25 As He says in Hosea:
“I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people,
and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”26 and,
“It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,
‘You are not My people,’
they will be called
‘sons of the living God.’”27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
“Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea,
only the remnant will be saved.
28 For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth
thoroughly and decisively.”29 It is just as Isaiah foretold:
“Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have resembled Gomorrah.”
REFLECTIONS
Written by Susan Everett
I’ve always found Romans 9 a difficult chapter. I think most of us like to imagine that we are in charge of our own destinies. Yet Paul says that what actually determines our future is God’s sovereign mercy, not our efforts.
It feels unfair. And in a real way, it is.
But verses 25-26 remind me what is actually unfair. It’s unfair that God shows mercy to a sinful outsider like me.
I’m not a part of God’s original covenant people, Israel. I’m not a naturally good or godly person. I don’t deserve God’s compassion. None of us do.
And yet, because God delights in showing mercy, he calls us ungodly, underserving Gentiles, “My people.” He calls us “beloved.” He even calls us “sons” – his children.
Just let that sink in. If you trust in Jesus, you belong to God. You are his beloved. You are a child of his. That’s who you are now. And because that rests entirely on God’s choice to be merciful, you can’t stuff it up. You can’t earn it, or un-earn it. You are just as much God’s beloved on your bad days as your good days. That’s the kind of salvation Jesus has purchased for us.
God’s sovereign choice can be a tricky thing to wrestle with. But it’s also the only reason any of us can be called children of God. Let’s thank him for his mercy.
Heavenly Father, we know that we do not deserve your mercy. You have every right to judge us for our sin. Thank you so much for choosing to show us mercy instead. Thank you for calling us your people, your beloved, your sons. Help us remember today that we are your people not because of our efforts or desires, but because you decided to show us mercy through Jesus. In his name we pray, Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.