Undeserved part 4
Remember, mercy is NOT getting what you deserve, and grace is getting what you DON'T deserve. Which is basically what Ezra 9:13 says, "And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespasses, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this." Punished us less... and given us such deliverance as this... Mercy and grace. Undeserved. Unforced. Unearned. It's the GIFT of God. Given from a loving heavenly Father to His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Let's face it- the wages of sin is death. That's what we "deserved," because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And that's where we were. We were dead in our trespasses and sins. But catch this: That wasn't God punishing us. That was the natural consequences of our actions. If you eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (the tree of death) what else could come BUT death? A seed can only produce after it's own kind. That's why, at the appointed time of the cross, Jesus drew us into Himself and planted Himself in us. A NEW seed. An incorruptible seed. We were no longer in Adam. We were finally able to rest in the arms of our heavenly Father. No longer running FROM God because we thought He was mad at us, but finally able to run TO God. Because we finally understand that He's not mad AT us, He's mad ABOUT us. Absolutely head over heels in love with us. He's not looking to punish us. He's not concerned with us "getting what we deserve." He wanted the best for us, so He gave the best TO us. He gave us His Son so that we might be conformed to the image of His Son. So that we might know that we ARE His Son. He gave us His Spirit. So that we might know and believe the love He has for us. That's what the Holy Spirit is--it's our love receptor. The cross didn't turn us into something God could love. He already loved us. Always has and always will. The cross turned us into something that could RECEIVE God's love. Receive it and release it. Receive it BY releasing it. To everybody we come into contact with. It was freely given to us... so freely we ought to give it to others. Not judging be appearance. Not withholding it from those who we decide "don't deserve it." But simply filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've been filled with, and watching it come out naturally. Watching people get healed just because our shadow passes over them. Meeting needs without a second thought. Just because we can. We've been blessed... to be a blessing. Given abundance... so that we can share out of our abundance. According to Malachi 3:10 WE are the windows of heaven. WE are the link between heaven and earth. We experience the days of heaven ON earth by letting what's inside come out. And we let it out by believing it's in there. We let it out when we stop trying to get something we think we don't have and start to know and believe that we DO have it. We have it, because our Father gave it to us. As a gift. Not something we earned. Not because of anything we did. But because of who we are... and because of who HE is. So stop trying to be someone you're not. Stop trying to get something you think you haven't got. God loves you. So love each other with that same love!