I have a question concerning the topic of first mention. I have heard that with the potter and the clay (Romans 9) that it actually refers to service that GOD has you do for him and not to salvation like the Calvinists believe. Could you please shed some light on this and possibly look at the potter and the clay in light of the topic of first mention.
If you read Romans 9-11 carefully, you’ll see that the underlying issue in the so-called doctrine of election is really God’s selection of Israel as His chosen people. They’re the ones chosen through God’s sovereignty, created for a noble purpose, while the Gentiles were created for a common use.
All this was rendered moot by the cross, as Paul explained in Ephesians 2:11-22. Through the Church both the chosen and the not chosen are offered full membership in God’s own family without restriction or limitation.