Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Solomon said, there is a way
which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death. No one needs to teach men the
concept of free will. Everyone automatically thinks
that they have a free will which they can use to choose whatever
they will. In fact, most men will resort to a keen sense of
anger if such is brought into question. Most men think that
they can listen to the Word of God whenever they want to. Yet
the Lord upbraided the Jews who were certain that they were followers
of the Lord, saying, Why do you not understand my speech, even
because ye cannot hear my word? Hearing the things of God is
not a function of the will. The vast majority of men, especially
those who call themselves Christians in our day, think that God is
limited by what men will do. Some are fond of saying He will
not violate the free will of men, as if to imply that God's
hands are bound by the will of men. The will of man is no impediment
to God in any fashion, and the psalmist clearly states, thy
people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Being called
of God is not a function of the will. No man will ever will to
do anything that he does not desire to do. Only God can give
a man a desire to seek after him. If he does not, then that
man will only desire the things in which he delights by nature.
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after
God, and ye will not come to me that ye might have life. No
one needs to teach men to believe that God should be fair. This
is one of the major arguments that is always brought up by
those who despise the scriptural teaching of God's unconditional
election of a people in Christ and his reprobation of others
to destruction. The natural man hates the absolute
sovereignty of God and despises his right to do with his own
creation as he will. They believe God has got to give
every man a chance, a fair shot, or a square deal. Yet salvation's
not by chance, nor is it the result of any deal. But it is
the demonstration of the mercy of God upon undeserving sinners.
Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 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 showeth mercy. So salvation is not an offer,
but is the operation of God to show mercy to whom He will. It
is this same innate hatred of God's sovereignty that causes
men to despise the definite and particular redemption which the
Lord undertook for His elect. It seems right to the natural
mind that Christ should have died to make salvation a possibility
for all men. Yet there could be no salvation
at all if he only made it possible for those who are willing to
believe it. For the scripture has revealed that none will believe
apart from his gift of faith to them. Therefore, the redemption
of his people is not dependent on their belief, but upon the
fact that he has procured their everlasting redemption on the
cross of Calvary. By His own blood He entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for
us. Being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him. God is pleased to give faith
to those for whom Christ shed His blood. All men by nature
believe that they can in some measure earn the favor of God.
In its most extreme manifestation, they think that they can establish
a righteousness which will make them fit for heaven, as the Jews
did. All men naturally think that
as long as their good outweighs their bad, they will receive
some favor with God. This is the basis and foundation
of all natural religion, regardless of what it may be called. Even
among those who call themselves Christians, there are some who
are not quite free from this deadly thinking that the blessings
of God are conditioned upon their obedience. They think that they
merit God's favor when they are obedient, and they earn His disfavor
when they are disobedient. O Lord, I know that the way of
man is not in himself. It is not in man that walketh
to direct his steps. Job's opposed friends were of
this conditional mindset, as they sought to accuse him instead
of comfort him. Job, however, knew that whether
he received good or ill from the hand of the Lord, he should
be thankful. God's grace is free to those who are the sheep of
his pasture. He calleth them all by name and leadeth them
in and out. His chastening is to be desired
more than the miserable comforts of those who would load us with
the law. The natural man thinks that there is something about
him which cannot ultimately die. This was the first lie that was
told by Satan to Eve, and she believed him. And the serpent
said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. There is nothing
eternal about man unless he has given eternal life in Christ
Jesus. And fear not them which kill
the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear
him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Do you have eternal life? If
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