“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.” ~ Romans 9:15-16, NKJV
As part of a larger line of reasoning, Paul makes a point about God's sovereignty here in the above verses. How do you "get" God's mercy and compassion? Why do you get it? Why are you called out as a child of promise? The answer is straightforward: God willed it. It has nothing to do you with you. You can't will it, you can't earn it, you can't win it, and you can't qualify for it through biological or ritual means. This is good news! It is impossible for any of us to earn even the least of God's gifts. We are sinners who deserve only His wrath, not His mercy or compassion. But because He gave me grace anyway, based on His merit and not mine, I have more than I can even imagine. I have salvation. I have life. I have hope. I have peace. I have joy. I have love. I have all my needs supplied. I have blessings upon blessings (material and spiritual) heaped upon me. I have God Himself as my Father. I enter His presence as His beloved daughter and as Christ's little sister. These are goodnesses given to me by God, in His sovereign grace, and guaranteed to me by Him - they're not dependent on my performance, my heritage, my position, my anything. What incredible relief! I have utter rest because I abide in Him who performs all things for me.
by Rebecca
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