MERCY V.S. GRACE- Lilly Nichols
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved..”
Ephesians 2:4-5
You’ve just been pulled over for speeding. It’s not that you wanted to go fifteen over, but you’re going to be late for a meeting and if you don’t get there then—
The cop stops you mid-sentence; and, instead of giving you the ticket you know you rightly deserve, he lets you off with a warning.
You stare, surprised, wondering if this is real. He just showed you mercy. Surely, this was some sort of trick…
As if the warning wasn’t good enough, the cop reaches into his pocket and hands you $500 before going back to his car and driving off. You hold the bills in your hand, shocked at the gift.
What kind of police officer gives extravagant gifts instead of tickets?
Well, I don’t know of any that do, but I do know a God who does something similar.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Ephesians 2:4-6)
Jesus showed us mercy by dying on the cross and rising again so we could be forgiven of our sins (1 Peter 1:3). And then, He showed us grace by not only forgiving us, but by giving us an identity and an inheritance as righteous children of our Heavenly Dad (Acts 20:32)!
We are called to not only live in the forgiveness granted us by God’s mercy, but to also live in the gift of identity His grace has given us; to be the daughters of the Most High, living in His Loving Truth that sets us free.