WHO made us to differ?

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(James Smith, "The Pastor's Evening Visit")

"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Galatians 1:15-16

Paul is speaking . . .
of being set apart from his mother's womb,
of being called by grace to be saved,
of Christ being revealed in him, and
of his being made a preacher and an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ
--and he traces up the whole to the good pleasure of God!

It pleased God to convert, consecrate, and crown the apostle with such eminent success. There was nothing in him to deserve it--nothing in him to move God to do it. God blessed Paul, just because He would--because it pleased Him to do it.

Just so in our case.
Do we differ from others?
Do we differ from our former selves?
Have we spiritual life?
Have we Christian graces?
Why were they conferred upon us--and not upon others?

WHO made us to differ? "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" 1 Corinthians 4:7

We can trace it to no cause--but the sovereign good pleasure of God!

He has mercy--on whom He will have mercy.

He has compassion--on whom He will have compassion.

"As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." Romans 9:13-15

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