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some thoughts from Romans 9-11

Over Romans 9 in my Bible I have written "sovereignty and mercy of God". It is important that I remember both of those absolute, wonderful truths. Many times I can get caught up in the idea of the "sovereignty of God" without also remembering and living by His mercy. This is crazy! One only has to look at the cross to worship in absolute amazement of God's great mercy.

Do I understand - like human-logically put together - all that is contained in Romans 9, 10, 11? No way! How can you? It doesn't make sense that a just God who defines HOLY and can not tolerate sin would have mercy on A-N-Y-O-N-E. Yet, He is the author and effector (is that a word?) of salvation to save sinners.
"So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." Romans 9:16
I remember many years ago riding to a "girl's weekend out" with my sister and talking about this passage all the way. It was a beautiful ride in the fall and the leaves were turning colors. I remember reading Romans 9-11 for real the first time and how hard it was to swallow and how many questions of debate I had. She had those same questions, but was so humble and interested. It is a very good memory. (NOTE: If you are ever on a road-trip and enjoying the conversation greatly, still pay careful attention to how fast you are driving. Enough said. :-) )

We see both truths of God's sovereignty in salvation and genuine human responsibility in these chapters.
"if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." Romans 10:9-10
And we see both the responsibility we have to hear the gospel and proclaim the gospel.
"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?...So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Romans 10:14, 17
Does this make sense? No, in the sense that is doesn't jive with the fallen, man-centered presuppositions that we all have. But, gloriously YES - it is truth! I can't get my head around it. I long to understand more. I will work to know more of God and His character and His ways, but with Paul I say...

"Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:34-36

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