Extending Grace & Mercy

Struggling periods in life are hard enough but they are even tougher when people don’t extend you grace and mercy during that trying and painful time.

… It’s always easier to judge then live in the truth and love of Jesus Christ.

It’s easy to be a fruit inspector and see just the bad fruit but is that what God sees in a person who we see as worthless, small, a failure, an outcast and so on?

No!

Jesus is the faithful shepherd. He goes and gets that lost sheep or the sheep that has fallen into the well even on the Sabbath. He isn’t religious but real. He is the one who ministers to the cast sheep that is drowning in the circumstances, perceptions and feelings about life. He is the one who relieves the heaviness of life and gets the sheep back on their feet. Unfortunately the enemy, who sees the compromising and recovering position of the sheep, urges other sheep to knock that sheep back down. These sheep, which feel justified speak and do so in a manner that doesn’t exalt Christ.

You know the reason they feel justified to speak from their flesh? They do this because they have forgotten the mercy and grace that God has given them.

But deeper…. you know why it hurts you? You have based your value on how others look and act towards you. Don’t worry I got that t-shirt as well. In fact it is autographed more then once.

It hurts us because we have forgotten that God didn’t just send anyone to die for us but He sent himself (Jesus Christ) who didn’t just know all your successes but also your failures and troubles as well. And in spite of all these things, he saw you as precious enough to die for. He valued you so much that he died for you.

No one can value you more then God - Jesus Christ.

I am still learning the value of Jesus going to the cross and taking the punishment for me. My value is not in those who value or not value me but what Jesus did for me. God would lay down his life for me! That is where our value should be in. That is where our faith should live and breath and start and finish. That is where our confidence needs to remain.

The Lord is our rock and our salvation. The Lord is our shepherd we shall not want. He leads us to peaceful streams and to rest in green pastures.

I see that extending grace and mercy can be a mighty tool to those who are struggling and not extending grace and mercy can cause more problems. Here God is addressing the issues in this person’s life and you not seeing this make negative comments and use God’s sharp word against them…

Do you want to open your mouth out of some fleshly justification and have to answer to God for causing more havoc in a person’s life. He is helping a cast sheep, which is drowning in the circumstances, perceptions, failures, situations in life and you come along and say whatever you “feel” like. You going to set fires to God’s work and leave only bitter tastes?

God says to love and do good to your brother and sister in Christ. He says to do good even if it means to suffer. (1 Peter 2:21) He says “And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!” (Luke 6:33) He says to love your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48)

We are to live in the truth, which Jesus Christ, died for you.

If we are not living in this truth we cannot give grace and mercy to those struggling.

The same is true for the struggling. If they are not living in the truth, they cannot extend grace and mercy to those who judge and have prejudices against them but a win-win situation only comes and exalts Christ when grace and mercy are extended.

Extended grace and mercy builds instead of tears down which produces conduct that is worthy of the Gospel of Christ. It unites instead of separates.

Jesus says “Stop judging others and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged.” Matthew 7

To the struggling and emotional compromised…. Don’t give yourself, your value, your outlook on life, your faith, your prospective, your confidence, your trust – that are pearls which God has paid for to people who can easily attack you, turn on you, and make you feel like all the things you are not.

To the people who want to speak out of some fleshly justification, you treat someone as if they have no value, they will act as if they have no value.

God says, “I want you to be merciful. I don’t want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that’s more important then burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6

Jesus says “God blesses those who are merciful. For they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7

Accepting God’s value and meditating on this truth in your mind and heart will empower you and God will allow you to give mercy and grace when the human nature demands vengeance.

And though we understand a person reaps what he/she sows, it is not our duty to judge. No one really knows what a person is going through. Who can give an accurate conclusion by only our own human observation and calculation? For who knows the good work of Christ being completed in a person who is struggling? Certainty it is not us- for who carries out the good work in you?

“Each heart knows its own bitterness and no one can fully share its joy.” Proverbs 14:10

Success is done only in the Spirit not the flesh.

The flesh only causes obstacles; envy, rivalry and trouble- the ways of the flesh don’t work for the living Gospel but working against it.

Don’t be biased but give the same consideration Christ has and is continuing to give to you.

You take things into your own hands instead of praying and allowing God to work- you are causing more trouble. You are not being an instrument of God. You are being a stumbling block.

God is removing the speck from your brother or sister’s eye and because you have decided what is going on and what is best – you have “not only” inserted a log in your own eye but hurt the relationship you could have built-up in Christ.

Extend grace and mercy and you will reap mercy and blessing.

To those struggling and hurting may God show you the reason for this pain that maybe purposeful to teach you something deeper to strength your faith or so you can exalt Christ. Remember Jesus loves you enough to die for you…. That is how much he values you.

Atmosphere- Tobymac

Do You Hate When You Sin? 2

“I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is the sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.” Written by Paul, the Apostle in Romans 7:15-17

1. We instinctively know there is a God. Romans 1:19

2. We instinctively know right from wrong. Romans 2:14

So what determines if you hate when you sin or not hate when you sin?

The condition of the heart will decide if we will hate when we sin or not hate when we sin.

Think about when you “hate” when you sin? It's not about getting caught. The thought “emphasis” is on “your” actions. The way “you” handled the situation. The major emphasis is not on the people in the situation but “your ungodly actions.” You are looking at “your faults” in the situation.

Justification is not what you are after -even though it could explain some of your ungodly actions. You are more concerned with your “ungodly” actions in the situation and your lack of restraint. You run TO God in your failure instead of FROM God.

This “type” of “action” should encourage you. It proves God has changed your heart.

“And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts instead, so they will obey my laws and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20

Because God has changed our heart and the Spirit lives in us we are tender, receptive, and convicted by our own sinful actions.

“For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:12

God shows us we are wrong when we are wrong. We are urged to do what is right and the Spirit pleads for us and encourages us to come to God for his help, mercy grace and forgiveness.

Remember this verse: “But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.” John 3:21

A Christian is not supposed to “practice sin” or “deliberately continue to sin”.

“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. Anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy. Such people have insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to his people.” Hebrews 10:29

God knows you and I are not perfect. Those who claim they are perfect are calling God a liar. BUT not being perfect does not give us a reason or excuse to continue to “practice” sin or continue in “ungodly” action or lifestyle.

And those who judge you and treat you as if they never make a mistake or never act ungodly on occasion are not doing what God’s word has asked of them: to “gently” and “humbly” help them back onto the right path. Galatians 6:1

We will have “oops” moments in our lives when we don’t have it all together. When our focus isn’t on God but on our circumstances and ourselves. Thank God for his mercy for when we do on occasion “mess up”.

The Apostle Paul writes:

“Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ. Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit why are you know trying to become perfect by your own human effort? You have suffered so much for the Good News. Surely it was not in vain, was it? Are you now going to just throw it all away? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heart about Christ. In the same way, “Abraham believed God, so God declared him righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.” Galatians 3:2-6

Did you receive the Holy Spirit because you were perfect? No. In fact in your understanding of your imperfectness and where sin would take you without Jesus the Savior, you came to Christ who gave you the Holy Spirit and for some of you the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the same time.

Was Abraham perfect? Of course not but he was declared righteous because of his faith in God. He acknowledged God. He looked to God and had heart for God. He knew forgiveness of sin came from God.

Some people have this impression that they can’t step into a church until they feel “they” have made themselves "right" but that is a lie straight from hell. No one can make themselves right. God is the only one who can do that, if we allow Him. Come to God and let God change you.

Those not and not yet Christian don’t care they are practicing sin- that is until the Spirit of God calls them and convicts them of sin. The spirit of God is not living in them but He still convinces the world of its sin and of God righteousness and of the coming judgment. John 16:8

People who don’t acknowledge God and their sin to God run FROM God.

"They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished." John 3:20

But no sin can hide from God and they, instinctively knowing this, seem to fear God only when they hear of God’s judgment coming upon the world.

They deliberately sin, instinctively knowing of God’s death penalty for their sins and worse they joke about their coming time in hell and how they and their friends are going to party it up in hell. I assure there will be no party in hell. Hell is not joking matter.

“When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. Thy are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” Romans 1:28-32

Failure and sin can hinder a Christian’s faith if we are “not willing” to “let it go” and release it to the one who has paid for it on the cross – Jesus Christ.

Sin can be a mighty weight and cause us to second-guess ourselves in the roles God has put us in. It can cause us to withdraw from the Christian fellowship with others. We can fall into a pity party and say and think things like, “I am just a sinner, no good for nothing.” Our human nature can have this tendency to admit failure but not want to get back up on the horse.

Failure and sin can give a foothold to the dark spirit of condemnation, which attacks the Christian soul unmercifully. Making your failure and sin a whip for it’s dark devious tactics.

Remind such spirits in the authority of Jesus Christ, “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:1

Knowing in our heart that Jesus Christ’ blood, the Son of God’s blood, has purified us from our ungodly deeds sets us free!

That is why Paul Apostle writes, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.” Hebrews 12:1-2

I hope this has blessed and encouraged you.

Jason Gray- Remind Me Who I am