The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Titus 3:4-5,
"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."
There is one reason, and one reason alone that anyone is heaven-bound: God's mercy. It certainly is not due to "righteous things we had done". Anything we have done will not bring us eternal life, only God's mercy. It is not because we have been selected by any particular church, or tapped by some priest, pastor or elder, only God's mercy can. It is not due to following spiritual disciplines, good church attendance, regular offerings placed in the plate, only God's mercy. We can study religious books (not speaking of the Bible here), we can attend spiritual convocations, we can sit at the feet of the most famous swami - anyone who is heaven-bound is headed that way solely because of God's mercy.
Why is it only by God's mercy? Simple: none of us deserve heaven, none of us deserve God's presence in our lives. We have all sinned, including you and me. What we all deserve is God's judgment. And he has a judgment for those who have sinned - a fiery lake of burning sulfur. We can read about it in Revelation 21:8. God has a keen sense of justice and that justice is clear and straightforward. With this keen sense of justice and an unfathomable love in his heart for each and every one of us, he provided payment for all the sins anyone might ever commit. God the Father sent his Son to die on that cross to pay for our sins to satisfy his own justice. This made a way for us and this is why it is said that God saved us out of his mercy. His mercy will be extended to all who will embrace him in faith.
Merriam-Webster defines mercy as, "compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power." Certainly God's mercy flows from his love for us. So fascinating is this aspect of God's character, we are told even the angels long to look in to the unfolding of God's redemption on earth, "Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:12.
Why does God have mercy on us? I don't know. Why does he love us? I don't know. I do know that our God tells us there are two attributes that drive him in his affairs with mankind: his justice and his love, "Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness [his love], justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Jeremiah 9:24. Likewise, John tells us that God's love is so consuming, he defines God as "God is love." 1 John 4:8,16.
"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."
There is one reason, and one reason alone that anyone is heaven-bound: God's mercy. It certainly is not due to "righteous things we had done". Anything we have done will not bring us eternal life, only God's mercy. It is not because we have been selected by any particular church, or tapped by some priest, pastor or elder, only God's mercy can. It is not due to following spiritual disciplines, good church attendance, regular offerings placed in the plate, only God's mercy. We can study religious books (not speaking of the Bible here), we can attend spiritual convocations, we can sit at the feet of the most famous swami - anyone who is heaven-bound is headed that way solely because of God's mercy.
Why is it only by God's mercy? Simple: none of us deserve heaven, none of us deserve God's presence in our lives. We have all sinned, including you and me. What we all deserve is God's judgment. And he has a judgment for those who have sinned - a fiery lake of burning sulfur. We can read about it in Revelation 21:8. God has a keen sense of justice and that justice is clear and straightforward. With this keen sense of justice and an unfathomable love in his heart for each and every one of us, he provided payment for all the sins anyone might ever commit. God the Father sent his Son to die on that cross to pay for our sins to satisfy his own justice. This made a way for us and this is why it is said that God saved us out of his mercy. His mercy will be extended to all who will embrace him in faith.
Merriam-Webster defines mercy as, "compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power." Certainly God's mercy flows from his love for us. So fascinating is this aspect of God's character, we are told even the angels long to look in to the unfolding of God's redemption on earth, "Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:12.
Why does God have mercy on us? I don't know. Why does he love us? I don't know. I do know that our God tells us there are two attributes that drive him in his affairs with mankind: his justice and his love, "Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness [his love], justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Jeremiah 9:24. Likewise, John tells us that God's love is so consuming, he defines God as "God is love." 1 John 4:8,16.
As I say, I have no idea why God loves us, particularly when I consider what mankind has become in the exercise of his own devices, compelled by a sinful nature born of his rebellion against God. Nevertheless, he does. He tells us so, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son...", and he has demonstrated so by Jesus' horrific death on that cross.
God's mercy is a mystery to me. The resolution to that mystery certainly resides in the breath-taking, awe-inspiring, and overwhelming heart of our merciful God. As I await that time I might gain better insight into it, I celebrate it today.
How wonderful the mercy of God! How wonderful the heart of our God!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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