Biblical Answer

Understanding God's Mercy: A Sovereign Attribute

God's mercy is a tenderhearted, loving compassion for his people, and it is his tenderness of heart toward the needy. While grace contemplates humans as sinful, guilty, and condemned, mercy sees them as miserable and needy. This attribute is closely related to God's goodness, which is infinite and circumscribed by no limits. However, the exercise of this goodness, including mercy, may be limited by God Himself.

The Sovereignty of God's Mercy

The exercise of God's mercy is optional and sovereign, and man cannot determine by any a priori method whether it will be extended to him. This means that God's mercy is not necessarily tied to human actions or behavior, but rather is determined by God's sovereign will. As the Bible teaches, "Who knows if God will come and give a blessing?" (Hosea 5:15). This sovereignty of God's mercy is reflected in the fact that He is not under any necessity to exert His power, including His mercy. If He had never created anything at all, He would still have been an omnipo-

The Optional Nature of God's Mercy

God's mercy is optional, and it may be long or short, according to the divine will. This means that God may choose to show mercy to a sinner at any time, or He may choose not to do so. As the Bible teaches, "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away" (John 6:37). However, this does not mean that God's mercy is automatically extended to all people. Rather, it is extended to those who repent and put their trust in Jesus Christ. As the Bible teaches, "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). In summary, God's mercy is a sovereign and optional attribute, and its exercise is determined by God's will, not by human actions or behavior.