In the United States, Election Day is the day set by law for the general elections of federal public officials. It is statutorily set as “the Tuesday after the first Monday in the month of November” or “the first Tuesday after November 1.” Have you ever wondered why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November? It seems like an odd time, doesn’t it?
Well, here are a few interesting historical facts about Election Day:
- In 1758, a young candidate in Virginia for the House of Burgesses footed a huge liquor bill to woo voters on Election Day. George Washington spent his entire campaign budget, 50 pounds, on 160 gallons of liquor served to 391 voters. How many of you would vote for George Washington for a half-gallon of booze?
- A uniform date for choosing presidential candidates wasn’t instituted by Congress until 1845. The agrarian economy was an important factor. Farmers weren’t able to travel easily until the harvest was over, so elections were designated for November.
- The first Tuesday after the first Monday was chosen to allow people to observe the Sabbath, travel to vote, and return home for Wednesday, which was observed as Market Day. This was just for presidential elections every four years, but it started a trend.
Election Day has changed a lot throughout American history, but it is still the day set aside for American citizens to exercise our democratic right to choose our government officials. I think most of us would agree that our election system isn’t perfect, but when we set it against the backdrop of world history, it is amazing that we actually get to choose who will serve us! May we never take that freedom for granted!
But today I would like to talk to you about an even more important Election Day. I want to talk to you about Divine Election Day. In the broad sense, the doctrine of divine election refers to the fact that God chooses (or elects) to do everything that he does in whatever way he best sees fit. When he acts, he does so only because he willfully and independently chooses to act. According to his own nature, predetermined plan, and good pleasure, he decides to do whatever he desires, without pressure or constraint from any outside influence. In the narrow sense, the doctrine of election refers to God choosing who receives redemption for their souls. On our Election Day, we choose who we want to serve us. On Divine Election Day, God chooses who he wants to serve him.
Other than Ephesians 1 (this morning’s call to worship), Romans 9 is the clearest articulation of the doctrine of election in the Bible. By this time in Paul’s ministry it was clear that most of the Jews had rejected the good news about Christ. Again and again Paul preached to Jews, only to see minimal response. When he turned to the Gentiles, however, the response was much greater. This created some tension between Jews and Gentiles in the early church, which was clearly the case in the Roman church. Therefore, Paul uses the doctrine of election to clarify Israel’s place in God’s redemptive plan.
What could explain this phenomenon of Jews rejecting Jesus and Gentiles embracing him? What about today? Have you ever wondered why some people respond positively to the gospel and others reject it? The answer is found in the doctrine of election—Divine Election Day!
Unceasing Anguish for Lost Souls (1-5)
Paul begins this section with a solemn oath to express the severity of his concern for the souls of his kindred. Paul himself was a Jew and he was proud of his Jewish heritage, which heightened his broken heart when he thought about how his people had rejected Jesus as the Messiah. He says that the “great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart” was so great that he wishes he could be cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of the lost souls of Israel. In this incredible statement, he underscores the ironic tragedy that the Jews would reject the very Messiah that God promised to deliver them. After all, as Paul mentions here, they belong to the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs and the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all!
Before we dive into the doctrine of divine election, we must pause and ponder Paul’s staggering statement in verse 3. Although it was not up to him, he asserts that he was actually willing to sacrifice his own salvation for the lost souls of his Jewish kinsmen. He wished that he could trade places with them—that he would take the eternal torments of hell so that they could enjoy the eternal splendor of heaven.
This declaration compels us to contemplate our willingness to sacrifice our salvation for someone else’s soul—“Would you be willing to spend eternity in hell so an unbeliever could spend eternity in heaven?” Would you do it for an unbelieving spouse? An unbelieving child? How about an unbeliever you haven’t even met before? These are heavy questions for us to consider. I’m not saying that we have to come to the same conclusion that Paul did, but it should, at the very least, make us stop and think about our love for the lost.
Paul mourned over Israel’s unbelief; do we have unceasing anguish in our hearts over American unbelief? Are we willing to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our family, friends, coworkers, classmates, and community members who are spiritually lost?
God’s Faithfulness and Election Day (6-13)
As Paul alluded to the fact that the nation of Israel was cut off from the promises of God because they rejected Jesus, he knew that some of his readers would be wondering about God’s faithfulness to his promises. Paul answers this question in verses 6-13 by affirming God’s faithfulness through Election Day. He begins in verse 6 by declaring that God’s word (or promises) has not failed. The problem was a misunderstanding of Israel’s true identity. Paul affirms here that God’s promises were make to spiritual Jews, not ethnic Jews. In other words, natural decent (the Jewish bloodline) was not sufficient for salvation. Just because they descended from Abraham did not guarantee that they were children of God.
In verses 8-9 Paul uses the famous example of Isaac and Ishmael to illustrate the doctrine of election. Though Ishmael descended from Abraham, God chose Isaac to be the child of promise. In fact, God arranged for Isaac’s birth by working a miracle in Sarah’s old womb.
In verses 10-11, Paul reinforces his point through the example of Jacob and Esau. Both of these boys were born to the same father and mother, Isaac and Rebekah, but Jacob became the heir through God’s election. It was not based on moral virtues or good works, because the twins were not even born when the choice was made.
Not only that, but God’s election went beyond individuals to nations. We know this from the quotation from Malachi 1:2—“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated”, which refers to the descendants of Jacob (the Jews) and the descendants of Esau (the Edomites). The selection of Jacob and the Israelites was God’s sovereign choice. God did not hate Esau and the Edomites, but in comparison with his choice of Jacob and the Israelites, he loved them less. If you know anything about these two scoundrels, the marvel is not God’s rejection of Esau, but his choice of Jacob. The point Paul is making is, God has not failed to keep his promises to Israel; he has been faithful to the true Israelites—that is, those whom he elected to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Hughes 170)
God’s Fairness and Election Day (14-29)
In response to his teaching about Divine Election Day, Paul anticipates that some of his readers would question God’s fairness. In verse 14, he raises the question for them; and he answers it. The doctrine of election does not diminish God’s fairness or justice in any way. In verse 15, he reminds them that God told Moses that it was his divine prerogative to decide who will receive his mercy and compassion. Even though Israel deserved death after they made and worshipped the golden calf, God chose to be merciful to them. Likewise, Pharaoh deserved death, but God did not strike him down. Rather, he allowed him to continue to live and reign in order that God could demonstrate his power in the repeated defeats of Pharaoh. God chose to harden Pharaoh’s heart so that God’s name would be proclaimed throughout the earth. Verse 18 clarifies God’s fairness through the doctrine of election: “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”
In verses 19-29, Paul continues to argue for God’s fairness in election by introducing the humorous illustration of a potter and clay. He likens man’s questioning God to a lump of clay complaining about how the potter molded it. This absurdity is hilarious! The potter has the right to do anything he wants with the clay. He can create a beautiful bowl to serve or he can create a vessel for the mere purpose of destruction. Likewise, it is God’s divine prerogative to create some human beings and elect them to receive his grace and serve his kingdom. It is also his divine prerogative to create some human beings for the purpose of destruction in order to make known the riches of his glory for his vessels of mercy.
Many people today struggle with the doctrine of divine election. It seems to betray their experience of becoming a Christian. Many of us can point to a specific moment in time when we “decided to follow Jesus” or “asked Jesus into our hearts.” Those experiences are very real, but I would ask you to consider God’s sovereign hand that directed you to that decision of faith. Who do you think orchestrated the events in your life whereby you to learned about the cross of Jesus Christ? Who do you think gave us the faith to believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Look at verse 16 again! Paul says that “it does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” You would not have chosen God if God had not already chosen you. If you are a Christian, long ago on Divine Election Day, God chose you to be a recipient of his grace and a servant of his kingdom!
Likewise, there are many people today who question God’s faithfulness and fairness. Every time a natural disaster strikes—every time a terrorist attacks—every time there is a school shooting—every time there is a local tragedy—every time a child dies—there are people who ask, “How could God let this happen? How could God do this to me?” But questions like this assume that we know better than God, and they are selfish at the core.
Who are we to talk back to God? Who are we to question him? Do we have more knowledge and wisdom than him? Do we have more life experience than he does? Are we more powerful than God? Absolutely not! God is all-knowing and all-powerful, and he is completely sovereign over his creation! He is the potter and we are the clay, and he has a predetermined plan for every person he created. On Divine Election Day, he chose some people to receive salvation, but not everyone!
I know that a single sermon can’t answer all of our questions about the doctrine of election, but this passage should cause every one of us to ask at least one question: Did God choose me? Did God elect me to receive salvation?
Well, the only way to know for sure is to decide to follow Jesus! If you are a true Christian—that is, if you have honestly repented from your sins and have committed your life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—then you can take comfort in the fact that God chose you before the world was even created! You can rejoice in the knowledge that, for whatever reason, on Divine Election Day chose you to be a recipient of his saving grace!