The Bible – The Message
14–18 Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. God told Moses, “I’m in charge of mercy. I’m in charge of compassion.” Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy. The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, “I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power.” All we’re saying is that God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for good or ill.
Thoughts:
We hear a lot of folk say that God’s not fair, and I cringe whenever I hear those words. Friends, we place ourselves in very compromising places at times, and unfortunately bad things happen, especially in places where Satan is very present. I heard a preacher speak on the subject “Why do bad things happen to good people”, and although he was the right person to preach that sermon, seeing that he himself had Multiple Sclerosis and had difficulty speaking. Yet he helped his hearers to understand that we are all blessed by God in that He sent His one and only Son to die a cruel death on the cross, so that all those that believe on Him might have eternal life. So who are the ‘all’ he referred to? People such as Saul who was a persecutor of Christians and the church, yet God made such a difference in His life that he became a great evangelist and writer, having written many of the New Testament books. He made such a turnaround in his life that his name was changed to Paul to reflect the total life change. What Paul is explaining to his audience at Rome, and what God is using this message to speak with us about is that:
- God is the author and maker of mankind and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;
- God loved us while we were still sinners and provided a means to enter His kingdom, and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;
- God showed compassion on us and chose us to be His children – because, friends sinners only has a mind for sinful things, not Godly ownership and Godly happiness, and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;
So Paul’s question to his audience and to us today is, “what are we complaining about God not being fair about?” From the points above, I believe we can clearly see that God loves us way more than we deserve, and what is unfair about that? Let’s not question God when He doesn’t handle a situation the way that we instructed Him, He’s still God and above Him there is no other. Count your blessings friend, and I assure you that you’ll not have enough fingers left to consider the self-inflicted, unfortunate things that we tend to blame on God. I serve an awesome God, and my heart’s desire is to encourage as many as I can to know this Savior I love and adore! Are you ready to make a decision friend? Please use the contact information at the foot of this post to email me and allow me to pray with you, encourage you and introduce you to Jesus!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we are such an undeserving, yet very blessed people. Please help us to count our blessings and stop the whining and complaining. Where would we have been had it not been for Your love, Your mercy and Your compassion? Thank You for Your mercies on me. Thank You for Your blessings on me. Thank You for the assurance of my eternal home in glory with You. Please dear Lord, speak to the hearts of my friends and family that are not living life to its fullest today, because they have not given You full control of their lives. The sacrifice has been made, and I thank You for that, please help them to accept the gift that You so lovingly gave just for us. I am very thankful, yet I continue to ask on behalf of my unsaved friends, in Your precious and worthy name, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!
NOTE: **If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray.
Nuggets From God's Word 
GOD AND MAN—SALVATION? BY STEVE FINNELL
There are two things involved in the salvation of mankind. What God provides and man’s responsibility.
WHAT DOES GOD PROVIDE?
GOD PROVIDES GRACE.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
All men who hear the gospel have the opportunity to accept God’s grace.
Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
Grace is God’s mercy. Men do not work in order to receive mercy. Mercy is an unmerited favor.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
It is because of God’s grace that men have the possibility to receive the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We receive the gift of salvation because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are not saved because of our good works or keeping the Law of Moses.
GOD PROVIDES A SAVIOR.
1 John 4:9-10 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
GOD PROVIDES THE MEANS BY WHICH MEN MAY HEAR THE GOSPEL.
Romans 10:13-15 14…And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent…..
Matthew 28:18-20 ….19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations……20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…
GOD PROVIDED HIS WRITTEN WORD, THE BIBLE, SO THAT WE MAY BELIEVE AND HAVE LIFE.
John 20:30-31….31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
—God provides grace, a Savior, preachers of the gospel, and the Bible—
WHAT IS MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY?
Man’s responsibility is to be obedient to the gospel.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-9….8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus……
Obedience is required. Good works and following the Law of Moses are not equivalent to being obedient to the gospel.
Hebrews 5:8-9…..9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
Obedience is man’s responsibility in order to receive salvation.
Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
You need to believe and be baptized in water in order to be saved.
Romans 10:13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
Whoever calls on Jehovah God will be saved. Calling on false Gods cannot save anyone.
Acts 22:16 Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name!
Saul was told to be baptized and call on the name of the Lord to have his sins washed away. Saul had already believed in Jesus and repented, while on the road to Damascus, three days prior.
(Paul was not saved by faith only)
Saul’s responsibilities were to believe in Jesus, repent (turn from sin and turn toward God), be baptized in water, and call on the name of the Lord.
When you confess Jesus, you are calling on the name of the Lord.
Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Men must confess Jesus as Lord and savior and believe in His resurrection from the dead in order to be saved. (Men are not saved by grace alone)
Acts 8:27-38…35 Then Phillip open his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said. “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 [And Phillip said, :If you believe with all your heart , you may.”And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Phillip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.
The eunuch believed in Jesus, he repented, he confessed Jesus as the Christ and as the Son of God. He was baptized in water. The eunuch fulfilled his responsibilities for salvation.
On the Day of Pentecost Peter preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and proclaimed Him Lord and Christ. When the 3000 believed Peter’s sermon, they asked what they should do? (Acts 2:22-38…..38 Peter said to them, Repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.)
Acts 2:40-41 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
Notice: Peter said be saved, future tense. After they believed and were baptized, then they were saved and added to the church. The three thousand souls were only added after they believed and were baptized.
The Lord only adds the saved to His church. Acts 2:47 …And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
What was the responsibility of the 3000?
1. To believe in the resurrected Jesus.
2. To believe that Jesus was the Christ and accept Him as Lord. 3. To repent (repent means to make the commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God).
4. They had to be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.
SALVATION?
God provides: 1. Grace. 2. The Savior. 3. Preachers of the gospel. 4. His written word, the Bible.
Man’s responsibilities: BE OBEDIENT 1. Listen to the gospel. 2. Believe the gospel. 3. Confess Jesus as Lord, the Christ, and as God’s only Son. 4. Believe that God resurrected Jesus from the dead. 5.Repent (make the commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God). 6. Be baptized in water.
FAITH is for the forgiveness of sins.
CONFESSION is for the forgiveness of sins.
REPENTANCE is for the forgiveness of sins.
WATER BAPTISM is for the forgiveness of sins.
Men can be saved in two hours more or less. No work, no good deeds, and no law keeping is required—Then remain faithful until death. (Matthew 10:22)
(All Scripture quotes from: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)
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Thanks for your input Brother. I appreciate your added thoughts and biblical truths! To God be the glory!
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