Monday, May 6, 2013

God's Mercy


After reading through this weeks passage in the Lectio Divina fashion, one phrase was burned into my mind..."God's mercy." As Paul writes, laying out a pattern for Christian living, it all hinges on God's mercy. What is God's mercy? It is God's unrelenting, never-failing love for us. It is the way that God pursues you and me - broken, sinful, screwed up people. He just keeps loving us...He doesn't give up on us...He offers forgiveness that is like nothing we can fully comprehend...He died for us. The Creator God of the universe felt such love for His creation that He was willing to become one of us. Not only was He willing to become one of us, but He was willing to die at the hands of people He had created so that we could receive forgiveness. That is mercy!

Paul lays it all out for us - nice and simple...
- God's mercy drives us to become living sacrifices.
- Living sacrifices are people who do not conform to the ways of this world.
- Living sacrifices are people who are transformed by the love of God and the Way of Jesus.
- And when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we will be able to see God's will for our lives.
That's Christianity 101 right there!

Today God has burned into my heart the desperate need I have for His mercy. When I contemplate my life...when I think about the things I live for and chase after, I can see the lies of the world creeping in. There are cultural values and lies that go against the heart of God that are leaking into my heart and shaping my life. Can you see them, too? The worldly values that you have allowed to come between you and truly faithful living? What are they - think about it! As Christians we must allow the incredible mercy of God to overwhelm our souls...to transform our minds...to fill our hearts. Then we will be able to see the emptiness of the things of the world and the beauty of the will of God for our lives.

Brandon
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 6, 2013 at 4:49 PM

    Thank you Brandon for your teaching on this. As I read this passage and truly dwell on it, I see that God loves me despite myself, and the sinful things that I have done. For it is by the mercy of God that I am reborn and forgiven. It is by God's love and grace and MERCY that have transformed me into a man of Christ, a man of God. Thank you Northside Christian Church....

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    1. Brand al ThorMay 7, 2013 at 9:44 AM

      Wow...I am glad the passage had such an impact on you today. Keep chewing on it this week.

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  2. Ms.G@ELAMay 6, 2013 at 6:54 PM

    I am so glad that there is a place where we as a family of believers can come and discuss our faith and the lessons we are learning in church. Brandon, God's mercy is infinite! We are so blessed to have His unconditional love and support even when we don't deserve it. We are faulty and messed up, but He loves us no matter what. I mess up daily and I know that He loves me because I am His child. I marvel at how far society has fallen from this truth. God is love and is the only way to an everlasting life. Yet, we let the secular world and the quest for more...more money, more house, more prestige, more junk get in the way of seeking him honestly and with our whole being. Thank you for sharing.

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