Is God Unfair or Unjust?
Romans 9: 11 – 23

Are you a person that thinks that God is unfair or unjust to choose some for salvation and leave others in condemnation?
There is no doubt that the scriptures teach the Sovereignty of God and that He predestines to life whoever He wills.
 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 
Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

These verses clearly show, that God has foreknown, (set His affection on, preloved), an elect people, before the foundation of the world.
That those who are chosen by Him, according to His good will, He effectually calls and justifies.

We are told in scripture that:

God issued a command to Adam in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:17 16 And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, 
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” 

Adam did die that day, spiritually, his sin made a separation between man and God but he did not die physically.
In fact, God postponed His judgement of physical death.

It could be said that God was not being fair. Had He been fair, Adam would have died.  He deserved to die, Instead God showed mercy.
God was not obligated to be merciful. The fair and just thing to do was to allow Adam to pay the penalty of his sin, there and then.
To say that mercy is “unfair” is to say that it is owed to all. But mercy is undeserved, and thus is totally free.
God is under no obligation to show mercy to, or to save anyone and if God owes no one mercy or salvation, this means that God is free to bestow salvation on all, or some, or no one.
 

What do we read in Romans?
Concerning the twins, of Isaac and Rebecca.
 

Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 

Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 

Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 

Rom 9:14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 

Rom 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 

Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 

Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 

Rom 9:20  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? 

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 

Rom 9:22  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: 

Rom 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 

According to this passage, Paul is showing that God is Sovereign and chooses to show mercy to whoever He wills.
Jacob and Esau were not yet born but God chose one and not the other. God’s choice was not made on the basis of what Jacob or Esau had done,

Rom 9:11b not of works, but of him that calleth.

It was God’s choice, according to the council of His own will.

Why?  Psalm 115:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

Rom 9: 11 that the purpose of God according to election might stand.

Surely one might say, this is not fair, this is not just.
Paul answers questions such as these.

Rom 9:14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?

Then he answers the question, God forbid, Certainly not. 
 

God says: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 
 

Surely, one might say, God should do the same for all, Surely, that would be the fair thing to do.

So, what would be the fair thing to do?

Fair would be giving everyone what they deserve and if men are sinners and the wages of sin is death. Then the fair thing to do would be allow all to die in their sins.

This would be the fair and just thing to do.

However, we see that the word says, Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 
 

Yes but, if God shows mercy to one and chooses to save him and another He hardens. Why does God still judge the guilty?

Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 
 

If God chose one and not the other, then why does He still blame me? He has let one be free, well then He should let everyone off as well.

Does God showing mercy to one sinner, make the other not guilty? Of course not. All are guilty. All are deserving of punishment.
 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 
 

Rom 9:20  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? 

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 
 

God is the potter and we are the clay. It is God’s decision what He does. We deserve nothing. (Which is strictly not correct).
We do deserve something. We deserve punishment for our sin and disobedience.

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 
 

We are already condemned for our unbelief. We stand guilty, already judged. Men are already on the broad way to hell.

Is God unrighteous, unfair, or unjust because He chooses to show mercy?

Instead of men condemning God and complaining that He is unfair or unjust, men should think of themselves as convicted sinners, deserving of condemnation.

God offers salvation to all who will come. Each man can be “the whosoever”.

John 3:18a He that believeth on him is not condemned.

Why? Because Jesus paid the price of sin on the cross at Calvary.
 

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

God sent His Son into the world to save guilty sinners from an eternity in hell.

Instead of complaining about who God has not chosen. Men can take the opportunity to call upon Him.

Those who are believers should pray for their family and friends that God would include them in His plan of salvation.
That they would hear the preaching of the gospel, and be quickened by the Holy Spirit, to hear and respond.

For those who are not Christians, or are not sure one way or the other.
 
Maybe God is quickening you as you read this blog. Maybe God is opening your eyes to the truth. Maybe God is softening your heart to the gospel.
Maybe God is showing mercy to you at this very moment.
Maybe God has set His affection on you before the foundation of the world.
Maybe He is calling you.

Accept your sin, agree with God concerning your sin and ask for His forgiveness, repent and believe the gospel.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
 

Call upon Him whilst He is near.

Acts 2:47b And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

 

 

 

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