Stop Thinking Your Salvation Depends On You. It Does Not.

Romans 9:16 says something that should shatter everything you think about your relationship with God.

"It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy."

It does not depend on how much you want it. It does not depend on how hard you try. It does not depend on how good you are. It does not depend on how many services you attend. It does not depend on how much you give. It does not depend on how sincere you are.

It depends on God's mercy. 

Here is what this means today. You are not saved because you are smart enough to figure it out. You are not saved because you are good enough to earn it. You are not saved because you are sincere enough to deserve it. You are saved because God had mercy on you. That is it.

This is offensive to modern thinking. We live in a world that says if you want something bad enough and work hard enough, you can get it. We apply that to everything. Our careers. Our relationships. Our goals. Our dreams. And we try to apply it to our salvation too.

We think if we just try harder, pray more, read our Bibles more, go to church more, give more, serve more, then God will finally accept us. We think our salvation depends on our effort.

It does not.

Paul makes that crystal clear. He points to Pharaoh. God raised Pharaoh up for a purpose. To display His power. To proclaim His name. Pharaoh did not want that. Pharaoh did not choose that. Pharaoh fought against it. But God used him anyway.

And then Paul drops this bomb. "Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden."

That is not fair. That is the point. Mercy is not fair. Fair is getting what you deserve. Mercy is getting what you do not deserve. If God were fair, everyone would be condemned. Everyone. No exceptions. Because everyone has sinned. Everyone has fallen short. Everyone has rebelled.

The fact that anyone is saved is mercy. Pure, undeserved, unearned mercy.

So stop trying to earn what can only be received. Stop trying to work for what can only be given. Stop trying to deserve what can only be mercy. Stop comparing yourself to others and wondering why God blessed them and not you. Stop thinking you are better because you tried harder. You are not. You just received mercy.

And stop looking at people who do not know God and thinking they just need to try harder. They do not. They need mercy. The same mercy you received.

Here is the freedom in this. You can stop striving. You can stop performing. You can stop trying to be good enough. You are not. You never will be. And that is the point. God's mercy covers what your effort never could.

So rest in that. Not in your performance. Not in your effort. Not in your sincerity. In His mercy.