THE INCREDIBLE MERCY OF GOD

 

I think we tend to minimize or overlook God’s mercy. Peter didn’t, but he did not mince words as he preached to the crowd about their sin of killing the “Righteous One.” However, then he said something that really surprised me. Peter softened the blow by claiming that they had acted in ignorance:

·       Acts 3:17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.”

Hadn’t their rulers acted in full awareness of the miracles Jesus had performed? Even after the rulers had seen Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they had plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus (John 11). How could they have been ignorant?

Even during Peters first sermon, he reminded the crowd that they had been made aware of Jesus through the signs and wonders He had been performing (Acts 2:22). How could they have been ignorant?

It also seems that Paul too had hardened his heart against the evidences of Jesus’ Personhood. Yet he too had claimed that he had been forgiven because he had acted “ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13).

Do these examples represent a contradiction? No! Why not? Because our God is incredibly merciful. He regards unbelief and ignorance relatively. In His mind, ignorance isn’t complete ignorance. Similarly, unbelief might not be regarded by Him as complete unbelief:

·       Hebrews 11:29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. 

Did the Israelites truly trust in God? As the Egyptian chariots approached them, they rebelled against Moses and God, claiming that they had never wanted to leave their Egyptian slavery. Nevertheless, stuck between a rock and a hard place, they ventured out through the pillars of water. Was this faith? Well, God regarded it as faith, even if it constituted the smallest measure of faith.

For another example, Jesus had warned that if anyone denied Him, He would deny this person before the Father (Luke 9:26). However, Peter had denied Christ three times, and yet, after His resurrection, He appointed Peter to oversee the welfare of His flock (John 21:15-17)

This very same paradox is found throughout the Scriptures, indicating that it is intentional. Lot had lived a very compromised life in Sodom. Even after witnessing the horror of its destruction, he had even allowed his daughters to get him drunk so that they could be impregnated by their father on two successive evenings. Yet, three times he is referred to as a righteous man:

·       2 Peter 2:7-8 “and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard).

Could this represent a contradiction or an oversight? It cannot. Instead, we encounter this same “contradiction” throughout. Let’s look at two more examples of “exemplary” faith, where we do not find faith when we examine the original accounts in Genesis and Exodus:

·       Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.

However, the Genesis account indicates that Isaac had been deceived and blessed Jacob rather than his favorite son Esau.

·       Hebrews 11:27 By faith he [Moses] left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

However, the Exodus account indicates that Moses had fearfully fled Egypt. In the next account, in God’s eyes, Israel crossed the divided sea by faith:

These accounts and many others can be easily harmonized once we realize that our Savior is incredibly gracious. He sees faith and righteousness where we fail to see it.

I derive two lessons from this. God is more gracious with me than I can imagine. While I might see myself as a spiritual failure, my Savior sees me as a spiritual giant.

The second lesson is as the first. I must also regard God’s children as righteous men and women of valor, even if I don’t see them in this light.

However, after Peter extended to his audience God’s gracious judgment that they had killed Jesus in “ignorance,” he then delivered the needful warning to repent:

·       Acts 3:23 “‘And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet [Jesus] shall be destroyed from the people.'”

Peter demonstrated the principle that it is the graciousness of God that is supposed to lead us to repentance, without which we face destruction.

The History of Humankind

 

 

The history of the human race can be summarized in these three ways:

1.    We want to be exalted. However, we inevitably fail to achieve this.
2.    Instead, we realize that there is something terribly wrong for which we deserve punishment.
3.    We suppress this awareness by self-deception trying to prove ourselves worthy.

We find all three of these elements at play in the account of the Fall (Genesis 3). The tempter promised Eve (and Adam followed along) that they would become like God by eating the forbidden fruit from the forbidden tree of  “The Knowledge of Good and Evil.” However, instead of becoming God-like, they embarked on the path of death.

Ironically, God had intended to give them what they lusted after but in His way, by trusting in Him, according to His timing (Psalm 84: 11-12). However, by refusing to trust in Him, their sin had immediate and profound effects:

•    Genesis 3:7–8 …they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God...

Instead of confessing their sin, they foolishly believed that they could handle it on their own by merely covering themselves with fig leaves. We have been doing this ever since through pride, power, and possessions—all of which were denounced by Jesus:

•    Luke 16:15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Even worse, they could no longer face the truth about themselves and their sin. Their Creator gave them opportunities to humble themselves by confessing the truth, but instead, they blame-shifted:

•    Genesis 3:11–13 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Sin had taken charge of the human race, and we have been hiding from God ever since:
•    Romans 2:15 (NLT) They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

Consequently, we feel guilty and ashamed of ourselves. Instead of confessing our sins, we try to justify them through many devious devices. Since God’s laws are written into our DNA, unless we find His mercy, we will continue to experience inner turmoil. Therefore, we resort to self-justifications:

•    Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.

We suppress the truth about ourselves and cannot tolerate exposure by the One who judges us:

•    Romans 1:18–20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

We have been running from God and His terrifying and revealing light ever since, covering ourselves with the fig leaves of money, power, attainments, and sexual conquests, whatever might make us feel worthy and entitled, while our conscience has been declaring the opposite. In view of this, Christ pronounced His condemnation upon humanity:

•    John 3:19–20 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

We are condemned by what we love—the darkness of self-deception—and we know it:

•    Romans 1:32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

We cover this awareness over with the fig leaves of self-righteousness and shake a defiant fist at heaven. Some will even punish or maim themselves to experience a brief reprieve from the punishment they know they deserve.

The Remedy—Reconciliation

We suffer from alienation from our Creator and need to be reconciled with Him. None of us can be good enough to earn anything good from Him. Our only hope is in His undeserved mercy. What then does He want from us?

•    1 John 1:8–9 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We just need to be real with God and acknowledge our sins, trusting in His mercy through Jesus’ payment for sin on the cross.

AM I SAVED?

 

 

We've probably all asked the question, "Am I saved?" Why? For one thing, we still struggle against our shameful sin nature:

 

Galatians 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

 

Scary Verses: Matthew 10:33 “But whoever denies and disowns Me before men, I also will deny and disown him before My Father Who is in heaven.”

Nevertheless. Peter was forgiven even after he denied Jesus three times. This points out how ready Jesus is to forgive and to restore.

 

Therefore, constantly, we fall short.  it is very important to understand that our Lord is so gracious that He receives all who come to Him:

 

Romans 10:12–13 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

Faith is a Decision: John 3:14–16 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

 

Joshua 24:15 …”choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD

 

All we need to do is to believe, confessing our sin with the Intention of Repenting: Jeremiah 3:12–13 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “ ‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD.

 

He receives the worst sinners: 2 Chronicles 33:9–13 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel. The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

 

The Lord is always ready to forgive those who repent: 1 John 1:6–9 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

We all fail to “walk in the light,” even daily. However, whenever we cry out for God's mercy, He forgives us.

 

He looks at us Graciously: 2 Peter 2:7–8 …He rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked, for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard.

 

Lot had been living a very compromised life. He even had sex with his two daughters on two successive evenings after getting drunk. Yet, our Lord regarded Lot as righteous. This assumes that he must have repented of his sins, pointing to the fact that our Lord will forgive and save all who turn to Him:

 

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.