The Most Valuable Thing in the Universe

Searching the internet for “the most valuable thing in the universe” revealed some interesting perspectives on what man considers valuable or expensive.

  

There were lists... of 25 things, of 40, and even single objects declared as the most expensive and valuable in all the universe.  There were objects.. like homes, cars, diamonds; there were substances like chemical formulas that produce drugs that cure diseases and save lives.  You won't believe what a plutonium pellet is worth.  Plutonium is a core substance in the manufacture of nuclear energy, and worse, weapons.  

There was no mention of anything related to God... or the Cross... or Jesus Christ... or Eternal Salvation.  Nothing at all.  Seems to me those would be the most valuable things in the universe.   If man sets his eyes on special things of the world, considering them priceless, then I guess the “things of God” are worthless, cheap, of little value in a secular world?  (Psalm 119)

God offers an unimaginable thing of value to anyone who will accept it.  He offers it FREE... unlike the priceless nature of what man considers valuable.  It’s called GRACE.

Several years ago, in the 1930’s in Germany, a book was written by the German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, called The Cost of Discipleship.  It is considered to be a classic of Christian thought.  

One of the most quoted parts of the book deals with the distinction that Bonhoeffer makes between "cheap" and "costly" grace. He first offers a definition of what he considered to be "cheap" grace.  In Bonhoeffer's words:  "cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

Or, even more clearly, it is to hear the gospel preached as follows... "Of course you have sinned, but now everything is forgiven, so you can stay as you are and enjoy the consolations of forgiveness." Cheap grace means living as though God ignores or condones our sins. The main deficit of such an idea is that it contains no demand for discipleship, life transformation and attitude change.  Cheap grace is an ideal solution for those who want their cake and also want to eat it... you can accept God’s grace, supposedly being expunged of sin, and continue to live a sinful life.  

Bonhoeffer continues by painting a contrasting view... that being a definition of costly grace:  "costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." "

Bonhoeffer builds a solid case in his book that asChristianity grew through ages, the Church became more "secularized", accommodating the demands of obedience to Jesus to the social and cultural requirements of society.  In this way, "the world was Christianized, and grace became its common property."  But the hazard of this thinking was that the gospel was cheapened, and obedience to the living Christ was gradually lost beneath self-interest, formula and ritual, so that in the end, grace could literally be applied to almost anyone like an ointment that inoculates a person against the ravages of sin. 

The cheap grace approach emphasizes God’s grace but denies the importance of obedience. In practice, salvation becomes a free ticket to heaven without any obligations in the meantime. Obedience is seen as a desirable but optional part of the Christian life. 

The idea of carnal Christianity essentially teaches that as long as one makes a profession of faith in Christ, he or she is saved (Romans 10:9), even if there is no immediate, or sustained obedience to the commands of Jesus and the apostles teachings to live a life of holiness. It is the idea that we can have Jesus as Savior, but not necessarily as Lord. People who advocate for cheap grace Christianity, participate in good works and try and do good for people, but their actions and lifestyle reveals a distinguish between salvation and sanctification, which is a life of discipleship.

Cheap grace suits the desired lifestyle of sinful mankind, no doubt about that.  Jesus can save me, but he’s NOT my leader!  True biblical teaching and important themes in Scripture are all but ignored to accommodate man’s self-interest. Grace is about responding to Jesus, who died on the Cross to make Grace, God’s free gift of a second chance possible for humanity.  Jesus said to all of us... “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Mat. 11:28). He also said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John. 14:15).

Ah, I think that’s the key don’t you?  If you love me...?  Bonhoeffer further amplifies the differences between cheap grace and costly grace in these words:

“Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian ‘conception’ of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins...” 

“Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble. It is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him...” 

“Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son. . . Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.” 

It is essential to understand the nature of and proper motivation for obedience. Obedience seen as a means to earn God’s approval is a terrible burden, but that is not the only way to approach obedience, nor is it the way God wants us to approach it. If we start with God’s gracious acceptance of us, then obedience becomes the “thanks offering” of a grateful heart. Only then will be be able to become like the man who joyfully sold all that he had in order to obtain the precious treasure that he had discovered. We will come to a point that we desire to bring joy to the heart of our Heavenly Father by our acts of obedience.

Here’s something to think about:  Maybe you already know the Lord, but the way you know Him isn’t working for you. You’re not enjoying the relationship.

Here’s the real deal: You can fulfill the commands of the Bible better by falling in love with God than by trying to obey everything you think He is demanding of you.

It’s not that our obedience to God isn’t significant or relevant; it’s simply not the center of the wheel of our lives. Not at all.  The hub of our lives is our relationship with God. A relationship based on our love for Him and His love for us. We are to be in a symbiotic relationship with His love and our love intertwined in dependency. Our behavior and obedience radiate like spokes from the center of our lives and allow us to roll forward.  Movement in the Lord, is discipleship, growing, being transformed.   Love is the fuel, the energy, that keeps us moving in His direction.  

When we put our external behavior as the driving force of our Christian lives, we get stuck. 

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Many of us read that verse wrong.  We have because of legalistic influences read it this way: “If you love me, you will obey me and prove how much you love me.” But what He's really saying is that when we love Him, our obedience to Him will flow out of that relationship and desire to be His instrument.

I’m afraid that most of us don’t grasp the enormous extravagance of our Father’s love and the lengths to which He’s willing to go to show His love. That’s why the Apostle Paul prayed that we might know and understand it more and more (Ephesians 3).  God’s LOVE is the most valuable thing in the universe.  It’s FREE to all by His loving expression of Grace... Salvation through Jesus Christ.  Live your life in LOVE with the Lord, not the things of this world!

I will set no worthless thing before my eyes... I will know nothing of evil (Psalm 101:3-4).

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col 3:2 KJV).

As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal  (2Cor 4:18 ESV)

BEING A CHRISTIAN ONLY WORKS IF YOU’RE IN LOVE... with GOD! 

SIN hasn’t Changed... Have You?

Sin has not changed at all since the Garden of Eden.  The same thing that was happening in the first human hearts back then is still happening right now. People are pretty much the same, regardless of their time in human history. When it comes to sin, people want to know how close they can get to the cliff’s edge without falling off.  

The lure of doing something you know is wrong, bad and harmful is a powerful force on human thinking.  Sin was then and is now... an inside job... deceitful desires emanating from the human heart.  

In the Apostle Paul’s time, there were those who disguised this desire by twisting the teaching of God’s grace to infer that sin was actually a good thing, because it provided an opportunity for grace to be exercised. What better way to honor the Lord than to go ahead and sin, right?  It was just one more attempt at pushing the edge of the envelope and determining how much sin they could get away with without getting burned by it. Notice how decisively Paul answers the question: “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:2).

Paul is telling us that we’re missing the big picture if we’re asking what we can get away with. That’s not the issue. The real issue is this: Grace is something that gives us freedom from sin, not something that gives us freedom to sin.  If we don’t see it that way, we have a serious misunderstanding of Grace that needs to be fixed.

Okay, let’s remember the definition of Grace:  It’s the “unmerited favor”, the “undeserved kindness”  the “second chance” granted by God to all humanity to enter into a right relationship with Him and experience His transforming work in our lives.   It’s a plan, plain and simple... the plan of Salvation through and in Jesus Christ.  It’s a choice we can freely accept or reject. God’s “unmerited favor”  comes only through faith in Jesus Christ and submission to His plan for your salvation.

When we misunderstand grace as a license to sin,  it can actually be traced back to a set of three separate but inter-twinning misunderstandings. The first is a misunderstanding of sin itself.
It has been said that we’re punished not only for our sins, but also by our sins. The point is that sin’s presence in our lives is punishment in and of itself, because sin is inherently harmful to us.

That was the underlying principle at play when David cried out, “My iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Psalm 38:4). God never created or intended for human beings to be able to manage the effects of sin. It’s simply bad for us all the way around: physically, emotionally and spiritually.

In the long run, sin will always leave us the worse for wear, and it will always get more out of us than we ever get out of it. As a matter of fact, it will always drive us to the point of desperation where we cry out along with David, “I just can’t carry this anymore. It’s too heavy for me!”

We were never meant to harbor or carry around sin, and yet we often do so, to our own self-destruction.  But when we see sin for what it truly is, when we understand how hurtful and hazardous it is, we won’t want to get away with it but, rather, we’ll want to get rid of it.  

The second misunderstanding in thinking that grace gives us a license to sin is a misunderstanding of the cross.

There’s a side of God we don’t often talk about or dwell on. But this aspect of His nature is just as real as anything else about Him... His wrath. Wrath is defined as an intense anger or rage toward something. In God’s case, that “something” is ungodliness and unrighteousness... “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

God has an intense anger toward sin, and He’s determined to punish it thoroughly. One way or another, He will be faithful to judge every sin ever committed by anyone who has ever lived on this earth. And the only thing that stands between our sin and God’s wrath is the cross.

It was on the cross that Jesus served as our sacrifice and satisfied God’s wrath on our behalf. As our sinfulness was placed upon our innocent substitute—Jesus—God’s fury toward sin was placed upon His pure and innocent Son.

How does that make you feel?  When we see the cross in that light, it should make us look at our sin not as a source of pleasure, but as a curse and burden.  Sin loses its luster when we recognize what Jesus went through, how He endured the Father’s wrath for the sake of my sin.  How can we even entertain the idea of continuing in sin when we consider the cross and what happened there?

The third misunderstanding in seeing grace as a license to sin is a misunderstanding of grace itself.

Grace is humbling when properly understood. Think about it.  We were completely powerless to help ourselves as sinners. God, who knows everything, knew that the only way for us to ever be saved was for Him to do it for us... creating a plan for a second chance to be right with Him.   Grace—God’s unmerited favor despite our sin—was our only hope. That realization alone should knock you to your knees in tears.  It’s humbling.

By very definition, grace is something that cannot be earned or deserved: “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace” (Romans 11:6).

None of us ever can or will be able to earn the grace God freely gives to us. He has done more for us than we can ever imagine, and that’s nothing compared to what He has in store for us—and we don’t deserve any of it. In fact, we deserve the exact opposite.

If that doesn’t humble your heart, if that doesn’t cut to your core and break you down, then you’re not really getting any of this. When we understand grace for what it truly is and how it’s affected our lives, the last thing we’re going to ask is, “What can I get away with?”

Instead, we’re going to wonder, “Lord, who am I that You would be so good to me?” 
When we have a proper understanding of these three things, when we see sin, the cross and grace for what they truly are, we’ll have the same perspective Paul did. We won’t miss the bigger picture of what it means to be enveloped by God’s grace. 

Instead of seeing grace as something that gives us the freedom to sin, we’ll see it as the very thing that sets us free from sin.  If you have availed yourself of God’s wonderful provision of a “second chance” – His Grace, then live in it and be right with God all the time.

What Kind of Faith do YOU have?

We often say that man's problem is sin and God's solution is the gospel of Christ... the plan of salvation.  Without question, that's exactly what the Bible teaches.  Faith is critical to our eternal destiny.  What do you believe?  Whom do you trust?  Do you really love God... consistent with the public presentation of your faith?  It is necessary to focus on faith - and especially the “response of faith” that is essential to be saved.

Consider what Ephesians 2:8 says,  “...by grace you have been saved through faith..." By grace, [His unmerited favor, undeserved kindness, a chance to be in a right relationship with Him] God offers to sinners the gift of salvation.  That offer is based on what Jesus did for us. By faith, we accept or receive the essential underpinnings of that gift. Sounds simple enough.

How does the Bible describe this faith? What is faith?  What is involved? Are we talking about simple mental agreement with a set of divine propositions? Are we talking about a feeling that Jesus is your Savior?  Is it like warm fuzzies you get when you think of Him and what he did for humanity?  Are we talking about trust that produces action always orchestrated in obedience?

These are not just questions or issues for theologians to debate, and these are not mysterious, unanswerable matters. These questions are relevant to the needs of every person who has ever sinned and who now wants to be saved.  And, there is an abundance of passages in the New Testament designed to instruct us about what faith is, and how faith behaves in the life of a Christian.

James 2:14-26 says...  What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?   Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead

Before we explore the details of this text - I think it will help to deal with three fundamental questions: WHAT IS FAITH ...WHAT DOES FAITH DO, and WHAT KIND OF LIFE DOES FAITH PRODUCE ??

WHAT IS FAITH?

Faith is confidence or trust we place in another.  When we consider examples of faith as recorded in the Old Testament and recounted in Hebrews chapter 11; when we read what Jesus said about faith, then study the book of Acts, we should be persuaded to this definition: Faith means we are convinced that there is a God; we are persuaded that He knows best, and in regard to Jesus - we believe He is who He claims to be, He has the power to save us - and everything He said about everything is the truth! The next question is...-

WHAT DOES FAITH DO?

The answer can be found in Heb. 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1, NKJV). Faith stands under - that is, faith is THE SUB-STANCE [a solid foundation] of those things we hope for - that's what faith does.  And faith convinces us or affords the evidence of things not seen. The third question is...

WHAT KIND OF LIFE DOES FAITH PRODUCE ??

Faith in God and in Christ produces a manner of life that is in harmony with the will of God and Christ.  A person's faith, from beginning to end, is active; it produces a particular manner of life, develops and nurtures our character and gives us an anxious and favorable attitude toward every command and requirement of God.  

And that's really what James wants to say to us. He wants to be sure Christians understand that the faith that saves is an active, obedient faith. This faith - the faith that saves - disposes us in a friendly and favorable way toward everything God has said. Faith always discovers its' existence in obedience.

James in the 3rd chapter of his epistle, warned about the man who thinks he is religious, but he does not bridle his tongue. Likewise, he warned about the person who is a hearer of the word, but not a doer... and deals with this matter in the plainest possible way.

THE DAILY PRACTICE of living Christian, if you have FAITH ... faith in God, faith in Christ - is very distinctive.  It looks a certain way...

• YOU will be a doer. 
• YOU will bridle your tongue. 
• YOU will not show favoritism.
• YOU will speak and do - as one who will be judged by the perfect righteousness and holiness of God.

Through the book of James there is this emphasis on the activity, the conduct, the behavior of those who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let's explore the passage, and see what James has to say about FAITH ONLY.

He tells us eight things about FAITH ONLY:

It does not profit (vss 15-16)
Certainly this tells us something about compassion; about generosity and charity; just telling somebody to be OK, but not giving them the help we are able to give --- that betrays a lack of compassion. That's nothing but empty symbolism. It doesn't help me, and it certainly does no real good for the person who is suffering - when we just walk by and say, “...keep warm and well fed..." That also illustrates FAITH WITHOUT WORKS.  If we say we have faith, but there is no expression of it, IT DOES NOT PROFIT anyone. It is nothing but religious hyperbole or lip service to say we have faith, when there is no expression of it in our behavior. Jesus taught this, in Matt. 7:21-23; listen to what He said ... "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Jesus and James agreed that faith, even when confessed and claimed - faith without works does nothing.

It does not save (vs 14)
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?”  The obvious and implied answer to this is - faith without works will not save you.  Does the Bible say anything about "faith only?" It certainly does. It says faith only DOES NOT SAVE ... any questions?  

Now, you may pick up a religious tract or magazine and over and over it is affirmed that we are saved by FAITH ONLY.  You may turn on your television and watch and hear a preacher say this. What is your impression when you compare what these men preach to James 2:14?  The only reasonable  conclusion must be... they are wrong, and James is right.  Faith only, does not save and does not even emanate from God’s plan of salvation (Acts 2:38).

It is dead (vss 17,20,26)
Verse 17... “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Verse 20... "You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?" Verse 26 - "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

Emphasis don’t you think?  James, makes the point by repeating three times it in one paragraph. James tells us that faith without works ... faith only... is dead! Here is something that is written into denominational creeds - this is the mantra of the modern evangelical church; you hear this on religious radio programs all the time - WE ARE SAVED BY FAITH ONLY.  James says - faith only is dead! Can you think of any way the Holy Spirit could have worded this - to make it plainer???

It cannot be shown (vs 18)
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

The meaning of this verse seems plain enough. Faith is SHOWN; faith is EXPRESSED OR MADE REAL by action.  Observers can see the evidence of faith in actions and activities.  FAITH ALWAYS DISCOVERS ITS EXISTENCE IN OBEDIENCE. Faith is demonstrated in works.

It is no more than the demons have (vs 19)
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

I have had occasion to talk to people about God and their duty as Christians, and often in such discussions somebody will say... "Well, I believe in God!"  And the implication is, that's really all that's necessary.  I have not obeyed the gospel; so no repentance - I don't do anything; my life is pretty well lived as I see fit ... I have my vices .... BUT, I absolutely believe in God.  James says - so do the demons!

It did not justify Abraham (vs 21, 22)
All through the life of Abraham it is apparent, he heard, believed and obeyed God. He made mistakes, without any doubt.  His mistakes are openly documented in the pages of Genesis. But the overwhelming condition and direction of his heart and life was to believe and obey God. In verses 21 and 22 James makes reference to a particular event: when Abraham "offered Isaac his son," and this takes us back to Genesis chapter 22. Read that chapter and notice The verbs ... the words indicating ACTION.  Abraham becomes the classic example of a man with faith that produces works.

At this point it might be helpful to consider Romans chapter four. In Roman 4:19-21 Paul says of Abraham... Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 

Notice how Paul describes the faith of Abraham... “he did not waver through unbelief...” Ask yourself this: IS PAUL DESCRIBING A DISOBEDIENT MAN? Abraham was "not weak in faith... he did not waver... he was strengthened in faith and was fully persuaded."  Is this a description of a man with dead faith? 

It is imperfect (vs 22)
Verse 22 - You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  All right - if by works, faith is made complete [perfect]... when there are no works, then faith is always going to be incomplete [imperfect].

It is not accounted as righteousness (23).
Verse 23 says...  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend.  Abraham was considered righteous, and was called the friend of God by virtue of what kind of faith?

In verses 24-26 James states his conclusions about faith only.
24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

What James teaches in chapter two, not only agrees perfectly with Paul in Romans 4 but also, with Peter in Acts ten, who said ... "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. "But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (Acts 10:34,35, NKJV).

  

Faith, Trust, Hope, Obedience, Love and yes WORKS... the indelible attributes of a true follower of Jesus Christ.  

We are saved by grace, God’s unmerited favor, not by works.   We cannot work our way into a right relationship with God.  He alone makes that possible through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ.   That the living God made it possible for us to be His intimate friend, is a profoundly life-altering realization that changes us forever.  Because we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, we will have good works - not works that build a portfolio to be divinely reviewed for the purpose of being saved... but works, that harmonize with the will and purpose of God and His Kingdom.  We have have to cajoled, pushed or prodded into service... such works will naturally emanate from a heart that deeply loves God.  Like Isaiah of old, when confronted with an opportunity to help the cause of Almighty God... said boldly... “here I am, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

If Jesus Christ is living and dwelling in our hearts, we cannot help but have good works in our lives, doing good for others, helping those less fortunate than ourselves (James 1:27).  Letting our light shine before men, so they will glorify our Father which is in heaven. That is true Christianity.  If we are doing good for others so that we will bring glory to ourselves, then we have the wrong motive.

Don't forget, Jesus is going to reward us according to our works (Revelation 20:12). This does not do away with grace, we are saved by grace.  But grace is the starting point in a life journey of loving devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Grace represents the beginning of a chance to be reunited with God in intimate fellowship, to be used by God to do all manner of things that advance His will on earth. 

Works will not save you... but works born of a deep love for God will most certainly insure that you will hear Christ say those coveted words... “...well done, good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of your Master.”

Mercy and Grace... unimaginable gifts

Although mercy and grace are important concepts used often among Christians, many are unclear as to what the two terms actually mean.  In sermons and teaching, mercy and grace are often used interchangeably, further confusing their respective meanings.  We need to recognize that the terms have similar meanings, but there are important yet subtle distinctions.  So, what are the differences between mercy and grace?

A Practical definition of Grace

Maybe you’ve heard this definition... Grace is what we get which we do not deserve. That’s why Paul called grace a gift of God. It is undeserved and unmerited and anything you think you can or could do [works] cannot earn it. If works could earn God’s favor, then we couldn’t call it grace anymore which is why it is written, “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). By this free gift, which we do not deserve, we “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). 

To receive grace – God’s unmerited favor, means that we cannot earn it. No wonder Paul declared, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift” (2 Cor 9:15)!  Imagine getting a citizenship award for good behavior but your behavior is really attributed to Christ living within you. You received an award that you really didn't earn and didn't deserve. 

When you hear a person say, “thank you Lord for grace” they are in essence saying, “thank you Lord for giving me what I do not deserve.”  Again, this isn’t an invitation to sin and do whatever you want.  God knows your heart, so don’t take for granted the grace given to you. 

A Practical definition of Mercy

Now a practical definition for mercy.  Mercy is where we don’t get what we truly do deserve. What we do deserve is the wrath of God.  In 2 Corinthians 5:21 it says, “For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus became sin for us…for our sake, so when God sees us, He sees Jesus’ righteousness and not our own filthy rags. This could only happen because of God’s mercy. We didn’t get what we really deserved. What we deserved is what Jesus got. This was made possible only because “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7). Imagine getting a death sentence, being on death row, waiting for your time of execution. Now imagine, a guy named Jesus comes to the prison and asks to die in your place even though He is innocent of the crimes you yourself committed.  After the sentence is carried out on the innocent man Jesus, a stand–in for you, you are released from prison with a reprieve... a free gift from someone who took your just punishment.

With any sin or illegal act committed, punishment [consequences] in some form always follow.  However through Christ Jesus, we are given a second chance.  Its a reprieve from those consequences. We are given mercy; thus, withholding punishment and judgment from us, by virtue of God’s “unmerited favor.” 

Sounds to good to be true, both His Mercy and His Grace.  Its hard to fathom why even God would do something like this.  Is this an invitation to do whatever we want?  Of course not.  However, when we mess up and fall, God’s mercy will be there, allowing us time [the time of Grace] to heal from our mistakes.   Not because we deserve it, but because of His love and compassion towards us.  Warning:  a genuine contrite heart is always required to invoke and sustain God's mercy and continue in His unmerited favor... grace. That is the essence of mercy.

The Bible plainly tells us, we have all sinned (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). As a result of that sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23) and eternal judgment in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-15).  With that in mind, every day we live is an act of God's mercy. If God gave us all what we deserve, we would all be, right now, condemned for eternity. In Psalm 51:1-2, David cries out, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." A plea to God for mercy is asking Him to withhold the judgment we deserve and instead grant to us the forgiveness we in no way have earned.

We deserve nothing from God. God does not owe us anything. Anything good that we experience is a result of the Grace of God (Ephesians 2:5). As highlighted in last weeks article, Grace is simply defined as unmerited favor. God favors, or gives us good things that we do not deserve and could never earn.  Rescued from judgment by God's mercy, grace is anything and everything we receive beyond that mercy (Romans 3:24). 

Mercy and grace are best illustrated in the salvation that is available only through Jesus Christ. We deserve judgment, but if we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, submitting to His plan of salvation, we receive mercy from God and we are delivered from judgment. 

Instead of judgment, we receive by grace salvation, forgiveness of sins, abundant life (John 10:10), and the potential for eternal life.  (Revelation 21-22). Because of the mercy and grace of God, our response should be to fall on our knees in worship and thanksgiving.  Hebrews 4:16 declares, "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."

To summarize the differences: Mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve, and Grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy... Grace is life in real "time” to get right with God.