Romans 9
Here’s a somber question. Has God created—predestined, set up—some people to go to Hell, and there’s nothing they can do about it? They’re just pawns on the chessboard of faith? It’s all settled? Is that what the Bible teaches?
We’ll find answers to those questions not by opinion or guesswork, but by what the Word of God says. Romans chapter 9 and other verses will answer this question and give you three important truths:
God makes sovereign choices.
God has spotless character.
God has sincere concerns.
In Romans 9:1-3, the Apostle Paul’s concern for souls was so sincere, he said, “I would be willing to die and go to Hell if my Jewish brothers and sisters would be saved. I’m willing to take their Hell if they could take my Heaven.” I’m not sure I could say that. That’s sacrifice. That’s exactly what Jesus did on the cross.
You must correctly know the nature of God. If you don’t know His true nature—His character and attributes—your theology is skewed. You can’t interpret or understand Scripture correctly if you don’t know the character of the One who wrote it.
When we ask, “Are some people predestined for Hell?”, if we go to His Word, we’re going to learn things about Him that will give us the answer.
God makes sovereign choices.
Speaking of his Jewish kinsmen, Paul says God gave special blessings (Romans 9:4-5) to His chosen people, set apart for His service. They didn’t choose themselves. God chose them, beginning with Abraham, whom He called out from a pagan society to be set apart for Himself.
And earlier, Paul established this truth about God: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
We were utterly sinful when Jesus went to the cross for us. We hadn’t done anything to cause God to say, “I think I’ll redeem that one but not that one.”
Just from 1 John 4:7-10 alone, though there are many other verses, we can say definitively:
- One of God’s primary attributes is His love.
- God loves lost sinners, which is who we all are before coming to Christ.
- No one is predestined for Hell.
- God chooses individuals.
God pardons according to His sovereign will, completely apart from our merit (See Titus 3:5.), because He is merciful (See Psalm 32:10, Proverbs 28:13.)
If you want mercy, you can have it. Pardon is according to God’s sovereign will. He decided He will show us mercy when we don’t deserve it. He says, “If you’re saved, you’re going to be saved by grace, not because you will for me to be merciful to you. It’s because I will it.”
In Romans 9:17-18, Paul mentions Pharaoh, wicked ruler of Egypt, to show what can happen when you spurn God’s mercy and go your own way. Pharaoh serves as a warning not to choose as he did and harden our hearts (See Hebrews 3:15.) If you do, like Pharaoh you will crystallize in your sin, and God will say, “Okay, since you insist, not My will, but yours be done.”
God didn’t create rebellion in your heart. God works with you like a potter shaping a vessel (See Romans 9:20.) God does as He pleases, but He always pleases to do right. There is no unrighteousness with God. He has prepared us to have His glory (See Romans 9:23-24.)
Predestined for Hell?
Some people think God said, “People are just helpless, insensible clay, and I’m the Potter. So, I’ll make one vessel for Heaven and the other for Hell. Nothing you can do about it.”
Is that the God of the Bible? What potter would ever make a vessel just so he could destroy it? Did He set out to do that? Of course not! (See 1 Timothy 2:3-4.) God did not ordain some people to Hell.
God has spotless character.
The Bible tells us repeatedly that God is holy. He cannot sin, because to sin would be to deny His own character. He cannot deny Himself nor act in a way that violates His character. In His choices, He cannot and will not choose to do wrong.
God is holy, righteous, and just in all His ways. God doesn’t create people to damn them or destroy them! He is a God of love.
God has sincere concerns.
He’s preparing us for glory. (See Romans 9:23-24.) All things are working together for good to make us like the Lord Jesus. (See Romans 8:28) He’s making both Jews and Gentiles children of God.
So what have we found? Are some people predestined for Hell? Or does God want all people saved—and He created no one to go to Hell? The Bible answers in these verses. Turn to each one and read what He says:
Some people say Jesus didn’t die for the whole world, but these verses say He did!
You can say to anyone, “If you want mercy, you can have mercy. If you want salvation, you can have salvation. If you want to be saved—on the authority God’s Word, you can be saved.”
God’s steadfast concern is that He wants you to be saved. And if you want to be saved, He will save you today. He will keep you and present you spotless before His throne.
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