74. Mercy on All
Romans 11:32, 33 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Mercy is not only amazing, but it is also essential to life. Without mercy no one on earth would have a chance; we would all be dead, and deservedly so. Without mercy nobody would know the true God, nor would anyone be able to receive any good gifts and blessings from God. Without mercy human families would fall apart and end up broken producing many broken lives. Without mercy all social interaction would break down, friends would become enemies, and human relationships would be impossible. Mercy makes life possible, and more than that, it makes life good.
God has mercy on all, no person excepted. God has mercy on all since all have sinned. Without the mercy of God all people are concluded in unbelief for all people have rebelled against God, disobeyed God, and disbelieved in God. Mercy is the only hope for all human beings. If there were no mercy there would only be sin and unbelief, and no human with sin on them and unbelief in them will ever see the loving God; he will only fall into the hands of the living God, a dreadful thing, for our God is a consuming fire. This is not something we want to gamble with.
Mercy is unusual, not normal, out of the ordinary, unexpected, and it is a pleasant surprise. The only defense a sinner has in front of God is to plead for mercy. The Good News is that because God is love, and that love drives Him to send His Son to die for our sins, God can and will have mercy.
Mercy is a mystery: it cannot be understood; it can only be believed, and it must be humbly received with thankfulness. Mercy is a part of the wisdom, knowledge, judgments and ways of God that are deep, unsearchable and past finding out. The oft-quoted words of Isaiah 55:8-9 (“my ways are not your ways…my ways are higher than your ways”) are referring to the compassion and mercy of God. The “ways” of God is Mercy. We will never figure it out: it is awesome, it is incomprehensible, and it is impossible for us. That is why it is promise to be believed.