Romans 9:16-33 ~ pursue it by faith

Romans 9:16-33

¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, ^{[not of him who wills or runs]}   but on God, who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

¹⁹ You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” ²⁰ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ²¹  Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?  

²² What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, ²³ in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— ²⁴ even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?  

²⁵ As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
²⁶  “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

²⁷ And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel^{[children of Israel]}  be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, ²⁸ for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” ²⁹ And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
     we would have been like Sodom
    and become like Gomorrah.”

³⁰ What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
     and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”


When we look at all the people in Scripture from Adam to the letters of the disciples, we see people who are not perfect. Only one is Good. And we see Abraham lied and then didn't trust God. Abraham is only counted as child of God for one reason.  He believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6
And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Psalm 106:31
And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.

Romans 4:3
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Even Abraham had days he didn't believe God's promises. Days were he believed himself to not be part of God's promises. Surely encouragement to us who do not see and hear the LORD.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.



<><