UNMERITED FAVOR – Part 2

“Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—

         When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

         This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.” - Titus 3:3-8 New Living Translation

            What is God’s mercy? We’ve done nothing to earn or deserve the mercy of God. That is what the phrase “unmerited favor” means. We receive something from God that in most cases we didn’t even know we needed, yet was within our reach all along. God in all His wisdom and mercy designed a plan to save us from ourselves before we were ever born. That and the confounding truth that He loved us before we ever knew Him are humbling to say the least.

            God gives us a free will to do as we please. That free will allows us to continue down the path of our own choosing even though it may lead to our own destruction. When a bridge is impassable there are warning signs prior to the bridge entrance. God provides warning signs during our life to get our attention. Much of the time we are not paying any attention. The sad part is that when something goes wrong we blame God. It’s never God’s fault when something bad happens to us. That bad thing is more than likely a result of some really poor decision we’ve made somewhere down the line. Still the Lord loves us. Take all this to heart. If you don’t know Christ in a personal way, introduce yourself to him today, right now. If you were walking with him, but turned away, it’s not too late to come back. If you have a relationship with the author of life, rejoice in your freedom from sin and understand that those who come after you are going to need your help. Encourage and edify whenever possible. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller