Hello, John and Doves,Mercy: not receiving the condemnation you deserve._____________________________________________________________It is written,4Surely he took up our painand bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
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Again, it is written,22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail.
23They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
_____________________________________Grace: receiving the good things of Godthat no one can at any time earn.______________________________________It is written,[The LORD speaking to Job] Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
Job 41:11 NIVAgain, it is written,For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 NLTAnd yet again, it is written,8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.______________________________________________________________Conclusion? Mercy and Grace meet God's Justice and Holiness perfectly at the Cross of Jesus Christ.It is written,10In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12He says,“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.” [Psalm 22:22]
13And again,
“I will put my trust in him.” [Isaiah 8:17]
And again he says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given me.” [Isaiah 8:18]
14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Who are "Abraham's descendants?"
And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.
Galatians 3:29 NLT~Blessings,
Mike