GREENE STREET LETTERS: Mercy and Grace

Monday, May 2, 2011

Mercy and Grace

Mercy ---
God giving us what we don't deserve and keeping from us the things that we do deserve.

Grace ---
The empowering presence of God in my life that enables me to be who I was created to be and to do what I have been called to do.

These two wonderful words met at the cross of Christ.
The collision of them exploded and moved across humanity.
The very riches of heaven were poured out and made available to all who believes.

Mercy --- What is God giving to me that I don't deserve. Well, that would be eternal life. His Holy Spirit. An inheritance and being made joint heirs with Christ. I really don't deserve any of this. After all, I was born a slave to sin. Mercy.....

Mercy --- What is God keeping from me that I do deserve. That would be hell! I deserve it. I earned it according to Romans 6:23. The wages of sin (that which I worked for and am due) is death. Not physical death, but the 2nd death of eternal separation from God. God, through his plan of salvation, has taken the penalty of sin off the table. Jesus paid the price once and for all time.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Mercy and grace are found at the throne of God. The place of authority and power. God, like the loving Father He is, dispenses these two wonderful commodities, to those who look to Him. I like the way this verse in Hebrews opens....."Let us therefore come BOLDLY." Isn't that a grand picture? The only way I can come boldly is to realize how my heavenly Father views me. He truly does love me and wants to see me be complete in every way. That is why mercy and grace are given.

Chew on this today....
Mercy ....what a wonderful picture of the love of God.
Grace ....Power to change....

God on you..
mb

No comments:

Looking At The World Through Cracked Lens

As ol' Paul wrote in his Corinthian letters.."We see in part and we know in part." Now what piece of this bit of wisdom do we not get? I wish to not run around acting and trying to be some sort of Biblical G00-Ru (I meant to spell it wrong). Or a sage of sages.

I simply want to be able to communicate some of what God has given to me. Why? Do I think what I get is better than what you may have received from Him? Nope. But I do think encouragement comes when we share our daily story of struggle and victory in an effort to encourage each other.

Thanks for letting me share.

Time to soldier on..

mbb

Our Statement of Faith

We believe that God is the eternal king. He is an infinite, unchangeable Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, goodness, justice, power and love. From all eternity He exists as the One Living and True God in three persons of one substance, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit equal in power and glory. we believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth. Under the temptation of Satan, our original parents fell from grace, bringing sin, sickness and God's judgment of death to the earth. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin. Human beings are born into sin, subject to God's judgment of death and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness. We believe that Jesus, God's Son, was sent to this world, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, fully God and fully man in one person. He is humanity as God intended us to be. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, ushering in God's kingdom reign on earth, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, preaching the good news of salvation, healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. Jesus' atoning death on the cross took God's judgment for sin which we deserved as law-breakers. Jesus' resurrection and ascent back to heaven opened the door for those who received salvation to begin a relationship with God.

Little Nets Into Deep Waters

Fishing nets were designed for one purpose only. To catch fish. Nets are no good if they stay on the boat. Nets serve no purpose if they are never used. I think maybe God sees us this way. We are all created for a purpose (by the way, the creator gets to define what our purpose is). Any other use besides the one we were created for does us no good. But when the creator places His hands upon us, casting us out into those scary, dark places with deep waters, it is then we can see the reality of our purpose. He knew there would be a catch waiting for us. I think I will be the net God has called me to be.

The Twelve Steps

As a community of people in recovery, we affirm that our higher power is Jesus Christ. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Just as God told the children of Israel He was going to give them a promised land, He has revealed to us that He desires to give us a "Promised Life." When Israel got to the promised land, God instructed them to go and in a possess it, fight for it and claim it. In recovery, the 12 Steps are the directions given to us on how to fight, possess and claim this promised life.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Mercy and Grace

No comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD