1 Kings 21 - God's love and mercy

1Ki 21:20
So Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD:

Who had Ahab sold himself to?

Who else, but Satan?

And what did Ahab get in return?

The moment's pleasure or glory.

When we sell ourselves to do evil in the sight of God, we are slaves to sins. Since we have sold ourselves, we are no longer masters of our own bodies, but rather, we listen to another master, whom we have sold ourselves to. Being enchained to sins, we no longer have control over our own selves.

But yet, we know of how Jesus came to set us free. Free from this bondage of sins. Because we have sold ourselves to Satan for the moment's pleasure, God has to offer up something in order to redeem us back. He has to pay Satan for our souls as well.

So, Jesus used His blood to remove our chains. He bought us with His blood. And what was the end result? That we may have eternal lives. He paid, yet we benefited.

Do you see the contrast? In the first situation, we paid for our moment's pleasure with our souls. Yet, in the second situation, God paid for our souls with His blood so that we may have eternal joy.

This reminded me of a verse on footwashing.

Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." (Jhn 13:8)

If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. It is not about the person doing the washing, but about the person whose feet are being washed. Jesus derived no benefits from washing the disciples' feet, yet He loved them so much that He humbled Himself to do it. So that we may have a part with Christ.

Can you see how footwashing is so intricately linked with salvation? It's the same story. Christ came and did something that He derived no benefits from, but yet, did it because He loves us so much. And the end result is that we are the ones who benefit.

How can love be so strong that one can do such things?

Also, another attribute of God can be seen from the verse below.

1Ki 21:29
"See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house."

See how God is always so quick to show His mercy? As long as Ahab showed repentance and remorse, God softened His heart and relented.

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (Psa 86:5)

In fact, God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). He did not come to judge, but to save (John 12:47). It is man's sins which has judged him. God is abounding in mercy and love. As long as we know how to return back to God with humbled spirits, God will be more than willing to receive us back into His arms.