Can, Will and Does

 

Can, Will and Does

Romans 9: ¹⁴ Shall we say, then, that God is unjust? Not at all. ¹⁵ For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on anyone I wish; I will take pity on anyone I wish.” ¹⁶ So then, everything depends, not on what we humans want or do, but only on God's mercy. ¹⁷ For the scripture says to the king of Egypt, “I made you king in order to use you to show my power and to spread my fame over the whole world.” ¹⁸ So then, God has mercy on anyone he wishes, and he makes stubborn anyone he wishes.

 

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Hearing how others had “gotten away” with stealing. I tried my hand at it. I didn’t have enough money to pay for the pants and I really wanted to join the organization that required all of us to wear the same thing.

 

I lingered around the pants for what seemed like hours but it was probably minutes. I gave the pants to another person who was also joining the organization and he walked out the door. The deed was done.

 

• There were times when I thought I was getting away with something.
• There were times when I thought I was in control.
• There were times when I thought I could do my sins in secret and pretend to be innocent.

 

Paul gives some hard medicine to swallow. GOD takes mercy on whom HE wishes. On the contrary, GOD makes stubborn anyone HE wishes. Is there any hope? Yes! HE gives me choice.

 

• GOD wants me to surrender my stubborn will so HIS mercy can be shown through me.
• GOD wants me to say “I need JESUS as my Savior” so HIS mercy can be multiplied on me.
• GOD wants me to believe that JESUS is the only way to have an eternal existence with HIM.

 

All seeing, all powerful and everywhere is GOD. HE can do, HE will do and does anything HE pleases. The part of me that gets angry at that statement is the sin that fights against HIM. I mean, there is a part of me that wants to be GOD. That is the part of me HE hates.

 

HE still decided to show mercy on me. Mercy means I know I am guilty and fully aware I deserve the consequence of my actions, but the forgiver throws away my sentence and says I am free to go. Looking back, I can see an incredible amount of grace and mercy HE has shown to me. I can only say thank YOU.

 

• Are you fighting GOD thinking you will win?
• Do you think your stubbornness is a good quality?
• Will you surrender your life to the Most High GOD, by believing you need JESUS as your Savior, so HE will not harden your heart any further?