…about mercy and grace

In Lifetime this past Sunday, the idea of mercy versus grace up.  Mercy is defined as NOT receiving what we DO deserve and grace as receiving what we DO NOT deserve.  As I have been thinking about this I have realized that God’s mercies may be new every morning but they are not without end.

The Bible says that God is longsuffering - meaning His patience with mankind continues over a long period of time giving man opportunity after opportunity to repent and change his ways.  Longsuffering does not mean that His patience never runs out.  Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament shows God’s mercy coming to an end.  He destroyed all but eight humans in a world-wide flood because of their gross iniquity.  He utterly annihilated Sodom with fire and brimstone from heaven.  He caused great suffering in Egypt because of Pharaoh’s hardened heart.  He destroyed Korah, Dathan and Abiram for their rebellion against Moses.  He caused the northern kingdom of Israel and later the southern kingdom of Judah to be taken into captivity for their refusal to worship Him only.

While mercy is wonderful and I praise God for His mercy toward me, the first four thousand years of history proved that mercy was not enough.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,” (Galatians 4:4)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Mercy is NOT giving a person what they deserve.

Grace is GIVING what is not deserved.  And what is most certainly not deserved by any human who has ever lived is the gift of eternal life - a perfect, holy, in the presence of God life that never ends and that I could never earn!!  First comes mercy and then grace.  Halleluia!!