For Nancy…
The game is called and the home team is relieved. The ‘Mercy Rule’ saved their pride this time. The Little League team was no match for their competitors and it was becoming embarrassing.
Sometimes you just have a bad day and Mercy steps in.
It’s where you don’t get what you really should have gotten, what you really did deserve.
We have all sinned according to the Word of God. “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV. “…for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. We are all deserving of judgment.
So if God gave us what we deserved, we would be condemned to die!
And Grace? Oh that’s not necessarily when you can glide across the ice skating rink like Dorothy Hamill or any other Olympic Gold Medalist. That is pretty special but grace is more than that.
Grace is when you DO receive the good things that you didn’t deserve!
We do not deserve anything from God and He doesn’t owe us anything. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…” Ephesians 2:4,5 NKJV.
They are pretty neat companions, Grace and Mercy.
God’s grace is a beautiful gift and He gives it freely. We don’t have to ask for it or beg for it, it is already there. We cannot earn it, we cannot buy it. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
Then Mercy shows up in the following verse!
“For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17.
He sent His Son, came as one of us and gave His very life. That was Grace! Giving us what we didn’t deserve!
Then He tells us that He didn’t come to condemn us but to save us, He didn’t give us what we really deserved! He did not bring condemnation upon us, but He could have.
We deserve judgment. But we were given Mercy. We accept Him as Lord and Savior over our lives, be filled with His Spirit and receive Grace, forgiveness of sins and eternal life!
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.
Friend, Jesus has a different set of Mercy Rules. He wrote them just for You… in red.
Sharing with Jumping Tandem, Sunday Stillness, Diana Wrote, Motivation Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty, Amaze Me Mondays, The Better Mom, Making Your Home Sing
Amen! We are blessed Betty! So blessed!
Mercy is such a wonderful gift! This is a terrific post!
Hi Nannette! I wrote about mercy today too, but more in the grace way. Such a great post, my friend. What gifts we receive from the Lord, for free. For nothing. Just because we are here.
That really is mercy. And I am so thankful that he loves me through everything, and shows me his love.
From The Beauty in His Grip,
Ceil
Beautifully explained.
You are welcome dear friend! It was on my list for next week but when the word popped up tonight in #FiveMinuteFriday I couldn’t pass it up! I was afraid you would not see the dedication 🙂 I hope I did the comparison justice. Blessings to you for your encouragement to me! ♥
Nannette. Dear one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! I had goosebumps the whole time I read this!!!