// Further reflections on “Is There Injustice On God’s Part?” (Romans 9:14-26) on Sunday 21-Mar-2021 //
We may think that we or people will like mercy. Not always! Think about this. Will you work for a company who gives you a mercy-based income. Meaning, each month you will receive certain amount based on the mercy of the company’s management. ‘No way’, you cry out!
Mercy is, humanly speaking, a tricky business. When people give mercy to others, they tend to feel good about themselves. But when they are the ones who receive mercy, they do not always feel the same. It is perhaps because people feel big when they are the givers of mercy and feel small when they are receivers of it. Why is it so? Perhaps, we like a system where when/if we commit a mistake/crime/sin, we can sort it out by payment and do not need to beg for anyone’s mercy. All world religions (including atheism—a belief that is not believing in anything) offer people a package/system that facilitates the “pay-back” desire. If/when people do something bad (according to social norm or cultural/moral compass) to someone or a community, then they are told to believe that in order to balance it out, they need to do something good (not always necessary) to someone or a community. For instance, someone can give lots of money to a charity that rescues young poor girls from being sold into prostitution, but have no problem of having sexual immorality (fornication/adultery) and delighting in pornography. Religions of any kind/form, including Christianity, will not bring any healing or change to the life of people here on earth, let alone the life after the physical death which everyone will be facing one day. It is because all religions basically say that you have to try harder to meet the religious standard/requirements. In order for you to be good (which you know you are not), you have to do good works. It is like asking you to decorate (using an analogy of) a “banana tree” (sinful nature) with “apples” (good works) and you will have an “apple tree” (a good Christian). All religions deceive. This is why Christianity should NOT be understood as a religion (though we may use it socially). It has to be understood as and lived in a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that acknowledges the greatness and goodness of God by receiving His mercy, grace, and love in Jesus Christ.
With this therefore, those who think they can easily cross the unbridgeable chasm between the holiness of God and the unholiness/sinfulness of human by doing good works of the Law (in the Jews’ case) or a lot of good social deeds (in Gentiles’ case) will not need God’s mercy (though they don’t say it). Here is an interesting question for us. Why is it almost impossible for the fallen Angel of light, Satan to worship God? It is perhaps in a way he doesn’t want to receive God’s mercy. Why? Satan “just can’t wait to be king” (sorry, “Lion King” fans). When someone wants to receive mercy, he/she first needs to realize they are sinners who have no way to escape God’s wrath and eternal death is on the way. People must realize that all their attempts of being a good person will be futile and there is nothing they can do to save themselves. The terror of the lake of fire or a place of gnashing of teeth and perpetual torment must bring down their knees to beg for God’s mercy by believing, accepting, following, and living in Jesus Christ who is the only way! In other words, they need to humble down and receive the mercy of God, repent of their sins, and begin to worship the One who grants mercy. These are very difficult to those who are arrogant or prideful or with hardened heart. They would rather be eternally dead as king (of their own life) than be eternally living as servants of the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Mercy means, “We do not receive what we deserve.” We deserve eternal damnation and perpetual punishment in the place of the dead—hell. But thanks be to Jesus, we do not receive it because of God’s mercy which had been shown to us through Christ whom we call, Lord and Savior! This means, Jesus must be Lord in every aspect of our life. Christ must be the only Savior in everything we face in life. We need to expose sins/darkness to the light. We need to abandon “self-help” doctrines and ditch any false “saviors” (which can be anything that make Jesus Christ peripheral and someone/thing or you the center of life). So you think you like mercy? I hope that we do not only like God’s mercy, but also desperately need it and humbly beg for it. In His mercy,
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Pastor Lap
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