Romans 9:6-13
Scripture:
Romans 9:6-13 (ESV) “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Devotion:
In Romans 9, Paul does a deep dive into a Biblical reality that is tricky for the modern reader. It is about a topic that we can find deeply challenging, because it cuts right to the core of our tendency to think that people are good deep down. So if we find ourselves as one of the chosen elect, then it must be because of the goodness God sees deep inside us. But Romans 9 slashes that thought to bits. God does not choose people because deep down they are good – he chooses them on the basis of his sovereign plan, which is designed to bring him maximum glory.
Now I realise that this is spiritual meat, and that idea may initially make us squirm. But it is nevertheless what our passage teaches us. Paul here tells us, quite plainly, that God’s ways of choosing and calling don’t always align with human expectations. Israel, the ‘chosen’ nation, believed that their spot in God’s family was secure, simply because they were physical descendants of Abraham. But, Paul makes it clear that being a child of God isn’t about ethnic lineage or human effort, it is entirely about God’s purposes in election.
Take the example of Jacob and Esau. Before they were born, before they could do anything good or bad, God chose Jacob to carry forward the promise made to Abraham. This wasn’t because Jacob was a good little boy, and Esau was a bad boy. They had no chance to do anything good or bad yet since they weren’t’ even born yet! But in God’s sovereign plan, he chose Jacob, not Esau.
What does this mean for us? It means our relationship with God isn’t based on our family background, our good deeds, or our ability to meet certain standards. Our relationship with God is based on his sovereign choice to call us out of darkness and into his glorious light. This is incredibly humbling. You are not good enough for God to choose you. You can never be good enough for God to choose you. In fact if you believe you are good enough to have forced God to choose you, you have totally missed the point of the Gospel! We are not the authors of our spiritual story—God is.
This should drive you to your knees, cause you to fall down in front of Him in worship, and calls you to live a life of eternal thankfulness.
Prayer:
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Heavenly Father, thank You for choosing us not because of who we are or what we’ve done, but because of Your great love and mercy. Help us to rest in the assurance of Your grace and to respond to Your calling with faith and obedience. Teach us to embrace Your sovereignty, even when it challenges our expectations, knowing that Your ways are higher than our ways. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge for the Day:
Today, reflect on the grace of being called and chosen by God. Let this understanding shape your interactions with others, remembering that it’s not about what we’ve done but about what God has done for us. Reach out to someone you know who might be struggling with feelings of unworthiness or rejection and share the comforting truth of God’s grace and election.