The Love of God, Part 5 B

There is no injustice with God is there is the fact that God chose mean that he's unfair no fairer sends everybody were to have no justice dams everybody fair. You don't want fair, my friend.

I want I don't want just one person watched horrified as his father shot and killed the dog only years later did the son learn that his dad had been protecting his family from a severe rabies outbreak in the area. His dad had actually demonstrated love by what he did in a small way. That story illustrates the limited understanding we often have when it comes to God's love, but you can learn to trust in that love. As John MacArthur is showing you in his current study is called simply the love of God and with today's lesson. Now here's John. Obviously if you have read the book of Romans, you know that by the time you have completed chapter 8 you have completed the greatest treatise on salvation ever penned. It's all about God loving sinners and saving them through Jesus Christ. But when you come to chapter 9 you are introduced to a most important issue with regard to God's saving love and that is how God saving love mingles itself with all other of God's attributes, which must be considered in line with God's saving purpose and I want to show you seven attributes of God that have to work in harmony with his love. First, he is glorified in his sovereignty he is glorified in his sovereignty. Verse six is not as though the word of God is failed. Here's the reason for they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel.

Secondly, God is glorified not only in his sovereignty, but he is glorified in his judgment or his justice. Paul anticipates what somebody is going to say here. Verse 14 what shall we say what I want to say I weaken the same God is not fair.

That's not fair. That's what he's assuming this this imaginary objection is is a real objection to anybody who thinks this thing through. And he imagines that and it's sort of an imaginary objector there throwing these questions which he answers all throughout the book of Romans is part of his polemic style.

Part of his dialogue progressing logically through his presentation and here he assumes the question will that's not fair it's not fair for God to love Jacob not Esau is not fair before they were born.

Forgot to choose the younger over the owners not fair for God to choose a Isaac and not Ishmael. Ishmael it's it's not fair and it's it's even more not fair because they didn't have anything to do with his God. Not fair. His answer in verse 14 there is no injustice with God is there many ads in the Greek Magan. I taught the strongest negative in the language. No no no no no such a thought is madness is the fact that God chose mean that he's unfair no fairer sends everybody where the hell justice dams. Everybody and furthermore God would never do anything on the fair. He can be accused of being selectively gracious but not unfair fair.

You don't want fair, my friend. I don't want fair. I don't want justice I want mercy God could never be accused of being on just or unfair. Though we could be accused and willingly so of being selectively gracious. Genesis 1825 says still not the judge of all the earth do right and you say will wait a minute as he therapy save some yes because he has provided a sacrifice for them in the person of Jesus Christ which satisfies his justice there since having been paid for by Christ justice is freed from its obligation and grace can be granted. Furthermore, whatever God does is the definition of justice right so like an earthly judge. God always does right and whatever God does is what right is whatever God does is the definition of justice and you can be sure of this, but for those sinners, to whom God is gracious. A sufficient satisfaction of God's justice has been made and that's what happened on the cross.

Psalm one 3119, 137 says righteousness is yours.

Oh Lord, you are upright in all your ways.

Jeremiah 923 and 24 says essentially the same thing but we look at God and we say it's not fair it's it's not just in word, shouting up there with our puny minds.

We don't understand what's fair we don't understand what's just except from a fall in perspective.

You see, whenever you question the justice of God. It's a display of a carnal mind. It's a display of a limited knowledge.

It's a display of pride and it's perhaps mostly a display of weak faith.

God knows exactly what he's doing. You may see the condemnation of the ungodly is unjust and it isn't God has a holy purpose. That's beyond what you can understand the Lord knows his own motives.

Lord knows his own purposes. Don't question it, madness. He says no no no, God is not unfair God has satisfied his justice, God does what's right. Number three God's love is in accord with his sovereignty and his justice. And thirdly, God's love is in accord with his mercy. Verse 15. And here's the point. He says to Moses all have mercy on whom I love mercy, love, compassion on whom I will have compassion.

So doesn't depend on the man who wills are the man who runs but on God who has mercy and only saying here luck, I'll be merciful to whoever I want, and will depend on them. It's purely my decision. That's exactly what he's saying to what was behind that well. Verse 15 is a quote from Exodus 3319 Moses went to God's that show me your glory.

Put yourself on display. Well, you know, God could've put himself on display a lot of weight documents and okay and Moses is gone Dr. Burnham to a crisp center to help that would display his glory wouldn't so I decided because just prior to Moses asking that question God had killed 3000 sinning Israelites wipe them out and you know what spirit all the rest, and all the rest were a lot a lot. God killed 3000 he spared the rest.

Many went to Moses and asked Moses to do this task of leading and Moses says I'm not going to do it until you show me your glory. And then God said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, I will have compassion on whom I have compassion but you mean well, God says, I have the prerogative to destroy like I killed the 3000 I have that is prerogative to spare the rest you want to see my glory just so happens that I choose to show you the glory of my mercy. I was merciful to the rest of them want to be merciful to you, Moses, and it has nothing to do with what you want that amazing verse 16 doesn't depend on the manner wills. It has nothing to do with what you do or achieve. But on God who has mercy mercy doesn't come because somebody wants it. Esau ran for the blessing didn't get it.

Ishmael desired the blessing didn't get it. God says, I give my mercy to whomever I wish. I demonstrate my saving compassion to whomever I desire, and I desire to give it to you Moses you know. Thank you amen hallelujah oh glory and that ought to be our attitude all the time right. God loves what is love is connected to his sovereignty as justice is mercy is also connected to his power. Number five, number forms are is connected to his power. Verse 17 is love cannot be manifest. Apart from his power.

So in verse 17 EE going on in this marvelous insight. He goes back to the Old Testament reaches back to Exodus chapter 9. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh.

This is the Lord speaking for this very purpose I raised you up to demonstrate my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.

Wow. So then he has mercy on whom he desires and he hardens whom he desires. You know what that says that says God raised up for what you mean by Pharaoh's God allowed Pharaoh's mother to bear Pharaoh.

God allowed Pharaoh to be born into the royal family. God allowed Pharaoh to live long enough to get to the throne. God allowed power Pharaoh to get to the throne develop his power at the throne and then when God when God got Pharaoh at the throne. God made sure that Pharaoh's heart was hardened so that he would put up a fight, a fight which when confronted with the power of God would give God the opportunity to display himself right. What would happen if the Moses had gone in and say Pharaoh let my people go in ferrets – are what I mean. What will grease the wheels where we needed to get you guys out here, you been here and often even really great to underway would need to part the Red Sea. Would you would need to drown the whole rigid whole Egyptian army certainly would need the plagues would need frogs and boils and locusts and that cattle and all the firstborn dying and would have the angel of death passing over know God hardened Pharaoh's heart because God wanted to put everything on display. God raised him up for that purpose. That's part of God's glory. See that's part of who God is.

That's part of the character of God, and again I say to you his love does not exist unmixed. He will but that's not all. God is loud, but he's not all love enough analysis and he is glorified in his power and he wanted to put his power on display and putting this immediately and scour on display. By the way, from a from a standpoint of the Scripture is the greatest single display of power prior to the cross itself. That's why it became the touchstone of God's redemptive power and that's why Jews to this day still celebrate what great event Passover was the greatest indication of God's power on behalf of his people and he literally broke the back of the greatest power in the world. Egypt, opening a C enclosing it immense power and as a result of that what it says at the end of her 17 came to pass his might, was proclaimed throughout the whole earth everywhere.

Everybody heard what the God of Israel did remember even an encounter with the Philistines abilities got worried because they remember the God of the Israelites would drown the Egyptian army. God wants to put his power on display will raise up a man to put his power on display and that man's heart will be hardened. Exodus 421 Dotson. I will harden his heart so God God is going to display his power in order to display his power against resistance. There is going to be resistance and so God's going to design resistance not apart from the will of Pharaoh for Pharaoh hardened his own heart. It says as well. God doesn't overpower the human will. Human will is responsible. That's why judgment is just as we'll see in a moment. Moses was a Jew.

Pharaoh was a Gentile. Both were sinners. Both were murderers.

Did you know that both of them were murderers that Moses was saved and Pharaoh was lost, God raised up Pharaoh for the purpose of revealing his glory through his judgment, power, and he raised up Moses to reveal his glory through his grace and mercy and deliverance, God raised up Moses, so that he could show his delivering power to raise up Pharaoh's wicked shows destructive power. Pharaoh was a rumor.

Moses was a slave yet Moses got mercy and compassion because God willed it that way. God is sovereign God is holy and must punish sin. God is loving and must save sinners, but if everybody was saved it would deny his holiness. If everybody is lost, it would denies love and so is glorified through all his character. Number five is glorified in his judgment. Verse 19 somebody's gonna say right now wait a minute you're telling me hardened Pharaoh's heart. You're telling me Ishmael was rejected and Esau was rejected and Isaac and Jacob were chose, you're telling me God has mercy on whom he wants, and compassion on whom he wants, and hardens whom he wants. Now let me ask you a question. How in the world can he find fault with me then we do not have anything to do in this. If this is all predetermined sovereign destiny. And this is all something that's going on up there in heaven. If God is the one responsible for the hardening of the sinner. How does he hold the sinner responsible if it's all determined by God. How can the sinner be punished. How can we be blamed.

Verse 19. You will say to me then pauses. Why does he still find fault mother was, how can you find fault with us, then I mean if he fees doing it. How can you hold us responsible for who resists his well I mean if he's determined in all, how could you hold us responsible. I love the answer. On the contrary, who are you old man who answers back to God. Don't you dare accuse God of holding you responsible for something you're not responsible for that's the implication that 20th verse really comes out of Isaiah 45 nine is man to question God, human reason must submit man is a sinner who loves his sin. He chooses his sin. He rejects God he rejects Christ he rejects salvation and he dies in his sins because of his own rejection and yet the same time it is God's sovereign will. But because it is God sovereign will listen carefully. It is no less the responsibility of the sinner. That's why every gospel invitation is given to the sinner to repent. Jesus is not in heaven begging God to add a mute a few more names Jesus sent the Holy Spirit begging men to repent the responsibilities here when people are sent to hell.

It is because they believe not is because they repent not is because they love their sin. The fact that it's been established by God, demonstrates the glory of his nature, but does not dispossess man from his responsibility and I know that is a very difficult thing to resolve.

In fact it so difficult to resolve. I can resolve it. Neither can you, but God can.

I'll tell you one thing I'm not going to question him. And that's the issue of verse 20, who in the world are you answering back to God you poor depraved person with a feeble mind just because it doesn't seem to make sense to you, you're going to answer back to God. Verse 20 the thing molded will not say to the molder. Why did you make me like this will it any borrowing from Jeremiah 18. The picture of a potter verse 21 doesn't the potter have a right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use God as his own purposes. God is the pottery makes the plots whatever way he wants can argue with God can't question God because is a purpose behind everything he does. He makes one pot pot for honorable use and another for common use, such as choice, listen the purpose behind what God does is not to satisfy the curiosities of human reason, the purpose behind what God does is not to satisfy the desires of depraved intellects. The purpose behind what God does is to glorify himself, and if he chooses to be glorified in judgment by making a vessel that is not honorable. That's his choice. He is glorified in his own judgment and we have no right to answer back and say well how can you judge us and hold us responsible when you're the one making the decision is judgment manifest his glory. It is a just judgment. You are truly a sinner.

Truly a Christ reject God rejected a God hater, a lover of iniquity and that's why you go into punish God can harmonize it perfectly with his sovereignty. Even if we can't, God is glorified in his sovereignty is just as his mercy is powers judgment number six is wrath. Verse 22. What if God, although willing to demonstrate his wrath and make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.

And there's a lot in that verse. Let me just grab the last phrase.

What if God wanted to demonstrate his wrath by producing vessels of wrath prepared for destruction what so what is not for you to question not for you see it. If you have God's perspective on this. It's simply that God is glorified through his wrath. David and the for and the imprecatory Psalms. But God kill the unrighteous God kill those ungodly kill those people that are persecuting me kill those people that are blaspheming your name all God destroy and we read that we say he was a righteous man and he loved holiness is because we don't know anybody. He was praying about right.

If I come into the pulpit on a Sunday morning and my prayer and I say, oh God, all the unrighteous that the detract from your name, just kill them all. Right now your article. You know be aghast because you're somehow emotionally involved with that group. When appointing up as we don't get so exercised over this issue of vessels of wrath unless we get emotionally involved in it and the issue here is that God has sent angels. Once those angels fell.

There was no redemptive plan. There was no recovery. There was no salvation there was no forgiveness, no mercy, no grace is not God does not display grace to angels. Holy angels don't need grace because their holy right. Holy angels don't need mercy because is nothing about them. That's pitiable and fallen angels, don't get any sort of God is to manifest what is true of his nature and grace and mercy and pity are true of his nature that is going to have to have a creature that he does redeem the needs to be redeemed the needs, mercy, grace and pity. And that's why we came along so I could put himself on display in that realm, but the only way that's gonna make any sense is to put his wrath on display.

By contrast so you understand what his mercy is pretty is grace me.

Just because God is gracious to some, we can't assume in our own minds. Therefore somehow he has to be gracious to everybody else. That's not how it is God acts in his wrath, he prepares vessels of wrath before hand because his wrath is going to be a way to manifest his glory is glorified in his wrath. Lastly is glorified in his salvation.

Verse 23 all this he did in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy which you prepare beforehand for glory, even costs is glorified in salvation. He displays his glory in his sovereignty he displaces glory and his justice, his mercy, his power is judgment. He displaces glory in his wrath and he displaces glory in making vessels of mercy, which he saves what a marvelous so God will be glorified. All across the spectrum of his attributes. Don't be concerned. Beloved, now close. Don't be concerned with the mysteries of God's determination.

Don't be concerned with. Try to solve all of the mysteries of the nature of God be concerned with your own condition. Don't be concerned with what God is doing in planning all of this be concerned with what awaits you in an eternal hell. Don't be concerned with trying to unscrew the inscrutable be concerned with repentance and remember the Jesus at him. It comes on to me all in no wise what cast out. Remember the Jesus said God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him a shot should not perish but have everlasting life. The responsibility for repentance and faith is on you. That's all that should concern the issue of election doesn't become an issue until conversion, then we know you elect whosoever will let them come take the water of life freely coming to me only the labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest. These are the invitations. The Bible extends that's John MacArthur continuing his study on the love of God, along with teaching here on grace to you. John also serves as Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary, John. It can be challenging to understand how God's love works in concert with his other attributes.

You know like his justice and his wrath, but as you said briefly today. We shouldn't be too concerned with trying to solve all the mysteries about the nature of God, but instead what we need to be concerned about is our own spiritual condition. So talk about that a little more for a minute.

Yeah you know what one of the ploys that unbelievers use is creating conundrums in their mind about God. I I've seen this with talkshow host that I've interacted with their excuse for not believing is creating in their mind a contradictory God well God couldn't do that. Or God wouldn't do that or doesn't have the power to do that or that can be a good God, why do little babies die. I've had that conversation so many times agnostics and atheists rejected the truth by creating in their mind a God that they can't believe in. That's a false God. That's the God of their own creation to sustain their own unbelief. That's a damning foolish thing to do, but it's a convenient thing to do if you can dismiss God as contradictory or claiming something about himself. It's not true, or is evil or you can deny the perfection in the deity of Jesus Christ in some way you can satisfy your unbelief intellectually that's that's a fool's effort, but I think what's far more important than fussing about how you can dismiss the God of the Bible and the Christ of the Bible is looking into your own heart and seeing your own condition and even Christian people can get caught up in these questions, it's much more important for you to look at your own spiritual condition. Forget about trying to figure God out to satisfy you take a look at yourself. I've written a booklet and we been distributed for a number of years. It's called examine your self examine your self. It's a very fast test you can give yourself to answer the question, do I belong to God and my saved my a Christian or am I so deceived the booklet. Examine your self. We will send this free to anyone who asked. We want you to have this test yourself to see if you're in the faith. The Bible says examine yourself this little booklet will help you do that, free of charge. Again, just let us know you want a copy of examine yourself will get it to you and this is a great booklet to put in the hands of someone who you know is struggling with doubt, ask for your free copy of examine yourself when you contact us today. Call our toll-free number 855 grace or go to our website de TY.org if you'd like a few extra copies for friends. This booklet is available for reasonable price and shipping is free again to get your free copy of examine yourself. Call 805 five grace or go to G TY.org also@gty.org you'll find thousands of free resources that will multiply your intake of biblical truth that includes 3500 of John's sermons and the popular blog series like the anatomy of the gospel or episodes of this broadcast. You may have missed all of those resources and much more are available free of charge@gty.org and thanks for remembering that grace to you is supported by listeners like you. If you benefited from these daily broadcasts and you want to help others benefit in your community and beyond.

Express your support when you call 855 grace or go to G TY.org now for John MacArthur and the grace to you staff, I'm Phil Johnson inviting you back tomorrow when John continues his series on the love of God be here for another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to