Why does God use humans?

~~~~~~~~~~~~
that's not the one I was thinking of but its a good one. maybe it will come to me, shew this old age memory I am not happy with...dr's say its a lack of exercise, its probably true, I need to start back walking again.

Good point made, however, my point was our faith needs to be just like a child's. Ever tell your children something and without question or hesitation they automatically believe you? This is how we need to be with God. No matter what God tells us, instructs us, directs us, we should be like a child and just believe it without hesitation or question.

You must not be American, everything I say you confuse it with something else

what's Paul's point here, about our faith?

how does this exist in the same Bible as Matthew 18:3 does?

I think the key to understanding the potter and clay analogy is found in Jer.18:1-10. When read this way, Rom.9 means God gives all people opportunity to repent, because it's always the desire of the Potter for people to turn to him.

I believe there is a direct answer in Exodus 33:20

But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

Not that I disagree but let me ask you this.
There were twin brothers, Hank and Frank both 22 years old. Both at that age rejected Jesus. Hank died unforgiven but Frank lived on. At 38 Frank came to repentance and forgiveness of his sin through Jesus Christ.

Do you believe both twins had the same opportunity to repent?

Yes....

Why does God use humans? Well we are the closest relative God has....we are created in his image. Besides that's why we were created.

I believe all people have an opportunity. I believe God never leaves people without any witness at all. It might not be as great a witness, because Jesus said,

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. Mt.11:23

But this doesn't mean God didn't give Capernaum enough to repent if they really wanted to. Jesus was telling them they were seeing the greatest witness the world will ever see, which is God himself.

Like Pharaohs unbelief. The plagues, God's correction, just made him angrier. He couldn't stand being shown he wasn't really a god. That's what Jer.18 is about.

It does say in the book of Isaiah, "Come now, and let us reason together..." . It also states in the bible telling you to test the things that you read or hear to see if they contain spiritual truth. Faith is believing in the evidence that is unseen but this is certainly not a blind faith.

So length of days plays no role when it comes to 'opportunity to repent'?

With Pharoah, God further hardened a hard heart. Why didn't God further harden Frank's heart? (ok, Frank was hypothetical) But many of us could have been snuffed out at 22 but instead of further hardening our hearts, years later, God in His mercy showed us our sin and vain ways leading us to repentance and faith in His Son.

Matthew 16:16-17 KJV
[16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. [17] And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

That verse is fascinating as to reasons calling Simon son of Jonah.

One reason is our supernatural God (without beginning or end) is not a man as us and neither is there a fleshly mediator set between God and man as a infallible umpire. we walk by faith the unseen.

The Holy place not seen is reserved for God as our heavenly father alone. Even the Son of man, Jesus refused to stand in the Holy Place of God (the abomination of desecration) This is when he was called good master in respect to his outward flesh. He gave glory to the unseen place and said only God not seen is good. Good is defined by that not seen.

If God had not given Noah the faith to hear him there would be no boat .It seems clear it was the faith of Christ working in and with Noah as Emmanuel to both will and perform the good pleasure of God not seen

Perhaps Jonah was Peter's Father's name. My point was it takes God's revealing Himself inwardly to our spirit in order for us to truly believe..historical facts is not quite enough.

One thing I have learned is our hearts from birth are as hard as granite . God simply did not apply his gospel and therefore make the heart of the Pharaoh used to represent the god of this world ... softer. Hardening our hearts is simply walking after the natural course of this world, as the things seen. Lust of the eye and lust of the flesh needed to provide a false pride.

Like in your example God softening the heart of Peter by a revelation of faith of Him not seen . No mixing of faith (believing God not seen) the heart remains hard.

I think Simon’s father’s name is mentioned?, I was thinking on some of the events of the Jonah story, like maybe the looking away, the storm calming though perhaps the mentioning is something else.

Because Frank realized what was happening. He woke up. Look here,

Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. Pro.29:1

When the Bible says "God hardened Pharaoahs heart", it doesn't mean on purpose. It means when God corrected Pharaoh, Pharaoh became even more angry. Pharaohs heart was hard to begin with. He thought of himself as a god. He was worshipped as a god.

Look at Jer.18. It shows it's never Gods correction is for repentance.

But concerning the things of God, would should just automatically believe without question or reason. Just like a child believes in Santa because their parents tell the child he is real.