THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD RULES: ENSURE YOU ARE LIVING ON THE MERCY OF GOD!
“Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of MERCIES, and the God of all comfort” 2 Corinthians 1:2-3.
The sovereignty of God over all is without controversy. He is the one who determines and defines what was, is, and is to come. As such He created all things for His own pleasure and glory, dominion and power, and He is answerable to none. All creation bows before Him and adores His majesty. He is indescribable and incomprehensible in all that pertains to doing life – earthly wise = and living godly – heavenly wise. His SOVEREIGNTY reigns through all generations and dispensations, past and present, and holds the world and all that dwells therein in the palm of His hands. At His presence Kingdoms shake, governments stand still, and people and all other creation tremble. Words are not enough to qualify and quantify Him, but we can sum Him up by looking through the face of Christ Jesus, our Saviour and Lord.
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive GLORY and HONOUR and POWER: for thou hast CREATED ALL THINGS, and for THY PLEASURE they ARE and WERE created” Revelation 4:11.
Being sovereign makes God say to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I choose to have mercy” irrespective of what anyone thinks, imagines, or expects of Him. He chose Moses, who stammered, instead of Aaron his eloquent-speaking brother, to LEAD His people out of Egypt toward the promised land. Sometimes, in human sense, it seems God is partial and unfair in His dealings with us, but that is what MAKES Him SOVEREIGN. Because what He sees and knows and understands that makes Him take certain decisions is beyond our infinitesimal imagination and thoughts. For His ways are not our ways. Hence, to imagine God saying I “chose Jacob instead of Esau”, Joseph instead of other eleven children of Jacob”, and Manasseh instead of Ephraim” and to choose Apostle Paul – a Chief of Sinners as he called himself – to preach the New Creation Gospel, tells us a lot about God’s sovereignty in human affairs and in all of His creation. And in all, He remains the just, good, faithful, true and sure Father God in His sovereignty.
Have you ever imagined going through life, and the people you considered to have no ground of existence are still here, while those you considered to have a ground are no more? Think of any scenario in human affairs – sometimes you wonder why certain things happen to certain people and not others, according to your own perception of things.
Does it mean that God hates some and loves some? And that God is an unrighteous judge in His sovereign decision? But that is not the case at all with God, beyond our human perception and limitations of His SOVEREIGNTY in our earthly affairs and heavenly affairs. There is an operating default in God’s sovereignty over all, and it is called MERCY – THE MERCY OF GOD. The MERCY OF GOD is that default in Him that enables divine kindness to offset divine judgment for obvious and non-obvious faults and mistakes in our earthly and heavenly affairs. It is the MERCY of God that enables one to do life beyond the ordinary and human comprehension. Through the course of time, in the phases of the divine PURPOSE for our lives, we FRAIL human beings – just as the Psalmist declared that the Lord knows our FRAME, that we are dust – it is only by living under the cover of His MERCY that we can keep on keeping on, as it is written:
“Just as a father LOVES his children, So the Lord LOVES those who FEAR and WORSHIP Him [with AWE-FILLED RESPECT and DEEPEST REVERENCE]. 14 For He KNOWS our [MORTAL] FRAME; He remembers that we are [merely] dust” Psalms 103:13-14 AMPLIFIED.
Apostle Paul, considering the havoc he caused to the Church of God and others, knew God’s MERCY so well in his course of doing life and living godly in Christ Jesus. That knowledge enabled him not to FAINT, but to explore God’s MERCY tremendously, in order to live a fulfilled LIFE and GODLINESS in his ministry, as written:
“Therefore SEEING we have this MINISTRY, as we have RECEIVED MERCY, WE FAINT NOT” 2 Corinthians 4:1.
YOU NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE EACH DAY TO HIDE AND LIVE YOUR LIFE UNDER THE MERCY OF GOD. For God is sovereign and decides the times and terms of life for all, irrespective of status, religion, gender, colour, tongue. and such like.
Therefore, enough of that pride and arrogancy and misplaced priority and stubbornness and such like, because life is as a mist that appears in the new dawn and straight away it is gone. Make every opportunity you have to count and account for you in doing life in earthly affairs and living godly in heavenly affairs in Christ Jesus stead. Amen.
“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 WHEREAS YE KNOW NOT WHAT SHALL BE ON THE MORROW. FOR WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? IT IS EVEN A VAPOUR, THAT APPEARETH FOR A LITTLE TIME, AND THEN VANISHETH AWAY. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” John 4:13-17.
Just know: It is only the knowing and understanding that you are LIVING UNDER THE MERCY OF GOD that enables you to keep on keeping on, even in the Face of FAINTING, TRIBULATIONS, TRIALS, OPPOSITION, DISAPPOINTMENT, SICKNESSES AND DISEASES, FAMILY BREAKDOWN, MARITAL STRUGGLE, FRUSTRATIONS IN SINGLENESS, CHILDLESSNESS, AND MANY MORE SUCH LIKE MALADIES OF LIFE.
Today, I call on you to let GOD’S MERCY speak for you in that life challenge, just as the two blind men experienced of God’s mercy in Matthew 9:27-31. They explored the sovereign default – THE MERCY OF GOD – and that interjection through the act of PRAYER spoke into their situation and changed their life storyline forever, in their earthly affairs.
It could be your time now. Act accordingly for your BLESSEDNESS in Christ Jesus stead. Amen.
SELAH – PAUSE AND THINK.
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT:
“. . . 14 What shall we say then? Is there UNRIGHTEOUSNESS with God? GOD FORBID. 15 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. 16 SO THEN IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH, NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH, BUT OF GOD THAT SHEWETH MERCY. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth . . . 23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 even us, whom he hath CALLED, NOT OF THE JEWS ONLY, BUT ALSO OF THE GENTILES? 25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them MY PEOPLE, which were NOT MY PEOPLE; and HER BELOVED, which was NOT BELOVED . . .” Romans 9:1-33.
“And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, HAVE MERCY ON US. 28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe Ye That I Am Able To Do This? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH BE IT UNTO YOU. 30 And their EYES WERE OPENED; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. 31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country” Matthew 9:27-31.
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, AS WE HAVE RECEIVED MERCY, WE FAINT NOT; 2 but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 FOR GOD, WHO COMMANDED THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS, HATH SHINED IN OUR HEARTS, TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST. 7 But we have this TREASURE in EARTHEN VESSELS, that the EXCELLENCY of the POWER may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, WORKETH for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are SEEN ARE TEMPORAL; but the things which are NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL” 2 Corinthians 4:1-18.
SUMMARY:
The message opens with 2 Corinthians 1:2-3: “Grace be to you and peace from God our Father… the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.”
Core charge:
The sovereignty of God rules: ensure you are living under the mercy of God.
Sovereignty is without controversy. God alone determines and defines what was, is, and is to come. He created all things for His pleasure, glory, dominion and power [Revelation 4:11], and is answerable to none. All creation bows and trembles at His presence. He is indescribable and incomprehensible in earthly and heavenly affairs, summed up only in Christ Jesus, our Saviour and Lord.
KEY POINTS
- Sovereignty in divine choice plus mercy
God’s sovereignty is seen in His choices: “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” [Exodus 33:19; Romans 9:15].
He chose Moses the stammerer over eloquent Aaron to lead Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land.
He chose Jacob instead of Esau [Romans 9:13], Joseph over 11 brothers, Manasseh over Ephraim, and Apostle Paul — a chief of sinners [1 Timothy 1:15] to preach the new creation gospel.
To human sense this looks unfair, but that is what makes Him sovereign. His ways are not our ways [Isaiah 55:8-9]. Yet He remains just, good, faithful, true and sure Father God. - God’s operating default: mercy
We often wonder why some with “no ground” remain while others with “ground” are gone. But God’s operating default is mercy — the mercy of God.
Mercy is divine kindness that offsets divine judgment for faults in earthly and heavenly affairs. It enables one to do life beyond the ordinary.
Psalm 103:13-14: “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”
So we keep on keeping on only by living under the cover of His mercy. - Paul’s pattern: received mercy → faint not
Apostle Paul, who caused havoc to the church of God, knew God’s mercy. That knowledge enabled him not to faint but to live a fulfilled life and godliness in ministry.
2 Corinthians 4:1, 16: “As we have received mercy, we faint not… though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
We have treasure in earthen vessels, so the excellency of power is of God. Light affliction works for us an eternal weight of glory as we look at things not seen = eternal [2 Corinthians 4:17-18]. - Urgency: life is a mist
You need to take advantage of every opportunity each day to hide and live your life under the mercy of God. God decides times and terms for all, irrespective of status, religion, gender, colour, tongue.
Enough of pride, arrogancy, misplaced priority, stubbornness — because life is a mist/vapour that appears and vanishes [James 4:14].
Make every opportunity count in earthly affairs and living godly in heavenly affairs in Christ Jesus. - Mercy sustains every malady
It is only knowing and understanding that you are living under the mercy of God that enables you to keep on keeping on in the face of fainting, tribulations, trials, opposition, disappointment, sicknesses and diseases, family breakdown, marital struggle, frustrations in singleness, childlessness, and maladies of life. - Altar call: it could be your time
Today I call on you: Let God’s mercy speak for you in that life challenge, just as the two blind men in Matthew 9:27-31 cried “Have mercy on us”. Their interjection through prayer spoke into their situation and changed their life storyline forever.
Romans 9:16: “So then it is not of him that willeth… but of God that sheweth mercy.”
Closing charge: It could be your time now. Act accordingly for your blessedness in Christ Jesus stead. Amen.
Scriptures to ponder: Romans 9:1-33, Matthew 9:27-31, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18.
REV. CHUKIE MORSI
Leave a Reply