“And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before the, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew (show) mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” Exodus 33:19

This was the reply given to Moses when he had asked God to reveal to him his glory, this is such a telling verse.

We are told in scripture that God is “not a respecter of persons” which means that he is fair and just, what he offers one child is also available to another, we are not treated as favored children.

He loves and blesses a person who accepted him five minutes ago just as much as someone who has faithfully served for fifty years.

I have found expressing God’s love and mercy along with the requirement for repentance and acceptance the biggest challenge in my ministry.

This is our biggest obstacle in reaching people with the Gospel, old school ministers that come down with fire and brimstone on people’s heads, offering them only strict judgment with no hope of mercy, leaving them feeling as if they make one wrong move, it’s off to hell they go.

Its horrifying to attempt to serve and please an all-powerful God who gives no room for human error.

Fortunately for us, that Is not Jehovah God! 

The enemy has taken great opportunity with these misteaching to candy-coat the Gospel.

To portray Jesus as so accepting that even sin is allowed. Jesus is accepting, but he accepts us in our sin only for the moment of repentance, when we ask forgiveness, we are washed and cleansed from all sin. But we have to repent of that sin.

We cannot serve him or claim the promise of eternal life if we still continue in rampant sin.

We all sin and we will never be perfect; we ask forgiveness and go on.

The candy coats I am referring to those who falsely teach that you can have any lifestyle and still be saved, it is not true.

God loves his children too much leave them in situations that will destroy them that’s why he does not, will not, and cannot bless sin.

You can be a wonderful person and still be in sin, goodness does not equate eternal salvation.

Kindness and goodness, I believe is like mercy, I do believe that God will get his message to many because they have tried to be good and decent, merciful people and not tried to twist his words into their personal salvation.

Salvation is easy and it there for the asking.

That simple, but to attempt to live lifestyles forbidden in his word is not asking for salvation, it is an attempt to feel justified into something that God will never justify.

The beauty of God is that being supernatural, he can open hearts in ways that are completely divine so that we do understand.

We see this is the story of the rich man who asked about salvation, Jesus responded by telling him to go sell everything and then come follow him.

The man being rich did not want to give up his lifestyle to which Jesus replied how hard it is for the rich to enter heaven.

The disciplines were perplexed and asked Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” This was his reply: Mark 10:27: “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” 

Once upon a time, I was the biggest heathen that walked, and many of us try to justify our sin by arguing that whatever we are doing isn’t that bad and usually it isn’t by worlds standards, which we know are no standards at all.

That argument is pure self-righteousness, and sin is still sin when it is clearly listed as such in God’s word.

Habakkuk 1:13: ” Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity…” 

He is not blessing sin, never going to happen, he will not look upon it.

So, there we go, we have to get into the truth that God does love us, God does save us, and he is not just waiting to send us all to hell, he’s actually waiting to save us.

There is judgments and many judgments to come but those judgments again are for those reject God, outright hating and mocking him, the demonic ruling over the earth.

Moses was human, he had given into that human emotion when his rage boiled at the sight of an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave and Moses killed Egyptian.

This does not mean that God was pleased in that.

But when the time came for Moses’ assignment, and those times are divinely appointed God revealed himself to Moses and sent him to free those very same slaves that he had committed murder in defense of.

The Bible tells us that Moses was a meek man, which means that he was gentle, quiet, patient, and peaceful and I hope to establish over the next few posts the absolute value of mercy and the favor of God that is brought into our lives by showing mercy. 

That does not mean that bad things will never happen to us, this is earth, bad things happen to good people as the saying goes, but God loves mercy, and we find it returned to us in many ways.

Especially in our relationship with him and his presence in our lives.

Thats like the old timers that beat you over the head, doesn’t mean they’re not saved or even vessels but why would you want harshness, terror, and fear when you could be blessed with peace in knowing God loves you.

Joy in your heart in his salvation and trust, as the little lambs that we are spiritually, our purpose is to follow the Shepherd and enjoy the goodness he provides.

God granted Moses’ request allowing him to see his glory and expounding that HE IS GOD, and he will reveal himself as he chooses.

He creates us all individually and we have very individual relationships with him.

Psalms 18:24-27: “Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight,

With the merciful thou wilt shew (reveal) thyself merciful; with an upright man (human)thou wilt she thyself upright.

With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward (perverse) thou wilt shew thyself froward (shrewd).

For thou wilt (will) save the afflicted people: but wilt bring down high looks (pride and arrogance).” 

I hope this provides an insight to mercy of God and please join me tomorrow as we continue.

Love & Peace to you!

NBJ 2024/ Rev. N. Brown Johnson