"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Timothy 1:1-2

     In his New Testament epistles the Apostle Paul usually offered a greeting of grace and peace unto the churches. When he wrote the young ministers Timothy and Titus he added the word mercy to the aforementioned greeting. No one could have had a clearer understanding of the burden of the ministry than the Apostle Paul. Thus, from his unique perspective, he knew how great was the need for God's mercy, and he prayed for a special measure of that mercy to be shown to his fellow laborers. Ministers of today definitely stand in need of both the grace and mercy of God as they go forth feeding and ministering to the flock of God.

     Is there a difference between grace and mercy? Webster's Dictionary defines grace as the free, unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him. Mercy is similarly defined as a benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves. When we explore the two in Biblical context, we observe there is a difference between the two, even though it seems slight. Biblically speaking, we notice that grace is the goodness that God exercises towards His elect children. Mercy, on the other hand, is extended upon the whole world. Let us observe some Biblical passages involving grace. In Romans 11, Paul makes it abundantly clear that grace and works do not mix. In reference to his Jewish brethren, Paul mentions that God has reserved a remnant among them according to His grace. Then he distinguishes grace from works in verse 6. "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Note that this is referring to those that are children of God. Grace is similarly used in Ephesians 2. The apostle writes in verses 8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." As God's elect we enjoy eternal salvation because of God's grace. This is not an attribute that God exercises towards the whole world. Rather, He manifests it upon His children according to His good pleasure.

     On the other hand, the Bible provides examples of God extending mercy upon all of mankind. The psalmist David writes in Psalms 136:1, "O give thanks unto the Lord: for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever." His mercy is enduring, plenteous, and abundant. The Bible records in Psalms 145:9 that, "His tender mercies are over all his works." While grace is reserved for His children, mercy is bestowed upon the whole world. Have you ever thought about the air that we breathe? This is by the mercy of God! Acts 17:25 records that, "He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." If God decided to close the `air vents' in this world, we would all be doomed. In Matthew 5, Jesus remarked that God makes the sun shine on both the good and evil, and sends rain on the just and unjust. In these verses we observe the temporal mercy of God. As Christians we should be thankful for both the grace and mercy of our Heavenly father. As His children, we enjoy salvation by His grace. He ministers to us through the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. Through His mercy we receive the daily necessities of life. We often take for granted the food we eat and the air we breathe, but all is owed to the mercy of our God in Heaven. We deserve neither grace or mercy, but thanks be to God Almighty who provides both. It is my prayer that we would be a thankful people and always be aware of the Giver of good things. May we be like David and exclaim, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation (Psalms 68:19)."

Friday, October 06, 2006

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Michael Green, Jr. is pastor of Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (www.palmchapel.org) in Crestview, FL. Palm Chapel meets every Sunday at 10:30am and Wednesday at 6:00pm. Pastor Green can be contacted at (850) 689-3383 or by email at pastor@palmchapel.org. Pastor Green warmly invites you to come and worship at Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church

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