Paul Doubles Down On Unconditional Election

Romans 9:13 is somewhat of a comparison between Jacob and Esau. For example, remember when Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26). Jesus was not saying, go home and hate your parents and your children. Jesus loved and honored His parents. Jesus was saying very clearly that He expected His disciples to make Him the highest priority in their lives. Who do you love the most in your life? Your children, your spouse, or Jesus Christ, the Son of God? As those whom Christ died for and redeemed from sin and death and rescued from God’s wrath, He expects that in comparison to our love for Him the love we have for anybody else, children or spouse or anybody, diminishes into insignificance. In fact, when we set that family love alongside our eternal love for the One who is our God and Savior it should effectively look like hatred. That is difficult to receive, but Jesus’ point rings loud and clear – your love for Me should make every other love look tiny.