Intro

This is maybe the MOST common verse used by Calvinists.

What does it mean to be a vessel of wrath and what does Paul mean here? Paul's analogy in Roman's 9 seems to leave room for interpretation on one of two options:

1. God had always predestined the clay for Destruction. 
2. God's use of the clay for Honorable and Dishonorable use is dependent on the clay's choices. 

I cannot fully fault my Calvinist brothers for their suggesting the first interpretation here; however, this passage is clearly understood to not be Calvinistic and definitively the second option with two simple supporting Scriptures

First 

Paul is referencing a common idea from Jeremiah 18, specifically 1-11.

18 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear[a] my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. 9 And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10 and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. 11 Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’

In Jeremiah, it is clear that the potter is responding to the clay itself failing, not because the potter doomed it beforehand. The potter had a plan, and changed his plan based on how the clay responded. He explicitly says this without any room for interpretation in verses 5-11.

Along with understanding that Paul is referencing the Jews' rejection of the Messiah and using the passage from Jeremiah that his readers would have known well. The proper interpretation of the passage seems to very heavily lean towards God responding to how the clay responded. God knew that the Jews were going to reject the messiah (The clay failing) and God knew he was going to use that failure to expand the Gospel to the Gentiles. The Jews who rejected the Messiah were used for dishonorable use because of their rejection.

The idea of God having patience on the vessels also seems to indicate God responding to the clay and being willing to adjust his plan based on the clay as stated in Jeremiah 18.

For God is patient with those who are destined for wrath because he wants them to come to repentance as 2 Peter 3:9 says.

Second

And although this alone would be enough to view this in a non-Calvinistic interpretation. The even more irrefutable explanation is from Paul himself clarifying what he mains where he goes into more detail when describing this in 2 Timothy 2:20-21.

20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Here, Paul explicitly means to become a vessel of honor by obeying God. 

notes to integrate

Romans 3:5-8 also emphasizes that just because he uses our unrighteousness, does not mean that he caused us to be unrighteous.

5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

2
God doesn’t need us to achieve his purposes. He uses us to give us purpose.

Quote Esther