27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
02 Acts 14 08-20 THE MINISTRY AT LYSTRA 42 Acts 14 15-17 God’s mercy on all
📖 Acts 14:08-20
42 – Tue, 02 Dec 2025 – *God’s mercy on all*- _Acts 14:08-20_ – THE MINISTRY AT LYSTRA – _II Peter 03:09_
_Acts 14:15-17 and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, (16) *who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways*. (17) Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."_
People have been going their own ways, but the time for reckoning is at hand. God is reconciling the world to Himself. _Colossians 1:19-20 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, (20) and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross._
The fullness of God is in Jesus Christ. _Colossians 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (16) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. *All things were created through Him and for Him.* (17) And He is before all things, and *in Him all things consist*. (18) And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence._
Christ will judge all nations, for He has been raised from the dead. _Acts 17:29-31 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. (30) Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, (31) because He has appointed a day on which *He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead*."_
Israel, as a nation, was chosen to be the light of God to the nations. _Isaiah 49:6 Indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; *I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.*' "_
Israel has, to a large extent, failed to lead the nations of the world to the true and living God. _Romans 9:2-5 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. (3) For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, (4) who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; (5) of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. / _Nehemiah 9:26 "Nevertheless they were disobedient And rebelled against You, Cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets, who testified against them To turn them to Yourself; And they worked great provocations._
Since Israel failed to be the light of God to the nations, the Lord was reaching the Gentiles. _Romans 11:11-12 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But *through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles*. (12) Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!_
Consider the mercy of God that He was reaching both Jews and Gentiles to Himself. _Romans 11:30-33 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, (31) even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. (32) For *God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all*. (33) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!_
Through Jesus Christ, God is restoring both Jews and Gentiles to Himself. _Ephesians 2:14-16 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, (15) having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, (16) and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity._
Those who were not known as the people of God will be called His people. _Hosea 2:23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then *I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God!'* "_
*God is calling all to repentance.* _II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, *not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance*._