Objection: God Has Mercy upon Whom HE Wills (Romans 9:15)

Romans 9:15:
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

While this is a statement from God Himself, and thus obviously true, it misses the point that God now offers His healing mercy to EVERYONE.  EVERYONE is now whom He wills to receive it!  He has chosen to have compassion on EVERYONE under the New Covenant!

On whom did Jesus have compassion in the New Testament?  The multitudes, not just specific people within the multitudes.  He didn’t refuse healing to anyone who approached Him.  He didn’t multiply food for some of them and send the others away hungry.

This is a very similar objection to Throughout Scripture God Heals Those Whom He CHOOSES to Heal, so you should review that response; this avoids having to re-state those arguments under this objection.

However, some things need to be said that fall under this particular objection.  A study of Romans 9 through Romans 11 (the context of the verse at the head of this topic) shows that Paul’s main topic is Jews and Gentiles and the temporary blindness of the Jews and availability of all blessings to the Gentiles as well as Jews.  We see that Israel is temporarily blinded, but the day will come when all Israel will be saved.  (They will call on Jesus of course, as there is no other way to be saved.)  This master plan is God’s design, and Paul addresses people who think that God is unfair.

It is critical that you realize that there is not one single verse in the whole stretch from Romans 9 through Romans 11 in which Paul talks about God being willing to have compassion and mercy on one particular Gentile but not another particular Gentile, or on one particular Jew but not another particular Jew.  (Yes, particular people are mentioned in Romans 9 who did not receive mercy – Pharaoh and Esau – but they were not Jews under the Law.)  The objector is not trying to make a case between Jews and Gentiles in different time periods anyway – his ill-conceived point is that God will choose to have mercy (including healing) on one particular Jew or Gentile but not another particular Jew or Gentile because that’s just what He feels like doing, and that is not Paul’s point at all.

As far as the rest of the matter goes, the answer to the similar objection mentioned above should settle things for you.