Whatever one’s conclusion regarding these interpretive options, one thing is clear: God does choose to bless some people and not others, and God can choose to bless some nations and not others. The one thing that Jacob and Esau and Israel and Edom had in common was the absolute failure to merit God’s grace in … Read more
IF MANY JEWS DID NOT LOVE JESUS, DID GOD’S WORD FAIL (ROMANS 9:6)? Since the Jewish people had descended from Abraham and enjoyed God’s provision and instruction for so many generations, the fact that when Jesus came, many Jews, though not all, rejected him raises the question of whether God’s Word ultimately failed. God’s Word … Read more
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the … Read more
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom … Read more
In this sermon from Romans 9:30-10:13, Pastor Mark addresses the question of who chooses our salvation and whether or not predestination is loving.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom … Read more
Clearly, the Bible says that every person without exception turns their back on God and is unrighteous, foolish, lost, at war with God, and spiritually dead. Though physically alive, the Bible says that we are not merely sick from sin but spiritually dead in that we are as inclined toward and capable of seeking God … Read more
Since no part of us is pure, untainted and unaffected by sin, there is nothing in our sinful fallen nature that desires or decides devotion to God. As the church father Augustine has said, “Man has options, but those options are all sinful in nature. He is free to choose, but merely to engage in … Read more
To clarify what total depravity does and does not mean, a few points are helpful. First, depravity is total in that it refers to all people. Paul here speaks of “all”, “none is righteous”, “no, not one”, “no one”, “all have turned aside”, and “no one does good, not even one”. Second, depravity is total … Read more
Likely the most succinct explanation of total depravity is penned by Paul: Romans 3:9-18 [nature] What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; [mind] no one understands; … Read more
In this sermon from Romans 9:14-29, Pastor Mark addresses two more questions Paul answers about predestination including whether it’s unjust or unfair for some to be saved and not others using the case study of Pharaoh and his hard heart.
Country music star Luke Bryan has a chorus to one of his chart-topping songs that says, “I believe most people are good.” Many people have sung those same lines while drunk in a bar hitting on someone they are not married to, which is curious. The Bible’s version of the song would be, “I know … Read more