Romans 9:21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
Human understanding fo the will of God and the will of man have been in seeming conflict for centuries. Some people stand on the sovereignty of God with He alone having any power or authority in the universe. They say, if it happens, it is because the LORD willed it, and He made it happen.
On the other side are those that emphasize the role of humans in the universe. Those on the edge rule out God’s involvement in our lives at all. Our choices are all that counts. The LORD leaves all that stuff up to us. He backs away and allows us to choose.
And if you talk with the two sides, they often don’t understand the other’s point of view. They have a hard time thinking in the other’s terms. So there remains an impasse.
I have no intention to try to solve this impasse in the post today. But I do want to comment on our text which sits right in the middle of one of the passages that is often used by those who side with the Sovereignty of God. They use it to proved that God willed that some would be saved and others would be damned.
But what I see again and again in these three chapters of Romans is an emphasis on role or position not on salvation and election. Paul is struggling to bring his fellow Jews to faith in Christ. He thought it should be a slam-dunk for them to come to faith. They had all the advantages. They had a history with Him that should have set them up for faith. But they failed.
Abraham’s family is lifted up as an example of faithful obedience. The promise of God brought them through. But it wasn’t salvation that is emphasized in the text, it is role. Jacob is destined for leadership and Esau is not. Their roles are different.
Pharaoh had a role to play in glorifying the LORD even though he was not a Jew nor a faithful Gentile. But he had a role to play in salvation history. He fulfilled his role well.
And comes our verse. Notice first that the clay has no say in whether it will be for special or common use. The choice is not to be used or to be discarded. Both kinds of pots are needed in a household.
We have dishes that we use everyday and we have those that we pull out on special occasions. Both get used and both have value. They are both my dishes.
So it is with the pots in our text. Both have value and use in the Kingdom. The choice is not between use and the garbage heap. The difference is about role and purpose, not salvation and condemnation.
Today, recognize that you have a purpose in the Kingdom, even though we are isolated and confined. What can you be doing right now that would further the Kingdom despite the limitations of COVID 19?
The Arnold Journey 