15What did He say to Moses? "I will have mercy on the one on whom I have chosen to have mercy, and I will show compassion to the one to whom I have chosen to show compassion."16Whatever God does depends on the ways in which He has chosen to reveal His mercy. No desire or striving on man's part can ever bring His will about.17Look at what the scriptures say about Pharaoh: "I raised you up for My purposes so that I could display My awesome power, and do such mighty things that My name would be known throughout the world!"18He can show His mercy to anyone to whom He chooses to show His mercy; and He can harden the heart of anyone who opposes Him.19Now someone may want to argue that if God is able to harden hearts, why does He blame us for disobedience to His will?20Who do you think you are, to judge God for the way in which He has chosen to work? Is it right for a created one to even question his creator? Can you ask God why He made you as you are, as if your failings are His fault?21A potter can make whatever he wants out of a lump of clay, some beautiful articles and others for mundane, everyday purposes.22So consider this. How is God to reveal everything about Himself? How can He show people that His anger is real unless there are those who deserve to be judged and condemned? Yet at the same time He showed such great patience with the one who opposed Him, even though He knew what the final outcome would be!23By contrast, God is also able to reveal the richness of His glory that He shows to those who receive His mercy, those like us who He has determined in His pre-ordained purposes should know His glory.24For whether we are Jewish or not, He has called us believers to know His mercy and His glory!Christ - a stumbling block to the Jews25He said through His prophet Hosea: "I will call 'My people' those who formerly were not My people; I will declare My personal love for those who had not known My love."
Scripture quoted by permission. The passage above is taken from THE TRUTH VERSION. Copyright © 2009 by Colin Urquhart. All rights reserved worldwide. (The Truth New Testament)