PASTOR OGIDAN OLUSOLA
[biblegateway passage=”Romans 9:1-18″ display=”Romans 9:1-18″]
Paul had a great desire that the Israelites might come into the light. Ever before Isaac the father of Esau and Jacob, God has purposed it that Esau will serve Jacob.
The mercy of God is the most important factor. The decision of whom to have mercy upon is made only by God. The will of God is God’s desire and he has designed a plan for his desires. There is actually little we can do about God’s will. The place of God’s sovereignty in his will cannot be contended with.
Jesus went to prepare a place for us. The place Jesus went to prepare for us is actually our place in God’s agenda and plan for his will to be done. All we need to do is get filled with the Holy Ghost and He would fix us appropriately into his plan. This programme of God is so vast, broad and timeless, before time began and after time would cease.
“He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”
Psalm 147:10-11
“Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.”
Job 39:19-22
“Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.”
1 Corinthians 7:37
A man can gather enough strength by having power over his will. God simply does not take pleasure in any result of our will power outside the Holy Ghost. Many of us knows how to even strive and generate enough power outside the Holy Ghost, but is not acceptable.
“There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.”
Psalms 33:16
“So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
Romans 9:16
The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
Psalm 147:11
God desires a people that hope and trusts in his mercy. This is one thing we should pay attention to so that God can be pleased with us. Our life in God began with mercy and will climax with mercy. It is good to be strong at will, and God does not despise strength generated by will power. What God is concerned about, is the source of our power.
God is not saying that we should be weak or we should go home to rest and not hunger, press or strive anymore. God is not even negating the place of people that are strong at will, or the place of pushing and pressing. We must submit our will power to God, else it would not be accepted and sufficient to please God.
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Jude 1:21
The word looking is not going about searching for eternal life. It is actually expecting, anticipating and being hungry the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that will get us into eternal life.
Mercy does not only take care of sins. And it is not synonymous with pardon. Mercy takes care of our infirmities (weakness). Perfection is not about being sinlessness, it is attaining the fullness of the stature of Christ.
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”
Hebrews 12:28
“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;”
Hebrews 5:7
God is not emotional. God heard Jesus’ prayer not because of his tears, but because of he feared God (not a kind of Phobia). Fear has to do with respect and regard. Many prayers go unanswered because people live regardless of God. There must be so much regard in our hearts for God. Our generation must go back to learn the fear of God. He respects those who respects Him. It is not about us praying for God’s mercy, it is about reverencing God, his ways and laws.