Romans 9:14-18
Romans 9:14-18 (ESV) “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 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.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”
Devotion:
In Romans 9:14-18, Paul addresses a question that naturally arises from the previous verses: Is God unfair? His answer is a loud and clear “By no means!” But Paul doesn’t stop there, rather he uses this question to dive into the theology of God’s sovereignty and mercy to explain why.
Paul reminds his readers of God’s conversation with Moses in Exodus. In this conversation God reveals something about His character: His mercy and compassion aren’t given to people based on their efforts or desires or their moral standing. God’s mercy and compassion are given out as acts of His sovereign will.
Now this is sometimes difficult for us to grapple with, because we live in a meritocracy where good deeds and hard work is rewarded with praise and fair pay. Bad deeds and laziness are rewarded with prison and poverty. But in God’s spiritual economy this isn’t how it works. In the spiritual economy all we have is bad deeds (there is no one who is righteous, not even one) and yet God still mercifully chooses to have compassion on some people.
Paul uses Pharaoh as an example to illustrate this point. God raised Pharaoh up—not because Pharaoh was particularly good or particularly bad. No God raised him up in order to make His (God’s) name known throughout the world. Pharoah’s heart was hardened so that God could be glorified. God had mercy on Israel, so that He could be glorified.
As with yesterday’s devotion, this passage pushes us to wrestle with the sovereignty of God and invites us into humility before God. We are once again reminded that our relationship with God isn’t because we are inherently good people.
We have a relationship with him, entirely because of his eternal sovereign choice to save us and call us.
And that leaves no room for spiritual pride.
Prayer:
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Lord God, we acknowledge Your sovereignty and confess that Your ways are higher than ours. Help us to trust in Your justice and mercy, even when we cannot understand Your ways. Give us the grace to accept Your will with humility and to rejoice in the mercy You have shown us through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge for the Day:
Today, let’s practice humility in the face of God’s sovereignty. Whenever you feel inclined to question God’s fairness or His decisions, pause and remember His mercy toward you. Consider writing down instances where you’ve experienced God’s mercy in unexpected ways. Share this reflection with someone, encouraging them with the reminder that God’s mercy transcends our understanding and is freely given, not earned.