God, in His sovereignty, decided on His own, how salvation would be received. He decided it would be received by grace through faith.
He didn't need our will or running to decide that scheme. Despite the ramifications of that scheme for unbelievers, including for unbelieving Jews, He had the prerogative to decide upon His own scheme. He decided it on His own.
God can do anything He wants. He can make choices which have no basis in our choices. He has done so. Where were any of us when He made the worlds?
And that is precisely the truth Paul was appealing to in Romans 9. Paul was saying that God made the choice on His own that salvation would be by grace through faith – it wasn't our will or running that decided that scheme.
If it was left up to man to decide the scheme upon which salvation would be granted, many would have decided that Jewish ethnicity should be the basis upon which salvation should be granted; others were asserting that Law-keeping should be the basis – but God, without requiring anyone's permission, will, or running – decided upon His own scheme: salvation would be granted by grace through faith alone.
That's all Paul was defending in Romans 9. The scheme (salvation through faith) was God's and God's alone. And despite the ramifications of this scheme for unbelieving Jews, God was just and His promises had not failed. Their faith in the Gospel was on sure ground despite the taunts of the Judaisers.
If it was left up to man to decide the scheme upon which salvation would be granted, many would have decided that Jewish ethnicity should be the basis upon which salvation should be granted; others were asserting that Law-keeping should be the basis – but God, without requiring anyone's permission, will, or running – decided upon His own scheme: salvation would be granted by grace through faith alone.
That's all Paul was defending in Romans 9. The scheme (salvation through faith) was God's and God's alone. And despite the ramifications of this scheme for unbelieving Jews, God was just and His promises had not failed. Their faith in the Gospel was on sure ground despite the taunts of the Judaisers.
Paul was addressing issues of concern to the first-century believers at Rome. He wasn't discussing the issue which Calvin and Armenius felt the need to debate centuries later. In Romans 9-11 Paul was defending his treatise (given in chapters 1-8) that salvation is receivable upon the scheme of by grace through faith.
Hi my name is Michael Fackerell, founder of this site. It is created to help you know Jesus and get a great eternal reward from God Almighty. 
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