The Grace and Mercy of God
A message from guest speaker, Pastor Wayne Shatney.
Mercy: is not getting what you deserved, such as being spared a punishment you had coming. Grace: is getting what did not deserve. It is a gift you didn’t buy or earn or trade for.
God showed both his grace and his mercy to Abram. Before his name was changed to Abraham, Abram lived apart from God. He was worshipping idols, not God. It’s thought that Abram’s father, Terah, might even have made idols. Abram of Ur did not deserve any blessings, but God chose him anyway.
Abram did not leave right away, but traveled to the land of Haran with his wife, Sarai, his father, Terah and his nephew, Lot. He lived in Haran for many years. There was no spiritual growth. Yet, God had a plan for Abram, and was not deterred. Abram, like other great men of the Bible, was drafted. He wasn’t chosen for God’s plan because he was already going God’s way. In Haran, Abram wasn’t going anywhere. God told Abram to get up and go. To his credit, Abram got up and went.
God made a covenant with Abram, a one-sided promise, not a conditional deal. He promised him the land (Canaan), to bless him personally, and make him the father of many nations. He further promised Abram that through him, all nations would be blessed.
Abram did have faith to follow God’s instructions and came to Canaan. Abram’s faith was not complete, however. Shortly after his arrival, there was a famine in Canaan. Instead of trusting God to see him through, Abram packed up and headed south, to Egypt. Despite this lack of faith, God intended to keep his promise. He still had a plan for Abram.
God calls us out of the world. By his mercy, he calls us unto a new land: salvation. By his grace, he calls us to serve, to fulfill a purpose. Those whom he saves, he saves for a purpose. There is something he has for us to do. None of us are unnecessary “extras†in God’s plans.