Determining Factors in Salvation

This is an exerpt from the sermon preached Jan. 2, 2011

Did God lovingly choose me because he knew I would believe or Did I believe because God chose me. The biblical answer to that question is, “Yes”.

The Bible points to both God’s choice and our choice as logical priors like two rails of a train track that go off into the distance never crossing as far as the eye can see, never one rail saying to the other, "I no longer have need of you."

God chose you because he is Sovereign God and has the right to do anything he pleases with what he has made and owns…
Psalm 115:3
Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

And the parallel truth is this: When God conceived of the idea of you, he knew you would choose him. His choice matters supremely, but your choice matters completely. But - Let’s look at God first.

Romans 9:11 Before they [The twins, Jacob and Esau] were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.” 14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses,
“I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” 16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. 17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. 19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” 20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?

In this text God is seen as making independent decisions as to whom he will bless with mercy and compassion based solely on his right as creator of all. God’s choice is seen as independent of ours.
Now – understandably this makes us Crazy. He makes some of us for dishonorable service like Pharaoh and then blames Pharaoh for not bowing to his moral will.

It seems unfair and yet we are told not to talk back – which just pushes our rebellion against this text deeper into our own psyche. – unless – unless we try… to trust God and see him as one who refuses to gamble with our souls and submit to mere chance but rather ensures that some will certainly be saved.

God is God is not capricious, reckless, contingent not dependent on anyone. He could do no other than plan that some would certainly be saved. But within that plan he did not ordain that all would be saved. So we ask Who is at fault?

If I were to maintain the logic that has been established in Romans 9 of the potter and the clay and ask the question. Why did most of the Jews not believe in the Christ –

Logically – I would have to say because God didn’t choose them – he rejected them hated them – That is what logic says, but the text goes on to say more than simply that God is sovereign. It goes on to say man is responsible.

God shatters our narrow logic because his thoughts are higher than out thoughts .
Romans 9:31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.

It’s their fault. Their choice is viewed here as logically prior. They determined their own fate by their refusal to believe. Why didn’t Israel attain righteousness – not because God did or did not do something but because THEY
• tried to work for reward rather than simply trust
• wanted to earn reward rather than simply receive it
• wanted the glory rather than give glory to God.

It was their fault. Their faithlessness was logically prior. It all hinges (at least in this text) on their lack of belief.
Both rails of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are seen in Rom 9.
The Bible points to both God’s choice and our choice as logical priors, determining factors in our salvation. This then falls into the ontological gap, the black-hole question, "How can it be?". We don't know.