I post this article in response to a very dear friend of mine who recently asked how I, as a Wesleyan, dealt with Paul’s teaching in Romans 9. At the time I opted to come back to his question at a later time, simply because I would rather be certain of the text in question, its context, and proper exegesis of it (not to mention the fact that we were standing right in the middle of the Circleville Pumpkin Show). So now, after a period of study and reflection, I now offer this very brief and simple interpretation of Romans 9. While 1,300+ words makes for a rather bloated blog post, it also makes for a severely inadequate handling of such a weighty text. However, I feel what follows is more than sufficient to make my point and support where I stand. I welcome comments from those who agree and disagree alike. In the spirit of humility and love I gladly welcome your honest dialogue.

-Sean

P.S. I owe a great deal of credit to the work of Asbury’s Dr. Joseph S. Wang in his work on Romans in the Asbury Bible Commentary. There are few who have been as much an expert on Romans as he, and his article greatly aided me in the articulation and organization of my thoughts.

Romans 9:1-29
Paul has great sorrow and anguish in his heart (2). He would surrender his own salvation for the sake of his Jewish brothers and sisters who, though Israelites and children through whom God’s promise came, are not presently sharing in that blessing (3-5). It appears that not everyone who is a descendant of Abraham is an heir to the promise, therefore, in the mind of the Jewish people, God’s word to them had failed.

Not so!, says Paul in verse 6. The Jews imagined that the word of God must fail if all their nation were not saved. This St. Paul now refutes, and proves that the word itself had foretold their falling away (ref #1). Some are heirs, others are not. How then do we decide who are and who aren’t heirs of God’s promise?

The answer lies in the sovereignty of God. He alone determines who is an heir of Abraham and who is not. But God’s sovereignty has been interpreted in two vastly different ways with far-reaching implications.

Interpretation 1 suggest that God, in His sovereignty, arbitrarily determines who will and who will not be Abraham’s heirs. The Jews who are saved are saved because God decided they would be, and those who are not saved are not saved because God decided that they would not be. This position flows naturally out of a hard-line Calvinistic system which affirms that since a. grace is irresistible, then b. it follows that whoever God chooses to receive it has no other choice but to receive it. In this scenario, God is the determiner not of the conditions or terms of salvation but rather of the recipients of it. His will rules alone. He hardens whom He hardens and He softens whom He softens. Whether or not someone of this perspective would agree with me, the truth is that this absolves the individual of the responsibility that is theirs based on their own personal moral decisions. If God alone decides, then He alone bears the responsibility.

The second interpretation of God’s sovereignty, the one held by me (as a Wesleyan), suggests that in His sovereignty God lays down the conditions/terms of heirship, and who becomes an heir of Abraham is based on their compliance with these conditions/terms. If a Jew is not saved, it is so because he/she has not complied with God’s terms for salvation, hence they are morally accountable for their own personal decision. The conditions are set by God in His sovereignty, but the ultimate responsibility is in the hands of the one who chooses to comply with the conditions or not.

If interpretation number 1 is correct, how does this make sense of the quotes from Hosea and Isaiah in 9:25-29? Hosea 2:23 says, “Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” If God alone determines who will and who will not be saved, why would He arbitrarily reject some at first but then later choose to accept them? The truth is that, according to that which follows Romans 9:30 (and especially in 11:20-23), these Jews are unsaved precisely because of their unbelief, not because God for some reason passes some over and not others. The flip side to this is that those who do not persist in their unbelief will be saved. Surely that which follows 9:30 makes it abundantly clear that interpretation 1 above cannot be correct and that interpretation 2 is. All these lead to this conclusion: God’s sovereignty consists in His freedom to lay down the conditions of salvation, not in His arbitrary consignment of some to salvation, other to damnation (ref #2).

What about all this talk about Esau and Jacob and God loving one and hating the other? Doesn’t all this fit with interpretation 1? The answer, of course is "no." God’s choosing between Jacob and Esau was based on the conditions that He set before they were born. He will decide the type of people He will show mercy to. For more on Jacob and Esau, see my previous blog post titled, “Wesley on Jacob and Esau,” on 5/25/2005.

But what about when God says in Exodus 33:19, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion?” Didn’t God harden the heart of Pharaoh? Once again, God shows mercy to those whom He deems are worthy recipients of it, IE. those who comply with His terms. God shows mercy to Moses because Moses was the one Israelite who wasn’t worshipping idols. God shows mercy on those who are faithful, and to those who are not, beware! He hardens their hearts. It was only after Pharaoh hardened his own heart that God hardened it further.

But what about when Paul says that God has the right over the clay, “to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use?” Let’s look at what is being referenced here when Paul speaks of the clay. This is an allusion to Jeremiah 18:5-12 which says:

Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

In reference to this text in Jeremiah, Wesley states, “That God hath an absolute sovereign power to do what he pleases with the work of his hands: but he acts as a just judge, rendering to every man according to his works. (ref #3)” Wesley continues, “He wills nothing but what is infinitely wise and good; and therefore his will is a most proper rule of judgment. He will show mercy, as he hath assured us, to none but true believers, nor harden any but such as obstinately refuse his mercy. (ref #4)” The sovereignty of the Potter over the clay means that God is completely free to lay down the conditions under which He will bless or curse. It is not His arbitrary decision to consign some to salvation and others to damnation. The truth of this is spelled out so clearly in the following verses (22-29). Gentiles were not God’s people originally, but on the basis of their faith God will accept them, and the Israelites who were originally God’s people will not be saved on the basis of their unbelief (ref #5).

So, how do we boil this all down? I would like to summarize in three very concise statements:

1. God is absolutely sovereign. He is so sovereign, in fact, that He has the power to limit His own sovereignty to the extent that he will allow other wills.

2. He makes this provisionally possible through His preventing (prevenient) grace, a grace that restores enough capacity in man to will so as to comply with His gracious and unmerited terms of salvation, namely belief in Jesus Christ.

3. God will show mercy on his own terms, namely, on them that believe. Those who don’t believe He leaves them to the hardness of their own hearts. Truly this is the case of Paul’s Jewish brethren who, despite being the people through whom God’s promise came, were not heirs of the promise that those who believe on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For this Paul grieves and would give anything to change.


References
1 - John Wesley, Explanatory Notes.
2 - Joseph S. Wang, Asbury Bible Commentary, 992.
3 - John Wesley, Explanatory Notes.
4 - Ibid.
5 - Joseph S. Wang, Asbury Bible Commentary, 992-993.

Labels: theology

Without diving into the debate of who influences the other first -- culture or media -- which is as fruitful as the chicken or the egg debate (the chicken came first, of course), I would like to highlight a prime example of the mentality of my generation as sung by none other than one Jessica Simpson.

I was horrified to discover the lyrics of Jessica's new pop single, "I Belong to Me." Without wasting your time with all the lyrics, just let me call your attention to several key lines:

I don’t need somebody to complete me
I complete myself
nobody has got to belong to somebody else

I belong to me
I don't belong to you
my heart is my possession
I'll be my own reflection
I belong to me
I'm one not half of two
and if you're gonna love me
you should know this baby
I belong to me

I gotta let you know before I let you in baby
that who I am is not about who I am with baby
That don't mean I don’t wanna be here with you
I do

I don’t need somebody to complete me
I want you to know I give all my love but
I'm not givin' all my soul

Most people would assume that the message of this song is a product of her experience of a failed marriage. However, I would suggest that her perverted concept of personhood as articulated by this song is the cause of her broken relationship. In other words, this song isn't a response to her experience; her experience, as well as that of all unredeemed persons, is due to a fallen heart curved in upon itself.

The effects of sin have touched us in the deepest places of our being. This fallenness perverts all our thoughts, desires, affections -- all of who we are. We were originally created in the image of One who is Three Persons sharing life in sacrificial love. Ultimate Reality is selfless and self-giving. In the beginning of human history, God did not create individuals, He created persons, persons who are designed to relate to others in this same kind of love. Sin has corrupted this image through and through.

Jessica Simpson is a contemporary herald of the autonomous individualism characteristic of my own narcissistic generation. What is the hope for her and the rest of my peers who think that they can discover true personhood within themselves? Nothing more than a radical work of grace will suffice -- a work of grace that reaches deep within the heart, mind, and soul and transforms the whole person into something that resembles who he/she was originally meant to be.

Should we sensor the lyrics of this song in the effort to avoid the needless brainwashing of millions of teeny boppers? Vanity. These words will change no one, for the person we fear they would change them to is the very person they already are. But despair not! God is alive and at work, and He can reach down and quicken our fallen hearts and minds and completely restore the fallen moral image of God in us.

Labels: theology

What difference does it make?

With God all things are possible. Many Christians believe that God can perform a transforming work in their lives. However, many also believe that God is unable to use them to transform the lives of others. "God can’t use me!" is the cry of so many Christians who struggle with feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt.

But the truth is that God can use anyone for His purposes. Any heart given fully to Jesus can become a powerful tool of evangelization in the world. Here, perhaps, is where the example of the paralytic really shines.

Mark tells us that the result of the paralytic's immediate and public response affected all those who were observing. Verse 12 says, "they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'" The response of the paralytic to the work of Jesus in his life brought glory to God. People stand amazed when confronted with the touch of the divine in the human life.

That is what the Christian witness is all about. Being the salt and light of the world means nothing other than putting God's transforming power on display for all to see. By our obedient, immediate, and public response to Jesus, we too can participate in his life-changing ministry to the world.

Questions for reflection:
1. Has God done a work of transformation in your life?
2. If so, have you made this transformation known to the world around you?
3. If so, in what ways? If not, why not?

3. The paralytic responded visibly

“…and went out before them all…”

Thomas Edison once noted to reporters that he had tried over 10,000 materials to serve as the filament for his electric light bulb before making it work. His tenacity and drive to succeed compelled him to create one of the most important inventions in human history. The electric light bulb can be found in virtually every nook and cranny in the world offering the convenience of instant light for billions.

Jesus once told his followers that they were the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). The light that the followers of Jesus take into the world is the light of the gospel. Those who bear that light cannot in any way hide it from the world. It must shine forth into every nation, and shine brighter than any of man’s inventions.

The paralytic illustrates this for us in crystal clarity. His obedient and immediate response to Jesus was carried out in the presence and sight of all. There is a fundamental abandonment to self in engaging in such a public display as this. The Christian’s public witness can be an unnerving experience, that is because Jesus touches the most intimate and personal parts of our lives and then calls us to disclose his redeeming work to the world.

Placing ourselves on display in an act of selfless transparency is not something unfamiliar to the life of God. In the incarnation, God exposed Himself to the world in the baby Jesus. The Word of God took on the form of flesh and put a face on the invisible God. Furthermore, Jesus, in the ultimate act of humiliation and self-giving in his crucifixion, was entirely exposed to the world as he hung nakedly on the cross. God knows full well what it means to be made vulnerable.

The example of Jesus conveys to us the truly redemptive and salvific quality of vulnerability. Why not hide the light of the world residing in a transformed life? Because it is the transformed life that serves as a life-giving channel of grace to the world. The grace that is extended to those who believe is not to be hoarded or selfishly absorbed. The true receptacle of grace should simultaneously be an outlet of grace, for grace is experienced relationally.

Within the inner Triune life of God, the life and love of God is co-shared – mutually given and received – by the Persons of the Godhead. This, in essence, is who God is. He is a communion of Persons; He is Holy Love. The very same life and love shared among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is shared with humanity through faith in Jesus and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, the light of God’s work in the lives of believers is neither meant to be hidden nor hoarded. His work in our lives enables us to be something redemptive in the life of another. If the paralytic had walked off into a reclusive life, he never would have been the person Jesus was meaning to create. But thankfully we have a beautiful example in the paralytic as one who immediately obeyed Jesus and went out in the presence of all.

2. The paralytic responded immediately

“…and immediately picked up his bed…”

The paralytic’s example of how we are to respond to Jesus continues when we consider the timing in which he obeyed Jesus’ command. There was no hesitation or inner deliberation in the paralytic. He knew that the one who has authority to heal is the one who needs to be obeyed.

The motivating source of the paralytic’s obedience wasn’t a servile fear of Jesus. He was obeying the one who just enabled him to walk once more, not only among other people, but with God. By healing his legs, Jesus empowered the man so that he could once more resume normal fellowship with his family and friends. But by forgiving him of his sins, Jesus empowered the man to resume normal fellowship with God. No more hindrances. No more barriers. Just a perfectly restored fellowship with God. That’s what Jesus does.

Therefore I would suggest that the motivating force of the paralytic’s response to Jesus was thankfulness and love. It is love that compels people to consistently obey God immediately, not servile fear. The one who only fears God will only do enough to get by. But the one who loves God perfectly, who has the love of God shed abroad in his heart, will love God altogether and obey him, not out of mere duty, but with eagerness and joy. It is the one who loves God that takes pleasure in God’s will and delights to execute it.

This has direct ramifications for every area of the Christian life. For example, what will ever motivate us to fulfill the Great Commission? Is it fear, or is it love? In his sermon, The Unity of the Divine Being (1872 edition), John Wesley says, “It is in consequence of our knowing God loves us, that we love him, and love our neighbour as ourselves. Gratitude towards our Creator cannot but produce benevolence to our fellow creatures.”1 Wesley is suggesting that the originating source of benevolence towards other people is the love of God Himself. When the paralytic was healed by Jesus, he experienced the transforming power of God’s love first-hand. What this produced was a thankfulness and immediate obedience to his every command. Jesus told him to get up, take his mat, and go home. “And immediately” he went off to engage in the evangelistic ministry of being a witness to the wonderful grace of God.

There is a lot of hesitation in the hearts of believers today. Many of us delay in our obedience to God. Whether it be rebellion or laziness, our hearts have gone cold and unresponsive and we have turned a deaf ear to the voice of God. We delay, and often entirely ignore, the commands Jesus lays on our lives every day. Perhaps this is because we have forgotten what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. If John Wesley is right, the church needs to keep her eyes ever fixed on the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb as the definitive statements of God’s love for humanity. It is only then that we will be free to render back to God our love, praise, and obedience in response to his gracious redeeming provisions in Christ.

1 “The Unity of the Divine Being,” (17).

Pardon the interruption of my work with Mark 2, but I simply have to say something about this.

Tell me if you find this as amazing as I do:

According to the latest news report, disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley is not only an alcoholic, but was molested by a clergyman as a teenager and also happens to be a gay man.

Wow! That explains everything, right?

Ok, so he was going after young boys because he's gay. That makes sense, right? And since in this country it is an unwritten law that we not only tolerate homosexuality but celebrate it as well, we cannot condemn him for wanting to be sexual with boys. Brilliant move, Mark.

"But they're just children," you say? Well, there's an explanation for that too. Foley is one of the poor unfortunate souls who, as a teen, was molested by an evil malicious Roman Catholic priest. He was scarred for life, therefore what more can we expect out of him now? I mean, if YOU were molested as a child by one of these vile creatures called "Catholic Priests" wouldn't YOU desire young children for sex too?

As for his poor decisions in the way his behavior played out? Ah, he's an alcoholic. He's entered rehab so clearly he's getting his life straightened out and intends to change. It makes so much sense!

You know what boils my blood and makes me want to scream? This man is a sexual predator, and all these so-called "revelations" serve to simply provide for him an excuse for his deviant and disgusting behavior. Boys? He's gay. Under age? He was molested as a child. Doing these things while during a session of Congress? Alcohol has clouded his judgement.

Why can we not simply call this what it is? The problem is sin in the human heart. Foley is not some special case of someone who is troubled for reasons x, y, and z. He is simply the expression of the fundamental human problem of sin, and he just happened to get caught. Period. Go ahead, call me judgemental, PLEASE. I WELCOME that accusation, for it offers me yet another opportunity to make my case.

I think it's time for Christians to stand up against these lies as prophets of our day. The problem is sin. The solution is Christ.

What do you think?

P.S. Yes, Foley disgusts me insofar as he is a sexual predator. But when I look at him through the lenses of Christ I see a pathetic man lost in his own sin and depravity. I pity him, and I encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for this man's soul.

1. The paralytic responded obediently

“He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.’ And he rose…”

The work of Jesus demands a response. For the paralytic, Jesus commanded him to pick up his bed and go home. What Jesus asks you and me to do in response to his work in our lives will differ depending on our own life experiences. While all of us share the same predicament of sin common to fallen humanity, its expression in our lives takes on a vast array of shapes. No one grows up in a vacuum.

One incredible aspect of the healing of the paralytic is that the command of Jesus challenged the man to face his area of greatest weakness. Here was a man who could not take a single step on his own. It was his area of greatest physical failure and weakness. But Jesus challenges him to face that weakness, stare it in the eyes, and conquer it.

I believe that Jesus can heal and bring victory to the lives of people today in the exact same way. He knows our areas of greatest weakness and failure and he alone can bring true restoration to those areas. Granted, the healing he offers you and me may not necessarily be physical in nature. But his grace is sufficient to cleanse the human heart of all sin and shed the love of God abroad.

What is the obedient response to the work of God in the life of the believer? It is nothing other than a life of true Christian holiness. Where does this holiness begin? When Jesus does in a work in our lives, who will be the first to be affected by it? It is clear from this text of Scripture that upon healing this man's brokenness he was to take his experience home with him before anywhere else (“go home,” v. 11). It is true that the change and restoration that Jesus brings to our lives must impact the world around us, but its impact must first be felt in the most common and personal places and with those we are most intimately connected to.

The work God does in the very center of our beings is one that requires an obedient response. His healing work is not the end, but the beginning and the means to an end. He desires that we respond to Him in obedience and pursue holiness of heart and life.

Questions for reflection:
1. What has Jesus done in your life to heal and restore you?
2. What efforts have you made to obey his command/s in response to his work in your life?
3. Are you making personal holiness the central goal in your Christian experience?