\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-42665\" src=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Gospel-Dictionary-Audio-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"The Gospel Dictionary\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Gospel-Dictionary-Audio-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Gospel-Dictionary-Audio-570x570.jpg 570w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Gospel-Dictionary-Audio-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Gospel-Dictionary-Audio-1080x1080.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Gospel-Dictionary-Audio-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Gospel-Dictionary-Audio.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><strong>Understanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel.<\/strong> Take my course, \"The Gospel Dictionary\" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.<\/p> \r\n\r\n<p>This course costs $297, but when you <a href=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/register\/\">join the Discipleship group<\/a>, you can to take the entire course for free.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yez9KkX_0hs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What does Paul mean about divine election in Romans 9 when he writes about God loving Jacob and hating Esau, making what he wants from clay, and hardening Pharaohs heart? This article answers these questions from Romans 9, and also looks at what Romans 11 teaches about divine election.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2297,2230,2231,2296],"tags":[2963,1890,2964,2208,2614,2214,2413,2209,2210,2782,2965,2207,2966,2967,2968],"class_list":{"0":"post-49181","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-redeeming-god","8":"category-redeeming-scripture","9":"category-redeeming-theology","10":"category-z","11":"tag-divine-election","12":"tag-election","13":"tag-election-is-to-service","14":"tag-esau","15":"tag-gospel-dictionary","16":"tag-jacob","17":"tag-one-verse-podcast","18":"tag-pharaoh","19":"tag-potter-and-the-clay","20":"tag-romans-11","21":"tag-romans-1117-21","22":"tag-romans-9","23":"tag-romans-91-12","24":"tag-romans-917","25":"tag-romans-921-24","26":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Romans 9 is the most controversial text in the Bible about divine election. But when you see that election is to service, this passage makes more sense.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Romans 9 is the most controversial text in the Bible about divine election. But when you see that election is to service, this passage makes more sense.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Redeeming God\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/290798794274804\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/290798794274804\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-10-18T00:03:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-10-18T01:27:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"639\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"348\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jeremy Myers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@redeeminggod\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@redeeminggod\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jeremy Myers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jeremy Myers\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0df0211c3f7ba3d4c6cfa1f8411f481c\"},\"headline\":\"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-10-18T00:03:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-10-18T01:27:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/\"},\"wordCount\":3008,\"commentCount\":10,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0df0211c3f7ba3d4c6cfa1f8411f481c\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"divine election\",\"election\",\"election is to service\",\"Esau\",\"gospel dictionary\",\"Jacob\",\"One Verse Podcast\",\"Pharaoh\",\"potter and the clay\",\"Romans 11\",\"Romans 11:17-21\",\"Romans 9\",\"Romans 9:1-12\",\"Romans 9:17\",\"Romans 9:21-24\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Redeeming God\",\"Redeeming Scripture\",\"Redeeming Theology\",\"z\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/\",\"name\":\"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-10-18T00:03:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-10-18T01:27:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"Romans 9 is the most controversial text in the Bible about divine election. But when you see that election is to service, this passage makes more sense.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg\",\"width\":639,\"height\":348,\"caption\":\"Jacob Esau Romans 9\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/\",\"name\":\"Redeeming God\",\"description\":\"Liberating you from bad ideas about God\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0df0211c3f7ba3d4c6cfa1f8411f481c\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0df0211c3f7ba3d4c6cfa1f8411f481c\",\"name\":\"Jeremy Myers\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eddb31e43c2836234b746787cbef8f12?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eddb31e43c2836234b746787cbef8f12?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jeremy Myers\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\"},\"description\":\"Jeremy Myers writes about Scripture and theology in a way that redeems God and people from the prison of religion. He is a popular author and blogger and often gives away free eBooks to his blog subscribers.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\",\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/290798794274804\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/redeeminggod\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election","description":"Romans 9 is the most controversial text in the Bible about divine election. But when you see that election is to service, this passage makes more sense.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election","og_description":"Romans 9 is the most controversial text in the Bible about divine election. But when you see that election is to service, this passage makes more sense.","og_url":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/","og_site_name":"Redeeming God","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/290798794274804","article_author":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/290798794274804","article_published_time":"2018-10-18T00:03:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-10-18T01:27:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":639,"height":348,"url":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jeremy Myers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@redeeminggod","twitter_site":"@redeeminggod","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jeremy Myers","Est. reading time":"15 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/"},"author":{"name":"Jeremy Myers","@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0df0211c3f7ba3d4c6cfa1f8411f481c"},"headline":"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election","datePublished":"2018-10-18T00:03:35+00:00","dateModified":"2018-10-18T01:27:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/"},"wordCount":3008,"commentCount":10,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0df0211c3f7ba3d4c6cfa1f8411f481c"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg","keywords":["divine election","election","election is to service","Esau","gospel dictionary","Jacob","One Verse Podcast","Pharaoh","potter and the clay","Romans 11","Romans 11:17-21","Romans 9","Romans 9:1-12","Romans 9:17","Romans 9:21-24"],"articleSection":["Redeeming God","Redeeming Scripture","Redeeming Theology","z"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/","url":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/","name":"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg","datePublished":"2018-10-18T00:03:35+00:00","dateModified":"2018-10-18T01:27:30+00:00","description":"Romans 9 is the most controversial text in the Bible about divine election. But when you see that election is to service, this passage makes more sense.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Jacob-Esau-Romans-9-e1539812948626.jpg","width":639,"height":348,"caption":"Jacob Esau Romans 9"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/romans-9-election\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Romans 9 REALLY teaches about election"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/","name":"Redeeming God","description":"Liberating you from bad ideas about God","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0df0211c3f7ba3d4c6cfa1f8411f481c"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0df0211c3f7ba3d4c6cfa1f8411f481c","name":"Jeremy Myers","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eddb31e43c2836234b746787cbef8f12?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eddb31e43c2836234b746787cbef8f12?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jeremy Myers"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/"},"description":"Jeremy Myers writes about Scripture and theology in a way that redeems God and people from the prison of religion. He is a popular author and blogger and often gives away free eBooks to his blog subscribers.","sameAs":["https:\/\/redeeminggod.com","http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/290798794274804","https:\/\/x.com\/redeeminggod"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49181"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49181\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}