By Thy Mercy

In the solemn hour of dying, in the awful judgment day.... -James John Cummins

Bro. Billy preached from Romans 9:13-18 this past Sunday morning. Whenever I reflect that the root and cause of my salvation is God's mercy alone, the question always arises: "Why me, O LORD?"

Human nature wants to ask, "Why does God only save certain people?" But salvation viewed from God's perspective must always ask the question, "Why does God save anybody?"

Honestly. Think about it. What have you (or I, or anybody) done that a Holy God should allow us into His presence? There is a short answer to the question: nothing. Long answer: nothing at all (Romans 3: 10-18, 23).

Ah, but the grace and mercy of our Savior God. Clint Eastwood once said, "Deserve's got nothing to do with it." Wayne Watson sang, "Grace keeps giving me things I don't deserve."

Get it?

In the 15th verse of the 9th chapter of Romans, Paul quotes from Exodus 33:19; "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

And Paul draws this conclusion: "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort (Remember chapter 3?), but on God, who has mercy."

As I said, God's choosing to have mercy on me, though a great mystery to me (and perhaps to others) is nonetheless a cause for deepest gratitude. How could it be otherwise?

And would I be as grateful had I been the one doing the choosing? Hardly seems likely, does it?