At times, understanding God seems easy, but at other times, it can seem quite difficult. It seems easy when God refers to himself simply as “I AM”, when he defines himself as “love”, and when he says that it is his desire that none perish. But, we also know that God is sovereign. And at times, the box we’ve put him in no longer fits. Even as believers, we look for a logical reason for everything that happens in life. We look for patterns of consistency when it comes to the behavior of God. And we form our moral code based on what the Bible says pleases God. Though it is wise, and correct, to assume the behavior of God based on what we’ve come to learn about him, we must always acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Even though he never changes; even though the pattern of behavior that God has shown us is a valid indicator of how he may behave in the future, ultimately he is God and can do whatever he wants. He can choose to have mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he can show compassion to whom he wants to show compassion even though these actions may be different than what we’d expect. Paul said in Romans, chapter 9, verses 15 and 16:
“For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
In the verses prior, Paul mentions that it was God’s prerogative to prefer Jacob over Esau even before either of them had been born or had done anything good or bad. In the verses that follow, Paul reminds us that God raised up Pharaoh so that he could harden his heart and display his power so that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth. In all things, we need to remember that God is the ultimate authority. He is King, he is Lord, and he is God. We can take heart that his character will not change, nor will his laws and commands. From his word, we know what pleases him and we know what angers him. Even still, in all things, he can choose do whatever he wants. He can show mercy and compassion on one who is undeserving, or he can purpose for someone to be his adversary to accomplish his goal even before that person has done anything good or bad. God is good, but he is also sovereign. It would do us well to always remember that.
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God is good, but he is also sovereign. He said, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” And Paul concluded by saying “it does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy”. So if you are saved today, I would encourage you to thank God for his mercy and compassion towards you. It was by his Spirit that you were called to him. He didn’t have to do it, but he chose to. By this you have become the son or daughter of the Most High! Appeal to God for those who do not yet know him, but remember that it is ultimately his prerogative to have mercy on whom he will have mercy and to show compassion on whom he will show compassion.
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