And Romans 9:22 backs that up. Some vessels were prepared (PREDESTINED) for eternal ruin and the other are v vessels of his mercy. Notice the God is patient toward the vessels of his wrath so the vessels of his mercy obtain it. IN other words, God is patient with sinful mankind long enough so that all he intends to save are saved. The same is said God patience toward the elect the elect in 2 Peter 3:9
Romans 9 is about God’s calling not election to salvation. If you keep reading you will see this.
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And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ' MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ' BELOVED.'" " AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ' YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD."”
Romans 9:23-26 NASB
Notice the similarity in these next verses.
“What shall we say then? That Gentiles,
who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel,
pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,”
Romans 9:30-32 NASB
“For He says to Moses, "I
WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”
Romans 9:15-16 NASB
When Paul said it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs he was referring to those whom God has called, not election to salvation. He is explaining that God has now turned to the Gentiles offering them access into His covenant even tho they did not pursue it. Hence not according to him who wills or runs.
In Romans 2 Paul explained why people are condemned. Notice the mirror verse pertaining to God’s patience and kindness.
“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”
Romans 2:4-8 NASB
Paul makes it absolutely clear that the unelected are storing up the wrath of God for themselves because of their stubbornness, not because of their inability to repent. This is where Calvin made his mistake on election. Calvin teaches that man is incapable of repentance but that is not what Paul taught. In order for someone to be condemned for their stubbornness to repent they must first be capable of it. If someone who is incapable of repentance fails to repent then the cause was not their stubbornness but their inability to do so.
