Rom 10:9 is a favorite text with free-will advocates; but I can’t see how this can help their puerile (childish) arguments in any way, because these passages are not any support for the free will of man in conditionally accepting their supposed terms of Christ’s “offer” of salvation to (spiritually-dead) sinners; but rather is a description of how a child of God receives faith in Jesus as being their Savior; because from a Scriptural standpoint, they fail to read and properly understand the preceding verse which says:

This verse refers to, or is rather a quotation from Deuteronomy concerning the unbelief of the children of Israel who believed not the word of God before Moses - as compared with those who have truly been given faith to believe God’s promises - for instance, as were Joshua and Caleb given faith to believe the promise of the land of Canaan. (while others failed to believe, because they trusted in their own natural strength from a human perspective, not considering the power of God which He had already many times manifested or demonstrated to and before them. Yet, they could not believe; because Moses said about them: “They were children, in whom was no faith.“ And they fell through the same example of unbelief - and with many of them God was not well-please, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness.” And so, they entered not in because of their unbelief, and is the same figure used by the Book of Hebrews writer. Many seem to think that every human being has this “word of faith” dwelling by nature in “their hearts and mouth.” however, did the Apostle mean this, or did he mean something entirely different? As man possessing evangelical (saving) faith (even a “spark” of it ) by nature, cannot be shown from the Scriptures. If so, the Holy Scriptures would be a *conglomeration of contradictions. Man cannot believe upon Jesus until given spiritual faith to do so. *Spiritual faith is a special and wondrous gift of God, and is not given to all. Jesus plainly declared this in His conversations with the unbelieving Jews. To some it is given to believe, while, for God’s Own Purpose and Divine reason, He has not given this gift to all.

The Apostle John was especially given to so lucidly and plainly declare this truth throughout his writings. Jesus many times pointed out the unbelief of the Jews; However, there is not ONE instance where He ever presented them with any offers or propositions (to believe on Him,) but only stated their final end in the CONDITION of their unbelief. *The condition is CERTAINLY there, BUT NOT A PROPOSITION OR OFFER as for them to believe at their own option; This is read into it by the bias of the minds of those who advocate a free-will doctrine in order to teach their free-will-of-man doctrine in salvation.

Saints do indeed believe (with a saving faith) - and they are the only ones that do so; and that is upon Jesus as being the only Messiah, Christ or Savior of His people; but this is not left to lady luck, dame fortune or the caprice of their natural free-will, but upon the mighty working of God’s sovereign power, working IN them, both to not only WILL, but also to DO of His Own good pleasure, working IN them that which is well-pleasing in His sight; and this working of His mighty power continues through their life’s journey and experience, knowing, finding and always realizing that Christ is indeed their present and eternal Savior by His Life that He has freely given them, as He has eternal Life to give to as many as the Father has given Him. Jesus is their Yesterday, Today and Forever, Their All in All, Who has delivered them from so great a death when they were lost in the elements of this world in sin; but now they are quickened together in Him in their Divine calling, being made again and again to realize in the perfection of faith and journey that He alone has saved them, does presently deliver them, and are made to trust in Him that He shall “yet deliver them.” -Which He shall according to His promise and word, and His Spirit which is ever in them, which forms the foundation of their Hope which is also Christ-Jesus Himself, as He is forever living, they shall also forever live in Him:

However, they not only WOULD not believe, but they COULD not believe:

However, these words that Jesus spoke (He knew personally and collectively to whom He was speaking) unto the unbelieving Jews did not immediately come into full fruition of judgment upon them (as a peculiar nation) until the end of that Age (The Legal Dispensation under Moses), *(WHICH SIGNALED) the final end of the Law Dispensation, and the full establishment of Christ’s spiritual Kingdom in the earth )- and simultaneously when the full vengeance of God came upon that sin-laden nation (which had been long predicted by the holy prophets, and now by Christ Himself,) and afterward by His Apostles who followed Him in building upon Him ministerally as the Foundation of His Own Kingdom.*

Paul, in writing to the Philippians, desired that the church there be in harmony upon the truth concerning the faith of Jesus. There is always much disparity throughout Christendom concerning faith; just what it is, how it is received, and what it accomplishes in those who are considered to believe and obey the gospel of Christ.

As it was in Paul’s day, so it is even now upon this subject. There were many then who could not accept the teaching of Christ and His Apostles concerning faith. Their hearts and minds were steeped and thoroughly indoctrinated by the tradition of the fathers (of the Jews) and the opposition to the true gospel of Christ was further strangled by the vain imaginations of the pagan gentiles, who for the most part lived in gross idolatry. The adversaries or enemies concerning the gospel were primarily of the unbelieving Jews; but were also found among many gentiles as well - Therefore, the apostle says in the next verse:

As it was in the will and purpose of God to save a remnant out of the nation of Israel, and to leave the remainder in unbelief to perish in their sins, Paul is evidently relating to this fact here. Jesus said that the “kingdom would be taken from them, and given unto a NATION (not nations in the plural) bringing forth the fruits thereof.” This literally took place with the nation of the Jews, and the spiritual kingdom under Christ was given unto a spiritually called nation of believers OUT OF “every kindred, tongue and nation.” But before this had developed to its mature embodiment, national Israel after the flesh was to suffer perdition (destruction) while a remnant out of them would be “saved” or delivered from the calamity which was coming upon the whole nation. In Rom 9 Paul deals extensively with this same subject:

Compared with the long travel and ordeal of the children of God under the Law dispensation, It was indeed a short work that God made (upon the earth) by His Son, Jesus-Christ - Who came and redeemed His people with His Own blood from their sins. After when He had finished His work in redeeming them, He rose from the dead for their justification, so that by His Life, they would also live in Him. They were crucified with Him in the flesh; and by His Life, they now live in Him; Yet, as Paul says, not as living in their own fleshly strength, but Christ by His Spirit is living in them; and the life that they now live in the flesh or in their body, they live by the faith of Him Who loved them, and gave Himself for them. Gal 2:20.

Man, by nature, and until humbled under the mighty hand of God, is, and tends to be, a proud and legalistic creature. This can be seen in all forms of humanistic worship. Paul in his indictment of depraved mankind - as in Romans 1:25 - says that spiritually depraved mankind has always changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and praised the creature more than the Sole Creator, Who has blessed Himself as such forever, and will not share His glory with another.

Belief of the truth as it is in Jesus is the gift of God - as well as all other blessings both in providence and grace, and is sovereignly given to the elect according to God’s good pleasure in Christ.

“By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Eph 2:

The apostle gives the Ephesians to understand that they are saved by grace alone, and it was not in any way of themselves; but it was solely the free gift of God bestowed upon them because of His eternal love for them in Christ. Neither is he here attempting to separate faith from grace, as some have even dared to teach; but is only showing how the grace of God is manifested to His children in their calling. They receive the spiritual knowledge of these things through something that is called faith. Some have illustrated faith as eyes that God has given His children to see and view the marvelous things which He has done for and blessed His children with. According to God’s purpose, without the instrument called faith, we would not receive these blessings into our understanding, appreciate them, and rejoice in them as the sovereign and freely-given (superlatively) gifts of God. Again, this faith does not produce spiritual life itself, but is THE EVIDENCE of eternal life already abiding in the child:

Until one has indeed been quickened by the Holy Spirit, and then converted from the understanding and dictates of the natural mind of the flesh, they conceive of the work of salvation in an entirely different light from when they are afterwards enlightened by the Spirit; because they then see that eternal life and deliverance from death is wholly or entirely the work of God in Christ - and not in any way of themselves. Furthermore, they now would not have it any other way, and the grace of God is thereafter all their theme and rejoicing; as they admire and would rest in the sweet comfort and hope of salvation by grace alone. Now they are enabled, and can truly sing with John Newton from the perspective of a renewed heart, sometimes filled with the spirit of grace and thanksgiving:

To the condemnation and legal bias of the natural mind of the sinner, salvation is always viewed as a work that man must produce of himself; at least, some very important part or parts of it, such as (voluntary) faith, repentance, etc. based wholly upon the free volition of the sinner (and which God offers to the sinner based upon conditions of their acceptance of certain terms to be performed by them as listed above.) While these things (by name) are indeed a part of receiving the fruits of salvation and the work that Christ has wrought out for us (and in us), none of these fruits that grow and flow from the gift of salvation in Jesus are to be considered as OUR WORKS, but the work or works that God alone has first begun, and is now or presently working in them according to His own good pleasure through the administration of His Spirit.

Like all other works (that God works in His people) faith or the belief of the truth is not our work, but the work of God which He works in us. This is done by God Himself, working in His people, that He alone may be rightly and justly accorded all the praise and glory in and for the wondrous gift of eternal life which is in His Son. The saints must cast their crowns before His throne, (Rev 4:11) disclaiming any honor or glory accruing unto themselves in the work of salvation, but give all praise unto God, Who made all things for Himself, and for His Own glory they exist. This unspeakable gift of Life was wrought out by Christ Himself for them; so they shall forever sing in Heaven and Immortal glory: “Not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy Own name be honor and glory.” And as in the 100^th Psalm: “Know ye the Lord He is God: It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” But, without this knowledge and the proper consideration of it concerning the True Lord and God, and His will concerning those whom He has chosen in His Love, how can we truly enter into His gates with (proper) thanksgiving, and into His courts with (rightful) praise; and be (truly) thankful unto Him, and (correctly) bless His name for all of His benefits unto us - if we mix and contaminate His blessedness and goodness with (the presentation) of our own dead works, supposing that we may gain His favor by such, when He has already (and is daily) loading us with blessings out of His free goodness, mercy and love for us as His Own in Christ?

At the beginning of our journey in faith we may at the start be given more or less of faith, and that according to the purpose of God in dealing with us as individual recipients. Because faith is not some kind of tool just laying around (as many seem to suppose) that we can just pick up at our leisure and use at our own option so as to gain the things that we may consider blessings, and which we may suppose we need to serve God acceptably - and that to further enhance our own or perhaps even others salvation - as many teach.

Having said so much about spiritual life and faith and its reception, lest some think that one needs some spectacular or astounding display in some kind of experience of these things, I do not mean to convey that idea. Because the manifestation of the grace of God to many of His called children is not so perceptible in some as in others. Their individual experiences may, and do vary according to God’s purpose in dealing with them. However, they are all by His grace continuing upon the path which He has designed for them individually. Like the Apostles, the hairs of our head are all numbered, so that not one with any degree of fortuitous casualty can or shall fall to the ground out of the bounds of His providential care and decree concerning us. They are in His sight worth much more that five sparrows which are sold for a farthing, and not one of these falls to the ground until the appointed time in His purpose of life and death for these little (but wonderful) creatures - The Omnipotent, exalted and glorified Jesus has the keys not only of the grave, (hell) but also of death itself, and opens these as He pleases. He shuts up a man, and there is no opening, and conversely, He opens a door of utterance unto His saints, and none of them can shut it, as I now feel more and more in my present (but yet sinful) experience. Nevertheless, where sin abounds, grace does much more abound in the knowledge of Jesus and the unspeakable gift of God’s Dear Son.

The natural mind, especially in religion, often follows those ways which tend or lead not unto life, but contrarily, unto the way of death spiritually. speaking, those who are yet in the flesh (or not regenerated) are “after the flesh” and cannot please God spiritually. Rom 8:3. Because Paul says “To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” in Christ. While believers often and even daily feel the remnants of carnality, and struggle with the remnants of a fleshly and depraved nature, I think the apostle here in Romans meant to portray the basic difference between those who are born of the Spirit and those who are not; because he presently adds:

Faith, as well as grace, is the gift of God; because by grace, through faith are we saved (presently) and continually, and of course, none of grace is of ourselves, but is entirely the work of God - both as working in us and out of us. In us, as God has given us of His Spirit - and out of us, as His choice of us in Christ in eternity, and in the redemptive work that Christ performed for us when He lived and died in our room and stead.

John 3:16 is often quoted along with other scriptures that speak of believing upon the Lord Jesus in order (to be “saved”) Many look upon “being saved” as receiving eternal life. However, this is not the meaning of the term as it is used throughout the Scriptures. The word means to be delivered from something. In fact, where the word was translated “saved” in the New Testament (when it was quoted from passages in the O. T.) it is given in many translations, including the KJV, as being “delivered”. God delivers His people whom He foreknew, or loved, and them only. Comparatively, He has always dealt with the mass of mankind after this manner. He has ALWAYS taken out of the mass a (special) people for, or in order to show His Own glory in being a Sovereign God and Savior unto His people. When Jesus manifested Himself to Saul of Tarsus as the Son of God and the Redeemer of Israel, and arrested him upon the Damascus Road, He revealed His purpose unto Saul that Saul was a special chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name unto the Gentiles, and for this same cause He had called him out of his blind seal for the Jew’s religion, and that the Gentiles “ May receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in Jesus.” How can human wisdom penetrate into the mystery of God’s Sovereign Mind and Will? Consider this case of Saul of Tarsus under consideration: Here was a man who was very adverse in his mind and works to the Will of God in Christ; and even so zealous for the works of the Law that he was convinced within himself that he was accomplishing the will of God in his mad pursuit of destroying the saints of God who trusted in Jesus for salvation. Yet, in the Mind and Purpose of God in Christ, Saul himself was a “chosen vessel of Christ” to accomplish the purpose of God in him in sending him to preach the unreachable riches of Christ unto the Gentiles. Saul did not become a chosen vessel unto God at that very moment that Christ revealed Himself to Saul; but he was a chosen vessel from all eternity - including the time during which he persecuted the church of God. Paul says of himself that he was born as one out of due time, and was not meet or fit to be called an apostle of Jesus, nevertheless, by the grace of God, he was what he was; and the grace of God that was bestowed upon him was not in vain, because he labored more than all of his contemporaries, yet not he, but the grace of God which was with him.

Concerning The mystery of God’s unreachable judgments, none can understand - though some are so arrogant as to presume that they can do so - as one has said:

Paul, in his first verses to the Philippians assures to them his persuasion that as God had begun (because God is always faithful in His work of grace in His people) He would also continue to perform the work of grace through faith in them until the day of Jesus Christ. This was not merely a personal or private persuasion of Paul’s mind, but was a divine persuasion from the Holy Spirit, as Paul was not an ordinary minister of Christ, but an Apostle. Not only so, but this is a consistent truth as taught throughout the Holy Scriptures, that where God begins a work, He always finishes it; because He is not like fickle, vacillating and fallible man who is subject to his own nature and environment, and cannot always accomplish his desires, and as birds taken in a snare, and as fishes taken in a net, man is subject to the changes and even ravages of this earth - but not so with The Almighty, Who has Himself, and that from ancient times, determined the “things not yet done, saying “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” His word shall accomplish all its purpose whereunto He has sent it, just as His rain that waters the whole earth, and that gives seed to the sower, and therefore bread unto the eater, so shall be His word (not the preacher’s word in trying to make sheep) that goes forth out of HIS mouth (not your mouth, or the preacher’s mouth, mind you) but out of GOD’S mouth.