Paul continues his discussion of God's sovereignty by turning to the illustration of a potter over the clay. As the potter, God has the right to choose those to whom He will show mercy, and leave others to their own sin. He closes this section with a quote from Hosea in which Paul shows that God has now included the Gentiles as part of His chosen people. Those who were formerly unloved, are now loved. And those who were formerly not God's people, are now his people.