“You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’”
Romans 9:19
One of the most popular comedians in the 1960's and 70's was Flip Wilson, who left us with his well-known line, "The devil made me do it!" We found it funny, but probably enjoyed it more because somehow, he helped ease our consciences. If we could just transfer the blame for our wrongdoings to someone or something else, then we don’t feel so guilty anymore. We soothe our nagging consciences with this transfer of blame.
This transferring of blame is nothing new. Look at Adam's response when God found him in the garden to confront him with his disobedience; “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate." Adam was effectively telling God that his disobedience was God's fault! And Eve didn't respond any differently; “The serpent deceived me, and I ate." So, we learn that one of the major repercussions of the fall was this newly acquired inclination to "suppress the truth" about ourselves. The truth being that we sin, and we sin because we decide to sin.
This principle of personal moral responsibility is clearly presented by James who wrote, "Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-15). James points us to the true source of sin, our own evil desires which are the product of a corrupted heart.
In Romans chapter 9, we are given what is probably the classic presentation of God's sovereign work of election. Paul wrote, "So then it (salvation) is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" and, "Therefore He (God) has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens" (Romans 9:16,18). Paul then anticipated the objection to this teaching. He wrote, “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’” (v.19). Paul was saying that there will be some who will conclude that if the only way one can come to God is if they’re elected, then how can they be held responsible for refusing the offer of salvation through Jesus' shed blood. After all, aren't they unable to respond themselves? Isn’t God to blame for their unbelief?
Jesus Himself seems to add fuel to their argument when He said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me." But then Jesus added, "and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37). In a single sweeping statement, Jesus declares the sovereign will of the Father in choosing those to whom He will grant saving grace, and yet directs the responsibility for coming to Jesus by faith squarely on the individual. Thus, any person who rejects Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is refusing on the basis of their own heart’s desire. The fallen sinner, even though unable to do good or come to God, can only point to their own desire and will as the source and root of all their unbelief and stubbornness.
Christ still commands His hearers to believe in Him and clearly pointed out the consequences of unbelief (John 3:16-21). And in so doing, demonstrated that God will uphold His Name and will not relax His requirements in order to accommodate the fallen condition of man. Knowing our inability, therefore, shouldn’t our response be like that of blind Bartimaeus, who shouted out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus responded, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see (NIV)” (Mark 10:47,51). And just as his cry was answered, so too does God hear the cry of the spiritually blind, helpless, humble, penitent sinner who cries out to Him for mercy.
We live on earth in the short hour of God's saving grace. We're to earnestly seek God, depending upon Him for saving faith for, "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Today, if we hear His word, we're not to harden our hearts and we know that, "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). One day, it will no longer be this way. Christ will return in all of His glory to gather His people to Himself. But those who stubbornly resist to the end His call to repentance and mercy through faith in Jesus Christ, who persist in their stiff-necked refusal to accept their personal moral accountability, who steadfastly continue in their attempts to blame God for their own willful disobedience, will stand before Christ with their mouths silenced in the awful and compelling reality of their own blame and liability for their sin.
Are you blaming others for your problems, faults and sins? Maybe you’re even blaming God Himself. Will this be your excuse on that day, the great Day of the Lord, when you will stand before Him to give an account? Let it not be so! Instead, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).
Romans 9:19
One of the most popular comedians in the 1960's and 70's was Flip Wilson, who left us with his well-known line, "The devil made me do it!" We found it funny, but probably enjoyed it more because somehow, he helped ease our consciences. If we could just transfer the blame for our wrongdoings to someone or something else, then we don’t feel so guilty anymore. We soothe our nagging consciences with this transfer of blame.
This transferring of blame is nothing new. Look at Adam's response when God found him in the garden to confront him with his disobedience; “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate." Adam was effectively telling God that his disobedience was God's fault! And Eve didn't respond any differently; “The serpent deceived me, and I ate." So, we learn that one of the major repercussions of the fall was this newly acquired inclination to "suppress the truth" about ourselves. The truth being that we sin, and we sin because we decide to sin.
This principle of personal moral responsibility is clearly presented by James who wrote, "Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-15). James points us to the true source of sin, our own evil desires which are the product of a corrupted heart.
In Romans chapter 9, we are given what is probably the classic presentation of God's sovereign work of election. Paul wrote, "So then it (salvation) is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" and, "Therefore He (God) has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens" (Romans 9:16,18). Paul then anticipated the objection to this teaching. He wrote, “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’” (v.19). Paul was saying that there will be some who will conclude that if the only way one can come to God is if they’re elected, then how can they be held responsible for refusing the offer of salvation through Jesus' shed blood. After all, aren't they unable to respond themselves? Isn’t God to blame for their unbelief?
Jesus Himself seems to add fuel to their argument when He said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me." But then Jesus added, "and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37). In a single sweeping statement, Jesus declares the sovereign will of the Father in choosing those to whom He will grant saving grace, and yet directs the responsibility for coming to Jesus by faith squarely on the individual. Thus, any person who rejects Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is refusing on the basis of their own heart’s desire. The fallen sinner, even though unable to do good or come to God, can only point to their own desire and will as the source and root of all their unbelief and stubbornness.
Christ still commands His hearers to believe in Him and clearly pointed out the consequences of unbelief (John 3:16-21). And in so doing, demonstrated that God will uphold His Name and will not relax His requirements in order to accommodate the fallen condition of man. Knowing our inability, therefore, shouldn’t our response be like that of blind Bartimaeus, who shouted out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus responded, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see (NIV)” (Mark 10:47,51). And just as his cry was answered, so too does God hear the cry of the spiritually blind, helpless, humble, penitent sinner who cries out to Him for mercy.
We live on earth in the short hour of God's saving grace. We're to earnestly seek God, depending upon Him for saving faith for, "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Today, if we hear His word, we're not to harden our hearts and we know that, "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). One day, it will no longer be this way. Christ will return in all of His glory to gather His people to Himself. But those who stubbornly resist to the end His call to repentance and mercy through faith in Jesus Christ, who persist in their stiff-necked refusal to accept their personal moral accountability, who steadfastly continue in their attempts to blame God for their own willful disobedience, will stand before Christ with their mouths silenced in the awful and compelling reality of their own blame and liability for their sin.
Are you blaming others for your problems, faults and sins? Maybe you’re even blaming God Himself. Will this be your excuse on that day, the great Day of the Lord, when you will stand before Him to give an account? Let it not be so! Instead, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).