Today's Reading:Old Testament: Joshua 9-10
New Testament: Romans 9:1-29
Focus Verses:
Romans 9:14-16; 30-33
14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
----
30What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." 33As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Insight:
This chapter of Romans can be very misunderstood unless it is read in context with the entire book of Romans. Who is chosen by God to receive his mercy (9:14)? The one who pursues righteousness by faith (9:30-31) in Christ (9:33). God's sovereign choice ("compassion on whom I have compassion") is not some willy-nilly arbitrary groundless whim. The sovereign God has made a way to life and salvation. That way is Jesus. Pursuing righteousness through faith in Christ is to obtain salvation by God's sovereign choice. Read all of Romans and notice how God holds people accountable for rejecting Christ. Notice that those who do not receive mercy are obstinate toward God's mercy (10:21) even though God has been extending his open arms of love to them. They exchange the truth of God for a lie (1:25).
Response and Action:
I surrender to God and embrace the salvation and forgiveness he extends to me through faith in Christ Jesus. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus.
O God, thank you for extending your compassion and mercy to mankind. Help me to know your compassion and mercy in deeper and fuller ways with each new day. O Lord, I pray that you would soften hearts and open eyes so that more and more people would come to know the hope of Christ and the joy of salvation. Help me to be a witness of your mercy and a testimony of your compassion. Thank you for your promise to save all who put their faith in Christ. Amen.
Proverbs: 5:21-22
"For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast."
Resources:
Chosen But Free
by Norman Geisler
