Weekly message: On God’s mercy 2/26/2023
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts &
Gospel Music; Postural ministry &counseling
Has it ever dawned on you that you are
responsible for other souls spiritually before God? In Jesus’ time, after Jesus
appeared to Saul, Saul was transformed into Apostle Paul and became a minister
to preach the gospel among the Jews and Gentiles. Apostle Paul’s anguish over
the Jews’ rejection of Christ drives him to avow his own recognition of Christ
is God over all. Apostle Paul’s ministry
was not by works but by Him who calls. (Romans.9:12).
It was God’s mercy and election appointed him
to preach gospel and let Gentiles received the salvation and Holy Spirit. His preaching emphasized on that “ He who confess with his mouth “Jesus is Lord, and believe in
his heart that God raised Him from dead, he or she will be saved. For it is
with his (or her) heart that he (or she) believe and are justified. And it is
with his (or her) mouth that that he (or she) confess and are saved. For
there is no difference between Jew and Gentile the same Lord is Lord of all and
richly blesses all who call on Him, for “Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved.”
(Roman 10:9-13).
To convince Jews to believe his preaching
and turned their faith into Christ Jesus, Apostle Paul quoted Moses’ speech, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not,
therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For
the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might
display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens
whom he wants to harden.” And "I
will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a
nation that has no understanding." (Romans 9:15-18; 10:19-20).
Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed
myself to those who did not ask for me." (Romans10:20). But
concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have
held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."(Romans
10:21).
In
this generation, we, as Christians, ministers, are perplexed, why God’s chosen people
are rejected? Why Apostle Paul’s
preaching be dishonored, and persecuted harshly by his own people Jewish
priests who knew the law? Why Jesus Christ made himself known to Gentiles who
are not God’s chosen people? And why a persecutor Saul (Paul) was chosen to be a
minister for preaching Gospel?
According
to human nature self -conscience, self-will and self-righteous may appear
to criticize certain group of people (or
races) are not God’s people, nor God’s elected races, so debate and want to get
rid of them and treat them as minority. “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is
formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this? Does not the
potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble
purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9: 20-21). Apostle Peter’s first preaching in a Gentle
Cornelius’ home, the Holy Spirit poured out from heaven upon Cornelius and his
families and closed friends. All families were saved and baptized. What we
shall say about this? What if God,
choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience
the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make
the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in
advance for glory (Romans 9:22-23)
Again, Apostle Paul quoted Hosea’s speech,
“I will call them
'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is
not my loved one,” and, "It will
happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my
people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" (Romans
9:15-26).
Indeed,
God doesn’t show favoritism. Jesus Christ is Light
of the world, a redeemer of the sinners. He who confesses the sins with his (or
her) mouth and believes in his (or her) heart shall be saved and has eternal
life. Consequently, faith comes from
hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. This
is the responsibility for Apostle Paul to proclaim the gospel. If this is God’s
calling to him, he has no choices to say no to Jesus Christ. Therefore, Apostle
Paul said, “The love of Christ compels me …”and how beautiful are the feet of
those who bring good news! (Romans10:15).
However, so often, Gospel cannot reach
out to the Gentiles and certain group of people and races, because Pharisees
and Sadducees persecute and prevent ministers to talk about “Lord Jesus Christ”,
nor read the Word of God. As Romans 10:21 says, "All day long I have held out my hands to
a disobedient and obstinate people." (Romans 10:21).
My friends, are you quotation about
God’s sovereignty and His will? Are you seeing
yourself as God’s chosen people and elected races? Are you looking yourself
better races than anyone else? Yet,
without the Spirit of God, Lord Jesus Christ, you are no body in heaven. You may be wealth, rich races, and a leader
in your position on earth, but your destiny is in hell. Unless you repent of
your sin, turn from sins, and confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord” and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from dead, you and your family will
be saved. “For everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
Or maybe you are a believer, have
accepted Jesus is your savior, and received the Holy Spirit, but act like
Pharisees and Sadducees, full of judgmental thoughts, critical lips,
self-righteousness, envious personality, and bitterness rooted in your heart. Constantly
comparing, competing yourself with others and struggle to get people’s
approval. Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding." And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I
revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." (Romans
10:19-20). It is not you to judge your brother (or sister)? Or why do you look
down on your brother (or sister)? For we will all stand before God’s judgment
seat. It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, ‘every
knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’”. So then, each of us will
give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12). Repent and turn
from your sin, stop to criticize others, exam of your heart, asks Lord, Jesus
Christ to clean your judgmental lips and remove the bitter root from your
heart. Make up
your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s (or
sister’s) way. If Son of God has set you free, indeed, you are free.
『因為祂對摩西說，“我要向誰施憐憫，就向誰施憐憫；要對誰動憐恤，就對誰動憐恤。”『這樣看來，這不在於那定意的，也不在於那奔跑的，只在於那施憐憫的神。』『因為經上對法老說，“我特意將你興起來，為要在你身上顯示我的權能，並要使我的名傳遍全地。”』『這樣看來，神願意向誰施憐憫，就向誰施憐憫；願意叫誰剛硬，就叫誰剛硬。』『人哪，你是誰，竟向神頂嘴？被塑造者豈能對塑造他者說，你為甚麼這樣造我？』『窯匠難道沒有權柄，從同一團泥裏，拿一塊作成貴重的器皿，又拿一塊作成卑賤的器皿麼？』『若是神願意顯示祂的忿怒，彰顯祂的能力，就多用恆忍寬容那些可怒、豫備遭毀滅的器皿，』『且要在那些蒙憐憫、早豫備得榮耀的器皿上，彰顯祂榮耀的豐富；』『這器皿就是我們這蒙祂所召的，不但從猶太人中，也從外邦人中，這有甚麼不可？』『就如神在何西阿書上也說，“那本來不是我子民的，我要稱為我的子民；本來不是蒙愛的，我要稱為蒙愛的；』『從前在甚麼地方對他們說，你們不是我的子民，將來就在那裏稱他們為活神的兒子。”』『但我說，以色列人不知道麼？先有摩西說，“我要用那不是國民的，惹動你們妒忌；我要用那無知的民，觸動你們發怒。”』『又有以賽亞放膽說，“沒有尋找我的，我叫他們遇見；沒有求問我的，我向他們顯現。”』『至於以色列人，他卻說，“我整天向那悖逆頂嘴的百姓伸手招呼。”』(Roman 15:26; 10:19-21)
Bibliography,
King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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