神的拣选是我们的定命。藉着神的拣选，我们永远的定命完全立定了。这拣选和定命乃是在于呼召的神，不在于作工的人。我们的拣选完全在于呼召的神。“也不因为是亚伯拉罕的后裔，就都是儿女，惟独‘从以撒生的，才要称为你的后裔’”（罗九7）。虽然以实玛利是亚伯拉罕生的，但他或他的后裔亚拉伯人，都没有蒙神拣选。他们是肉体的儿女，不能算是神的儿女。惟独以撒和他一部分的后裔蒙神拣选，才算是神的儿女。
八节继续说，“这就是说，肉体的儿女不就是神的儿女，惟独那应许的儿女才算是后裔”照着神的经纶，肉体的儿女不就是神的儿女，惟独那应许的儿女才算是后裔。亚伯拉罕的后裔不都是神的儿女。天然的出生不够使他们成为神的儿女；他们需要重生（约三7）。“应许的儿女”这辞指第二次出生，因为惟有藉着第二次出生，他们才能成为应许的儿女，因此才算是后裔。
“因为所应许的话是这样：‘到明年这时候我要来，撒拉必生一个儿子’不但如此，还有利百加，既从一个人，就是从我们的祖宗以撒怀了孕，双子还没有生下来，善恶也没有作出来（只因要坚定神拣选人的旨意，不是本于行为，乃是本于那呼召人的），神就对利百加说，‘将来大的要服事小的’正如经上所记：‘雅各是我所爱的，以扫是我所恨的’”（罗九9-13）。这些经文向我们揭示一个事实，神的拣选不是照着人的行为，乃是完全照着祂的拣选。
这里告诉我们，利百加从一个人－以撒－怀了孕，生出两个儿子，以扫和雅各。在双子生下来，善恶作出来以前，神就告诉利百加，将来大的（以扫）要服事小的（雅各）。这证明神的拣选在于祂的喜欢和不喜欢。因此，神说，“雅各是我所爱的，以扫是我所恨的”。我们以为神只会爱，绝不会恨，但这里说神恨。“雅各是我所爱的，以扫是我所恨的”惟独蒙神所爱、所拣选的人才算是后裔。神的拣选在于祂自己，祂是照着祂的喜欢呼召人；这不在于人的行为。虽然神说，“从以撒生的，才要称为你的后裔”（创二一12），但以撒的两个儿子中，只有一个蒙神拣选。这启示神的拣选也不是照着人的出生。神不照着祂自己以外的任何事物拣选人。
每日一问：我们蒙拣选，是否是因为我们的行为和努力？
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God’s Selection – It Is of the Calling God – Rom. 9:7-8
God’s selection is our destiny. Through God’s selection, our eternal destiny is fully established. This selection and destiny are of the calling God, not of the one who works. Our selection is entirely of the calling God. “Nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s seeds, but: ‘Through Isaac your seeds will be named’” (Rom. 9:7). Although Ishmael was born of Abraham, neither he nor his descendants, the Arabs, were chosen by God. They are children of the flesh and cannot be considered children of God. Only Isaac and a portion of his descendants were chosen by God to be considered children of God.
Verse 8 continues, “That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as seeds.” According to God’s economy, the children of the flesh are not the children of God; only the children of the promise are counted as the seed. Not all of Abraham’s descendants are children of God. Natural birth is not enough to make them children of God; they need to be born again (John 3:7). The phrase “children of the promise” refers to a second birth, because only through a second birth can they become children of the promise and thus be considered as the seed.
“For this word is of promise, ‘At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; “for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said it her, “The older will serve the Younger.” Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (Rom. 9:9-13). These scriptures reveal to us a fact: God’s selection is not according to man’s works, but is entirely according to His selection.
This tells us that Rebekah conceived by one man — Isaac — and gave birth to two sons, Esau and Jacob. Before the twins were born, and before they had done anything good or bad, God told Rebekah that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). This proves that God’s selection lies in His liking and disliking. Therefore, God said, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” We think God only loves and never hates, but here it says God hated. “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” —only those loved and chosen by God are counted as the seed. God’s selection is of Himself; He calls according to His liking; it is not of man’s works. Although God said, “In Isaac shall your seed be named” (Gen. 21:12), out of Isaac’s two sons, only one was chosen by God. This reveals that God’s selection is not according to man’s birth either. God does not select man according to anything other than Himself.
Daily Question: Is our being chosen because of our works and efforts?