Day 332: Yesterday we talked about God choosing, which for some, like me, left us with questions about fairness. But as we see today, Paul tells us that God is righteous in all that He does. “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” Romans 9:14-18 Mercy, “a compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender” (Webster’s Dictionary), is the key here. It is getting that which we don’t deserve. As sinners, and we are all sinners, what is the price of our sin? Is it not death? A world without God would be full of evil, despair, and death. Even those who think of themselves as having great morals, where did those morals come from if not from God (i.e. Ten Commandments)? Take a look at this world; when God is removed from the people’s hearts what happens? With Pharaoh, God knew his heart, knew the actions he would take, and He raised him up to the position of Pharaoh so that He, God, could show His great power and mercy to those He called. Pharaoh’s pride hardened his heart. God gave him every opportunity to listen, yet he would not, and as Pharaoh harden his heart God then made it so. “You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” Romans 9:19-21 Some might then say, “I am who I am because God made me this way, so how can He find fault in me?” Paul’s response is to ask us, “Who are we that we should question God? Is He not the creator of all?” So if God through His Word tells us: “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2, how can we then say that we are made this way or that way? Are we not all called? Yes! “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” Romans 9:22-24 Paul takes us back to Pharaoh; for though God knew Pharaoh’s heart, He allowed him to become Pharaoh so that He could show His great power and mercy. We all deserve hell, plain and simple, no question about it. But God’s love and mercy rains down on us despite who we are; Jesus stood in our place and took the punishment that we so deserve. The only question that remains then is, “Who am I?” And the answer is, “I am His and He is mine, not because of who I am, but because of what He’s done, not because of what Ive done, but because of who He is.” Thank You Lord, for Your love and mercy.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:24:45 +0000
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