{"id":95933,"date":"2026-06-03T17:09:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T22:09:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=95933"},"modified":"2026-06-03T17:09:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T22:09:24","slug":"gods-right-to-choose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/gods-right-to-choose\/","title":{"rendered":"God’s Right to Choose"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Hugh DeLong<\/p>\n

Turning the page from the end of Romans 8 and beginning our reading of Romans 9, we don’t forget all that we have already learned! Chapter 9 is about God’s sovereignty to choose.\u00a0But the debate among people is: Who <\/strong>did God choose?\u00a0What <\/b>purpose did He choose them for? So, Robert Turner reminds us that the rest of Romans serves as our ‘safety rope’ for reading Romans 9. In particular:<\/p>\n

Whoever – All who believe – Everyone who believes<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • The gospel is God’s power to save all <\/b>who trust in Jesus (Romans 1:16).<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0God’s wrath is displayed against all <\/b>who sin (Romans 1:17-18).<\/li>\n
  • God’s judgment is always just and fair and according to truth (Romans 2:2).<\/li>\n
  • God’s judgment is righteous (Romans 2:5).<\/li>\n
  • God will render to each person<\/strong> according to his deeds (Romans 2:6).<\/li>\n
  • God is no respector<\/strong> of persons (Romans 2:11-12).<\/li>\n
  • The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus is for all those who believe, for there is no distinction<\/strong> (Romans 3:22).<\/li>\n
  • All have sinned – (Romans 3:23).<\/li>\n
  • God is the justifier of the one who has faith<\/strong> in Jesus (Romans 3:26).<\/li>\n
  • Abraham is the father of all who believe .<\/strong>.. that righteousness might be credited to them (Romans 4:11).<\/li>\n
  • Abraham is the father of those who “follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham<\/em>” (Romans 4:12).<\/li>\n
  • The promise is to those who are of the faith<\/strong> of Abraham (Romans 4:16).<\/li>\n
  • Righteousness will be credited to “those who believe<\/em><\/strong> in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead<\/em>” (Romans 4:24).<\/li>\n
  • Christ died for the ungodly<\/strong> (Romans 5:6) [not<\/strong>\u00a0‘some of’ – but ‘the ungodly’]<\/li>\n
  • All<\/strong> who have been baptized have been baptized into His death (Romans 6:4),<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This concept continues after<\/strong>\u00a0chapter 9:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • The conclusion of chapter 9: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him<\/strong>\u00a0will not be disappointed<\/em>” (Romans 9:33).<\/li>\n
    • Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes<\/strong> (Romans 10:4).<\/li>\n
    • The Scriptures say, “Whoever believes in Him<\/strong> will not be disappointed” (Romans 10:11).<\/li>\n
    • It is “the same LORD who is LORD of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him<\/strong><\/em>” (Romans 10:12).<\/li>\n
    • Whoever<\/strong> calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Then<\/strong>, this great section (chapters 1-11) ends: For God has shut up all <\/b>in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all<\/strong> (Romans 11:32).<\/p>\n

      In such a salvation story, God used people (individual and national) to accomplish this eternal purpose (cp. Ephesians 3:11 – Jew and Gentile reconciled through Jesus in one body<\/strong>. Whether Jew (ethnic) or Gentile (also ethnic), you<\/strong>\u00a0can be saved in relationship to Jesus, and only<\/strong> in Jesus: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’<\/em>” (John 14:6). And again: “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved<\/em>” (Acts 4:11-12).<\/p>\n

      Such is the simple thrust of the great commission: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned<\/em>‘” (Mark 16:15-16).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      by Hugh DeLong Turning the page from the end of Romans 8 and beginning our reading of Romans 9, we don’t forget all that we have already learned! Chapter 9 is about God’s sovereignty to choose.\u00a0But the debate among people is: Who did God choose?\u00a0What purpose did He choose them for? So, Robert Turner reminds…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1644,120],"class_list":["post-95933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-choice","tag-romans"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":55907,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-one-have-a-right-to-his-own-belief\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":0},"title":"Does One Have a Right to His Own Belief?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 17, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Eugene W. Clevenger via\u00a0The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952. A question that we often hear asked is, Does every person have a right to his own belief? I cannot answer that question honestly and completely with a simple \"Yes\" or \"No\", because to me the answer is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16539,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-god-have-a-say-in-whom-we-choose-as-a-spouse\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":1},"title":"Does God have a say in whom we choose as a spouse?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question concerning finding a wife (or husband for the woman). Does God have any say in whom we choose as our wife? Does God help us in any way such as leading us to a particular woman as if it was destined? Or does God bring\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35480,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-god-have-an-ordained-and-permissive-will\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":2},"title":"Does God have an ordained and permissive will?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Like many times in the past few years, I was lost as to God's will for my life. So I typed into Google: God what do you want me to do? Stay where I am or move? I have been out of work for several years and my money\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21897,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/you-are-right-gods-people-need-the-word-not-social-things\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":3},"title":"You are right, God’s people need the word, not social things","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 2, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings in Christ's name! Yes,\u00a0you are correct, God\u2019s people need to be feed by His everlasting word and not with social and worldly things. We love learning more from you. Answer: Thank you for your kind words.","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95196,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-gods-will-for-me-part-4-making-a-decision\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":4},"title":"What is God\u2019s Will for Me? Part 4: Making a Decision","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 16:1-9 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What makes a decision a good one? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Is every decision a moral choice? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Should I have chocolate or strawberry ice cream? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How do I tell when a choice is personal and when it is moral? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jesus said that all of God\u2019s laws\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68161,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-choose-a-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":5},"title":"How Do I Choose a Church?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Johnny O. 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