God's Wrath
A Sermon on Romans 9:19-24
Originally preached Feb. 15, 1963
Scripture
19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21Hath …
Sermon Description
Why does God allow evil to exist? Many see the presence and reality of evil as something God should extinguish. In this sermon on Roman 9:19–24 titled “God’s Wrath,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that what fails to be seen is that evil is not an external force acting upon humanity, but an internal reality within people. To extinguish evil would be to extinguish humanity. The holiness of God will not tolerate anything sinful in His presence and His wrath is completely justified to protect His glory. That protection should immediately send every sinner to hell; however, it is God’s grace and mercy that restrains His wrath. As seen in the example of Pharaoh, God endures sinners for a time so that His kindness may be on display and people brought to salvation (Romans 2:4). However, His kindness is not to be abused and His patience and longsuffering are not to be ignored. Though for a time He may endure sinners as Christ did with Judas, that patience did not save him and it only prolonged the time until his punishment. That is the lesson of the Old Testament – that God waits, longing for people to repent. However He will not delay punishment forever and when it does arrive, it will be without recourse. The lesson to humanity today is to repent while there is time and while the longsuffering of God endures their sin. Be reconciled to God today and embrace the forgiveness only available through Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is addressing an objection to his teaching that God is sovereign in salvation. The objection is: "Why does God still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"
- Paul rebukes the questioner, saying "Who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it?" We must approach God's Word with humility and reverence.
- Paul uses the analogy of the potter and the clay to show that God has the right to do as He pleases with fallen humanity. The whole lump of clay deserves to be condemned, but God chooses to make some vessels for honor and some for dishonor.
- God endures the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction with much patience. His whole being urges Him to punish sin, but He holds back in order to show His wrath, make His power known, and render the vessels of wrath inexcusable.
- God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires that all come to repentance. However, His will and determination is to save some, not all. We must distinguish between God's pleasure, desire, and will.
- God gave ample time for humanity to turn to Him, but they did not. Now all are without excuse. When God's punishment comes, it will be all the more striking and His glory revealed. The wicked will have no defense on that day.
- We can approach God with confidence, knowing we are vessels of mercy. We humbly worship Him for His grace in sparing us.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 9:19-24
What is the main objection that Paul addresses in Romans 9:19-24?
The main objection Paul addresses is: "If salvation is entirely God's sovereign action, how can He blame anyone for not believing?" As Lloyd-Jones explains, the question is essentially, "If this is something God does and is all powerful in his sovereign will, how can he blame anybody for not believing? If it is entirely God's action, how can he with justice condemn anybody? Why doth he yet find fault?"
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the proper attitude we should have when studying Scripture?
According to Lloyd-Jones, we should approach Scripture with humility, reverence, and a childlike spirit ready to learn. He emphasizes: "We must always remember that we are considering something that the almighty and everlasting God has said or done, and that means that our whole spirit should conform. We should humble ourselves. We should lie in the dust." He warns that "confident opinions, assured notions, have no place in the study of the scripture" and that those who come with prejudices or bad temper might as well leave immediately.
What illustration does Paul use to show God's relationship to fallen humanity?
Paul uses the illustration of a potter and clay. Lloyd-Jones explains: "Has not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel into honor and another to dishonor... This is God's relationship to fallen humanity. It's not referring to creation at the beginning. Here is this mass of perdition, this lump of fallen humanity. And what the apostle is saying is this, that God has a right to do as he likes with it. It all deserves to be damned."
What are the two aspects of God's character that are manifested according to Romans 9:22-23?
According to Lloyd-Jones' analysis of these verses, God manifests two aspects of His character: 1) His wrath and power against sin (verse 22), and 2) His mercy and the riches of His glory toward those He saves (verse 23). Both aspects are displayed simultaneously and serve to reveal the fullness of God's character.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize the difference between "vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" and "vessels of mercy prepared unto glory"?
Lloyd-Jones points out a crucial grammatical distinction: when speaking of vessels of wrath, Paul doesn't say God fitted them for destruction, only that they "have been fitted" or are "ripe for destruction." However, with vessels of mercy, Paul explicitly states "which he [God] had afore prepared unto glory." This supports Lloyd-Jones' point that "God never created a sinner... It's man who fits himself for destruction, not God," through his own sin and disobedience.
Why does God endure with patience those who are destined for destruction?
Lloyd-Jones provides three reasons why God endures with patience those destined for destruction: 1. To demonstrate His long-suffering and compassion - "God has no pleasure in the death of the ungodly" 2. To render people inexcusable - by giving them ample opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel 3. To make His ultimate punishment more striking - "when God does it, it's unmistakable" and His glory will be more evident because of the delay
What distinction does Lloyd-Jones make between God's desire and God's will?
Lloyd-Jones distinguishes between God's desire (what gives Him pleasure) and God's will (what He has decreed): "It is not the desire of God that any should perish. Indeed, it is the desire of God that all should come to repentance. But it is not God's will that all should come to repentance." He explains that while God desires all to be saved and offers salvation to everyone, His sovereign will has determined to effectively save only some.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the reason for the long period of the Old Testament?
Lloyd-Jones explains that the 4,000 years of the Old Testament period gave mankind a full opportunity to prove they could save themselves. He states: "God gave the ancient world a full opportunity... Greece and Rome and every other civilization had exhausted itself and had ended in failure." This renders humanity "utterly speechless" and "inexcusable" when judgment comes, as they cannot claim they weren't given enough time or opportunity.
What should Christians focus on when speaking with unbelievers?
Lloyd-Jones advises not to argue with unbelievers about election and predestination but rather to focus on why they don't believe the gospel: "Don't argue with people, unbelievers about election and predestination. You argue with them about this. Why don't they believe the gospel? That's the thing to argue with them about... Hold them face to face with that render them inexcusable."
How does Lloyd-Jones interpret God's delay in final judgment?
Lloyd-Jones interprets God's delay in final judgment as making His eventual judgment more powerful and unmistakable. He explains that God allows scoffers to say "Where is the promise of His coming?" and when they seem to have proven their case, "God will arise, and the coming will be still more wonderful and glorious... It will be still more wonderful and glorious for the very reason that it has been delayed." This demonstrates God's power in a way that would not be possible without the delay.
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.