Romans 9:14-33 - God's Sovereign Choice To Show Mercy

¹⁴ What do we say then? is there injustice in God? ¹⁵ God forbid. for he saith to Moses, "I will show favour to whom I will show favour, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

¹⁶ so that this is a matter not dependent on him that wills or runs, but on God, who shews mercy. ¹⁷ for 'tis said in scripture to Pharaoh, "even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth."

¹⁸ thus some he pursues with his favours, and abandons others to their obduracy, according as he thinks fit.

¹⁹ But you will object, why does he then find fault? for "who can resist his will?" ²⁰ nay, but, O man, who art thou, to raise a dust against heaven? shall the pitcher say to him that formed it, "why hast thou made me thus?" ²¹ is not the potter the master of his own clay, of the same mass to make one vessel for use and ornament, and another for a meaner purpose? ²² if the divine Being has patiently bore with those objects of his displeasure, that had been working out their own destruction, why may he not reveal himself to make them feel his vindictive power, ²³ and display his infinite goodness to such objects of mercy, as he had prepared for glory? ²⁴ to such as we, whom he has called, both from among the Jews, and from among the Gentiles. ²⁵ as he saith himself in Osee, "I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her, beloved, which was not beloved.

²⁶ and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people; there shall they be called, the children of the living God."

²⁷ Esaias also breaks out concerning Israel, " tho' the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant only shall be saved. ²⁸ for in ballancing the account, the Lord will leave a small remainder upon the land."

²⁹ and as Esaias said before, "except the God of heaven had left us a remnant, we had been as Sodoma, and brought to the state of Gomorrha."

³⁰ What shall we hence conclude? that the Gentiles who sought not after justice, have obtained justice, even to that which is by faith: ³¹ but Israel, who followed the law of justice, hath not attained to the law of justice. ³² why? because they sought it not by faith, but indeed by the works of the law: for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone; ³³ as it is written, "behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and a rock of offence: and whosoever believeth in him, shall not be ashamed."