God's Mercy
A Sermon on Romans 9:14-18
Originally preached Jan. 18, 1963
Scripture
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16So then it is not of him that willeth, …
Sermon Description
What is the great mystery of salvation? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on Romans 9:14–18 titled “God’s Mercy,” it is not why every sinner is not saved, but why any are saved. This is because as the apostle Paul says, God does not have to give mercy to anyone but He chooses to because He is a gracious God. There is no doubt that this is a hard teaching to grasp; this is seen in the fact that many wise and godly Christians have rejected it. Yet God’s word is clear that from start to finish, salvation is a free and gracious gift from God. For if God had to give salvation to everyone, how would it be all of grace? As the Scripture teaches, God gives mercy to whom He wills to give mercy and He hardens whom He wills to harden. This truth is seen in the Lord Jesus’s parable of the workers in the vineyard. Here it is seen that God is not obligated to give mercy to all, yet He chooses to give some in order that His name might glorified. What should be one’s response to this teaching? This great doctrine should cause the Christian to forsake all hope in themselves and look to Jesus who alone can save.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul deals with the question of God's righteousness and justice in showing mercy to some and not to others.
- Paul argues that God himself proclaimed to Moses that he will show mercy to whom he will show mercy. God is not obligated to show mercy to all.
- God's mercy depends entirely on his sovereign will and choice, not on human will or effort. Whether we receive mercy is not based on our desiring it or our works.
- The parable of the workers in the vineyard illustrates that God has the right to do as he pleases with what belongs to him. No one has a ground for complaint against God.
- If God dealt with us according to strict justice, all would be condemned. The fact that any receive mercy is a mystery and a matter of wonder.
- We cannot understand why God chooses to have mercy on some and not others. His thoughts and ways are beyond our comprehension.
- We should humbly accept what God has revealed about his sovereign choice to show mercy, recognizing we have no claims on his mercy.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on God's Sovereign Mercy in Romans 9
What is the main focus of Romans 9:14-18 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Romans 9:14-18 focuses on God's sovereign freedom in showing mercy to whom He wills. The apostle Paul is defending the doctrine of election by demonstrating that God has the absolute right to choose some for salvation while rejecting others, based solely on His sovereign will and not on anything in the individuals themselves.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the accusation that God is unrighteous in election?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul addresses this accusation by shifting the terms of the discussion from justice to mercy. He points out that if we want to talk about justice, everyone deserves condemnation since "there is none righteous, no, not one." The issue isn't about justice but about mercy, which by definition is undeserved. God isn't obligated to show mercy to anyone, so when He does show mercy to some, it cannot be called unrighteous.
What does the phrase "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy" teach us?
This phrase from Exodus 33:19, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, teaches us that God is absolutely free in dispensing His mercy. It demonstrates that God is not obligated to show mercy to all people equally. This statement establishes God's sovereign right to determine the recipients of His mercy according to His own will, not based on human desire or effort.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones refute universalism in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones refutes universalism (the belief that all people will ultimately be saved) by pointing to the explicit teaching of this passage. He argues that universalism contradicts God's own statement, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy," which clearly indicates God does not show mercy to all. He criticizes theologians like Karl Barth, William Barclay, and C.H. Dodd who teach universalism, saying they are substituting their own philosophical ideas about God's love for the plain teaching of Scripture.
What does Paul mean by "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this phrase means that salvation does not depend on human desire ("willeth") or human effort ("runneth"). Paul is excluding everything that comes from man's side - all desires, all activities - in determining who receives salvation. Even faith itself must not be turned into a work or merit. Salvation is entirely "of God that showeth mercy" - it depends solely on God's sovereign choice and action.
How does the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) relate to this passage?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents this parable as "the best commentary" on Romans 9:14-18. The parable illustrates God's sovereign right to dispense His generosity as He pleases. Just as the vineyard owner had the right to pay the last workers the same as the first, saying "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own?", God has the right to show mercy to whomever He chooses. The objection "Is there unrighteousness with God?" parallels the complaint of the workers who had labored all day.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the real mystery of salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that "The mystery is not that everybody isn't saved, but that anybody is saved. That's the mystery." He emphasizes that God owes nothing to anybody, and if the entire human race went to everlasting perdition, no one would have grounds for complaint. The truly astonishing thing is not that God chooses some and not others, but that He chooses to save anyone at all, given humanity's sinful condition.
How important is this doctrine of election to salvation according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones clarifies that understanding the doctrine of election is not essential to salvation itself. He points to examples like John Wesley and Arminius who were used by God despite being "wrong in his understanding of this particular aspect of the truth." However, he argues that this doctrine is "essential to a right understanding of the way and the mechanism of salvation" and crucial for assurance of salvation.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.