Mercy and Grace taking from Ps 103:8 which says the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. This is a fundamental character of the God we serve that is hinged on LOVE 1 John 4:8. John 3:16. If you do not love, there is no way you can be merciful and gracious.
The two words mercy and grace are also used interchangeably. Infact they almost have the same meaning in the dictionary and because of space, I will just say that the main difference is grace is more in the realm of the spirit than mercy.
Only God is gracious and merciful, but for we human beings, we are expected to be merciful since we are children of God who are expected to behave like God. What is mercy, what is grace?
WHAT IS MERCY?
Let us go through bible passages. The Lord is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. Psalm 103:8-10.
The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Lamentations 3:22 In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them.
He lifted them up and carried them through all the years. Isaiah 63:9 Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among his people? You cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing mercy.
Micah 7:18 All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. 1 Peter 1:3 Therefore, we can summarise by saying that mercy is not receiving the punishment we deserve for our sins.
Mercy is when we receive a beautiful gift (like salvation) that we don’t deserve. Mercy is having favor with Almighty God. Our God is merciful and does not preach eye for an eye principle which is fundamental behavior of the wicked.
WHAT IS GRACE?
In the Old Testament of the King James Version of the Bible, the English word "grace" is translated thirty-nine times. In the New Testament, the English word translated "grace" is used more than 120 times.
Thayer's Greek Dictionary brings out even more shades of meaning. It says grace is: "what affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness; grace is good will, loving-kindness, favor; grace is used of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues."
Now let us look at examples in the bible.
In Deuteronomy 4:5-8, the greatest of gifts which showed the grace of God to Israel was the giving of his laws, his statutes, and his judgments to his chosen people and their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Deu 4:33 – 40.
You can see that the concept of God's grace, spoken of largely in the Old Testament as God's favor, takes on more depth and has even more spiritual implications in the New Testament. Those spiritual implications of God's grace are developed most keenly in the writings of the apostle Paul.
Paul spends quite of bit of time linking God's grace and mercy in the book of Romans. In Romans 3:19-26, Paul compares the ultimate goal of salvation and eternal life supposedly "earned" through the keeping of the law of God with that same salvation given as a gift through the grace of God.
Grace is a gift from God the Father. It is not earned as one would expect payment. It is not an obligation incurred by God for something we have done. It is a gift; but what is a gift? A gift is something freely, or shall we say voluntarily, given from the giver to the recipient. Prov 10:22 This concept is further expounded in Romans, chapters five, six and seven. Titus 2:11-14, 1 Pet 3:8-18, Eph 2:1-10, Eph 1:3-8, Rom 8:1-17.
So, who needs mercy? Who needs grace? We all need them. It is through the mercy of God that we are granted favor, forgiven of sin, and restored to a state of righteousness or justification in accord with God's righteous standards. It is through God's grace that our Father will voluntarily give us the ultimate gift of eternal life and salvation; not because we deserve it or because we have earned it.
The freedom that comes from our undeserving condition does not mean, however, that we are free to act in just any old manner that shows disregard or contempt for the standards of God's righteousness. Indeed, we are to uphold the standards of our righteous Father.
For us to receive mercy from God, God also expects us to show mercy and be merciful unto others. Christ is an embodiment of mercy. He is full of compassion. Matthew 5:7.
God will also be merciful to those that fear him and are obedient to his words. Psalm 103:11, Deuteronomy 13:18. God shows mercy to those who ask. Acts 2:21. God shows mercy to anyone God chooses. Exodus 33:19, Romans 9:15-16, Psalm 119:132, Luke 1:50.
Therefore, I will expect all of us in Fountain to be merciful on to others. Show compassion to those in need. This can be through our substance, time or talents so that we can receive mercy from our God.
We should also be slow to anger and have forgiving spirit in our dealings with others.
Yes, God is merciful and gracious, but that is not the license to continue in sin as God is also the consuming fire. Deut 4:24, Deut 9:3, Heb 12:29
Roms 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.
God bless you.
PASTOR ADEYEMO ADEJUMO
Only God is gracious and merciful, but for we human beings, we are expected to be merciful since we are children of God who are expected to behave like God. What is mercy, what is grace?
WHAT IS MERCY?
Let us go through bible passages. The Lord is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. Psalm 103:8-10.
The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Lamentations 3:22 In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them.
He lifted them up and carried them through all the years. Isaiah 63:9 Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among his people? You cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing mercy.
Micah 7:18 All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. 1 Peter 1:3 Therefore, we can summarise by saying that mercy is not receiving the punishment we deserve for our sins.
Mercy is when we receive a beautiful gift (like salvation) that we don’t deserve. Mercy is having favor with Almighty God. Our God is merciful and does not preach eye for an eye principle which is fundamental behavior of the wicked.
WHAT IS GRACE?
In the Old Testament of the King James Version of the Bible, the English word "grace" is translated thirty-nine times. In the New Testament, the English word translated "grace" is used more than 120 times.
Thayer's Greek Dictionary brings out even more shades of meaning. It says grace is: "what affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness; grace is good will, loving-kindness, favor; grace is used of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues."
Now let us look at examples in the bible.
In Deuteronomy 4:5-8, the greatest of gifts which showed the grace of God to Israel was the giving of his laws, his statutes, and his judgments to his chosen people and their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Deu 4:33 – 40.
You can see that the concept of God's grace, spoken of largely in the Old Testament as God's favor, takes on more depth and has even more spiritual implications in the New Testament. Those spiritual implications of God's grace are developed most keenly in the writings of the apostle Paul.
Paul spends quite of bit of time linking God's grace and mercy in the book of Romans. In Romans 3:19-26, Paul compares the ultimate goal of salvation and eternal life supposedly "earned" through the keeping of the law of God with that same salvation given as a gift through the grace of God.
Grace is a gift from God the Father. It is not earned as one would expect payment. It is not an obligation incurred by God for something we have done. It is a gift; but what is a gift? A gift is something freely, or shall we say voluntarily, given from the giver to the recipient. Prov 10:22 This concept is further expounded in Romans, chapters five, six and seven. Titus 2:11-14, 1 Pet 3:8-18, Eph 2:1-10, Eph 1:3-8, Rom 8:1-17.
So, who needs mercy? Who needs grace? We all need them. It is through the mercy of God that we are granted favor, forgiven of sin, and restored to a state of righteousness or justification in accord with God's righteous standards. It is through God's grace that our Father will voluntarily give us the ultimate gift of eternal life and salvation; not because we deserve it or because we have earned it.
The freedom that comes from our undeserving condition does not mean, however, that we are free to act in just any old manner that shows disregard or contempt for the standards of God's righteousness. Indeed, we are to uphold the standards of our righteous Father.
For us to receive mercy from God, God also expects us to show mercy and be merciful unto others. Christ is an embodiment of mercy. He is full of compassion. Matthew 5:7.
God will also be merciful to those that fear him and are obedient to his words. Psalm 103:11, Deuteronomy 13:18. God shows mercy to those who ask. Acts 2:21. God shows mercy to anyone God chooses. Exodus 33:19, Romans 9:15-16, Psalm 119:132, Luke 1:50.
Therefore, I will expect all of us in Fountain to be merciful on to others. Show compassion to those in need. This can be through our substance, time or talents so that we can receive mercy from our God.
We should also be slow to anger and have forgiving spirit in our dealings with others.
Yes, God is merciful and gracious, but that is not the license to continue in sin as God is also the consuming fire. Deut 4:24, Deut 9:3, Heb 12:29
Roms 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.
God bless you.
PASTOR ADEYEMO ADEJUMO
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