Scandalous Mercy

There is a song we sing in the choir called "To Our God," and one of the lines in it is "scandalous mercy and mighty to save." As I thought about those lyrics, God does have a scandalous mercy with regard to us. There is nothing that we have done to earn this wonderful mercy that He so freely gives. It is scandalous, because when we think of our helpless, sinful state, we definitely do not deserve this mercy. But God is full of mercy. "In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for YOU." 1 Peter 1:3-4 Wow, how awesome is God, that He cares so much and gave His One and only Son for you and for me. He does not give us what we deserve, which is hell. This inheritance He gives us in Christ is everlasting, there is nothing that can take it away. Sin entered the world through Adam and has been passed down generation to generation. We are all sinners. You may think well, I haven't done anything that bad....while you may not have murdered anyone or been addicted to drugs, but you have lied, you may have taken something that does not belong to you, you may harbor unforgiveness and bitterness in your heart towards someone who has wronged you. God is HOLY. All sin is sin in His eyes. We tend to categorize sin into "small" sins and "big" sins, but the Bible tells us that ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Romans 3:23) God also says in His word, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 All we must do is accept this free gift of love and mercy. "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Romans 4:8 Once we accept this gift, we are free! We no longer have to live in bondage. Whom the Son sets free, is free indeed! "God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. Just as you were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy." Romans 11:29-30 That same mercy God gives us, we are to give to others. Forgive as He forgives, when you do, you will find peace and rest for your soul. Forgiving others does not mean you are saying what they did was okay, but this forgiveness frees you from bitterness and resentment. Pray and ask God to help you to see others through His eyes and not your own. You have to make the choice to forgive, it does not come naturally. Our flesh wants to get even or harbor anger towards the person. When you make the choice to forgive, the feelings will soon follow. Thank the Lord today for His great mercy and love towards you.

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