{"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,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","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_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":85335,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-wrath-of-god-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":0},"title":"The Wrath of God (Benton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton God showed His wrath (Romans 1:18) against sin and unrighteousness by destroying the earth with a flood (Genesis 6-9). The markings of that flood are still around to remind us of the wrath of God. Sodom and Gomorrah were burned up with fire and brimstone to\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":61534,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/notes-on-judgment\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":1},"title":"Notes on Judgment","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 25, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"The determination of who enters heaven or burns in hell is God's - Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 2:16; I Corinthians 5:13; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; II Timothy 4:8; Jude 1:9, 14-15 God has told us, in advance, the standard of his judgment - John 12:48; Romans 2:16; II Thessalonians 1:8; James 2:11-13\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Notes","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35226,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-sovereign-love-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":2},"title":"The Sovereign Love of God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"An Examination of Romans 9 by Bruce Reeves Introduction June 23,24,26,27, 2005, Bruce Reeves debated Calvinistic Baptist Gene Cook on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. The first two nights Mr. Cook affirmed, \"The scriptures teach that the alien sinner is forgiven of his past\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":50919,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/children-according-to-the-promise\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":3},"title":"Children According to the Promise","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew W. Bassford The wisdom and subtlety of God truly are beyond our comprehension. Sometimes, though, we are privileged to get a glimpse of it in the Scriptures. This is the case with the story of Abraham and his descendants in Genesis, which only makes sense in the light\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":95929,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/israel-according-to-the-flesh\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":4},"title":"Israel According to the Flesh","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Romans 9 shows that there are two \"Israels\" under consideration before God, and that God has a right to reject anyone who does not meet His predetermined terms of acceptance. \"They are not all Israel who are of Israel\" (Romans 9:6). You can be of fleshly\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":10298,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/gods-compassion\/","url_meta":{"origin":95933,"position":5},"title":"God’s Compassion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 58 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0God has the absolute right to judge \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some get angry that He would dare to judge \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But it is the righteous God who gets angry - Psalms 7:10-11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How can mankind who have shown repeated incidences of injustice sit in judgment on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95933\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}