“BUT ON GOD, WHO HAS MERCY!”

 Romans 9:6-6;14-16                                                     (ESV)

“6 But it is not as though the word of GOD has failed. FOR NOT ALL WHO ARE DESCENDED FROM ISRAEL BELONG TO ISRAEL,

7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are HIS OFFSPRING, but "Through Isaac shall YOUR OFFSPRING be named."”

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on GOD's part? By no means!

15 For HE says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

16 SO THEN IT DEPENDS NOT ON HUMAN WILL OR EXERTION, “BUT ON GOD, WHO HAS MERCY”.”

The fellowship of which I am a member is making it’s way (for almost two years!) through the book of Romans.  The most recent message was Romans 9:14-21, but when I read the sixteenth verse my mind seemingly would not move!  

Being a descendant (KJV “thy seed”) (“That from which any thing springs; first principle; original; as the seeds of virtue or vice.”) of Abraham was always thought of by yours truly to be a “natural” descendant”, of the bloodline of Abraham.  

In TRUTH, those who BELIEVE with the same FAITH (Genesis 15:6) that Abraham exhibited are the “descendants” that GOD was referring to.  You SEE, in Hebrews 11:6, it is written “And without FAITH it is impossible to please HIM, for whoever would draw near to GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS and that HE REWARDS THOSE who seek HIM.”  Scripture then proceeds to go into those who BELIEVED that GOD was WHO HE says HE IS.  Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and the prophets ALL demonstrated WHO GOD was by their FAITH IN HIM!

The thing is, GOD KNOWS OUR HEARTS and inner beings and we who exhibit FAITH are only displaying what GOD has instilled in us.  HE instills FAITH in us to Glorify HIS NAME!  “SO THEN IT DEPENDS NOT ON HUMAN WILL OR EXERTION”, nothing we can add to, nor take away from, can improve on that which ALMIGHTY GOD has PLANNED to GLORIFY HIS NAME.  Professing with our mouths needs to be done, but BELIEVING with our HEARTS is something that GOD acknowledges with  HIS favor!

FAITH, BELIEVING,  and carrying out GOD’S PLAN is what my desire is for my life!  A lot of people want to do anything and everything they can to “get to Heaven”, but the ONLY WAY to spend eternity with GOD is to TRUST, NOT ON ANYTHING THAT THEY CAN DO (HUMAN WILL OR EXERTION), “BUT ON GOD, WHO HAS MERCY”!!!