Mercy and Grace.

Today I  don't want to muck around, lets get straight into it eh.

Yesterday I touched briefly on  Grace, and the love of God.

I woke up this morning and thought lets get into this Grace thing a bit deeper, and get into it.

I've chosen Ephesians, chapter, 2: 1-10.

How do we know that we have this Grace?
Because it was given to us, right from the start, from day 1.

Grace is an amazing thing, it continues to give, time and time again.
When we mess up, it keep going it never runs out, time and time again.
It never keeps a record of wrongs, it never keeps score, it never holds back it always gives.
The most amazing thing about grace is that it always chooses to love time and time again.
It's a supernatural thing, because it behaves the opposite of us.

This spirit is  us all the time, the spirit of grace, that means it;s always, wins.

Coming to Christ with all this in mind, is a marvelous thing, he desires us to come just as we are.

brining nothing.

We are brought up to please people, children strive to great lengths to give their parents pleasure when they are little, this continues, until the child is taught to have free will.




Jesus just wants us to come just as we are.

Ephesians chapter 1, says about spiritual blessings  he chose us before the world  to be blameless and holy.

I wonder on our day to day encounters of God, when we pray to turn up, I wonder what he's going to say today.
His grace is even in the seasons, in every season of our lives, that's why we need to pray each day, for protection, but prayer isn't just going to God and talking to him, he also talks back to us.

And we get suprised at what he has told us.

We have redemption, in him.

He takes us back to the start, every day, in each new day that there is, there's a new start.

No matter,  what yesterday was like or today will be like, or what tomorrow will be like, it always, always is brand spanking new.

Today is a gift, so don't waste it.

That is a what grace is.

It's not pre-loved, it's not second hand, it's always first hand, straight off the lot, like a new car, with out a price tag, and the lord whispers into you, ''that's yours.''

In today's society, we are so used to just settling for second best, cars, clothes, partners, there I said it.
Houses, plant pots, trade-me.
We live in an all consuming world of need.
We are none all the wiser with this.
If something breaks down, well we just get a new one.
We take out life insurance to make sure that our wives or husbands, are cared for long after we've died.
 
We make sure that everything is catered for. and that's not a bad thing, we need these processes in place, so that our loved ones, have the reassurance that they are cared for.

What is mercy then?

Mercy is, being compassionate, and giving treatment, towards someone that has wronged you.

That's is pretty powerful stuff.
Verse 11, of Ephesians, we read  that, we are chosen having, been predestined according, to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.

That is a powerful verse.
Being in the conformity, of his will, what does that mean?


Being in accordance,  with his will, is going in step with it.
Much like walking with a friend, you're not walking any faster than them, or slower, you're walking together.
That is the way of Christ, we are walking with him, and should be walking with him every day, our journey's are different.
Mine is different to my parents, to my brothers. to my friends.
Each walk in Christ will be totally unique to you.


We need to be totally dependent on him, not looking to the right or to the left, but staying on the path, and it will go well with us.
This is not a threat, it's not a right or wrong situation, but we look only to him to purify us, to help us in times, when we need it.

I need it every day, when life does and doesn't make sense.

Learning to be content, when I have much or have less, we must always, have this as a compass in our lives, the needle in will change, it will move, but if we set our hearts right, we will be on the right path, and everything will fall into place.

Grace is walking in step with mercy, we can not have one without the other.

Well that's me for now.
Chloe