Friday, May 22, 2009

MERCY

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient to you." (2 Peter 3:9)
Do you look back at your life and see just how merciful Jesus has been in your life? I shake my head sometimes thinking how undeserving I am of his grace and mercy. Even now as His child I still fail Him and He still shows mercy on me. He is the one person that will love me the most, he will never let me stand alone. Folks can really hurt you at times, but you know, I never feel alone, not meaning I don't feel pain, but I know He feels my pain. I am so blessed.

Mercy is what grace offers. The grace of God comes to us in our poor sinful condition and offers us the mercy of God when we deserve His wrath. So grace comes to us giving us mercy. I admit it is somewhat semantical, and the terms are virtually interchangeable. There is a subtle difference in the two words. Mercy has meaning more synonymous with compassion.

" 'Grace' is more than mercy and love, it superadds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendently superior, one that may do what he will, that may wholly choose whether he will love or no. There may be love between equals, and an inferior may love a superior; but love in a superior, and so superior as he may do what he will, in such a one love is called grace: and therefore grace is attributed to princes; they are said to be gracious to their subjects, whereas subjects cannot be gracious to princes. Now God, who is an infinite Sovereign, who might have chosen whether ever He would love us or no, for Him to love us, this is grace." Thomas Goodwin
" Mercy is God's favour that holds back

"God hath in Himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you." Thomas Brooks

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