Under Gods Command
Romans 09:15-19 For he says to Moses, “ I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “ I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he want to harden.
19: One of you will say to me. “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, why did you make me like this?” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purpose and some for common use?
Paul quotes from Exodus 9:16, where God foretold how Pharaoh would be used to declare God’s power. Paul uses this argument to show that salvation was God’s proper work, not man’s. God’s judgment on Pharaoh’s choice to resist God was to confirm that sin harden his heart. The consequences of Pharaoh’s rebellion would be his own punishment.
With this illustration, Paul is not saying that some of us are worth more than others, but simply that the Creator has control over the created object. The created object, therefore, has no right to demand anything from its Creator-its very existence depends on him. Keeping this perspective removes any temptation to have pride in personal achievement.
Lets Bring it Home: What lump of clay did you come from? Are we being use for God purpose, or are we just doing our thing, picking and choosing when we should allow God to use us, not knowing that God uses us anyway, even in our sinful state.
Under Gods command 