July 16, 2018
God, Not Man, Is the One Who Saves
Romans 9:1–3
Joseph Woodard
Central Truth
Romans 1:16 says that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation.” We are reminded that this saving is the kind that can’t be revoked, faded, or traded away and that God is the one with this power, not men.
Romans 9:1–3
God's Sovereign Choice
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, 1 9:3 Or brothers and sisters my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Dive Deeper | Romans 9:1–3
Fifteen years ago, I shared my faith for the first time. I was shy, so doing something like that didn’t come easy. That summer, an acquaintance of mine listened as I talked about Jesus, His story, what He did for us, and the importance of faith. I gave this friend my personal Bible—the one with my name etched on the cover! By my standards it was a great success.
A week later, I enthusiastically talked to another friend—my best friend—and I was totally rejected. I mean cancel-your-subscription, don’t-talk-to-me-anymore level rejection. And I thought, why would God choose me but not my best friend? I felt devastated, and unfortunately I responded poorly through fear, performance-based thinking, rule-following, and mistrust toward God.
About 2,000 years ago, the apostle Paul’s best friends also rejected him. He wasn’t shy. He was the Hebrew of Hebrews, steeped in Jewish religion and trained by the best. Then he met the risen Christ and gained a new birthright (Acts 9).
Romans 9:1 establishes the urgency of this entire chapter. Verse 2 demonstrates Paul's deep angst caused by Israel’s rejection of Jesus. And verse 3 echoes a hard gospel truth: we want to be our own saviors, but can’t; as was the case for Paul's brothers. One’s response to the free gift of salvation is due to God’s grace, not our merit.
In Jewish culture, one’s birthright is everything. Paul was willing to swap his birthright—his status in God’s family—to save his best friends. But in the end it is God who saves—not you, not me, not even Paul. The Father gave up His Son so that you could have a new birthright (John 3:16-17). Jesus did what even the high priest (or the best rule-follower) could not do (Hebrews 7:27). And this salvation can’t be unbirthed, faded out, or traded away.
For the promises of Romans 8 to be trustworthy, the realities of Romans 9 must be addressed. If neither heights nor depths can separate us from the love of God, what about all the former promises to the Jews? What about all our best friends? Truth is, it’s not we who save, but God through Jesus Christ.
This month's memory verse
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
– Romans 7:24–25
Discussion Questions
1. Have you ever shared your faith with someone and been rejected? How did that make you feel about that person, yourself, and God?
2. Do you sometimes have a “savior complex” or worry because of something you can’t control? What do you need to give over to God today?
3. Do you believe that God wants to save everyone, and does that include your friends? Does that include you?
4. The Bible demonstrates that it’s okay to mourn our losses (and the lost). What (or who) are you mourning today?