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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Three more messages and this miniseries on Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment (James 2.13) will be completed. These three concluding messages will each focus on a great biblical text regarding mercy other than the titular text, James 2.13.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1.3-5; emphasis mine, jb).
His abundant mercy is totally adequate; it is entirely and completely sufficient. Unlike many great things for which humanity clamors, there is no short supply. How many times have we seen long lines form in order to gain some desirable possession or to avail oneself of a tremendous bargain? Yet, the lines to access the free extension of mercy towards the sinner seem not to be lengthening, but rather shortening in these days. The possession is no less valuable; the price is still zero when counted in monetary terms; the utility for humanity is still the greatest; yet, the lines grow shorter as the world’s population grows larger. Perhaps we can best envision this if we think of God’s Mercy Ship being built by Noah. Wickedness literally filled the earth and yet, when the tickets to that great vessel were offered to the earth’s inhabitants, and that after 120 years of widespread publicity, only seven people other than the builder of the boat showed up to claim one of them. Mercy was in great supply but human pride was more abundant! At least, pride was more abundant until the first raindrop fell!
God has begotten us again. He has begotten us again because we failed Him the first time. Our stubborn will did not break when confronted with the opportunity to sin or to remain true to our Father. We who are believers wish it had been different, but it wasn’t. We would that we had turned our back on evil rather than God, but we know better. Our pride, just like in the days of Noah, bested us! In spite of our failure, He still longs for us to be His sons. Hence, He conceived and enacted the greatest love story the universe has ever or will ever know. His unconditional love for us compelled Him to offer His own Son in our place, and that same love compelled His Son to willingly give Himself a ransom for us. By obeying the Gospel of Christ in biblical baptism, we are born again into His great spiritual family (see John 3.1-5, Acts 2.38, Acts 22.16, Romans 6.3-4, Galatians 3.27, and 1 Peter 3.21).
Our lot now is one that is founded in living hope. Before our adoption, the only hope that we had was hope misnamed; it was dead hope. Now that God has taken us back again into His family, hope lives and blossoms brighter and brighter. The clemency He extended to us was but the first great blessing that we received; we now see and have access to the many other blessings in the Father’s house. From this place of favor and advantage, we can readily and repeatedly make our requests know to the Father, and as any loving Father would, He hears us. No petition is too hard for Him and we have His assurance that He grants each and every one that is consistent with His will and that will result in the greater good! What did we do to deserve this living hope? Nothing! Not only did we not deserve it, we thumbed our noses at our Creator to come to the place of moral and spiritual bankruptcy from which His mercy saved us!
Abundant Mercy is mercy that triumphs over judgment. This is but one of the great spiritual blessings that is to be found in Christ and universally extended to all who will hear His voice.
Questions:
1. Why do you think Peter titled it abundant mercy? What evidence is there that God has an abundant supply of mercy and that He will not run short?
2. What does it mean to be “born again”? Is this literal or figurative? What happens to our sins when we are born again (Acts 22.16)?
3. Can you name false hopes or dead hopes in which people now trust? From whence do they originate?
4. Where are spiritual blessings to be found (Ephesians 1.3)? How does one get there (Galatians 3.27)?
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