God's Mercy: The Cornerstone of Our Salvation

      In a world that values strength, self-reliance, and achievement, the concept of mercy can seem weak or foreign. Yet Romans 9 confronts us with a humbling truth: only God saves, and only He can change the sinful heart. This strikes at our pride—we often think our good deeds, religious devotion, or heritage can earn us favor with God. But salvation is not about human effort; it's about God's sovereign choice. Abraham’s attempt to “help” God through Hagar and God’s selection of Isaac instead reminds us that God's purposes are fulfilled through His will, not ours. Likewise, God's choice of Jacob over Esau—"Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" (Romans 9:13)—is a stark reminder that His mercy is not based on merit.
       These biblical examples emphasize a crucial point: salvation depends not on human will or exertion, but on God's mercy (Romans 9:16). That truth runs counter to our culture of self-determination, yet it is the foundation of our hope. Left to ourselves, we are morally corrupt, spiritually dead, and hostile toward God. We don't deserve salvation; we deserve judgment. And that is what makes God’s mercy so astonishing—despite our rebellion, He withholds punishment and offers forgiveness through Jesus Christ, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.
       This mercy isn’t theoretical—it’s transformational. The stories of Corrie Ten Boom forgiving her Nazi captor, and Elisabeth Elliot ministering to her husband's killers, reflect the mercy of God in action. Yet how often we forget God's mercy, treating it as a background truth rather than the central theme of our faith. We fall into routines—church attendance, quiet times, service—that, while good, can subtly shift our reliance away from God’s mercy and back to our own efforts. The sermon offers practical ways to keep God's mercy at the center: remember your true position before God, pray for renewed awareness of His mercy, extend mercy to others, act in faith, cultivate humility, worship God-centeredly, give generously, and dwell often on the cross.
       As we practice these things, we begin to understand that God's mercy is not just a one-time event but a continual, sustaining reality. His mercy never runs out. This truth should reshape our lives, filling us with gratitude, humility, and compassion. It should move us to extend mercy to others, knowing how much we have received. In a culture that sees mercy as weakness, we are called to be different—people marked by mercy, because we have been transformed by it. Let us never “get over” God’s mercy. May it remain the foundation of our faith, the fuel for our love, and the lens through which we see the world.

Transformation Group Guide: God's Sovereign Choice and Mercy

Opening Prayer: Begin the session with a prayer, asking God to open hearts and minds to understand His Word and apply its truths.

Key Takeaways:
1. Only God saves - salvation is entirely dependent on God's mercy, not human effort.
2. Only God can change sinful man - we cannot change ourselves or others through our own power.
3. God's mercy is central to our salvation and should never be taken for granted.
4. Our proper understanding of God's mercy should lead us to worship, humility, and extending mercy to others.

Discussion Questions:
1. In what ways might we, like Abraham, try to 'help God' fulfill His promises instead of trusting in His timing and methods?

2. How does the concept of God choosing Jacob over Esau before they were born challenge our understanding of fairness and justice?

3. The sermon emphasized that "no one deserves to be saved." How does this truth impact your view of God's mercy? Of your own salvation?

4. Why do you think our culture tends to view mercy as weakness rather than strength, and how can Christians counter this perspective?

5. Pastor Josh listed 8 ways to restore a view of God's mercy in our lives. Which of these resonated most with you and why?*

6. How might a renewed focus on God's mercy change the way you interact with both believers and non-believers?


*The 8 ways to restore our view of God's mercy:
1. Have your proper place before God.
2. Pray that God would show you his mercy.
3. Be merciful.
4. Act in faith.
5. Humility.
6. Be generous.
7. Worship.
8. Stare at the cross.

Practical Applications:

1. This week, spend time each day meditating on God's mercy in your life. Journal specific instances where you've experienced His mercy.

2. Choose one person in your life to show intentional mercy to this week, even if they don't "deserve" it.

3. Evaluate your generosity (with time, money, energy). How can you be more generous as a response to God's mercy?

4. Practice humility by depending on God in an area where you typically rely on your own strength. Share with the group next week how this impacted your view of God's mercy.

5. Commit to memorizing Romans 9:16 this week: "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."

Closing Prayer: Close the session by thanking God for His abundant mercy and asking for His help in living out the truths discussed.