ROMANS 9:14–29
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
(Rom. 9:14).
Those who hold to the prescience view of predestination believe that the doctrine of election casts a shadow on the justice of God. They assert that if God chooses some to be saved, then He must choose all. If He does not, then He is being unrighteous or unfair. The problem with this line of reasoning is that it has a distorted view of grace.
Grace is unmerited favor. We must keep this definition in mind because it is central to the doctrine of election. When we receive grace from God, we receive some benefit from His hand that we have not deserved, merited, or earned. It comes gratuitously simply on the basis of His mercy. How, then, can there be unrighteousness with God? Paul maintained that there cannot be. God simply has mercy on whom He will have mercy and compassion on whom He will have compassion. God’s grace is entirely sovereign, which means that He does not owe anyone mercy. If God owed us grace, it would no longer be grace but justice.
Mercy, which is neither injustice nor justice, falls into a category better described as non-justice. When God grants someone mercy, He is not acting according to justice because He does not owe them mercy, but neither is He acting in an unrighteous manner. In election, some people receive grace and some do not (they receive justice). In this context, has anyone been the victim of unrighteousness? No, of course not. Just because God’s grace is not given equally to everyone does not mean He is acting unfairly. This is because He does not owe anyone grace. If there are two criminals in prison for life, and the governor pardons one of them, he is not obligated to pardon the other. The remaining prisoner is receiving his just due. If the governor were required to free all the prisoners, it would no longer be an act of mercy but a matter of justice.
People often reject election because they do not want God to have the right to grant mercy to whom He wills. But the minute you begin to think that God owes you mercy, you have moved out of the realm of grace and into the realm of justice. We must be careful because if we demand that God give us what we deserve, we will not receive grace but we will receive eternal damnation.
CORAM DEO
1 Samuel 15–16
Luke 15:1–10
Read and meditate on Rom. 11:5–7. How do these verses adequately sum up today’s lesson? In what other ways do you demand grace from God? You can detect a spirit of demanding grace when you think you deserve better than what you have. Think about what you really deserve, and thank God for the grace He has shown you.
For further study: Deut. 10:12–22 • Acts 10:34–43 • Rom. 5:12–21
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