If God Is For Us

Scripture Texts: Romans 9:30 – 10:4

Introduction.

Until now in Romans 9 the Apostle Paul has been addressing the Jew/Gentile issue from the perspective of heaven, from the divine point of view.  He has talked about God’s choosing, about God’s election from before the foundation of the world, about God’s plan and purposeful decision to choose Isaac and not Ishmael, Jacob and not Esau, the children of the promise and not the children of the flesh, vessels of mercy and not vessels of wrath.

Now Paul is going to end this chapter looking at these things from an earthly or human perspective.  We are turning from the initiative of God to the response of human beings, from the perspective of the sovereignty of God to that of the responsibility of man.  Both are true, both are taught in Scripture.

We are shifting from the sun at the center of the solar system exerting the powerful force of gravity, to the planets’ response to that gravity.

There are people who are seeking God and don’t find Him.

There are people who are not seeking God and do find Him.

Both these contrasting actions are considered from below, from the perspective of the attitudes and actions of men, the Jews rejecting Christ, and the Gentiles receiving Christ.