Vessels of Mercy

What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
Romans 9:22-26
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Vessels of Mercy
            God is often accused of being unfair or unjust in His treatment of His people by those who believe in Him and those who don’t. The truth is that we all deserve the wrath of God for our sins. There is no such thing as a little or minor sin. All have the same effect, that is, they separate us from God. God has every right to cut us off and cast us out into the darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth. That would be fair and just. But something else happens. God’s great glory and grace cover us, and we are brought into His covenant. A covenant marked with blood. Christ, the Lamb of God, came and took away the sins that condemned us and gave us His righteousness. And in doing so, we were made vessels of His mercy. And into was poured life and salvation through the cross. So now we vessels overflow with His forgiveness as the water and the Word flow over us in Baptism. His mercy is given and fills us through His Word. We are nourished again and again at His table with His true body and blood. We lowly vessels are filled with His riches of glory.