For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
(Romans 1:18-25 - ESV)

God’s mercy is everlasting to the believer but it does have an end to the unbeliever and the ungodly. If a person persists in wickedness and unbelief, then Romans 1 is definitely true in that God will eventually take away that person’s chance to repent and believe in Jesus Christ while giving them completely over to their sins. This is a Biblical concept and it is each person’s choice in relation to the Lord that factors into this. Esau was not programmed to sell his birthright or to intermarry with women who worshipped other gods. This was his choice. And the same goes with Pharaoh. And the same goes with any other character in the Bible. So now that we have this background, how do we eliminate the potential conflict between what Romans 9 says and what the rest of the Bible says?

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
(Jeremiah 1:4-5 - ESV)

But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.
(Jeremiah 1:17 - ESV)

Understand that God had a plan for Jeremiah’s life long before the prophet was ever born. But it would be up to the prophet to actually walk in the calling that God had given him. Remember that God knows everything and because he knows everything from past, present and future, He can create a perfect will that will not be thwarted because He has already factored in the choices that each person would make regarding Him.

Now God definitely has the power to make any person do what He wants (consider how He influenced Darius and Cyrus during the time of Daniel to show favor toward the Jews) but when it comes to the issue of salvation and a person having a relationship with Him, He allows us all to make our own choice. This is how the balance of predestination from God’s point of view and us currently walking in faith is achieved. Remember that we are humans who can only operate in the present while God has the big picture from start to finish. Now let’s discuss election and how it works.

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
(2 Peter 1:10 - ESV)

Now if we play no part in this process of election, then why would Peter tell us to make our calling and “election” sure? And if we are already set, how can we ever fall?  It is because we only live in the present and so we are required to continue in the faith. This is our perspective here on Earth. Now from God’s perspective, who already knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning, it’s a whole different ballgame. But we are not God and don’t even know what is going to happen the very next second, which is why we must do our part in keeping to the faith.

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 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?” 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?

So how do we deal with these scriptures here that we read earlier? Well understand that for us to even ask questions like those above in that particular state of heart is to try and excuse or sins as being ultimately God’s fault. Look at it this way. Each of us has come from a different background, some good and some bad. Some of you may have been raped and abused or may not have ever experienced that. But for each of us, who have an inclination to sin, what would be the things that would plague our lives without Christ in our lives? Would it be fornication, murder, hatred, envy, covetousness, lying , stealing, a filthy tongue, etc? Think about it. Now do you blame God for being that way or do you take responsibility for your own sins and repent before the Lord? God reveals Himself to us and the true question is how we respond to His revelation.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(1 Timothy 2:3-4 - ESV)

Now how can God desire all people to be saved and yet destine people for hell without even giving them an opportunity for repentance? Does it make sense? Indeed it doesn’t. Understand that we as mankind do not control God or prevent Him from doing what He wants to do. But He considers our decisions just like two people in any relationship would consider each other’s decisions.

Because our choices are significant in God’s eyes and are taken into account doesn’t mean that we have somehow earned our own salvation or that we prevent God from being sovereign. His will is accomplished regardless of the choices we make because it is a perfect will. And even when we make the choice to repent and believe in Jesus Christ, we should know that this was only accomplished because of the grace that God afforded us and all we did was respond to that grace. And even after conversion, it works the exact same way. It is us simply responding to God’s grace in faith that allows us to live holy and upright lives in the present time.

So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

We should know that not everybody has received the same amount of mercy from the Lord and that He decides how long he will allow for a person to come to repentance. A perfect example is that there are certain people who grew up in the church and were familiar with the Bible and the gospel and others never went to church a day in their life. But both groups of people receive revelation from God and they have a choice to either act on their God-given convictions or to reject them. How God calls you, how long He decides to be merciful with you and the plan He has for your life is something He chooses, not you. You are to simply respond or not respond.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
(2 Peter 2:4-6 - ESV)

Even the angels have the choice to continue serving God in heaven or rebel against Him. Let’s remember that we are accountable and do have responsibility to God. And this is a fair shake He affords to every one of us. Whereas in God’s eyes, you may have been predestined and elected, it is still up to us to make it sure.

CLICK HERE TO READ PT. I