God Without Religion_ Can It Really Be This Simple_ - Andrew Farley [33]
No, the main point here is that God is a potter who can do whatever he wants with his own craft. In context, the Master Potter’s right to choose was exercised when he extended the gospel to the Gentile nations through Jesus. The verses that immediately follow the potter analogy make this very clear:
What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? (Rom. 9:22–24)
God endured the Gentiles and their absurdly sinful ways for so long (v. 22). And he endured them so that he could one day prepare them for glory (vv. 23–24). This plan was hidden in the Old Testament. The Jews simply could not see it or bring themselves to believe it. But Paul notes that it’s right here in the prophecy of Hosea:
As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,” and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” (Rom. 9:25–26)
A Clear Conclusion
So who did not belong to God? Gentiles. And who were not God’s “loved one”? Gentiles. We see this line of reasoning in the verses that follow the quote from Hosea:
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.” (Rom. 9:30–31 NASB)
“What shall we say then?” is the marker for Paul’s main purpose in bringing all of this up! We should see this statement as an enormous red flag waving in the air to indicate why Paul has been saying all that he has said.
Could it be that the true meaning of predestination is staring us in the face?
Mining Afghanistan
In 2010, media outlets all over the world reported that vast mineral deposits were discovered in Afghanistan. What is currently a war-torn wasteland in many ways now has a second chance.
The discovery of iron, copper, gold, and lithium is projected to turn Afghanistan into a major mining center. In fact, a Pentagon memo states that Afghanistan may soon be known as the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” as the precious mineral is now a hot commodity used in batteries for all kinds of electronics.
Some are now thinking of Afghanistan as a wealthy nation. But weren’t they actually wealthy all along? After all, the mineral deposits, and the potential for exploiting them, have always been there. One might even say that God had “predestined” Afghanistan to be a world leader in the mining industry. It was just that the potential hadn’t been revealed until United States government officials and geologists announced their findings.
In Romans, the apostle Paul is making a similar announcement, telling everyone that the gospel has made their lands rich. They are no longer a barren land of Gentiles. They have potential for great wealth in the spiritual realm.
But just as important decisions lie ahead for Afghanistan, Gentiles can squander their opportunity too. Sure, God predestined that we be given the greatest offer of all time. But we must capitalize on that opportunity: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
This is how predestination is truly compatible with free will, without any mental gymnastics or the delay of understanding it “later, in heaven.” The hidden wealth of the gospel has now been revealed, on Gentile soil. And we choose to mine for it and glean from it all the riches that are in Jesus Christ.
The Free Choice
This free choice is exactly why Paul tells the Romans the following:
“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will