Day 36 of 59

Romans 9:14-16

🎧 Is God Unjust? (Romans 9:14–16) — A Sermon by R.C. Sproul — R.C. Sproul

▶ Watch this sermon on YouTube (Ligonier Ministries)

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📖 The Passage

Romans 9:14-16 (WEB) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.

🔑 Key Points

1. The objection raised

Paul anticipates the objection: if God chooses to save some and not others, isn't that unjust? He answers flatly — 'May it never be!' God's sovereignty is never a charge of injustice.

2. Mercy is owed to no one

Quoting Exodus 33:19, Paul reminds us God declared to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.' Mercy by definition is unmerited favor — no one can claim it as a right or demand it from God.

3. Grace, not human effort

'Not of him who wills, nor of him who runs' — salvation is not earned by human desire or effort. It is given by 'God who has mercy.' The ground of salvation is God's grace, not our striving.

4. Justice for the non-elect

Those who are not chosen receive not injustice but justice — the righteous judgment every sinner deserves. God is never unrighteous; he gives each person exactly what they owe and more than what the elect deserve.

💬 Discussion Questions

Why is it important to understand mercy as unmerited favor rather than something owed?
How does this passage challenge our tendency to earn or merit God's grace?
What does it mean to rest in God's sovereign mercy rather than our own effort?

Your salvation is grounded in God's mercy, not your running — rest in that grace today.

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