Ok, thanks for that explanation. Can you give me your view on Romans 9:11-13? If we are saved by our work of believing why was Jacob loved and Esau hated before they did any work?
I know some people say this is Gods foreknowledge but it wouldn’t make sense to question if God was unrighteous to have foreknowledge in Romans 9:14.
I’m not trying to debate this, I just want to see how this fits with your view.
Sure. That's a very misunderstood passage. It's not as difficult to understand as some might think. But, you have to look closely at the context and you have to look at the OT scripture which it's quoting to understand what it means.
Romans 9:11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
First, we have to look at the Old Testament scripture that Paul was quoting here to see the context.
Genesis 25:21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, “
Two nations are in your womb, and
two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
Can you see here that Jacob and Esau represented "two nations" and "two peoples"? So, the context of what Paul was saying was not in relation to the individual election and salvation of Jacob and the damnation of Esau, but rather was in relation to God's plan of salvation and which nation He would work out His plan of salvation through. The nation of Israel descended from Jacob while the nation of Edom descended from Esau. Obviously, God chose to bring salvation through the nation of Israel ("salvation is from the Jews" - John 4:22). He could have chosen Edom instead if He wanted to, but He didn't. He could do it however He wanted and no one can question that (which is what Romans 9:14 means).
When it says "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated", it's not talking about Jacob and Esau as individuals.
Malachi 1:1 A prophecy: The word of the Lord to
Israel through Malachi. 2 “
I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘
How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but
Esau I have hated, and I have turned
his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.” 4
Edom may say, “
Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.” But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “
They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’
Can you see here how God loving Jacob and hating Esau has to do with how He treated the nations of Israel and Edom rather than His treatment of Jacob and Esau as individuals? Also, the words love and hate are used in the context of God blessing Jacob (Israel) and not blessing Esau (Edom) rather than it having anything to do with God literally loving Jacob and literally hating Esau. It's a mistake to think it has anything to do with God having predestinated Jacob to salvation and Esau to condemnation.
Then there's Romans 9:15 where Paul quoted Exodus 33:19. Yes, God can have mercy and compassion on whoever He chooses. Man does not decide who God has mercy on and who He doesn't. But, when you continue reading in Romans you find out that God wants to have mercy on all people. He's not obligated to have mercy on all, but He still wants to because God is love (1 John 4:8, 16).
Romans 11:30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For
God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
Scripture teaches that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2) and that God wants everyone to repent (Acts 17:30, 2 Peter 3:9) and to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-6). With that in mind what other explanation can there be for the fact that not all people repent and are saved (despite God wanting them to) except that people are given the free will and responsibility to choose whether to repent and accept Christ or not?