Peter Barnes | Romans 9:17-18
SERMON NOTES
MERCY AND HARDENING
(Romans 9:17-18)
1. What Scripture says, God says.
– 9:17a; see too Gal.3:8, 22
– Augustine thought of God saying to him: ‘Man, O man, what my Scripture says, I say.’
2. God displays His power.
– 9:17; Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart? This is the mystery of sin:
(a) Pharaoh hardened his own heart – read Ex. 8:15, 32; 9:34.
(b) His heart was hardened (by God, by Pharaoh himself, or by the circumstances) – read Ex.7:13, 22; 8:19; 9:7, 35.
(c) The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart – read Ex.4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10.
– for salvation in Josh.2:8-10
– God is not the author of evil but He is sovereign over evil (Prov.16:4; 2 Thess.2:11-12)
3. God shows mercy and He hardens.
– 9:18; Isa.63:17; there is a reprobation (1 Pet.2:8)
– There are lessons that we ought not to draw from this doctrine:
(a) it does not detract from our compassion for the salvation of others (9:3); (b) it ought to energise us, not make us fatalistic (10:15; 2 Tim.2:10). And there are lessons that we ought to draw from this doctrine: (a) it ought to humble us by giving glory to God alone (Eph.1:6, 12, 14); (b) it ought to give us assurance (8:29-30, 38-39).