Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
— Romans 9:18-19
For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;
— Romans 9:11
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
— Psalm 110:3
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
— Exodus 33:19
The Others, Where Are They?, by Octavius Winslow.
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.
— Romans 9:15-16
Here is the sovereign, how like himself he speaks. He carries forward his gracious purposes of infinite wisdom and love. He chooses or rejects. He reveals or withholds, working all things after the counsel of his own will and giving no account of any of his matters, either to angels or to men.
Is the reader a child of God? Who and what made you to differ? You have been taken out of your family, your friends. your companions. From this circle, you alone have been chosen, redeemed, effectually called, made a child of grace and an heir of glory.
The others, where are they? Living for this wicked world, lovers of pleasure, lovers of self, lovers of sin, hating God, rejecting Christ, still dead in trespasses and sin. Hastening their footsteps down to the doom of the damned. Gone, many of them, into eternity past the confines of mercy. In hell, lifting up their eyes in torment.
And what are you? A sinner chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and regenerated by the Spirit. A sinner pardoned and justified. A sinner washed and clothed in Christ’s righteousness. A sinner adopted into the family of God. A sinner brought to the foot of the cross, a sinner saved by the sovereign grace of God,
O the electing love of God. O the redeeming grace of Jesus. O the sovereign operation of the Holy Spirit. Silently wonder and adore him who says, I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love, with unfailing love I have drawn you to myself, Jeremiah 31:3.
O precious truth! It stains the pride of human merit. It lays the axe at the root of self. It empties and humbles and abases. It ascribes all the praise, honour, and glory of salvation to the triune God.
To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, And has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve as God and Father; to Him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
— Revelation 1:5-6
https://takeupcross.com
takeupcross
Take Up the Cross 