“BECAUSE OF HIM WHO CALLS!”

 Romans 9:9-13                                           (ESV)

“9 For this is what THE PROMISE said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son."

10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,

11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad-in order that GOD's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but “BECAUSE OF HIM WHO CALLS”-

12 she was told, "The older will serve the younger."

13 As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on GOD's part? By no means!

15 For HE says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on GOD, WHO has mercy.

17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show MY power in you, and that MY NAME might be proclaimed in all the earth."

18 So then HE has mercy on whomever HE wills, and HE hardens whomever HE wills.”

Proclaiming that I AM CHOSEN is one of the boldest statements that I have ever heard!  Why should a thrice HOLY GOD select a despicable person such as I to be an instrument to reflect the GLORY of HIS SON?  Why did HE CHOOSE Jacob (and me), yet HE hated Esau?  

My finite brain is not always the strongest nor brightest, but for GOD to CHOOSE me “before the foundation’s of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) seems almost unfathomable!  To offer my life as a sacrifice to HIM is the least I can do, and I still cannot see how it makes sense!  

The Apostle Paul, the penman of the letter to the Church in Rome, was “persecuting” the church in Acts 9:1, and yet three verses later he was listening to the LORD, and JESUS was CHOOSING Paul to SUFFER for HIM (Acts 9:15-16)!  We aren’t SAVED from an eternal hell to “sit, soak, and sour” in a climate controlled sanctuary with all of the comforts of a world class spa!  We are to EXPECT perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1) as we SERVE our MASTER, not as we EXPECT HIM to give us the finer things of life.  

A dear friend of mine would always speak about being a soldier in the ARMY OF GOD.  Soldiers are men of WAR, not men who avoid conflict.  Ephesians 6:10-18 doesn’t tell us to big bigger buildings, to take more vacations, and to accumulate more STUFF!  “BECAUSE OF HIM WHO CALLS” has a PLAN and a PURPOSE for each Believer HE has CHOSEN!  We need to find out what our PLAN and PURPOSE is, and allow HIM to use us in the fullest for HIS GLORY!!!