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Romans Commentary Chapters 9-16  /  Romans 9:14-16 God Shows Mercy on Whom He Wills  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
The lesson ends with John 15 (fruit or cut off), “apart from Me you can do nothing,” Jesus’ command to “strive,” and Paul’s fear of being “disqualified”; what would it require—practically and internally—for your group to live as if final salvation involves both God’s enabling power and your obedient endurance, and what cherished modern Christian assumptions would that force you to reconsider?
Another way to ask: What would your group need to change—inside and in daily habits—to live like salvation requires both God’s help and your faithful obedience to the end? What comfortable modern Christian beliefs would that challenge?

Direct Answer It would require your group to depend consciously on Christ’s enabling power while also treating obedience, fruit-bearing, and endurance as necessary—not optional—because Scripture includes real warnings about being cut off or disqualified. That would challenge any assumption that final salvation is guaranteed without ongoing abiding and effort.

Support from Transcript:

  • Ongoing requirement: “once we are on the vine, Christ requires us to bear fruit, or else His Father will cut us off the vine” (John 15:5–6).
  • Dependence: “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5), meaning effort must be empowered, not self-generated.
  • God’s continuing role: after initial salvation, God “gives us enabling power, protects us from Satan, and resurrects us in the end.”
  • Human endurance remains essential: “Nevertheless, we still play an essential role…God requires us to run the race obediently and with endurance.”
  • Jesus’ command implies exertion: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate…If we were not meant to exert ourselves, Jesus would not have used the word strive.”
  • Paul’s warning posture: “I beat my body…so that… I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Discussion Follow-ups What would change in your group’s teaching if you emphasized both God’s power and the real danger of being “cut off” or “disqualified”? Which common comfort statements might need to be re-examined in light of these warnings?

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