Christianity. Saved by Grace
Grace, the gift of God the Father, God the Son, and God Holy Spirit!
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
No man wants God’s mercy!
Never has there been a man who has wanted God’s mercy in Gods way; never have men wanted God’s Christ. Our God in sovereign power has allowed some to rebel, but to others He ordained salvation and in effect said 'I will have mercy on you whether you want it or not'; then He opening their spiritual eyes and ears to the Gospel message, they responded in obedience according to 'His Sovereign Will,' receiving the message and salvation of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 3:11 KJV,
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Grace: God’s Sovereign plan.
Mercy is shown through God's grace and is a sovereign gift from an Almighty God; no man is or was ever deserving of it; it is only through the mercy of a righteous God that we know God’s grace: The word GRACE is described in dictionaries as unmerited favour, or favour that is not deserved. It is this undeserved favour or gift as it is sometimes described that God gives to man through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
There are some who think because of 1Peter 1-2, God looked to the future using 'according to the foreknowledge of God the Father' and could through this foreknowledge see how we would respond to His Gospel, they think God then made His choice according to whom He knew would accept this message.
This is untrue if we study 1 Peter 1-2 in context with the rest of the passage and according to the other scriptures i.e. Acts 2:23, we see God acts in a deliberate way and our response and obedience is the RESULT of God’s divine plan 'having mercy on whom he chooses' not the cause of it. Not only has God done this in His mercy but He has the Sovereign power and right to do it as our creator.
1 Peter 1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Romans 9:21
Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
It is GRACE alone. God has delivered us from our sin throught the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As God clothed Adam's shame, He clothes our shame with Christ.
Galatians 3:26-29
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.