Is Predestination Fair? [Family Worship lesson in Romans 9:14–18]

Is it unrighteous of God to make the difference between the saved and the unsaved? Romans 9:14–18 prepares us for the sermon in the midweek prayer meeting. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that it is merciful of God to save from among sinners who all deserve to be hardened. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2025.11.21 Hopewell @Home ▫ Romans 9:14–18

Read Romans 9:14–18

Questions from the Scripture text: With what question does Romans 9:14 begin? What have some apparently said/asked? How does the apostle answer? To whom has God spoken (Romans 9:15)? What does He say that He will have? Upon whom? What else does He say that He will have? Upon whom? Of what two types people is the difference not produced (Romans 9:16)? Who produces it? What does He show? What speaks to whom in Romans 9:17? What does God say that He has done? In order to show what? And so that what else will happen, where? Upon whom does He have mercy? Whom does He harden?

Is it unrighteous of God to make the difference between the saved and the unsaved? Romans 9:14–18 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that it is merciful of God to save from among sinners who all deserve to be hardened. 

The opposite of unrighteousness. Notice how the apostle deals with the question (Romans 9:14) of whether there is unrighteousness with God. He does not reason about whether he thinks God is righteous. That would be to make ourselves the judges of God. Anyone who thinks or speaks this way shows themselves to be impious and arrogant and self-condemned. Instead, the apostle takes God at His own Word. What does God say about God? God says that He is merciful and compassionate (Romans 9:15)! 

This is what makes the difference between the elect and the reprobate: the mercy of God. If there had been any injustice, it would have been on account of not destroying the elect in their sin. But, the apostle has already told us the way by which the Lord could show mercy and be just at the same time (cf. Romans 3:24–26).

God makes a merciful difference. So, Romans 9:16 goes on to restate the point that neither Rebecca and Isaac’s will, nor Jacob and Esau’s running, was what made the difference. What made the difference? God Himself did! When Romans 9:11 said this, it referred to Him as “Him who calls.” Now, Romans 9:16 refers to the difference-making God as “God Who shows mercy.” 

He is a just God, but apart from mercy, that justice would give to all men equally. Apart from mercy, God’s justice would rightly give all men wrath, would give all men Hell. It is His mercy that has intervened.

God rightly does harden. Though the great difference-maker is mercy and compassion, it is not wrong for God to show His power and declare His Name by the judgment of His enemies. This He declared to Pharaoh, which He put in writing for our sakes (Romans 9:17). Pharaoh is a sinner, and it is absolutely right for God to be glorified upon him. 

The will of God is exercised in both cases in Romans 9:18: both in the showing of mercy and the hardening. But notice that the latter is “hardening.” God does not make them wicked. Rather, He hardens them in wickedness. They are already wicked. God justly hardened, solidified, Pharaoh in being what he already was.

Is there unrighteousness with God? No! NO! NO!! There is mercy with God! Mercy to sinners! Mercy to sinners that He would have been right to harden in their sin. Mercy unto whomever He wills. Free mercy, motivated by His mere good pleasure. Each of us ought to know, before God, that He would have been right to harden me, but instead He has shown me mercy, simply because He wanted to!

What do you deserve? What is the only way that this wouldn’t happen? What does God show, when He makes the difference between the unsaved and the saved?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank you for making the difference for us. Truly, You are just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. Grant unto us to be Yours in Him, and conformed to Him, by Your Spirit. We confess that we deserve to be hardened, but we bless Your Name for Your free mercy toward us in Jesus Christ, through Whom we pray, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP130 “Lord, From the Depths to You I Cried” or TPH425 “How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place”

What Determines Who Believes? [Family Worship lesson in Romans 9:10–13]

What determines who gets saved? Romans 9:10–13 prepares us for the sermon in the midweek prayer meeting. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s loving choice is what determines who gets saved. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2025.11.20 Hopewell @Home ▫ Romans 9:10–13

Read Romans 9:10–13

Questions from the Scripture text: How does Romans 9:10 convey the idea that this is a new part of the reasoning? Who conceived? By how many fathers? Whose father? What hadn’t happened to the children (Romans 9:11)? What hadn’t they done? What was the cause, then—that what should stand? According to what had God purposed? What does not bring about that purpose? What does bring about that purpose? What promise was made to whom (Romans 9:12)? What does Malachi record about that promise (Romans 9:13)?

What determines who gets saved? Romans 9:10–13 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s loving choice is what determines who gets saved. 

Who doesn’t determine who will believe in Christ. In Romans 9:6-9, the Spirit taught us that there is a distinction between the visible church and the invisible church, between those who are children of the flesh and those who are children of God. The invisible church, the children of God, are those who have their adoption through faith in the promised Seed, Jesus Christ.

But that prompts another question: how is it that some who are in the church come to believe in Jesus Christ, when there are many in the church who never believe? 

Romans 9:10 quickly dismisses the idea that the difference is determined by the parents. Esau and Jacob not only had the same father, but the same mother, coming into the world in the same season of their lives. 

And Romans 9:11 quickly dismisses the idea that the difference is determined by the children. The children weren’t even born yet. They had done nothing, either one way or the other, to distinguish one from the other.

Who does determine who will believe in Christ. So, if it wasn’t due to the parents, or due to the children, then who? “that the purpose of God according to election might stand.” Election is first: God setting His love upon some. Then came a purpose according to that election: to bring a Redeemer into the world, the Seed that was promised to Abraham and came through Isaac, and to bring the elect to faith in that Redeemer. 

Whenever someone comes to faith, it is because this purpose of God must stand. Notice that this purpose is according to election, not reprobation. Those who are reprobate bring wrath upon themselves, but God drives history not with an eye to His wrath but with an eye to redeeming those whom He loved from all eternity.

How the purpose is made to stand. So, how is this purpose brought about? It is not by works. By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified (cf. Romans 3:20). Rather, God calls to faith (Romans 9:11) by the preaching of the promise, and He gives faith to those whom He calls, so that they believe Him (cf. Romans 10:14–16). 

In Malachi, God addressed wicked Jacob with a Word that would bring salvation, because of His love for him whom He would bring to faith—even though Esau/Edom had been justly hated (Romans 9:13, cf. Malachi 1:2–3), and the faith-giving promise of redemption was not preached there (cf. Romans 9:4). The Old Testament closed with a word of hope offered to a sinful people because God Himself would come in a day of salvation in which He turns hearts by the calling of His Word (cf. Malachi 4:5–6).

What opportunity do you have when you hear preaching? How is this reflected in the frequency and attentiveness with which you hear preaching? Who can make that opportunity effectual to you? How do your prayers reflect this desire?

Sample prayer:  Our gracious God and heavenly Father, we thank You that You give faith, by Your call, according to Your love. Grant unto us that faith by Your Spirit, we ask, through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH426 “How Vast the Benefits Divine”

Deadly Laziness [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 19:24]

Pastor teaches his family a selection from “the Proverb of the day.” In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that laziness is ridiculously self-destructive. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Unfailing Word to Covenant Children [Family Worship lesson in Romans 9:6–9]

Why do some covenant children perish in their sins? Romans 9:6–9 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that covenant children perish through parents who don’t believe the promises and children who fail to believe in the promised One. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2025.11.19 Hopewell @Home ▫ Romans 9:6–9

Read Romans 9:6–9

Questions from the Scripture text: What might some say, if there are Israelites who do not end up saved (Romans 9:6a)? How does the apostle summarize the case for why this isn’t true (verse 6b)? What does not define a child of Abraham (Romans 9:7a, cf. Romans 4:11–12, John 8:39)? From what Scripture does the apostle prove this (Romans 9:7b, cf. Genesis 21:12)? Who are not the children of God (Romans 9:8a)? Who are the seed/offspring of God (verse 8b)? What child was promised to Abraham (Romans 9:9, cf. Genesis 18:10–14)? What child had not come by promise? Of what was this a parable?

Why do some covenant children perish in their sins? Romans 9:6–9 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that covenant children perish through parents who don’t believe the promises and children who fail to believe in the promised One.  

Has the Word of God failed? One of the most sensitive and difficult spiritual issues for believers is that covenant children sometimes perish. How can this be, when we have called them “saint,” and they have enjoyed the privileges and benefits of being members of the visible church? This was precisely the case with the Jews, as the apostle has made clear by his description of them in Romans 9:4. So, how could it be that so many Jews were rejecting Christ? Did the Word of God about them as a visible church fail? Or did the Word of God that was preached to them fail?

We distinguish. It is odd to the author that many will come to Romans 9–11 and insist that “Israel” must refer to the same group of people when used multiple times in nearby context to one another. “Israel” quite obviously refers to two different groups just a couple words apart in Romans 9:6! They are not all elect/saved Israel who are of covenantal/ethnic Israel. Romans 9:4 had referred to Israel as a covenant people, as a visible church. Romans 9:5 had referred to Israel as an ethnic people, related in their flesh. Now Romans 9:6 explains that being a member of Israel in the Romans 9:4/Romans 9:5 way did not ultimately make someone elect or guarantee that they would be saved. 

Parents and children who fail. The apostle’s selections of Scripture in Romans 9:7 (cf. Genesis 21:12) and Romans 9:9 (cf. Genesis 18:10, Genesis 18:14) are very impressive. In the former one, the Lord was promising the one through whom the Christ would come, and Sarah was disbelieving. In the latter quote, it is Sarah who is defending the integrity of the covenant line through whom Christ would come, and Abraham has to be rebuked/instructed by God to heed her good counsel. In both places, there is a parent who has the promises of Christ for us and for our children, but who is failing to make proper application of it. This is what fails when covenant children perish, as so many Jews were doing in Paul’s day: not the promise, but our believing and responding to the promise.

The God Who remains true. Despite Abraham’s weakness and Sarah’s weakness, God’s promise remained true. He brought them to repentance. He brought their sons to faith—not just Isaac but also Ishmael. When we are failing as parents (as we often/constantly do), our cry to God must be that He would give us repentance and faithfulness, and that He Who is perfectly faithful would yet bring our children to faith. Isaac was not saved by being the one through whom the Seed (and seed) were called. He was saved by believing in the Seed that would come through him. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Ishmael were all saved only by believing in the promised one. For children of the flesh (Romans 9:8a) to become children of God (verse 8c) by being children of the promise (verse 8b), they must believe in the promised one.

So covenant parents must not do as so many Jews did (assume that they were being saved by being Jews and being presumptuous about themselves and their children). Believing the promises doesn’t mean presumptuously ignoring the means appointed by the faithful Word, but rather diligently using them. Believing the promises doesn’t mean neglecting to call covenant children to believe in the promised One, but constantly employing the Word of promise to plead with them to believe in Him. Never has the Word been thus employed and failed. 

When we find ourselves failing, we must turn to Him Whose Word does not fail, asking Him to grant repentance to us, and faith to our children—that the God Who overcame Abraham’s and Sarah’s failings would overcome ours as well. Dear covenant child, who might be reading this devotional, or hearing it taught to you by your own Christian parent. God has made promises concerning you that you are identified with in “the adoption,” see in “the glory,” have signified to you in “the covenants,” have taught you in “the law,” lay claim to in “the worship of God,” and hear promised to you in “the promises” (Romans 9:4). Believe in the promised One! Believe in Jesus Christ! Don’t presume upon yourself or your status. Children of the flesh are not saved by being children of the flesh, or by their covenant status, but only by believing in Jesus Christ.

What is your hope for yourself? What things has God given you, in His church, to encourage you in that hope? What is your hope for your children? What things has God given you, in His church, to encourage you in that hope? Why must you not hope merely in their being from your flesh or in their being part of His church?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank You for Your many good and precious promises about the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for announcing Him to us, and showing Him to us, in so many ways as members of Your church. And thank You for giving us promises, also, concerning our children. Grant that by Your Spirit, we would be faithful to urge them to hope in Christ as He is offered to them in the gospel. And grant that by Your Spirit, they would do so, we ask in Christ’s Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP126 “What Blessedness” or TPH405 “I Love They Kingdom, Lord” 

The Horror of Sin [Children's Catechism 27 — Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 27—especially explaining how sin is horrible because it is against God.

Q27. Did Adam keep the covenant of works? No; he sinned against God. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of th audio: The lesson centers on the profound moral and theological significance of Adam’s failure to uphold the covenant of works, emphasizing that his sin was not merely a violation of a divine rule but a personal offense against God Himself—both as Creator and covenant Lord. It underscores the gravity of sin by highlighting God’s holiness, sovereignty, and the intimate relationship established in the garden, where Adam was called to live in obedience to God’s moral and ceremonial commands. The failure to obey, particularly in the act of eating from the forbidden tree, reveals the depth of human rebellion against a holy and personal God, a pattern that resonates as the nature of all human sin. The reflection serves as a sobering reminder that all believers, having been brought into covenant relationship with God through His grace, are called to recognize the seriousness of sin against a holy and loving God. Ultimately, the lesson calls for humility, self-examination, and a deeper appreciation of God’s righteousness and the cost of disobedience.

Grieving Over Perishing Souls [Family Worship lesson in Romans 9:1–5]

If the love of God is irreversible, then what about Israel? Romans 9:1–5 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Israel are the people from whom Christ came, and therefore for whom we should agonize over each one of them that does not have Him. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2025.11.18 Hopewell @Home ▫ Romans 9:1–5

Read Romans 9:1–5

Questions from the Scripture text: What four ways does Romans 9:1 affirm what Paul is saying (verse 1)? What level of grief was so hard to believe (Romans 9:2-3a)? For what could he wish to be accursed from Christ? Which brethren? What are they called (Romans 9:4)? What six great things pertained to them? Who was from them (Romans 9:5)? And Who else came from them, according to the flesh? Over whom is Christ? Who does this make Him?

If the love of God is irreversible, then what about Israel? Romans 9:1–5 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Israel are the people from whom Christ came, and therefore for whom we should agonize over each one of them that does not have Him.

An amazing work of grace. Romans 9:1 is unusual. By four types of vow or oath statements, the apostle verifies what he is saying. This is not because his yes and no are sometimes no and yes, but simply because of how wonderful is the work of grace that God has done in his heart to give him such love for the Jews. Becoming forgiving like this is a great work of great grace. Each of us should look to God to do it in our hearts, and conform us to Christ (cf. Luke 23:34), as He has done for Stephen (cf. Acts 7:60), Paul, and other believers for two millennia.

An agonizing grief. If Romans 9:2 is what it looks like when grace has laid hold of our hearts, then many of us should be crying out for more grace. The apostle by whom the Spirit commands us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (cf. Philippians 4:4) continually grieves with great sorrow for the lost. The greatest joy and the greatest sorrow ought to dwell together continually in our hearts.

An astonishing generosity. The apostle has just finished describing how salvation is determined in eternity and invincibly carried out in time (cf. Romans 8:27–39). But now he declares his hypothetical (“I could wish,” Romans 9:3) desire to give up his own salvation (“accursed for Christ”) for his relatives according to the flesh. This is, of course, something that is impossible for us to do. But it is also exactly what Christ has done for us. He was cursed for us (cf. Galatians 3:13)!

This self-sacrificial love puts to shame our prayerlessness for the lost. Christ was accursed for us, the apostle was willing to be accursed for others’ salvation, but we find ourselves too unwilling even to be inconvenienced to pray for it. Or to be thought fanatical or impolite to speak for it.

Two categories of those whom we should especially love this way. Paul describes the Jews two ways. First, they are his relatives according to the flesh. We have a special obligation to those to whom God’s providence connects us.

Second, the Jews are Israelites (Romans 9:4). And this he means primarily covenantally. “To whom pertain the adoption” (cf. Exodus 4:22–23; Hosea 11:1; Jeremiah 31:9). “The glory” (cf. Exodus 24:9–11, Exodus 24:16–18). “The covenants.” Notice the plural here; this is not only the Sinaitic covenant, but a recognition of the progression from Genesis 3 through Genesis 9, Genesis 12, Sinai, 2 Samuel 7, even unto Christ. God’s law, worship, and promises (Romans 9:4b) at Sinai all looked forward to Christ covenantally.

The Jews are also ethnically precious because of the eminent saints at the root of their tree (“the fathers,” Romans 9:5) and the infinitely glorious Branch Who grew from the stump of their tree (“from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came.”) We ought to love Abraham as a father in the faith (cf. Romans 4:11–12, Romans 4:16), and his descendants for his sake (this works for Jews and Arabs alike!). But how much more ought we to love the earthly family of those from whom the Ever-Blessed God was born according to the flesh (cf. Romans 1:3–4; Romans 1:25b)! Indeed, though some point out that it is possible to translate the end of Romans 9:5 differently, it is impossible to do so honestly, as it follows hard upon the heels of Romans 8:35–39.

We should care for the salvation of all who are perishing. But the Lord has placed upon us a special obligation to grieve over the perishing of our near relatives and of the Jews.

For whom, among your relatives, should you be looking for more grace in the heart to grieve over them continually? If you had this grace, for whom else would you especially grieving (both covenantally and ethnically)?

Sample prayer: Lord, we thank You for Your great mercy toward us. In that mercy, make us merciful to those who are perishing. Break our hearts for their salvation—especially for our family according to the flesh and for Christ’s family according to the flesh, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP126 “What Blessedness” or TPH405 “I Love They Kingdom, Lord”