Welcome to Hank’s Place –
Ephesians chapter 2 begins with an accurate incrimination of mankind. It reads, “And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.” Ugg.
Then verse 4 presents a blockbuster truth: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…”
But God…. Our condition was hopeless. No one on earth could rescue us. But God, being rich in mercy.…
Even though we believers have been placed in union with God, on this earth we still need the “But God” in our lives. Here life we are learning how to live and walk in the Spirit. We make mistakes. And the world is out there to destroy us. The devil is out there to kill us. We can’t stand against those foes on our own! “But God…!”
When it comes to mercy, our God is RICH in mercy. He abounds in compassion.
Mercy and grace are different, but God abounds in both. A simple way to remember is that mercy is NOT getting what we deserve, whereas grace is GETTING something we DO NOT deserve. Now you might be asking, “God, why are you so good to me? Why are you so merciful? How can you accept someone like me?”
The answer is found in the remainder of verse 4: “because of His great love…” Some people have trouble accepting God’s mercy and grace because they have not grasped this great love of God.
“Why did you send your Son to rescue me? Why are you not holding my sins against me?” The answer is “because of His great love with which He loved us.”
God will never make us jump through hoops to earn this great love. Nothing we can do will make Him love us more, and nothing we can do will make Him love you less.
It is because of His great love that God has great mercy and great grace for us.
Some people have trouble believing that God has great mercy and great grace. Quite likely they are struggling with a performance based mindset with the result that they are unfamiliar with the greatness of their Father’s love toward them.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…. Open your heart today to God’s lavish love dear friend, and COME ALIVE!
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