Tag: human will

34.a. “How then can man be in the right before God?”

 

 

Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

 Job 9:20    Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

 Job 15:14   What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?

 Job 25:4    How then can man be in the right before God?

 Isaiah 57:12     I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you.

 Romans 3:20    For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

 Romans 9:16    So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

 Romans 11:6    But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

 Ephesians 2:8-9     For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Religion is a system of beliefs leading to the worship of a divine being. Based on such a definition, Christianity is a religion. But there are ways in which Christianity is different from all other religions—primarily, the value of the human being in the sight of the Deity. In Christianity, God reaches out to mankind to establish a relationship—in spite of man’s sins and disregard for God’s ways. In every other religion, man must gain merit before God through works or sacrifices before receiving any blessing from God. But the opposite is true in Christianity. The Bible says that God (by His own initiative) so loved mankind (in spite of his sins) that He bridged the gulf between God and man (through the Person of Jesus Christ). God’s mercy resulted in man not suffering the punishment he deserves but instead receiving the blessing and forgiveness he doesn’t deserve.

Have you responded to the kindness and mercy of God by accepting His gift of salvation? You may do so by saying “Yes” as an act of faith in Christ.

(Dr. Jeremiah)

20.d. “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy”

Romans 9:14   What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Exodus 33:19  Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

God’s mercy is not something we earn or deserve.  We have done nothing or can do nothing that would obligate God to give and show mercy toward us.  It is out of His love that He looks on His creation and offers mercy through Jesus Christ to all who would believe in Him.  It is out of His love that mercy is given to us so that through Jesus Christ those who humbly surrender, repent, trust, and obey are promised eternal life. 

Our sinful nature leads us to believe that this is how we were created, imperfect.  However, we were created perfectly.  In this perfection, we were created with free will.  We were created with free will to continually be in the presence of God in obedience.  We were created with free will to love and trust God.  However, Adam, in this free will chose to disobey God.  He willingly chose to disobey and our sinful nature was born into man forevermore.  His disobedience gave birth to sin and separation from God.  In our sinful nature, there is nothing that deserves mercy from God.  Adam was made perfect but chose to be imperfect through disobedience.  Since Adam, disobedience has continued to mature and manifest its self through self-worth, self-desire, self-reliance, self-gain, self-first, self-centered, self-honor, etc……….  We may ask “why have you made me like this?” When in fact mankind, through Adam, we willingly chose to be like this.  God is not to fault and we are without excuse. We are without any hope were it not for God’s mercy.  

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”  God’s mercy and love demonstrated.  This offer of restoration to God is because of His love and mercy toward His creation.  It can never be earned by any act we attempt to do to deserve it.  Jesus Christ was God’s mercy gift of Love.  Adam was given free will and chose to disobey, and now God has sent His Son to redeem man by giving us the means to be made right with Him.  Each person is given free will to choose to believe in this mercy gift through Jesus Christ, humbly surrendering, repenting, obeying, trusting, and believing in Him alone, not anything of self.  Just as Adam had free will and chose to disobey, we have free will to either believe, trust, honor, surrender, repent, and obey, or disobey.  God’s gift of mercy is nothing to take passing notice of, give lip service towards, become complacent towards, or neglect.  Eternity in heaven or eternity in hell awaits us all and we have been given free will to choose.