Matthew 23:34-39 – The Mercy and Grace of God
God often takes great pains with ungodly men. He sends the Jews repeated warnings. They can never say that they are not told when they do wrong. This is the way in which God generally deals with the unconverted. He does not cut them off without a call to repentance. He knocks at the door of their hearts by sicknesses and troubles. He pricks their consciences by sermons, or by the advice of friends. He calls them to consider their ways by bringing death into their lives, and taking away their idols.
God takes notice of the treatment which His messengers and ministers receive, and will one day reckon for it. Let those who persecute God’s people in the present day take heed what they are doing. Let them know that Christ takes notice of every one who persecutes his neighbour because he is better than himself, or because he prays, reads his Bible, and thinks about his soul.
Those who are lost forever, are lost through their own fault. The grand secret of man’s ruin is his lack of will. Powerless as he is to do good, he is still powerful to do evil. A will to repent and believe no man can give himself, but a will to reject Christ and have his own way, every man possesses by nature, and if not saved at last, that will shall prove to be his destruction. Let us understand that the ruin of those who are lost, is not because Christ is not willing to save them – nor because they want to be saved, but can not – but because they will not come to Christ. Men’s salvation, if saved, is wholly of God; and man’s ruin, if lost, is wholly of himself. The evil that is in us is all our own. The good, if we have any, is all of God. The saved in the next world will give God all the glory. The lost in the next world will find that they have destroyed themselves.
Questions
- How does God show mercy to unbelievers?
- What does God remember?
Prayer Points
- Pray for Christians being persecuted in other countries.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.