Friday

Related Verses
Rom. 9:18, 23
18 So then He has mercy on whom He wills, and He hardens whom He wills.
23 In order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory,

Rom. 8:29-30
29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers;
30 And those whom He predestinated, these He also called; and those whom He called, these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Rom. 9:11
11 Though the children had not yet been born nor had done anything good or bad (that the purpose of God according to selection might remain, not of works but of Him who calls),

Rom. 11:5, 30-32
5 In the same way then at the present time also there has come into being a remnant according to the selection of grace.
30 For just as you once disobeyed God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
31 So these also now have disobeyed, so that because of the mercy shown to you they also now may be shown mercy.
32 For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.

Related Reading
Regarding His recovery, God has mercy on whomever He will have mercy. We are not in the Lord’s recovery because we are more intelligent than others or because we seek the Lord more than others do. Our being here is altogether due to the mercy of God. If you consider how the Lord brought you into the church life in the Lord’s recovery, you will worship Him for His mercy. I believe that we in the Lord’s recovery are among the remnant according to the selection of grace (Rom. 11:5). Regarding the gospel, the ministry of life, and the church life in the Lord’s recovery, God has had mercy upon us. How we must praise Him for His sovereign mercy! (Life-study of Romans, p. 593)

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We should have no trust in ourselves, and we should not think we are here because of anything that we are or that we have done…What a mercy that we are saved and that we are willing to take the Lord’s way! Furthermore, it is a mercy that we are willing to be separated from today’s evil age. The world is both attractive and attracting. Nevertheless, I can testify that I simply have no appetite for the things of the world. I am covered with a kind of divine insulation, an insulation that keeps me from the world system. This is another aspect of God’s mercy.

If we would serve the Lord, we must know the Spirit, the life in the Spirit, and the righteousness of God. Furthermore, we must know God’s mercy in the selection of grace…I look to the Lord that He will deeply impress us with the matter of His mercy in selecting us. Do not put your trust in what you are able to do or in what you plan to do. Rather, bow down before the Lord and worship Him for His mercy. The more you worship the Lord for His mercy, the more you will be uplifted. Instead of striving to bear responsibility, you will find that, in His mercy, the Lord is bearing you. We all need to know the Lord in this way. What a mercy that He has selected us, predestinated us, called us, and placed us in His recovery! For our future we trust not in ourselves but in Him and in His marvelous mercy. Everything regarding us has been initiated by the Lord. All is of Him; nothing is of us. I can testify that the more we worship God for His mercy, the more we are deeply in His heart and the more we are one with Him.

Do not strive to bear responsibility. Instead, worship God for His selection. If you do this, He will bear you in the bearing of responsibility. The more we try in ourselves to be responsible, the more we will suffer inwardly. Our inward taste will be that of bitterness. But if we worship the Lord for His mercy and experience Him bearing us in bearing the responsibility, our inward taste will be as sweet as honey. One reason I am happy day by day is that I have learned to trust in the Lord’s mercy and to worship Him for it. Years ago I used to ask the Lord to do so many things for me. But now I pray by thanking Him for His mercy. He said that He will have mercy on whomever He will have mercy and compassion on whomever He will have compassion. If we enjoy the Lord’s mercy and worship Him for His selection, we will be in the heavenlies.

Our going on with the Lord is a matter not of our willing or running but of God’s mercy. Our willing is of no avail, and our running is in vain. God’s mercy, however, works in a wonderful way. We are changeable, constantly fluctuating. It seems that, as far as we are concerned, our spiritual condition is like weather that is unstable. Hence, we need to see that the selection of grace does not depend on us but depends on God’s selection of us before the world began. What we are experiencing today is related to God’s selection in eternity past. If we see this, we will turn our eyes away from ourselves and from our circumstances and gaze steadfastly upon Him. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 593-594)

Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 28, “The Gospel of God,” ch. 2