In order to understand how Paul is saying God interacts with man, we will look at the example that he uses: God as the potter and man as the clay.

We can begin by looking at the use of this illustration in Jeremiah 18:1-11.

“Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.”

We can see some terminology that is very similar to the terminology Paul uses in Romans.  Jeremiah speaks of a Potter who makes clay into vessels as it pleases him to make.  Here, the clay represents nations as a whole.  We learn that although a potter can be intending to make the clay into a certain vessel (make a nation for specific purpose), he can change his mind and make it into something else if it becomes spoiled in his hand (change the nations purpose if they disobey).  He says that if God is speaking against the nation of Israel to destroy it, but they repent, he will relent.  On the other hand, if he has spoken to plant and build up the nation of Israel, and they turn from following him and do evil in his sight, he will also change his mind and “think better of the good he had promised to bless it.”

The first conclusion that we can come to from this passage is that the illustration of the relationship of the potter and the clay is not intended to describe a relationship in which the clay has no active role.  Rather, this illustration indicates that vessel into which the clay is made is actually dependent upon the clay’s response to the potter. 

This is also consistent with Paul’s use of the concept of vessels in 2 Timothy 2:20-22.

 “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. “

Here, Paul explains that when a man cleanses himself, he will be made into a vessel of honor.  The vessel, in this instance, is an individual man.  But still, the use of the vessel, whether it be for honor or dishonor, is dependent on what man chooses to do.  The man who chooses to flee from immorality and cleanses himself will be made into a vessel for honor by the Potter.

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