62. God shows Mercy and Compassion
Romans 9:15-16, 18 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy….Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
God promises that He will have mercy and He will have compassion. The promise means that it is up to God when, and how, and on whom He will have mercy and compassion. It is clearly not up to our own will and effort; it has nothing to do with us; it is not our decision. Thankfully, God decides; He deliberates and weighs one option against the other and then makes a choice according to His will; and His will is that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Perfect love makes a perfect choice. Mercy is compelled by love, the defining character of God. Mercy is not automatic and it cannot be forced or assumed or taken for granted. God simply has mercy and shows compassion because He does.
Mercy forgives, releases and sets free. Mercy can also harden when it is extended but resisted or disbelieved. Unbelief of mercy hardens the heart. God wills that He will not override the human or force His will on anyone. The result is a hardening: God hardens those who harden themselves to the unmerited mercy of God, as He did in the example of Pharaoh. Or, as it says three times in Romans 1, “God gave them up.”
But how do I know God wills to have mercy on me? I know for certain because I believe Jesus died for me and for my salvation; because of Christ God has mercy. I believe the Gospel; therefore I believe the promise: God has mercy and shows compassion on me.