Romans 9

Paul’s mission is to the Gentiles, but he has “anguish in his heart” (2) for his Jewish kin. He argues that “physical descent” was never the criteria for being God’s people, but rather “promise” (8). Neither Jew nor Gentile can approach God on merit, for salvation is “not dependent on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (16).

The radical basis of our faith is that God doesn’t judge us according to our sin, but has chosen mercy through Christ instead. Therefore, we are free from the burden of proving our worth to God. When we least expected or deserved it, by his mercy he has called us “the children of the living God” (26).