Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The God of Mercy

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27 “and this will be my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11)
None of us has a right to brag - none of us.  It all comes back to the character of God - that He is righteous and merciful. He is merciful to those on the run from Him. We are all disobedient and rebellious - sometimes hardened in our own way.  That makes it impossible for us to figure out how He will do things. Just as it was a mystery how He would ever bring Gentiles into a relationship with Him, along with the people of Israel, it is in His mind alone how He will draw the Jews back to Him. God has this. He is all-powerful. He is merciful.

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