So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy (Romans 9:16). God's mercy is not earned by your efforts, because "it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs." Will power and personal efforts can never save us. God shows mercy in Jesus Christ.
God shows mercy in Christ crucified for our sins. That is to say, the sacrificial death of Christ satisfies the demands of God's holiness and wrath against our sins. God's justice is satisfied for all who trust in Christ alone for mercy and justification. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world (1 John 2:2).
God shows mercy taking away our sins through the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). Mercy transforms your life. God shows mercy changing your heart to change your life. Only God can change your heart. The word heart is a symbol for our inward nature. That is our mind, will, and emotions.
God shows mercy to transform and renew us in Christ (Romans 12:1-2). God shows mercy enabling us to repent and trust in Christ. The word "repent" comes from two Greek words. Meta means change. Nous means mind. God shows mercy leading us to repent (Romans 2:4).
