Romans 10:17,20-21

...Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ... And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me" [Isaiah 65:1]. But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people" [Isaiah 65:2].

V17 – Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ. What does that mean? What is saving faith? Paul is saying that saving faith entails believing the Gospel message and trusting in Jesus. Faith presupposes and requires the word heard through Christ about Christ. Saving faith requires that the message Christ declared and commissioned preachers to declare about Him be heard and believed. Paul is saying that Israel didn’t believe the message, not because they didn’t hear it in the sense that is was physically audible and intellectually assented to, but because they didn’t hear it through the Word of Christ in the sense that is was spiritually audible and trusted in from the heart. That’s what it means for the message to be heard through the Word of Christ.

V20-21 – God reveals Himself to those who do not want Him. His mercy is revealed in patience. Paul confirms the twin truths of God’s sovereignty in salvation and man’s responsibility to believe the Gospel side-by-side here. In v20, God reveals Himself to those who do not ask for Him. This is in the strongest possible sense, like that of Paul’s conversion. God compels people to come to Him (Luke 14:23). God works in them to effectively bring them to Him. This is representative, of course, of God’s sovereignty in salvation. In v 21, God, having revealed Himself in plenty strong-enough, just not effectual ways, is patiently waiting for disobedient and stubborn people to turn to Him. He has patience with them, thereby revealing His mercy. He has a purpose in hardening them, but we’ll have to wait until chapter 11 to hear Paul explain that purpose. But this shows man’s responsibility to believe the Gospel.

Charles Spurgeon said, “That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. It is just the fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot be contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one place that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other.”

In conclusion consider several additional passages, like Romans 10:20-21, that teach both of these truths simultaneously: 1 Corinthians 1:18-24; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; John 6:37; Matthew 11:25-29; Acts 13:38,39,48.

All are sincerely invited, rather commanded, to come to Christ. Everyone who believes will be saved. But none will believe; none will obey, unless God makes it happen in them. Only those appointed for eternal life believe. Only those who are made alive by the Holy Spirit when they were dead obey the command to believe. Only those compelled to come (Luke 14:23) accept the offer and willingly receive Christ by coming to Him.