Romans 9:22 : What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction? This is another point in Paul's reply to the questions of verse 19. If God wills to show his wrath against sin and his power to punish sin, why should anyone object? To say that God is not willing to do so is to accuse him of being indifferent to sin. His wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Romans 1:18). Yet the Lord does not wish "that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Because he is not willing that any should perish, he is longsuffering, giving all sinners a full opportunity to repent. He endured with long-suffering the highhanded rebellion of Pharaoh, and also the sins of ungrateful Israel. This longsuffering is a manifestation of God's mercy and goodness to man, though many take advantage of it to indulge in more sin; but the day of wrath will come. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works" (Romans 2:4-6). "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things" (2 Peter 3:14-16). This comment of Peter shows the purpose of the longsuffering of which Paul speaks--its purpose is to lead to salvation. The phrase "fitted for destruction" does not mean that God made them so. It could not be said that God endured with much longsuffering any character or thing that he, by his own direct power, had made. All people and things that God made by his own direct power were exactly as he wanted them. Certainly it could not be said that he endured with much longsuffering people or things that were exactly as he wanted them to be. Hence, God did not make these characters fit for destruction; they made themselves so, and God had endured them with much longsuffering. His power would be manifested in their destruction.