I Will Have Mercy On Whom I Have Mercy – Romans 9:14-18

With regard to the elect, God cannot be charged with any unrighteousness; for according to his good pleasure he favors them with mercy: and yet even in this case the flesh finds reasons for murmuring, for it cannot concede to God the right of showing favor to one and not to another, except the cause be made evident. As then it seems unreasonable that some should without merit be preferred to others, the petulancy of men quarrels with God, as though he deferred to persons more than what is right. Let us now see how Paul defends the righteousness of God. In the first place, he does by no means conceal or hide what he saw would be disliked, but proceeds to maintain it with inflexible firmness. And in the second place, he labors not to seek out reasons to soften its asperity, but considers it enough to check vile barkings by the testimonies of Scripture. It may indeed appear a frigid defense that God is not unjust, because he is merciful to whom he pleases; but as God regards his own authority alone as abundantly sufficient, so that he needs the defense of none, Paul thought it enough to appoint him the vindicator of his own right. – John Calvin

Passage: Romans 9:14-18