Paul asks the question, "Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" This line of interrogation is rhetorical by nature, but the apostle answers himself with "Hath not the potter power over the clay?" (Rom 9) No man in his natural state wishes to consider the possibility that God is truly sovereign. Yet the Bible is clear. "...Cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand..." and again, "But He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? and what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. For He performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with Him. Therefore am I troubled at His presence: when I consider, I am afraid of Him." (Job 23:13-15) Notice that even the righteous Job was fearful of his Creator, when he realized that "He performeth the thing that is appointed for me."

Now we know that the clay can say naught to the potter, and the creature is likened to clay. The clay is used "of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor." Each person is fitted for God's use. Paul postulates the following: "What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (Rom 9:22-24) It is abundantly clear that some of the vessels are fitted for mercy and others for wrath, each to shew forth the magnificence of God's design.

I wish to here dwell upon the vessels of mercy. Paul shews that they were "afore prepared unto glory." This is indicative of their election and calling to be saved. Previously in Romans we discover that "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. 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. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." (Rom 8:29-33)

Here it is evident that God, in his predeterminate foreknowledge ordained that His elect should be completely saved. First, we see that they are predestined to be conformed to His Son. Second, they are predestined to be called. Third, they are predestined to be justified. Fourth, they are predestined to be glorified.

Notice that each part is an act of God's good pleasure.

• Firstly, man does not foreknow God, for man does not even exist without God's knowledge: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev 4:11) "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Col 1:16-17)
• Secondly, man does not conform himself to Christ, for his natural will is to conform himself to the world: "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Rom 12:2)
• Thirdly, unless the very words are put into his heart and mouth (Rom 10:9-10) natural man will not call unto his Maker; but would cry rather unto those things which cannot help and will not save: "Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us." (Luk 23:30) "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb..." (Rev 6:15-16) "Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble." (Jer 11:12)
• Fourthly, man cannot justify himself for "...It is God that justifieth." (Rom 8:33) "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom 4:5)
• Fifthly, man cannot glorify himself as he is fallen short of God's glory. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..." (Rom 3:23)
• Finally, we should take note that man is unable to predestinate himself as he has no way of knowing the future. "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (Jam 4:13-14) Our Lord illustrated this precept in a parable: "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luk 12:16-21)
  

In Ephesians chapter 1 we discover that those predestinated are so "according to the good pleasure of his will." This determination happened before the foundation of the world in the counsel of His own will. Before those who were predestined could be saved, however they must first be quickened: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." (Eph 2:1) Spiritual death is a complete lack of righteousness, understanding, and profitability. (Rom 3:10-12) It is an evil deceitful heart. (Jer. 17:9) It is a lack of fear for God. (Rom 3:18) It is walking according to the course of this world and the devil. It is following the whims of the flesh instead of the dictates of God. It is being under the wrath of God. (Eph 2:1-3)

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. " (Eph 2:4-10)

Thanks be to God for this unspeakable gift! God's richness of mercy and his great love for His own is demonstrated by His regeneration of the dead sinner. His grace is shewn through his great gift of faith in saving the lost. His foreknowledge is revealed in the good works that he has ordained His elect to perform. His glory is proclaimed through his raising up of the unclean unto a place of authority with His only begotten Son. Salvation is through no work of man for "to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." (Rom 4:4) And again, the Scriptures say: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Tit 3:5-7)

Salvation is not by the working of man, but rather through the working of God. "Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:9-10) Here we see that not only are the saved the workmanship of God, but they are created in Christ Jesus. Now a creation cannot form itself; it has not the ability to manufacture from nothing something, else it would no more be a creation, but instead a creator. In the first chapter of Genesis, we do not see nature organizing herself by her own will. The rocks do not form on their own accord. The trees and herbs do not beg to be brought forth from the soil. The fishes and fowls do not spring into being on their own cognizance. Even man himself was powerless before God breathed into him the breath of life. "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Gen 2:7)

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2Co 5:17)

The significance of being made anew is clear from the following verse: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Rom 5:19) When man is made in the image of Adam, he is under the curse of sin and in bondage to the Law (Gal 4). Being made anew in the image of Christ (Rom 8:29) brings us the blessings of righteousness and imputes unto the sinner all of the blessings that go along with being sons of God. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1Jo 3:1-3) "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Rom 8:14-18)

The vessels of mercy then are the workmanship of God. They are His creation, destined to be made in the image of His only begotten Son. It is the pleasure of God that brings these things into being, and all of it is known since before the founding of the world. God has not merely provided a way for the vessels to be made, but has made them in the way that He has chosen. He has not simply allowed creation to follow its own course, but has layed out a course to create man anew in the image of His dear Son. All of this is to shew forth His glory and grace. Amen!