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Vessels of Wrath Fitted to Destruction

Of those whom He hardeneth

I write the following with fear and trembling. With my soul I have desired Him in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Him early: for when His judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Is 26:9). May the Lord use His Word here to reveal the characteristics of vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and those described in the phrase whom He will He hardeneth. For He has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth. Do we ask, Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will? No, for we are mere men! How can we reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him who formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus? God, as a potter, has power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor. 22What if God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He has afore prepared unto glory, (Rom 9:18-28) In the eyes of the sovereign Lord, there are people whom He deems as vessels fitted for destruction and as those whom He hardens. They are described extensively in the counsel of the Holy Scriptures. May the Lord use the passages below to evoke a Godly fear, even a sorrow, that will result in repentance and the turning of the hearts of the uncoverted to the multitude of His tender mercies, and the regenerate souls renewal through the fear of God placed within them that they do not depart from Him. See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven: (Heb 12:25) 1. These people reject the Lords direct calling of their souls to repentance. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9). For this reason He exhorts us that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority (undoubtedly many of such men, kings, and authorities are vessels fitted for destruction; see Ps 2); that His people may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth. (1 Tim 2:1-4) For God that made the world and all things therein is Lord of heaven and earth. He dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath DETERMINED THE TIMES BEFORE APPOINTED, AND THE BOUNDS OF THEIR HABITATION; THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD,

IF HAPLY THEY MIGHT FEEL AFTER HIM, AND FIND HIM, THOUGH HE BE NOT FAR FROM EVERY ONE OF US: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being. We are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and mans device. At the times of this ignorance God winked at; but NOW COMMANDETH ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT. (Acts 17:24-30) As Jesus cried out in the last day of the feast, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:37-28) Furthermore the Christ has declared that him that cometh to Him, He will in no wise cast out and that this is the will of His Father who sent Him: that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and He will raise him up at the last day (John 6:37,40). Jesus told all who labor and are heavy laden to come unto Him, and He will give them rest, to take His yoke upon them, and learn from Him; for He is meek and lowly in heart: and they shall find rest unto their souls. For His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. (Matt 11:28-30) For the Lord redeemeth the souls of His servants: and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate (Ps 34:22). In spite of the Lords call to repent and come to Him, these people reject the Truth. After the Lord refused Cains offering given in disobedience to His command to offer a blood sacrifice, He said to Cain, Why art thou wroth (angry)? And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Shortly thereafter Cain killed Abel because his own works were evil, but his brothers righteous. (Gen 4:6-8, 1 John 3:12) For many are called, but few are chosen (Matt 22:14).
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the merciful Thou wilt shew Thyself merciful; with an upright man Thou wilt shew Thyself upright; 26 With the pure Thou wilt shew Thyself pure; and with the froward Thou wilt shew Thyself froward. Ps 18 2. These people reject the revealed knowledge of God in preference for irrational idolatry.

The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. The eternal Gospel is preached to every creature under heaven (Col 1:23). Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound, the sound of His witnesses, went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. (Rom 10:18) And the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful: but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. WHEREFORE, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. FOR THIS CAUSE God gave them unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and RECEIVING IN THEMSELVES THAT RECOMPENSE OF THEIR ERROR WHICH WAS MEET. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gAVE THEM OVER to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Rom 1:16-32) The Lord is angry with the wicked every day (Ps 7:11). For these are the six things which He hates, the seven things that are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren (Prov 6:17-19). Do you see how the hearts and behavior of those described in the Rom 1 passage above fully encompass these seven things? If God turns not from His wrath, He will whet His sword; He hath bent His bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for Him the instruments of death; He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors. Behold these people travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. They made a pit, and digged it, and are fallen into the ditch which they made. Their mischief shall return upon their own heads, and their violent dealings shall come down upon their own pate. (Ps 7:11-16) 3. These people walk after the IMAGINATIONS of their hearts. God warns the Israelites through Moses lest there should be among them any man, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord God, to go and serve the gods of other nations; lest there should be among them a root that beareth gall and wormwood; and it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall BLOT OUT HIS NAME FROM UNDER HEAVEN. (Deut 29:18-20)

God commanded the Israelites through the prophet Jeremiah saying, 23Obey, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, not inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and WENT BACKWARD AND NOT FORWARD. Since the day that their fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto the day God had even sent unto them all His servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: they hearkened not to Him, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Therefore, though Jeremiah spoke all these words unto them, they would not hearken. Though these people were called unto, they did not answer. They were a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: TRUTH IS PERISHED, and is cut off from their mouth. 29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath . (Jer 7:23-29) This phrase, walk after the imaginations of their hearts is repeatedly used in the book of Jeremiah. Their hearts dwelling places are called imaginations because they exhibit the rejection of the Truth in preference for lies. Even when the Lord said to the men of Judah, Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good, they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. (Jer 18:11-12) 4. These people received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. The mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause GOD SHALL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess 2:712) Consider the rich man who suffered in the place of torment who asked Abraham to send Lazarus from the dead to his five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come to that place. Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. The rich man said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And Abraham replied, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:28-31) They received not the love of the Truth, in the face Truth authenticated. And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Matt 13:58) 5. These people refuse to repent, but rather blaspheme the Lord in the midst of experiencing His just wrath against them.

The response of men in the last days to the wrath of God poured out upon the earth reveals the hearts of people who are vessels fitted for destruction. Following the terrible plagues of the six angels, the rest of men which were not killed by these plagues yet REPENTED NOT of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. (Rev 9:20-21) As the seven angels pour out their vials of wrath, these people still refuse to repent. The angel of the waters said, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou has judged thus. 6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou has given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And another out of the altar said, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments . The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, WHICH HATH POWER OVER THESE PLAGUES: and they repented not to give Him glory. The fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague therefore was exceedingly great. (Rev 16:5-12, 17-21) Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Is 26:10