No — there is no unrighteousness with God; Romans 9:14 answers the question with an emphatic 'God forbid.'
God is righteous — He can do no sin and no wrong (Clip 3). He is sovereign, so He can show mercy and compassion to whomever He chooses (Clip 5). Paul makes clear in Romans 9:16 that the outcome is not of human willing or running but of God who shows mercy.
Romans 9:14 — This verse poses the exact question — 'Is there unrighteousness with God?' — and rejects it immediately with 'God forbid.'
Romans 9:15-16 — Paul explains that mercy and compassion are God's sovereign prerogative, proving His choices are righteous and not dependent on human will.
Paul poses the exact question in Romans 9:14: 'Is there unrighteousness with God?' and answers with an emphatic denial — 'God forbid.' The apostle grounds his answer in God's own words to Moses: 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion' (Romans 9:15). Paul then explains that 'it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy' (Romans 9:16). Scripture also shows that God's electing purpose was established before Jacob or Esau had done anything good or evil, 'that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth' (Romans 9:11), and Paul cites the Old Testament record, 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated' (Romans 9:13). God declares through the prophet that He will throw down the pride of Edom — 'the people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever' (Malachi 1:4) — while affirming that His ways are higher than human ways (Isaiah 55:9). Later, Paul insists that God 'hath not cast away his people which he foreknew' (Romans 11:2).
Les Feldick answers the question of God's unrighteousness directly: 'God is righteous, he can do no sin, he can do no wrong' (Clip 3). For Les, the reason God can declare 'I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy' is simply that He is the sovereign God — 'He can do whatever He wants to do.' He illustrates this with the golden calf incident: Israel was dancing in lewdness while Moses was on the mountain, and God could have wiped them out with one thought — instead He declared mercy (Clip 5). Les is equally careful, however, to affirm human free will. He admits that reconciling God's sovereign plan with human free will is 'one of the hardest things to put together,' and after 25 years of teaching he doesn't even try anymore — God is sovereign, omniscient, and absolutely in control (Clip 2). His explanation is foreknowledge: before He ever created anything, the Godhead looked down through the eons of time and knew exactly what every person in every nation would do, yet He never took away the free will of mankind (Clips 6, 7). Finally, Les insists that election is not an excuse for inaction: 'You better be concerned, because Christ died for every human being. He did not die for just the few... But it's up to us to accept His offer of pardon' (Clip 1).
In Romans 9:15-16, God declares to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion' (quoting Exodus 33:19). Paul concludes that 'it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.' Les illustrates this with the golden calf incident: Israel deserved destruction, but God instead declared His sovereign mercy — 'He is sovereign. He can do whatever He wants to do' (Clip 5).
Les acknowledges this is hard to comprehend, but he insists God gave men and nations their free will while everything they do still fits His plan (Clip 2). God in foreknowledge knew exactly what every person would do with His offer of salvation; He did not take away their choice — He knew what they would do with their choice (Clip 6). Israel had absolute freedom to accept or reject the King, and their rejection did not throw God a curve (Clip 7). Even Pharaoh could have let Israel go (Clip 3).
Les emphasizes Romans 9:11 — before the twins were born and before they had done anything good or evil, God's purpose according to election was set, 'not of works, but of him that calleth' (Clips 1, 4). This was contrary to Middle Eastern custom, where the elder normally received precedence (Clip 1). Even later, God brought down proud, anti-God Edom while magnifying weak Israel (Clip 0).
Les says plainly: 'You better be concerned, because Christ died for every human being. He did not die for just the few. He died for every one of us. But it's up to us to accept His offer of pardon' (Clip 1). God's foreknowledge does not diminish the urgency of the gospel; the offer of salvation is for every person.
God's Sovereignty Over Edom
Les shows from Malachi that proud, anti-God Edom (Esau's descendants) was nothing under a sovereign God, while weak Israel could be made whatever God wanted — demonstrating God's righteous power over nations.
Election Is Not an Excuse
Les answers the objection 'why should I be concerned?' by insisting Christ died for every human being and each person must accept His offer of pardon. He also notes God's choice of Jacob over Esau was contrary to Middle Eastern custom.
Free Will and God's Sovereign Plan
Les admits the difficulty of understanding how human free will and God's plan work together, yet affirms God has not cast away Israel and that God is sovereign, omniscient, and absolutely in control.
God Is Righteous — He Can Do No Wrong
Les states plainly that God is righteous and can do no sin or wrong, and that God gives every human being the exercise of free will — even Pharaoh could have let Israel go.
Purpose of God According to Election
Les emphasizes that Jacob and Esau were chosen before birth, having done neither good nor evil, so that the purpose of God according to election might stand — not of works, but of Him who calls.
Mercy and Compassion Are God's Sovereign Choice
Les points to the golden calf incident to show God could have wiped Israel out, yet instead declared compassion on whom He will have compassion and mercy on whom He will have mercy — because He is sovereign and can do whatever He wants.
Foreknowledge — God Knew What Each Person Would Do
Les explains that God in foreknowledge knew what every person would do with His offer of salvation — He knew what Israel would do, but He never took away their choice.
Israel's Free Will to Reject the King
Les describes how the Godhead could look down through time and know exactly what every person would do, planning for every contingency, yet Israel still had absolute free will to accept or reject the King.
Romans 9:14: What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
This is the verse that directly asks and answers the question of God's righteousness.
Romans 9:15: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Paul quotes God's words to Moses to show that mercy is God's sovereign choice.
Romans 9:16: So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Paul concludes that salvation's outcome rests on God's mercy, not on human effort.
Romans 9:11: (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
God's choice of Jacob was settled before birth, independent of works.
Romans 9:13: As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Paul cites the Old Testament record as part of his argument about God's sovereign choice.
Romans 11:1: I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Paul answers that God has not cast away Israel — a companion denial to Romans 9:14.
Romans 11:2: God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
Les cites this to show God's foreknowledge and faithfulness to Israel.
Exodus 33:19: And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
God's original declaration that Romans 9:15 quotes; the basis for Paul's denial of unrighteousness with God.
Malachi 1:4: Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places: thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
Les cites God's dealings with Edom (Esau's descendants) to show His sovereign judgment.
Isaiah 55:9: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Les references this to show that humans cannot fully question or understand God's ways.
No. Romans 9:14 answers emphatically, 'God forbid.' God is righteous and cannot do wrong (Clip 3), and because He is sovereign, He can show mercy to whomever He chooses (Clip 5). The outcome is never about human merit but about God who shows mercy (Romans 9:16).
Scripture records, 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated' (Romans 9:13). Les explains that Esau's descendants, the Edomites, were proud and anti-God, and God — as sovereign — brought them down while making weak Israel whatever He wanted (Clip 0). God's choice of Jacob over Esau was settled before birth, 'not of works, but of him that calleth' (Romans 9:11).
Yes. Les teaches that Christ died for every human being, not just the few, and it is up to each person to accept His offer of pardon (Clip 1). God's foreknowledge means He knew what everyone would do with their choice — He never took the free will of mankind away (Clips 6, 7). A person should never use election as an excuse to do nothing.
'God forbid' — Romans 9:14 rejects the thought. God is righteous, can do no sin, and can do no wrong (Clip 3). God's purpose of election stood 'not of works, but of him that calleth' (Romans 9:11; Clips 1, 4), so His choices are never tainted by partiality or unrighteousness.
Watch the Teaching: Why Did God Hate Esau? Romans 9:13 and Sovereignty Explained