<html><head></head><body><div><div><div>Romans 9;9-13<div><br></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.”</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;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 his call,&nbsp;<br>12. &nbsp;She was told, “The elder will serve the younger.”</b></div><div><b>13. &nbsp;As it is written, “Jacob, I loved, but Esau&nbsp;I hated.”<br></b><br><br>Two things to note in this reading, <i>“God’s purpose of ‘election’”, </i>means to be chosen for grace, it does NOT mean chosen for damnation. &nbsp;That is a false teaching, God does not destine anyone to go to hell. &nbsp;Damnation is chosen by those who reject the gifts of repentance and faith. &nbsp;By their own rejection, they choose hell.</div><div><br></div><div>Some may point to verse 13, <i>“Jacob I loved, but </i><i><u>Esau I hated”</u>&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;claiming, it&nbsp;proves ‘double predestination,’ but it does not. &nbsp;To be <i>“hated” &nbsp;</i>in this Old Testament context only means, ‘to not be first’ or ‘not favored to the same extent as others.’</div><div><br></div><div>We read in Genesis 29;31, “<i>When God saw that Leah <u>was hated</u>&nbsp;</i>(by Jacob) <i>He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren</i>.”<i></i></div><div><br></div><div>Certainly, Jacob did not despise Leah,&nbsp;withhold material support from her, or&nbsp;reject her as his fruitful wife, no. &nbsp;It only means that Jacob <u>preferred</u>&nbsp;Rachel over Leah. &nbsp;Sort of like the difference between a ‘friend’ and a ‘best friend’.</div><div><br></div><div>Remember also, that being ‘chosen’ by God,&nbsp;(in an earthly, fleshly sense), means special suffering along with blessings. &nbsp;Consider the Virgin Mary: &nbsp;<i>“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” &nbsp;</i>Elizabeth prophesied to Mary concerning Mary. (Luke 1;42)&nbsp; Later we hear the old man&nbsp;Simeon say to Mary,&nbsp;<i>“and a sword will&nbsp;pass through your own soul also.” &nbsp;</i><span>(Luke 2;35)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Being especially&nbsp;selected by God as was Paul, <i>“he is <u>a chosen instrument</u>&nbsp;of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for </i><u>I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”</u>&nbsp; (Acts 9;15&amp;16), meant a whole lot of suffering for Paul.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>So from the perspective of suffering, being ‘<u>hated</u>&nbsp;by God’ is not so bad!</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Remember, double predestination is a false teaching, <i>“This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight&nbsp;of God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” &nbsp;</i>(1 Timothy 2;3&amp;4)<i></i></span></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, we rejoice in Christ, (not so much in our flesh) that You have chosen us in Christ, You have <i>“appointed us to ‘Go and bear fruit’ and that our fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” &nbsp;</i>(John 15;16) &nbsp;Grant us faith to walk in <i>“the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” </i>that we be strengthened to do that which is beyond human strength, and be found abundantly fruitful, to Your glory and our own joyous participation in the Divine Nature. &nbsp; &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.<i></i></div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing children, are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>

Romans 9;9-13
9.  For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.”10.  And not only so, but also when Rebecca 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 his call, 
12.  She was told, “The elder will serve the younger.”13.  As it is written, “Jacob, I loved, but Esau I hated.”


Two things to note in this reading, “God’s purpose of ‘election’”, means to be chosen for grace, it does NOT mean chosen for damnation.  That is a false teaching, God does not destine anyone to go to hell.  Damnation is chosen by those who reject the gifts of repentance and faith.  By their own rejection, they choose hell.
Some may point to verse 13, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated”  claiming, it proves ‘double predestination,’ but it does not.  To be “hated”  in this Old Testament context only means, ‘to not be first’ or ‘not favored to the same extent as others.’
We read in Genesis 29;31, “When God saw that Leah was hated (by Jacob) He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.”
Certainly, Jacob did not despise Leah, withhold material support from her, or reject her as his fruitful wife, no.  It only means that Jacob preferred Rachel over Leah.  Sort of like the difference between a ‘friend’ and a ‘best friend’.
Remember also, that being ‘chosen’ by God, (in an earthly, fleshly sense), means special suffering along with blessings.  Consider the Virgin Mary:  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”  Elizabeth prophesied to Mary concerning Mary. (Luke 1;42)  Later we hear the old man Simeon say to Mary, “and a sword will pass through your own soul also.”  (Luke 2;35)
Being especially selected by God as was Paul, “he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”  (Acts 9;15&16), meant a whole lot of suffering for Paul.
So from the perspective of suffering, being ‘hated by God’ is not so bad!
Remember, double predestination is a false teaching, “This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  (1 Timothy 2;3&4)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, we rejoice in Christ, (not so much in our flesh) that You have chosen us in Christ, You have “appointed us to ‘Go and bear fruit’ and that our fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”  (John 15;16)  Grant us faith to walk in “the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” that we be strengthened to do that which is beyond human strength, and be found abundantly fruitful, to Your glory and our own joyous participation in the Divine Nature.    In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing children, are His.”


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