1st Jn1:Ps 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
5 � This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Ps 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Some many times as you will see on these post, as those endeavor to proclaim their doctrines of men, you can easily detect the error, for it does not agree with the entirety of scripture.
Such as Total depravity
Total inability
Irresistible Grace
For instance Romans Ch 9:14 � What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 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.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
In finding the will of God on any matter we have to Consider context always.
If you desire to Find the will of God to mankind on the topic of mercy all you have to do is get a concordance, and find scriptures that will include all of mankind, concerning the will of God concerning the mercy of God.
Walk in the light of the word of God, not the word of man
are you saying that God wills to have mercy on everybody? cuz just like Romans said, salvation is according to God's will, not man's and God chooses those on whom he will have mercy. Our wills are not free to choose to be saved, that's God's job. To try and twist that would have to mean that God chooses to have mercy on everybody but pharaoh i guess, lol (oh and Esau and all the people devoured by God's wrath in the OT and Ananais and Saphira, oh and how could I forget the people in hell, silly me).
PJ - "It is man's choice whether or not he meets God's conditions for mercy."
"God's condition for mercy"?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! What the flapjack is mercy if there is a condition set upon it?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I can tell you what it is NOT - it is NOT mercy. Mercy has NO condition, it CANNOT be earned, it is NOT based on any merit, NO ONE deserves it. Mercy that is deserved is not mercy at all!
Mercy is given based solely upon the good pleasure of the giver! Mercy is a kindness GIVEN to someone by God which says, "I know you have done evil against me, I know you have greatly sinned, I know you deserve wrath and punishment, I know I should exact justice, BUT because of Christ's death and sinless life and resurrection, *I* can justly *CHOOSE* to forgive you, and not only do I forgive you, but *I* will give you Christ's righteousness, not based upon your merit nor even your willingness, but solely because *I am a good God!*"
Mercy says nothing about the receiver except that he is an evildoer! But mercy, sweet mercy, says that the giver is humble, and good, and kind, gracious, forgiving, and loving. And this is what Scripture teaches:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to *his great mercy*, *he has caused us to be born again* to a living hope through the resurrections of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3)
"He saved us, NOT because of works done by us in reghteousness, but according to HIS OWN mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us righly through Jesus Christ our SAvior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7)
God is SO merciful! He forgives us, saves us, sanctifies us, and stores up an eternal reward for us in which we can have a sure and unrelenting hope. If there were any good in me, I wouldn't need mercy, but because we are sinful and corrupt in our very natures, God will be shown to be merciful. That's exactly what Calvinism teaches, that God is gracious God to sinful people; let God be true and every man a liar.
Jesus is ill-served when we spout out doctrine contrary to His Word. He is displeased when we are so prideful to think that we deserve mercy and He is unjust if He does not give it. And He hates our sin. Sin is the laugh at his power, the rape of his mercy, the mock of his patience, it says He's not worthy....Do you think He is mad? Do you think he hates sin?
"The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers" (Ps. 5:5)
"There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brother." (Pr. 6:16-19)
"Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord." (Zechariah 8:17
God hates sin! And yet, "all have sinned" (Rom 3:23), "None is righteous, no not one; no one understand; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless, no one does good, not even one" (Rom. 3:10-12). "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." (Is. 64:6).
If there were any good in any person, then well if be it for God to raise them up on their own merits and give glory and honor to them. But, if there is any goodness in God, then well be it for Him to save our worthless, sinful, and stone cold hearts. To the praise of His glorious grace!
