Most of you will realize and remember that we have come now in our study of the ninth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans

to the section which begins at verse 25, which we read at the beginning.

As he says also in Ozzy, I will call them my people which were not my people, and her beloved, which was not beloved.

And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people,

there shall they be called the children of the living God.

Now here, as I am reminding you, we come to a new subsection in the statement and the

argument of this ninth chapter of the epistle to the Romans. It is, I say, only a new subsection.

It's continuing the theme that has occupied the whole length of the chapter. And the theme is,

as we must constantly bear in our minds, the whole question of the chapter. And the theme is, as we must constantly bear in our minds, the whole question

of the position of the Jews relevant to the Christian church and therefore relevant to the

kingdom of God. Now, the apostle had ended his, what we may call almost pure bit of

argumentation in verse 24 by saying this, even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only,

but also of the Gentiles.

What he has said, therefore, is this.

And it is vital that we should carry the main argument in our minds.

Otherwise, we shall see the relevance of what he begins to do at verse 25.

His argument has been this, to show that salvation is always the immediate result of the action of God himself.

That man does not save himself, men does not determine his own salvation, that salvation is entirely only altogether of God.

The God who has said, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion

on whom I will have compassion.

But the Apostle has been particularly concerned to say this, that God is absolutely free in this matter. He is a sovereign Lord.

He is not obligated to anybody, and he is free to do anything that he will. No one has any claim

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