The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has declared that divine mercy, rather than human intelligence or effort, ultimately determines safety, success and destiny.

Pastor Adeboye made the assertion on Sunday during a special thanksgiving service themed “Gratitude” at the church’s international headquarters in Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

Delivering a sermon titled “The Value of the Mercy of God,” the cleric cited the recent car accident involving world-renowned boxer, Anthony Joshua, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as an illustration of what he described as God’s “uncommon mercy.”

Referring to media reports on the incident, Adeboye said, “I read in the newspapers how Anthony Joshua swapped his sitting position while travelling in the vehicle that crashed. I wonder what could have made him change his seat if not God’s mercy.”

He stressed that survival, achievement and greatness are not products of human brilliance alone but outcomes of divine intervention. “I am alive because of the mercy of the Lord. It is not my cleverness, but the mercies of the Lord,” he said.

Reflecting on his personal journey, Pastor Adeboye revealed that he was once a staunch critic of Christianity during his days as a lecturer at the University of Lagos. He recounted how his first encounter with the RCCG came by chance while accompanying a friend on a research trip to collect soil samples near the Lagos coast.

“I saw the signboard and the ramshackle building. I referred to the church then as the ‘little dog with the big name.’ I wondered what was wrong with the people there, but I noticed they had peace,” he recalled.

According to him, years later, during a period of personal difficulty, he was invited to the same church he had once mocked. “It is by the mercy of God that I am saved. Until today, I cannot understand how it happened other than mercy,” he testified.

Challenging conventional notions of self-made success, Adeboye said human ability is secondary to divine favour. “God’s mercy makes one great; it is not your ability that made you who you are but God’s mercy. Some of you say, ‘I went to school, I studied hard, that’s why I am successful.’ You’re joking,” he remarked.

Extending the message to salvation, he added, “Your ability cannot take you to heaven; it is by God’s mercy that you are protected, preserved and ensured you make it to heaven. I can’t die until God says it is time.”

He concluded by urging believers to honour God, testify to His mercy and use their influence to draw others to faith, stressing that God alone controls time, destiny and the future.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists after the service, the RCCG Regional Pastor in charge of Region 1, Pastor Oladele Balogun, warned that although divine mercy is a gift, it can be abused and ultimately lost by individuals, families and nations.

Citing biblical examples, Pastor Balogun said mercy is not unconditional. “It is possible to abuse the mercy of God,” he said, referencing the story of Ephraim, who lost his privileged position through disobedience.

“You can abuse it if you neglect the living God and begin to worship idols, or if you disobey God and commit sin,” he explained.

On the remedy for losing divine mercy, particularly at the national level, Balogun pointed to repentance. “If you have lost the mercy of God, He is a merciful God. If you cry unto Him, He can still show mercy,” he said.

Addressing Nigeria’s challenges, he urged the nation to retrace its steps. “In this land, we have shedding of innocent blood, kidnapping, cheating, sin and idolatry. If we turn back to the Almighty God, the mercy of God will return,” he added.

Pastor Balogun further expressed his belief that the RCCG operates under a covenant of mercy established with its founding fathers and renewed under Pastor Adeboye’s leadership, which he said accounts for the church’s continued growth and impact.
By Olayinka Latona
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