Romans 9:19

Romans 9:19 says, Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  There are people today who ask how a loving God can send people to hell.  They want to know if we are doing our best to live right why God would punish us.  The truth is that God does not send people to hell, but He allows them to go of their own free will.  We cannot become good enough to establish a correct relationship with God.  Only God can do that, and it is based on forgiveness through Christ.  Paul was still speaking of the Jews and the Gentiles and the spreading of the gospel.  Verse twenty adds, Nay 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? I believe Paul was asking them why they thought they should be able to question God.  Many Jews still opposed the sharing of the gospel with any but the Jews.  We today need to be careful that we don't attempt to make the gospel exclusive to a particular group of people.  Verse twenty-one continues, Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?  Here again, we could say that God, the Potter, chooses to make some good and some bad, but I believe that as the clay, if we have hard spots, sin, that will not conform to the will of God we will be dishonorable vessels.  I believe that we too often attempt to take away the free will responsibility that we have and attempt to make even the bad things in life the result of God's will.  Though God could make everyone conform to His will, He instead allows us to choose.  Verse twenty-two states, What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: Paul asks the question of God's wrath in relationship to the vessels fitted for destruction.  I believe we need to take note of God's longsuffering in relationship to these vessels.  If their destruction were preordained, there would be no reason for God's longsuffering in relationship to them.  God gives even those who have hardened their hearts against Him plenty of opportunity to come to Him through faith.  Verse twenty-three adds, And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, It is God Who is to be glorified by our salvation.  We can do nothing to shape, or earn it.  Verse twenty-four continues, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?  I believe Paul is pointing out that God calls all to salvation.  We are to become as clay in God's, the Potter's, hands, yielding to what He would make us.  Verses twenty-five says, As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.  Verse twenty-six adds, And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.  Paul was telling the Jews once more that the gospel applied to the gentiles, those who were not considered His people, just as much as it did to the Jews, who were considered His people.  We today, if we aren't careful, can start to consider people in other parts of the world as less deserving of sharing in salvation than we are, but that is never the case.  Christ came to save everyone, and all are equally undeserving of that salvation. All who believe are saved for our benefit but for God's glory.  It is a choice each person must ultimately make for themself.