God reserves the right to dispense His grace and mercy as He sees fit. When certain angels rebelled, God provided no redemption for their treason, and heaven did not even blink for a second – but the adoration of God continued unabated. The elect angels around the throne continued in one accord saying, “holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!”

God is always just when He dispenses justice. It is never wrong for a Judge to be just. This is true even in human courts. We could never have a judge removed from the court because we found him to be just.

Imagine the courtroom scene as the Judge declared a man guilty for a crime he had commited and sentenced him in accordance with the law. As we see this taking place in front of us, we shout out, “Excuse us Judge, but you cannot condemn that man or pass sentence on him because that is just!” How foolish that would be. We would be laughed out of court.

In the biblical scenario seen in Scripture, God has devised a way for Him to show forth His attributes of justice and of mercy. Both aspects of His character will be glorified, and this is a big deal to God. The showing forth of the splendor of His attributes matters greatly to God. It is perfectly right for the perfection of His being to be seen, hallowed and extolled. Verse 18 through to the end of the Romans 9 chapter articulates this in detail.

In the case of man, all of us have committed cosmic treason against a thrice holy God, and yet, in unspeakable mercy, He has chosen to redeem certain hostile rebels, saving them from His fierce, just and holy wrath.

In answering the question as to why many in Israel did not recognize their Messiah when He came, Paul makes the point that all the elect did indeed recognize Him.. but that not all physical Israel is truly israel. Amongst the physical descendants of Abraham, God has His true Israel, who are known to Him, and God’s word to these, the true Israel has not failed at all.

Romans 9: 6 says, “6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Is this fair? How can it be right for God to do one thing for one person and another thing for someone else, especially when this decision is made without any consideration of the actions of these people.. when this election or choosing is unconditional? How can it be right for God to show mercy to some and leave others to face His justice?

Romans 9:14-16 addresses this question where the Apostle Paul asks, “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part?”

His answer is clear, “By no means!”

Notice the answer is not “well technically not.. I guess so…” Instead, in the original language, the Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit uses the most intense affirmation of denial. One translation renders it “God forbid!”

Why? On what basis? Why can we say there is no injustice on God’s part in choosing one and not another (especially human action or works are not considered when the choice is made)?

Hear the answer: “For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

God either dispenses justice or mercy, but in no case does He ever act unjustly. It is never unjust for God to be just. The fact that God is amazingly merciful and justifies even one rebel sinner amazes the angels. No fallen angel will ever be redeemed. Why? Because God, for reasons known only to Him, chose to give all rebel angels the justice they deserve.

Should we dare to question God on the matter, God reminds us of our creatureliness when He says, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?”

What is Paul’s conclusion on the matter?

Verse 16 – “So then (or here’s the conclusion we reach based on all I have taught so far) it (“it” being divine election.. God choosing one over another) depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

We should not be amazed when God is just. It is only right for a holy God to be just. However, what should stunn us and shock us, just as it shocks the angels, is that God, for reasons known only to Him, has chosen to be merciful to a number of sinful people so large, that no man can count the number, made up of sinners from every tribe, tongue, people and nation (Rev 5:9). What mercy!

Alan Kurschner reminds us of a well known illustration of the principle of Divine, Sovereign election when he writes:

“You have 100 criminals on death row. They are all equally guilty and deserving of death. Every single one of them hates the governor of the state. So much so, that all of them conspired together and successfully killed his only son. One of these death row criminals is you. The governor has the freedom and right to pardon and give clemency to any of them. It could be one person, ten, all of them, or just none of them. If he chose to pardon none of them, would he be perfectly just to do so? Yes. And he is not obligated to choose between a dilemma of bestowing mercy either on all 100 of them, or none of them – he could choose any number in between, if he wills. He can do whatever he wishes because of his right as governor. But let us say he chooses to have mercy on 10 of the 100 justly deserved death row criminals. The ten are just as guilty and deserving of death as the other 90. And one of those ten to be graciously pardoned is you. You are free! You are pardoned! You have been granted mercy! Now as you are stepping out of that prison into freedom, are you going to look back and point your finger at the governor and utter, “How dare you pardon me, and not everyone else.” You would be an ungrateful halfwit.”

Here’s also a helpful personal story from Mark Webb:

“After giving a brief survey of these doctrines of sovereign grace, I asked for questions from the class. One lady, in particular, was quite troubled. She said, ‘This is the most awful thing I’ve ever heard! You make it sound as if God is intentionally turning away men and women who would be saved, receiving only the elect.’ I answered her in this vein: ‘You misunderstand the situation. You’re visualizing that God is standing at the door of heaven, and men are thronging to get in the door, and God is saying to various ones, ‘Yes, you may come, but not you, and you, but not you, etc.’ The situation is hardly this. Rather, God stands at the door of heaven with His arms outstretched, inviting all to come. Yet all men without exception are running in the opposite direction towards hell as hard as they can go. So God, in election, graciously reaches out and stops this one, and that one, and this one over here, and that one over there, and effectually draws them to Himself by changing their hearts, making them willing to come. Election keeps no one out of heaven who would otherwise have been there, but it keeps a whole multitude of sinners out of hell who otherwise would have been there. Were it not for election, heaven would be an empty place, and hell would be bursting at the seams. That kind of response, grounded as I believe that it is in Scriptural truth, does put a different complexion on things, doesn’t it? If you perish in hell, blame yourself, as it is entirely your fault. But if you should make it to heaven, credit God, for that is entirely His work! To Him alone belong all praise and glory, for salvation is all of grace, from start to finish.”