The second death is death to self, overcoming self, submitting to Christ. Yes, that's our part in salvation, to cry out to God in the night in confession of our sins, to throw ourselves at the foot of the cross in anguish. For God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. A contrite heart.
But is that of ourselves, or are we vessels fitted for wrath so that God may show His great power by having mercy upon all?
God does the work of salvation in those who repent and believe demonstrated in listening to and following Lord Jesus, for many, even Christians will resist, quench, grieve, and insult the Spirit.
Romans 9:22-23 (WEB) 22 What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
God plainly teaches us of His will on whom he is preparing for wrath, and those God shows mercy, in the same letter to the Romans.
Romans 2:2-9 (WEB)
2
We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5
But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the
righteous judgment of God; 6 who “
will pay back to everyone according to their works:” [
Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12]
7
to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life;
8 but
to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath, indignation, 9 oppression, and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Just as in
Romans 2:2-9, God reveals to us in other Passages the reasons he causes a person to be a vessel of noble or ignoble purpose (
2 Timothy 2:19-21).
Notice, those who repent of their unrighteousness are those who are sanctified before God. To these who repent, God has chosen to be vessels of honor. Those who don’t repent, God will make to be a vessel of dishonor.
2 Timothy 2:19-21 (WEB) 19 However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “
The Lord knows those who are his,” [Numbers 16:5] and, “
Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.” 20 Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor, and some for dishonor. 21
If anyone therefore purges himself from these,
he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.
The sinner may question God saying,
“Why do you make him a noble vessel and not me?”
But does not a sovereign God judge rightly? Yes He does, for God is holy and righteous.
So who are we to question God about what He has determined? God forms us as vessels for a purpose according to how we (the clay) respond in His hands (
Jeremiah 18:2-11):
Jeremiah 18:2-11 (WEB)
Bolding mine
2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my words.”
3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making something on the wheels. 4 When the vessel that he made of the clay was
marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Then Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 6 “
House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter?” says Yahweh. “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.
7 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; 8
if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from their evil,
I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them. 9 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
10 if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice,
then I will repent of the good with which I said I would benefit them.
11 “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Yahweh says: “Behold,
I frame evil against you, and devise a plan against you.
Everyone return from his evil way now, and amend your ways and your doings.”’
God forms the clay (nations (
vs 8) as well as individuals (
vs 11) for honor or dishonor, for condemnation or for salvation, depending on how we respond in His hands – to either respond in rebellion against God, or respond in repentance.
A Sovereign God leaves that choice up to the clay, for it is not God’s fault that the clay itself is marred in his hands, for God never teaches us that He created the clay to be marred. In other words, God created mankind, but God did not create us ahead of time to be evil or good.
Is it God’s fault the some of the clay he was forming into a good vessel was marred in His hands, as if God makes mistakes? Not at all; rather, God’s
first intention was to form the clay into a noble vessel, but the
clay itself was marred in His hands (they were living in sin), and so God changed His mind, and formed the marred clay for another purpose – destruction. God gave them time to repent. If they repented, (if the clay stopped being marred) then God would repent of His intention to form them into vessels for His wrath.
Notice again in 2 Timothy 2:19-21, the very same concept is taught, in that how God chooses to make us – either a vessel of honor or dishonor – is dependent on how we respond to God’s grace.
2 Timothy 2:19-21 (WEB) 19 However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “
The Lord knows those who are his,” [Numbers 16:5] and, “
Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.” 20 Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor, and some for dishonor. 21
If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.
A Sovereign God will make us to be a vessel for ignoble or noble purpose as he wills. And God wills to make the repentant believer into a vessel of mercy for noble purposes, and the unrepentant into a vessel of wrath, for ignoble purposes. So, how the vessel responds in God’s hands will determine the purpose for which God forms us.
Romans 9:22-23 (WEB) 22 What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory.
God does not show wrath on some and not others because He created them for that purpose. Read the context:
Romans 3:5-8
5 But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say?
Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do. 6
May it never be! For then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let’s do evil that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.
Therefore, as Paul clearly reveals by inspiration, who are we to say that God is unjust for righteously forming the vessel for wrath or mercy based on how we respond to His grace? Does not God have the right to form the clay according to how they respond to His grace? Who are we to say that God is not sovereign or just for doing so? Who are we to say God is not truly righteous in His judgments?
