Romans 9:16-18 (NASBStr)
So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “ For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate MY power in you, and that MY name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Have you ever wondered what would happen to man or mankind if there was no mercy in the world? We have already been told by Paul in this book of Romans that man is totally depraved (Romans 3:23). He has told us, that based upon God's Word, there is NO good in man. If that were true, what doesn't man just kill one another? Why doesn't man just devour one another? Well, the fact is, man is doing that at this very hour. A war in his country over dirt, possessions and power; a shooting in this mall over anger, or pride, or territory; a beating in this home just because one person is bigger than the other are all examples of what man would do and is doing without mercy. Paul's point in his argument for election is that were it not for God's mercy man's heart would be hardened completely. Yet, that is exactly how God works His doctrine of election in salvation out in the world. The fact that God saves some and not others is easily established and understood in Romans 9 and in the above verses specifically. Most people can see that and believe that. What they struggle with is how God goes about that process; how does it do it? Most believe God chooses some for salvation but then assume He must "choose" others for destruction. This, for some reason (as though the clay can say to the potter, "That's not fair!" how you made me) makes them irritated and they then do theological gymnastics to make their doctrine fit their thoughts. But, note the last sentences in the above set of verses: "So, then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." On the surface someone might think that God goes around and makes peoples hearts hard out of a sense of unfairness. The thought that He makes some soft and some hard, is not Paul's doctrine. Man is already hard (Romans 8:5-10). Man is already waring against God. So, the only way God hardens them is to allow them to be what they already are. They reject God and God allows them to be hard. But, when God allows His mercy to enter their hearts they become soft and hear the gospel message. God did not make Pharaoh hard in the sense that God made his heart hard. Pharaoh's heart was already hard. God simply didn't show him mercy, which is what the line says. God will have mercy on those He desires. On others He doesn't show mercy. That is the will of a sovereign God. If God did not show any mercy we would remain hard in our hearts and destroy one another and ourselves. But, the reason man doesn't simply wipe out each other is that God is constantly allowing His mercy to enter into the world through His Spirit and then through communities through the lives of believers in the church. God is the God of mercy. Without it we would all be hard and be complete destroying and destroyed. Praise God for His abundant mercy!!
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