From the MLJ Archive

Romans 9:14 — Does God really choose who to save? How should one respond after hearing the truth about the doctrine of election? For some, this is the hardest concept to grasp in all of theology. In this sermon on Romans 9:14 titled “A Right Approach,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains Paul’s exclamation by first stating that one should never try to manipulate the Scripture of God to make it fit what they want it to say. He then goes on to outline several viewpoints of how people might respond after hearing the true teaching of election and salvation. In the second part of this message, Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks how someone should respond. First, they should be thankful that the apostle Paul never skirts around the issue. Just because something is difficult to grasp does not give permission to dismiss it from Scripture. One should always be careful of the inner spirit when dealing with this issue. One should never approach it with a bipartisan attitude or by debating it. Finally, one should always acknowledge that the Scripture is the word of God and the Christian must submit themselves to the whole of it even when they do not understand. Election is how God carries out his perfect plan and they should know that not all things are meant for human understanding.