MERCY DECIDES; GRACE PROVIDES

The two main attributes of God which are revealed in the Cross of Christ are His Grace and His Mercy.  "Grace" is getting something which is totally undeserved.  God gave us a means to escape the punishment we so deserve:  "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (Jn. 3:14-17).

That being said, if God would have stopped there, all men would still be destined for the Lake of Fire!  The next two verses reveal that even though God has provided a means to escape, man, in and of himself, would not respond.  "And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (Jn. 3:18-19).  We know from other passages of Scripture that ALL "doeth evil" (Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22; etc.). 

In order for us to come to faith in the resurrected Lord, the Father must draw us to Him (Jn. 6:44).  Just as His Grace provided the only means of salvation (Jn. 14:6), His Mercy makes it known (Jn. 6:45).  God's Mercy reveals the truth to man through the working of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit convicts (convinces) the lost man:  1) that he is a sinner, 2) that Jesus is righteous as evidenced by His Resurrection and Ascension, and 3) that certain judgment awaits all who follow Satan rather than God (Jn. 16:7-11; 2 Cor. 4:4).

"Mercy" is not getting something which is totally deserved.  A person who seeks mercy is acknowledging three things:  1) that the One from whom he seeks mercy is the One to whom he must answer for his sin, 2) that he realizes he is a sinner, and 3) that God wants to forgive him.  Only when I acknowledge I am a sinner needing to be saved, will I call upon Him by name, pleading for Him to save me.  Paul wrote it this way:  "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13).  When we call, God is Merciful!

 

Salvation results from believing in God's Grace and His Mercy!