Of God And Man

Revelations 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Someone asked which is the greater gift, mercy or grace.  If we find ourselves standing in the courtroom with certain guilt and punishment looming, which would serve us best; mercy or grace?  It is not really a question of which but in what combination and degree.  Mercy is empty without grace and limited grace leaves us merciless before God. 

Mercy is the driving force behind grace.  Grace is the manifestation of mercy’s intent.  Mercy is Christ standing at the door with salvation’s plan held securely in the hand that’s knocking.  Mercy is the Word made manifest in the flesh; the voice of reason sweetly slipping past the rapping knuckles of nail-scarred hands.   Grace brings Him over the threshold and into our heart.  Mercy sent Jesus to the cross and grace wipes our slate clean.  Mercy is God’s plan of salvation to man.  Grace brings it freely given. 

When Abraham took Isaac to Mt. Moriah and placed him on the altar it was mercy that called from Heaven and stayed his hand.  But, it was grace that placed a ram in the thicket.  When justice is served how can there be mercy?  There is no mercy without the manifestation of grace.  Imagine a man who will be executed.  His sentence is determined and the method of execution is up to the court to decide.  If every execution is carried out by burning at the stake, without exception, and the guilty party asks mercy of the court, how can mercy be granted?  But, if execution can be of various methods there could be some mercy by the grace of a less cruel method of execution.  Mercy is expressed in execution by guillotine rather than fire, grace being the swiftness of a blade over the cruelty of fiery torment.  Placing oneself on the mercy of the court is of no consequence if the court has no grace by which to apply mercy.  The mercy of the court can only be manifest by the grace of a less deserving sentence. 

To be saved from destruction requires us to obtain complete mercy through unlimited grace.  Salvation full and free cannot be anything less than complete and unlimited.  There is otherwise no deliverance. 

Grace is not a New Testament novelty.  It has been said the New Testament brings full grace and the Old Testament Mosaic Law of animal sacrifice limited God’s mercy.  Mercy, grace, and the Law are prevalent in both Testaments, but mercy and grace was and is without coincidence to the type of blood sacrifice in any particular age.  Some believe mercy and grace to have been limited because animal sacrifice was not sufficient to pay the permanent sin debt.  The prevailing ingredients of mercy and grace are obtained in equal measure outside the linear, progressive unfolding of God’s salvation plan.  The payment of our sin debt is independent of the application of God’s mercy and grace.  Salvation’s plan began before the beginning, (Old Testament), and reached fruition with the finished work of Christ, (New Testament).  Abraham, (before Mosaic Law), receives the same mercy and grace as the Apostle Paul, (church age), and every other saint of any Biblical age.  Regardless of the linear age in which any man who needs salvation can be plotted, the eternal Christ had been ready to atone, did atone, and has atoned for his sin debt.  Such is the promise of God and the property of eternal existence.         

We can almost comprehend the mercy and grace of God by our own application of charity and hospitality to others.  Charity and hospitality is to men as mercy and grace is to God.  That which God extends to all men can be appreciated when we extend charity and hospitality to all men.

I Peter 4:8-10 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Charity is an expression of love without application.  It is our inner compassion for others.  We define love as the compassion we feel for others.  We can show or apply love and compassion by our hospitality.  Hospitality is an outward expression which others can observe.  Our faith is unknown except through the evidence of works.  Much the same can be said of charity.  Charity is unknown to others except through the evidence of hospitality.  We can imagine love, store up love, or even feel love for others, but without some outward expression of our love it is unknown and nonexistent.  Someone who does not express love and charity through hospitality to others is suspect of not having any charity at all.  We may feel love or charity, but it is stagnant and a selfish feeling if it’s not manifest in our expression to others.  The endued Holy Spirit is the source of charity and hospitality in each of us.  Compassion and expression of hospitality can be learned from the example of Christ.  Did Jesus fail to tell the gospel to others?  Did Jesus hold grudges or envy others?  How many accounts of gossip does the Bible reveal to us that Jesus spoke about others?  His conduct is renown, His selfless sacrifice unique, and both are an expression of hospitality toward us of God’s charity.  Of course, Jesus was perfect.  Though we may not be perfect, we should give it our best effort.

How can we have any mercy without compassion?

How can we have any hospitality without grace?

Are we good stewards of the manifold grace of God?

If so, tell someone about it!