保罗继续说，“这样，你必对我说，祂为甚么还指责人？有谁抗拒祂的旨意？人哪，你是谁，竟向神顶嘴？”（罗九19-20上）。我们都必须领悟我们是谁。我们是神的造物，祂是我们的创造者。我们是祂的造物，不该对祂这位创造者说甚么。所以，保罗问：“被塑造者岂能对塑造他者说，你为甚么这样造我？窑匠难道没有权柄，从同一团泥里，拿一块作成贵重的器皿，又拿一块作成卑贱的器皿么？”（罗九20下-21）。神是窑匠，我们是泥块。神这位窑匠对泥块有权柄。祂若愿意，祂能作一个贵重的器皿，也能作一个卑贱的器皿。这不在于我们的拣选－这在于祂的主宰。
罗马九章二十一节揭示神造人的目的。本节在启示神造人的目的上是独特的。没有本节，我们很难领悟神造人的目的，是要使人作祂的器皿，以盛装祂。我们都必须彻底领会，我们是神的容器，神是我们的内容。林后四章七节说，“我们有这宝贝在瓦器里”我们是瓦器，神是宝贝和内容。神照着祂的豫定，主宰的造了我们作祂的容器。
提后二章二十至二十一节表达同样的思想；那里说，我们是贵重的器皿。所以，我们需要洁净自己，脱离卑贱的事，使我们分别为圣，合乎主人使用。然而，我们成为贵重的器皿，不是我们拣选的结果；这乃是起源于神的主宰。神藉着所造蒙怜悯以盛装祂自己的器皿，使祂的荣耀彰显出来；这是在于神的主宰。这是很深的话。神的主宰是祂拣选的基础。祂的拣选在于祂的主宰。
“若是神愿意显示祂的忿怒，彰显祂的能力，就多用恒忍宽容那些可怒、豫备遭毁灭的器皿”（罗九22）。对此我们该说甚么？我们无话可说。祂是窑匠，祂有权柄；人不过是泥土。
每日一问：我们成为贵重的器皿，是因为我们的拣选，还是因为神的主宰？
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God’s Selection – It Is God’s Sovereignty (1) – Rom. 9:19-21
Paul continues, “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’ On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?” (Rom. 9:19-20a). We must realize who we are. We are God’s creatures, and He is our Creator. We are His workmanship, and we should not say anything to our Creator. Therefore, Paul asks: “The thing modeled will not say to the modeler, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?” (Rom. 9:20b-21). God is the potter, and we are the clay. God, as the potter, has authority over the clay. If He wills, He can make a vessel of honor, and He can also make a vessel of dishonor. This is not of our selection — it is of His sovereignty.
Romans 9:21 reveals God’s purpose in creating man. This verse is unique in revealing God’s purpose for creating man. Without this verse, it is hard to grasp that God’s purpose in creating man is to make man His vessel, to contain Him. We must thoroughly understand that we are God’s containers and God is our content. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels.” We are the earthen vessels, and God is the treasure and the content. According to His predestination, God sovereignly created us as His containers.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 expresses the same thought; it says that we are vessels of honor. Therefore, we need to cleanse ourselves from these things of dishonor so that we may be sanctified, useful to the Master. However, our becoming vessels of honor is not the result of our selection; it originates from God’s sovereignty. God, through the vessels He has created and upon which He has had mercy to contain Himself, makes His glory manifest; this is of God’s sovereignty. This is a very deep word. God’s sovereignty is the basis of His selection. His selection is of His sovereignty.
“What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (Rom. 9:22). What should we say to this? We have nothing to say. He is the potter, He has authority; man is but clay.
Daily Question: Are we vessels of honor because of our selection, or because of God’s sovereignty?