We are told that mercy, grace and peace will follow us for the rest of our lives (2 John 1:2-4). We know that we serve a forgiving God, who despite what we do in sin against Him, will be there for us in the end- He loves us that much. But why? Why did God give His only begotten Son? Why does He continue to love us when we don’t love ourselves? We know that He does it, and we rely on that, but do we consider what God is getting out of the deal?
I recently considered these questions, sounding like a 5 year old needing explanations, when it was revealed to me that God grants us mercy and grace for a purpose. The idea behind mercy and grace is not that we can continue to do the same thing over and over. Often the reason that we are so thankful for His forgiveness is because of how often we need it. We praise Him, we thank Him, we mess up, we get sad, we plead for forgiveness, He forgives, He loves, He uplifts, We praise Him, we thank Him, we mess up…The way that we treat His forgiveness is like a warranty on a product that we know the manufacturer must honor. So we don’t take care of the product because we know they will replace it- lifetime guarantee. We do not take on the responsibility that comes with receiving grace and mercy, we do not realize that God has a purpose in everything that He does; we just take it for granted that He will provide.
So, back to the question at hand, why? If you don’t mind walking with me through the scripture for the moment, let’s read the passage John 3:16-21. To keep it interesting and to show Gods infinite wisdom in answering the questions in our life- lets read it backwards. The purpose in God’s grace and mercy is so that He will be glorified through our lives (v. 21- So that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God). Sin separates us from God, if we are separated from God then His light can not shine through us for all of the world to see (v. 19- but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil), his desire for that light to shine in the world is so great that He sent His only begotten Son (v. 17- For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him), and therefore we have eternal life (v. 16- that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life).
God is the beginning and the end, He is a palindrome (the same read forward or backwards). He is the way the truth and the life, and He does not change. He does however promise us grace and mercy so that His purpose will be completed in our life. Are you living your life in a way that is for God's purpose? Are you using your grace and mercy as a warranty or as a way to get ever closer to Him.
Live your life (each day) as if it is on purpose, and then remember that it is.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Thank You - the verb (Feb. 15, 2010)
We thank God with our lips and our tongues. We thank Him in our hearts and with our mouths. Through song and dance, with timbrel and trumpet. But do we thank Him with our lives?
I passed a church marquee the other day that said- do others see Jesus in you? We have all seen the bracelets or heard the phrase- What Would Jesus Do? They are all reminders that we should be striving to live in a way that is pleasing in Gods sight. That we are a living testimony to the greatness of God and that we are witnesses on this earth (...in Judea, Jerusalem, Samaria and even to the end of the earth, Acts 1:8).
But do we thank Him with our lives?
I wrote in a previous blog about the purpose of our lives being to praise and worship Him, to glorify Him in everything that we do so that others will see that it is not us, but only God that prospers and guides our lives. Do we not only speak to Him thanks, but do we show Him thanks in how we speak to others? Do we praise Him with our hands, and then not extend a hand to help someone? Do we go to church every Sunday, but forget to be the church everyday? Do we read His word to in our personal devotion time- spending time with Him, but not to our children, the elderly, our spouses or best friends?
How incredible would it be to live a life of thanksgiving? To let God see that you are full of thanks by the your conduct and your character.
I passed a church marquee the other day that said- do others see Jesus in you? We have all seen the bracelets or heard the phrase- What Would Jesus Do? They are all reminders that we should be striving to live in a way that is pleasing in Gods sight. That we are a living testimony to the greatness of God and that we are witnesses on this earth (...in Judea, Jerusalem, Samaria and even to the end of the earth, Acts 1:8).
But do we thank Him with our lives?
I wrote in a previous blog about the purpose of our lives being to praise and worship Him, to glorify Him in everything that we do so that others will see that it is not us, but only God that prospers and guides our lives. Do we not only speak to Him thanks, but do we show Him thanks in how we speak to others? Do we praise Him with our hands, and then not extend a hand to help someone? Do we go to church every Sunday, but forget to be the church everyday? Do we read His word to in our personal devotion time- spending time with Him, but not to our children, the elderly, our spouses or best friends?
How incredible would it be to live a life of thanksgiving? To let God see that you are full of thanks by the your conduct and your character.
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