VESSELS OF MERCY

“And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the VESSELS of MERCY, which He has prepared beforehand for His glory” – Romans 9:23

A thrilling aspect of the Wonders of God’s Grace is that of being VESSELS of MERCY prepared beforehand for Glory! Here, the Apostle employed the appellation of “vessels” to portray the similitude of the potter, by which he had illustrated the sovereignty of God: “Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” (v.21). However mysterious the ways are that God works in the world, His perfect and ultimate purpose – in all His wrath, and power, and mercy – is this: “and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the VESSELS of MERCY, which He has prepared beforehand for His glory” (Rom.9:23). Every person who has confessed that Jesus is Lord and believed that God raised Him from the dead is a Vessel of Mercy prepared before the creation of the world for glory – that is, to know the riches of His Glory!

“Vessels of Mercy” – As a Christian, I am a Vessel of Mercy, rescued from spiritual deadness and sinful darkness by mercy, through mercy, and for mercy: by mercy, because in my past rebellion, I didn’t deserve to be awakened to righteousness; through mercy, because every influence that worked to bring me to Christ was a mercy from God; and for mercy, because every blessing that I will ever enjoy, for all of eternity, will be a product of mercy. In my natural self, I did not deserve to be chosen, called, saved, changed, transformed or heaven-bound. It is all by mercy! Nothing in me motivated God to make my redemption happen. That I have received anything of value – any pardon from God, any acceptance in the Beloved, any glimpse of glory, any hope of eternal joy – is all Mercy! The Message of Mercy is humbling to the believer and hopeful to the undelivered.

From His Heart of Mercy, our Lord Jesus Himself proclaimed: “Freely you received, freely give” (Mt.10:8). Here, we access the marvellous Cycle of Mercy: Mercy produces mercy and receives more mercy. We become merciful by being shown mercy; and we show mercy to obtain more mercy: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Mt.5:7). Freely you received mercy, freely give; and you’ll receive mercy in return, “pressed down, shaken together, running over” (Lk.6:38). To be a Vessel of Mercy is to be able to affirm without an iota of doubt: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life” (Psa.23:6a). Whatever life may bring and however times may turn, there will not be one day when the God of Grace and Mercy does not track me down and make me a Vessel for His blessing!

“Prepared beforehand for glory” – the focus is on being prepared for His Glory much more than for ours; though that too is captured in our hope! Romans 8:30 says: “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” The word “prepared” reinforces the meaning of mercy. Being privileged to see, savour, know, and taste of God’s glory is not of our own making. It is all because of His Mercy. We are shaped, molded, and sometimes pounded into Vessels able to experience and manifest God’s Glory. Oh, what a great hope there is for broken and battered vessels to be reshaped and remolded into Vessels of Mercy! Since it is all by His Mercy; it must be all for His Glory. If you seek your own glory rather than seeing and savouring God’s glory, you may be bitterly disappointed in the end.

“Knowing the riches of glory” – Vessels of Mercy ultimately become Vessels of Glory! As you yield to His Mercy, and “behold His glory” you’ll be “transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2Cor.3:18). God made you to know – experience, interact with, have intimacy with – His glory. Beloved, pursue that with all of your heart. Never trade it for anything else in the world!