Paul’s
epistles to the churches, along with other New Testament letters frequently begin
with a prayer that God would grant Grace, Mercy, and Peace. Most sermons I have
heard also start with that, but what does that mean? Sometimes I think we hear it
so often that we take it for granted and don’t even realize what is being said. What are Grace, Mercy, and Peace, and why are letters and sermons started out this way? I previously examined the word peace, here, so now I will focus on Grace and Mercy.
These two words are tied to Justice, which we will define first. Justice is "fair and impartial behavior or treatment, judging free from discrimination." Mercy is defined as "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish." When we say that God is merciful, we mean that he does not condemn us all to hell, even though that is what we deserve. In effect, he is not dealing out on us the justice that we deserve and is within his rights.
A word related to Justice, is Justified, which means, "to be declared righteous and innocent in the sight of God." First of all this shows us that God must justify us and we cannot justify ourselves. Secondly, this is different than mercy and is, indeed Grace. Grace, then, is "the free and unmerited favor of God (or his disposition toward us), as manifested in the salvation of sinners." Not only does God not punish us, in His Mercy, but he declared us not guilty and even rewards us with salvation through his Grace.
These two words are tied to Justice, which we will define first. Justice is "fair and impartial behavior or treatment, judging free from discrimination." Mercy is defined as "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish." When we say that God is merciful, we mean that he does not condemn us all to hell, even though that is what we deserve. In effect, he is not dealing out on us the justice that we deserve and is within his rights.
A word related to Justice, is Justified, which means, "to be declared righteous and innocent in the sight of God." First of all this shows us that God must justify us and we cannot justify ourselves. Secondly, this is different than mercy and is, indeed Grace. Grace, then, is "the free and unmerited favor of God (or his disposition toward us), as manifested in the salvation of sinners." Not only does God not punish us, in His Mercy, but he declared us not guilty and even rewards us with salvation through his Grace.
To summarize, I think it is helpful to look at Aristotle's succinct definition of justice, which is, "giving everyone his due." Therefore, mercy is not giving people bad things that they do deserve, while grace is giving people good things that they do not deserve.
So, next time you hear Grace, Mercy, and Peace, think to yourself, "God has given me salvation, instead of the damnation that I deserve. Therefore, I can be at peace, even during times of trouble, knowing that heaven and the resurrection await."
So, next time you hear Grace, Mercy, and Peace, think to yourself, "God has given me salvation, instead of the damnation that I deserve. Therefore, I can be at peace, even during times of trouble, knowing that heaven and the resurrection await."
No comments:
Post a Comment