Tag: Human freedom

Digging in Deeper: Romans 9:19-21

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“You will say to me, therefore, ‘Why then does he still find fault? For who resists his will?’ On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor?” (CSB – Read the chapter)

You may have noticed I didn’t post anything at all last week. Then again, you may not have as well. Either way, my bride and I were able to get away for a week to celebrate our upcoming 20th anniversary. It was a wonderful trip in every way, but we are glad to be back home safe and sound and in our own bed again. Let’s get down to business.

Have you ever seen someone do something with their own stuff that you didn’t understand? Maybe you got all judgmental toward them about it. If you had sufficient self-control, you kept all those thoughts to yourself. If not…well…then you probably had some other issues to deal with. Here’s the thing, though: It wasn’t your stuff. You really didn’t have any place to register an opinion on what she did with her stuff. Your opinion doesn’t make a bit of difference. Again: it’s not your stuff. Well, when it comes to creation, that’s all God’s stuff. What He does with it is not something on which we get a vote. Let’s talk about it.

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Morning Musing: Romans 9:14-18

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“What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! For he tells Moses, ‘I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ So then, it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy. For the Scripture tells Pharaoh, ‘I raised you up for this reason so that I may display my power in you and that my name may be proclaimed in the whole earth.’ So then, he has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One of the great theological debates within the church over the centuries is the question of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. Where’s the line? How do those two things go together? Do they go together? Which one should get emphasized more and which one less? Can you emphasize both equally and still be intellectually consistent? The real challenge here is actually not the debate itself, but the fact that the Scriptures seem to hold both ideas in tension and they don’t resolve it. Some passages seem to point pretty clearly in one direction. Some passages point in the other direction. Here’s one that points toward the sovereignty side of the equation. Let’s take a few minutes to examine what Paul is saying and what he’s not saying.

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Morning Musings: Jeremiah 18:5-6

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*I’m going to try something a little different starting with this post.  I will begin including an audio version of each post at the end so you can listen or read, whichever you prefer and your schedule allows.  I’d love your feedback on this as well.  If it’s a hit, I’ll keep doing it.  If it doesn’t add, I’ll take things back to normal.  Thanks for your gift of time to read–and now listen.  Blessing to you!

“Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord.  Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

This image is at one and the same time incredibly comforting, but also challenging.  The comfort is fairly obvious.  God is the master potter.  He is making a beautiful piece of art out of our lives.  Like any great potter, He has a goal in mind.  As He works the clay, though, sometimes imperfections rise to the top.  This doesn’t scare Him or somehow derail His plans.  He smooths out the rough places and incorporates the imperfections so that they become unique parts of His design.  And, if something happens that causes us to break, He can repair us and leave us even more beautiful than when we started.  This sounds like the kind of God who is worth serving. Read the rest…