Which Side Are You On? Do you have to pick?

Romans 9:14-23 (The Message and TNIV)

Today we find ourselves in the middle of an argument.  Not an argument Paul is having, but one that has been raging every since Paul penned these words.  Some of you may have heard people ask questions like, "Are you a Calvinist or Armenian?", "What do you think about predestination?" or "You free-will?"  These questions are part of a larger discussion regarding passages like the one we read today.  I don't want to get into the specifics, but as you read, you will probably feel a bit of that tension in you.  Don't be afraid of the tension.  It's a good thing when you are reading the text because it shows that God's word is getting into you.  The way you lean will probably depend on the type of church you grew up in.  If you didn't grow up in church, then I would love to hear your thoughts after reading this because your thoughts will be less tainted than some of ours.

The last verse from yesterdays reading was God saying, "I loved Jacob and I hated Esau."  What?  I felt tension leaving that verse hanging out there yesterday.  Today, Paul starts with what seems to be a normal response, "Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair?"  Yeah, I was just thinking that!  If we are going to judge the fairness of God, we must know which standard we use for that measurement.  As Christ-followers, we believe that God is the standard and his character and person is our ultimate truth.  If he is the standard, then whatever he does out of his person and character is what is fair, not what we think or what we want.  This is hard, though.

Paul doesn't directly answer the question but uses two instances from the Old Testament to help us get to our conclusion.  First, Paul cites Exodus 33:19 to demonstrate a fundamental aspect of his character:  He is free to show mercy on whomever he choses.  This is great news for those who need mercy, but no one here thinks they deserve it.  But Paul doesn't stop there, he moves on to Exodus 9:16, to show that God also brings people into the world to accomplish his purposes, namely to display his power and broadcast his name to the world, and Pharaoh was one of those men.

I am not sure if this helps you get to a conclusion, but Paul is making one thing clear:  God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for good or ill (v18).

How do you feel about this?  What did your religious tradition teach you?  Has anyone ever pushed you for a position in the debate?