Q161_101626 Rom. 9:9-12 God Elects You To Let Others Know That They Are Elected TooQ161_101626 Rom. 9:9-12 God Elects You To Let Others Know That They Are Elected Too
How it Happens with Colin Cook
Colin Cook explains Romans 9–11 as a message of God’s mercy for all, linking election, grace and timing with the journey of addiction recovery. The talk stresses that people are chosen to share good news, while God handles the deeper work of faith and transformation.
14:28•15 Oct 2026
Chosen to Share Mercy: Romans 9 and Hope for Every Addict
Episode Overview
- Election is presented as God choosing some first so they can share the good news that others are included too.
- Salvation is grounded in mercy and grace, not lineage, rules or personal achievements.
- Faith and calling often arrive at different times for different people, without implying greater or lesser love from God.
- Those who share the Gospel are witnesses, not saviours; God positions people to receive or resist the message.
- Even hardening and struggle are described as part of how God brings people to the end of themselves so they seek mercy.
“You are in the world to be a light shining in the darkness. And that light is to let others know that they are elected too.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of *How it Happens with Colin Cook* leans hard into that question by tying addiction recovery to a bold reading of Romans 9–11. Rather than painting God’s “election” as a scary, exclusive club, the teaching here insists it’s about mercy, timing, and grace for everyone.
The focus is clear: God chooses some people first so they can pass on the good news that **everyone** is loved, pursued, and included in God’s plan. You’ll hear how stories of Isaac, Rebecca, Esau and Jacob are used to show that God isn’t tied to birth order, lineage or human rules, but works through crisis, woundedness and life experience to bring faith alive.
This offers real comfort if you’ve ever wondered why your recovery or spiritual awakening didn’t happen as quickly as someone else’s. Colin highlights that, “We are mere witnesses. We do not save people.” That’s huge for anyone supporting a loved one with addiction. Your role is to share hope and truth, while God handles the deeper work in their heart, sometimes through softening and sometimes through allowing a painful “hardening” that eventually drives them to seek mercy.
For those battling alcohol, drugs, food, sex, or obsessive worry, the episode keeps coming back to one central idea: election is about mercy, not rejection. God’s plan, as drawn from Romans, is to have mercy on all, at the right time, in the right way, turning people into “vessels of mercy” who shine light into dark places.
There’s also a personal touch when Colin contrasts his own early calling at age 15 with his brother’s much later one, showing that different timelines don’t mean different levels of love. If you’ve ever feared that God might have given up on you—or on someone you care about—this message may help you see yourself as part of a bigger, merciful story. Could it be that you’re elected to let others know they’re included too?
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