”It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.“
Romans 9:16 NIV
Last night, after hearing news that one of my young patients, 21, years old, information shared by a grieving mother, had been murdered (over 30 shots) , this Word above was my “ song in the night”. Received according to Oswald Chambers, “ in the flesh and blood of life”.
The context of course was :
”What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 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. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.“
Romans 9:14-18 NIV……..God’s mighty act of deliverance of the children of Israel through Moses from Pharaoh, but the Biblical Truth is the same, “ yesterday, today, and forevermore”. That God in Christ Jesus reveals that he is a God of mercy.
Which is the same message I received after listening to a sermon last week by the visiting Primate of Scotland, Bishop Mark. A sermon which included Peter’s encounter with Jesus after the resurrection. And how Peter responded three times ( after having denied him three times) to Jesus’ question “ Do you love me’? And the answer I received was that Peter did not love Jesus only because he had been forgiven of having denied the Christ three times, but listen to this, which is what he actually wrote in his first letter – which I was led to read:
”Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.“
1 Peter 1:1-2 NIV
Note “chosen”, ( the name of a popular series …started watching it but lost interest. after a while ) according to God’s foreknowledge, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood. There is more,much more, but we do not need to go any further to understand the mind of Peter. But perhaps we should, I am being urged:
”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.“
1 Peter 1:3-6 NIV
Here we come to understand why Peter was committed to “ feed my sheep” and take care of my lambs. Because of the great mercy of God the Father in and through the crucified Jesus; through the resurrected Jesus.
So throughout history, God has been a God of mercy. We need to hold fast to this Truth, in the midst of “ War and Peace”, whatever may come in our lives and in the lives of the church through which Body of Christ, we ought to declare like William Boothe of Salvation Army fame, “ God shall have all of Lucien Jones….all of Vivienne Jones….all of Howard Gregory….all of Georgia Cecile Jervis….all of all of us. To the glory of the God of Jacob. Why? Because by the shed blood of Christ Jesus “ we were bought by the price of blood “, we are no longer our own. But belong completely to the God who in his mercy rescued us from Sin and death and all evil.
Then, and only then, shall Justice, whether reparative or otherwise, one of the themes of Bishop Howard’s Synod charge:
”But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!“
Amos 5:24 NIV…roll on like a river in this country. And in Gaza! And in Haiti. Then and only then will the Anglican and other churches become “ salt and light “ in this nation where “murderers and thieves abound”, because we first, in response to the mercy of God on our lives, commit to bring news of this mercy, this mighty salvation by God in Christ, to all whom we meet.
And so we pray the prayer of the former Decade of Evangelism, which is still waiting to happen:
Lord renew thy church beginning with me; Lord renew thy church that the church may renew the nation(s). With thy mercy!
In obedience
Shalom
LWJ
danielgodsurelywilldeliver 