This week at our Friday Morning Bible Study we dealt with the last verses of Chapter 8, and all of Romans Chapter 9.
Romans 8 ends by talking about these good, glorious ideals; that we are more than conquerors in Christ, that nothing can separate us from the love of God: not life, not death, not the future, nor the past, nor any other creature could ever separate us from the love of Christ. And then we go to Chapter 9. Oh, what a headache!
It’s in Chapter 9 we’re told that God will have mercy on whom He’ll have mercy. That as the Creator He’ll have full sway and right to say what He will or will not do with and for His creation. These are deep thoughts, deep ideas that most Christians, in my experience, turn away from to embrace the more shallow truths; that God loves everyone, that no one is going to hell, that no one is estranged from God, that everyone is a friend of God, that God is a big grandpa in the sky without the right to rule and reign and judge His own creation.
Bottom line of what we learned this week in Romans: this indeed is my Father’s world, He is a big God, a good God, an awesome God; and He will reign with absolute sway over His creation. He will do as He pleases. The only obligation He owes us is to be fully who He is and do what He does. Ha cannot violate His nature. He is righteous, holy and without sin, absolutely. If we’re going to be loved and included, there has to be another story added. It’s called the gospel, the story of grace.