Episode #192
Sermon of the Week: God’s Foreknowledge Is Personal Love Not Just Facts; R.C. Sproul
Send us Fan Mail God’s foreordination —His predestination, whether working through history, providence, or the saving of a single soul— is always presented in Scripture as a holy mystery , a depth so rich in wisdom and knowledge that no human mind can ever hope to sound its bottom (Rom. 11:33–34). And when Paul meets the objectors in Romans 9, he does not try to explain away what lies beyond human reach. He does not attempt to give a rationale for the secret things of God. Instead, he falls back on the one ground no creature can challenge: the absolute sovereignty of God , who acts according to His own will (Rom. 9:14–16; 19–23). This answer would be weak—if Paul did not assume from start to finish that God’s will is perfectly righteous , and that every act of God can be vindicated by His perfect wisdom and goodness. If God chooses to show mercy to whom He wills, His right to do so cannot be questioned. If He hardens— not arbitrarily , but through the steady operation of moral law—and displays His wrath in the destruction of the hardened, it is never without cause, and only after long‑suffering patience (Rom. 9:22). Paul does not attempt to solve the tension between Divine sovereignty and human freedom . He simply assumes that God’s foreordination does not violate human responsibility. The clay in the Potter’s hand is not lifeless matter—it is humanity, capable of answering back, capable of resisting, and yet still upheld by God’s patient endurance (Rom. 9:20–22). Sovereignty is seen in this: even those who refuse to be shaped for noble purposes do not escape the Potter’s hand . Their rebellion still serves His glory—even if that glory is revealed in their judgment. And even here, Paul insists, purpose is at work. As Godet observes, God could have placed Pharaoh in a hut instead of a palace; his pride would have been the same, but history would have been different. Or God could have set a timid man on Egypt’s throne, and Israel would have walked out quietly, without the mighty display of God’s power. But God, in His sovereignty, arranged the stage so that His glory would shine in the downfall of Pharaoh and the deliverance of His people (Rom. 9:17–18). Each month, Elder Tolliver offers a spiritually encouraging book to help you in your walk with Christ for any size donation. Please go to biblicaltalks.com website to take advantage of this opportunity. Support the show Have a blessed day, and thanks for listening! Visit my website to learn more at https://www.biblicaltalks.com
