What did His Mercy do for you?

Yesterday, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and we were talking about MERCY and GRACE.

I won’t say too much, for privacy’s sake, but she said she felt like she was being attacked in a few different areas of her life. She felt like people were really just coming against her lately. We can really see a lot of this when it comes to our interactions online. Many people, whether on Twitter, Facebook, etc, just seem to want to pick fights with each other. Even posts made with good intentions can cause offense.

It brought to mind Titus 3:5, which says “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”

Let me break down MERCY & GRACE.

Mercy is withholding punishment that’s deserved or earned. It’s really just offering forgiveness and kindness. Grace is a much bigger concept. Mercy is almost like a sublet of grace. Grace is withholding the punishment (like mercy), but in addition to that, it’s giving something that’s not deserved.

Salvation is the ultimate example of grace. We didn’t earn our salvation. God has blessed us with it, giving us the promise of eternal life.

Let’s take another look at Titus 3, however. You know, while it’s great to find a good scripture and really hold on to it and say “that’s my word”, it’s also important to read what happened BEFORE that verse and read AFTER that verse to really get an understanding of the context.

The book of Titus is a letter that Paul wrote to Titus, someone he discipled. Paul had left Titus in Crete and left him to pastor the church that he had previously planted. With that context in mind, let’s take a quick look at Chapter 3. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so let’s look and see what principles from then can apply to the here and now. Let’s look at Titus 3:1-11. My version is New Living Translation.

Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. 

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. 

This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. 

Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them. 

That was so powerful to me!

What a decree given by Paul for Titus in that time, and how is that time any different than the time that we’re going through now?

We need to keep mercy as the forefront of our minds. Mercy is what will hold us together. Have nothing to do with foolish discussions and divisions. Remember what God’s mercy did for you.

Share that mercy and kindness with someone today.

Blessings,

Teri