Not Works, Mercy

“¹⁵For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ ¹⁶So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” — Romans 9:15-16 (ESV)

God provided salvation out of mercy for me, not due to my works. First, I was saved young in life and at that point, was not out looking for salvation through my works. I was simply living life and was offered salvation and I accepted. So I did not really have the chance to accomplish a lot in the way of works to “earn” salvation. Second, as a sinner, I will never be able to “earn” salvation. I was, am, and always will be a sinner and that makes me not worthy of God’s grace, yet he gives me grace thanks to His mercy for me.

Lately I have been struggling with things not seeming to ever go right. I feel as though I am ignored and no matter the work that I perform, I am not even acknowledged for my existence. Oh, there is the cursory, “thank you” that comes out of politeness, yet there is no recognition that I have actually done something that others did not. In fact, there are those who are fully recognized and celebrated for simply doing what is expected of them and therefore I have gotten to the point of “why keep doing it”.

As I look into it all and work to understand, I have come to the conclusion that due to my continued doing more than what is expected, I have simply raised the bar for what is expected of me. My doing of the work, no matter how much I excel and take things to the next level, it is simply now the new expectation, FOR ME. And if I happen to miss one of those things that are clearly out of my scope, because I had been doing them before, I have somehow failed in the expectation.

“¹⁰And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, ¹¹though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls” – Romans 9:10-11 (ESV)

I know, this is a lot to read into, but let me wrap up my thoughts. I have to be comfortable knowing that I have done the work. I have to also know that no matter the work, God loves me and provides grace for me. He does not look at my works as the payment for my salvation. He looks at my works as the result of my salvation. I have to do the same. Others not recognizing my worth I have to put behind me. I have to remember that they are not the one I am glorifying, it is God, and He has called me, and provided me salvation and grace through His mercy.

What are you trying to “earn” through your works? Are you looking to your works as somehow the definer of your worth? What if you accepted that God does not look at your works as the payment for your salvation, but rather the result thanks to His mercy?

Received Mercy, Now Be The Example

This morning I was brought back to 1 Peter chapter 2 and the first passage where I have studied a number of times. I have notes in my bible attached to all verses with the exception of the verse on the receipt of mercy where my study is as of this morning. God is certainly great in all that He does and directing me in His Word is no exception.

“¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” — 1 Peter 2:10 (ESV)

I know that I have been studying “mercy” for a few weeks now, it never gets old to read that God has given me mercy and putting to the fact that I do not deserve it. I was, am, and always will be a sinner. How can God love someone who does not reform from the one thing that separates me from Him? It is through His mercy and grace alone that it is possible.

To go along with the verse above declaring once again the mercy given by God, there are the verses that surround it declaring how we got here and what is expected of us going forward.

“⁹But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light…¹¹Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹²Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” — 1 Peter 2:9 & 11-12 (ESV)

I am to be seen in the light of the example of the mercy that I have received. I am to turn from the flesh and turn to God and all that He has for me. I am to be above reproach so that when others see me they see something/someone different. Through my actions alone I am to bring the gospel to those around me. As noted in verse 12, the only thing that should be said against me is that I have done good. And if that is all anyone has to say, I will certainly take it.

I have been given mercy and Peter points out that I have to act like it. I have to take that mercy to heart and go forward as the example of what right looks like in the eyes of the LORD.

What actions are you displaying to those around you? Are you somehow ignoring the mercy and grace you have been given? What if you were to have received the mercy from the LORD and now serve as the example of Him in all that you do?

Mercy Leads to Promised Reward

“³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” — 1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)

And there you have it. God provided mercy for me and as a result I have a living hope, an inheritance that is imperishable, and a salvation to come.

I have to continue to living as the example that Jesus provided for me. I have to provide mercy for those around me. I have to grant them the same opportunity for a living hope, an inheritance that is imperishable, and a salvation to come.

I am here to give opportunity for others. I am sure that most have heard the saying that goes something like this, give a man a fish and you have fed him for the day, teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime. Now there are a lot of discussions as to the origin of this saying, yet it does not change the impact it has. It is about giving opportunity as I see it as well as other meanings, although that opportunity is how it applies here to my study. I have to provide the opportunity to gain something additional and sustaining. It is through mercy that I am able to accomplish that.

I am not responsible for how this opportunity is used. I am here to serve up the mercy so that the opportunity is presented for a future and the reward that comes with it. God will take over once I have provided the mercy and the opportunity. No, I am not done, it is just that God is the only one who can finish the work, I am here only to plant the seeds and continue to follow His direction in the work He has for me. Yes, in some cases that may be to stick it out with the individual, although I will not know that until I arrive in the moment and follow Him.

God has promised rewards for His people. Noah, and his escape from the flooding of the earth. The Israelite people freed from Pharaoh. In each of those and in my life, the reward came as a result of the mercy God provided allowing for the opportunity for that reward to be manifest later. I have to provide mercy to others to allow those opportunities in their lives.

What are you out there providing for people? Are you out there giving that which others want in the now? What if you gave them an opportunity for the future reward by giving them mercy?

Mercy = Access to God

This morning’s passage of scripture to study as relates to “mercy” is in Hebrews and I must say took a minute to resonate with me. I was focused on the “mercy seat” referenced and not the passage and it’s significance.

“⁵Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” — Hebrews 9:5 (ESV)

My focus on the “mercy seat” and the time it took for me to understand was warranted and well worth it in that I did just that, understand. Again, there is more to it all than just the verse itself. I have to remember that just selecting a verse and looking to apply it is not the intention of God’s Word. Those singular verses can and are often misapplied.

The writer of Hebrews here is describing the Tabernacle and the significance of it and the rooms contained. It is not until I read the entire passage and understand that I see that access to God was provided thanks to His mercy. In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle was divided into multiple “rooms” and those rooms were restricted to those who were counted as worthy, priests and high priests. The people were not “allowed” to enter and therefor did not have direct access to God. The mercy seat, is more aptly understood to be the dwelling place of God and by it proximity in the tabernacle, was not available to the people.

“⁸By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing” – Hebrews 9:8 (ESV)

God then demonstrated His mercy. Jesus came and was sacrificed on the cross for our sins. He was presented by God as the sacrifice, taking the place of the people, me included, so I did not have to experience the agony and death attributed to sin. And thanks to God’s mercy through the death of Jesus, the people have direct access to Him.

“⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.” — Luke 23:44-46 (ESV)

God’s mercy provided access to His dwelling place. Now you and I have the chance to come directly to Him at any and all times. Where as the mercy seat or dwelling place of God was restricted before, thanks to His mercy, there is now unrestricted access to Him. There is no longer a wall between He and I. I do not have to wait for the time of atonement. I can engage with God now and forever by simply calling on Him. His mercy equals access to Him.

What was/is your thoughts on access to God? Did you believe it was something that you had to earn, and that somehow He was too great for you? What if you just embrace the idea that before Jesus, there was restricted access to Him and thanks to His mercy, we are now have the unrestricted access to Him forever?

Saved by Grace Thanks to God’s Mercy

Each morning I approach God’s Word with an open mind and heart for Him to lead me in what it is He would have me. I only have a plan on where I will start and that is I continue with a word study from the concordance of my ESV Bible. Right now I am studying the word “mercy” and go one or two verses at a time in the day. The only expectation I have is that I will be impacted in some way by the word as used and meant in the verse, or from the passage as a whole. I do not force the study on a particular topic. This morning is no different as move to Ephesians and Paul’s passage titled “By Grace Through Faith”.

“⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,” — Ephesians 2:4 (ESV)

Above is the verse that started my study this morning. Simple enough. God is rich in mercy and love for us. But when I look only at the verse, I am still confused and need more. So, I read on, starting at the beginning of the passage and find why Paul installs this verse into his letter.

“¹And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ²in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” — Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV)

Paul writes of the mercy and love of God to let know that we are in need of it. The Ephesians and we were enslaved by the evil one. We were following the destructive path. “But God” provided the way out through His mercy and love.

“⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” — Ephesians 2:5-7 (ESV)

When I read past verse four I find that there is so much more thanks to God’s mercy. I have been not only given mercy and love, but I have also been given grace and salvation and the eternal reward of heavenly citizenship.

Putting it all together gives me the context of just what has been done for me and what my reward is. I was dead in sin, “But God” had mercy on me and loved me, regardless of my past. Thanks to that mercy, God offered me salvation through His grace free of charge and all I have to do is continue to have faith in Him.

I am truly blessed to have Christ with whom I can trust. He provides for me thanks to His immeasurable mercy, love, and grace. Thank you LORD!

What are you looking at to be saved? Are you working to somehow earn salvation? What if you just accepted that God’s mercy, love, and grace are enough and all you have to do is put your faith in Him?

Ministry Thanks to Mercy

This morning I was brought to Paul’s 2^nd letter to the Corinthians. In the 4^th chapter, he writes of “The Light of the Gospel”, Jesus. I am studying the word “mercy” and verse one is where I find the word.

“¹Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” — 2 Corinthians 4:1 (ESV)

I will admit, that when reading this verse, I was a little unsure of what to think. Yet, I read on and that is where I find the depth of where Paul began.

Paul tells that we are to just keep on keeping on doing the work of the LORD. I am to spread the gospel and know that God will do the work to open the eyes of those to receive it. In this world, there are plenty who scheme to hide the truth. The thing is that the light of Jesus Christ will always win out. When there is a dark room, the light from a single candle exposes that which is in the room and so it is with the light of Christ. Those who hide the truth are counting on the darkness and Jesus’ light exposes the truth.

In the keeping on with the work of the LORD, I am spreading the light of Christ into the world. I am not concerned with myself and what will become of me as that has already been promised. I just keep spreading the gospel and allowing the light of Christ to shine in all the places of darkness. His light will win out and provide the same promise that was provided to me.

“⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” — 2 Corinthians 4:4-5 (ESV)

Now that I know my work is to just keep on keeping on, I know that my impact/ministry is reliant on God. All that I am doing is for Him to manifest results, not me. It is through His mercy that my impact/ministry’s results are realized. I am only here to do the work and give all glory to God in the process. I have to remember that without the mercy of God and the light of Christ, I am simply contributing to the darkness around me. I carry the light of Christ and through His mercy I am making an impact.

“⁶For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)

What contributes to your impact/ministry? Are you relying on your own work and hoping for to be rewarded with the result? What if you took the approach that your impact/ministry was thanks to and reliant on the work of God and His mercy, you simply carry the light and spread the gospel and allow Him to manifest the results since your reward has already been promised?

God’s Mercy Allows for Trust

“²⁵Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.” — 1 Corinthians 7:25 (ESV)

I have continue to indicate in my writings and in all that pertains to my study of God’s Word and its impact on me that I am not an expert. I have not been to seminary and am only a sinner working through this world working to live out my kingdom purpose. The above verse from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians lets me know that I am indeed headed in the right direction. God’s mercy allows for my words and actions to be trusted. I know, how can I be trusted. Well, let me try and explain my thoughts on it.

As a follower of Christ I have dedicated my life to doing that which is pleasing to Him. I am tasked with spreading the gospel and ensuring that all who I come in contact with have the opportunity to receive and experience the salvation that He offers. As I have dedicated to the LORD, I have been forgiven of those area where I fail. The sins I have committed have been forgive as have those sins that I will commit. My actions to bring the gospel to everyone require that I provide mercy to all as all are in need of mercy. As noted in the beatitudes by Jesus in His sermon on the mount;

“⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” — Matthew 5:7 (ESV)

Thanks to the LORD, I have received mercy and I will continue to do His will in my life. As the LORD can be trusted, so can I as I have been trained up and sent out to do His work.

“¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

Paul was sent out by God to do His work and was counted as trustworthy in God’s Word. He was understood to love all and only want was in the best interest of all as pertains to the gospel and the mercy of the LORD. The Lord’s mercy provided to Paul allowed for Him to be trusted with the gospel and ensuring that God’s Word was indeed spread as far as he could reach. So it is for me. I, thanks to the Lord’s mercy, can be trusted with and to spread the gospel as far as I can reach. God’s mercy allows for trust.

What is it that allows for you to be trusted? Are you looking to worldly knowledge and authority? What if you were to simply use the mercy provided by God to spread the gospel and His Word to reach all in your path?

Wait on God and His Mercy

It is so hard to wait, yet it seems as thought that is all we do in this world. Wait on the bathroom, wait on traffic, wait for the bus, wait on reporting, wait on just about everything. Even with all the waiting in this world, waiting on God is still in the picture. Waiting on His provisions. Waiting on His blessings. And, waiting on His deliverance and mercy.

“¹⁶I hear, and my body trembles;

my lips quiver at the sound;

rottenness enters into my bones;

my legs tremble beneath me.

Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble

to come upon people who invade us.”

— Habakkuk 3:16 (ESV)

Here I see that regardless of the fear and anxiety that enters my thoughts, and body, I still wait on the LORD to do what He does, provide, bless, deliver and provide mercy. Habakkuk is in the midst of prayer to God to say it out loud that he will wait on the Him to do what He does as relates to His people.

I believe that it is a key point that Habakkuk is praying/speaking with God as relates to what is desired. I see that he is not shy when it comes to saying it. He says it out loud for the LORD to hear, even though we know that God knows even what is in our hearts and minds without our saying it. Habakkuk is obedient in that he follows the instruction of the LORD even before the instructions are given.

“²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” — Mark 11:24 (ESV)

Habakkuk’s prayer to the LORD opens with his exclaiming what is already known from the LORD and his asking up front and then declaring in verse 16 that even in asking, waiting on the LORD, regardless of how long is the right approach. Yet, the asking is where it all begins.

“²O LORD, I have heard the report of you,

and your work, O LORD, do I fear.

In the midst of the years revive it;

in the midst of the years make it known;

in wrath remember mercy.”

— Habakkuk 3:2 (ESV)

Notice how it is that Habakkuk is asking from the LORD. He is specific, in his request, “remember mercy”, yet he is not demanding the how and specifics from the LORD. Habakkuk simply asks for the LORD to do that which he knows He will do. He does not ask for the LORD to do things this way or that, he asks for Him to do what He does and remember His mercy in the process. And then, he lets the LORD know that regardless of what or when, he will still wait on the LORD.

I have to remember the same in my approach to the LORD and all that I seek from Him. I have to begin by asking (out loud) to let the LORD know my request. I have to request the LORD to do that which He will do in the timing He will do it. And I have to wait on the work of the LORD to be completed and know that His work will result in mercy.

What are you asking for from the LORD? Are you seeking deliverance and telling God how to get it done? What if you were to ask out loud for the LORD to do His work however He will do it and only remember mercy and then wait on the LORD for as long as it takes?